Revealed: Weight loss jabs like Ozempic have been linked to TWENTY deaths in ... trends now
Slimming jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to 20 deaths in Britain, MailOnline can reveal.
None of the fatalities, which have all occurred since 2019, are proven to have been caused directly by the game-changing weight loss injections.
But health chiefs tasked with policing the safety of the jabs admit there is 'a suspicion' they may have been to blame.
One of the deaths was in someone in their 30s.
Experts today warned Brits against buying semaglutide — the powerful ingredient behind the jabs' weight loss effects — online.
Trish Webster, 56, pictured above with husband Roy, died after using Ozempic to lose some weight before her daughter's wedding. The mother, from Australia, suffered side effects from the drug
She dropped 35lbs (16kg) over five months as she was trying to slim down for a dress for her daughter's wedding
Mrs Webster, pictured above, should still be alive, her husband said. He wants an investigation into her cause of death
Fake versions sold for up to £280 a pack have left patients fighting for their lives in comas.
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, told MailOnline: 'The latest generation of powerful new obesity drugs are wonderful when used as recommended.
'Misuse of them by people who buy them either over-the-counter or online simply to lose weight and without a specialist's prescription, are putting themselves at risk - and that risk could be fatal.'
He added: 'If you just want to lose a few pounds, either stay on your preferred diet or just don't eat so much. That will be far safer.'
Causes for eight of the deaths reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were unspecified.
Causes for eight of the deaths reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were unspecified. Four were listed as cardiac arrests. Others included overdoses, cancer and even suicide
Four were listed as cardiac arrests. Others included overdoses, cancer and even suicide.
Another was put down to acetonaemia, also known as ketosis, when the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.
Men accounted for the majority (13) of the 20 fatalities. Five victims were in their 70s
As well as not being proven to be caused by semaglutide itself, none of the victims were identified.
Last year, however, a 56-year-old mother from Australia was feared to have died from a fatal side effect linked to Ozempic.
Trish Webster was not diabetic but was prescribed the drug off-label to help her lose weight ahead of her daughter's wedding.
She lost 35lbs (16kg) on Ozempic and another weight loss drug, while suffering from constant nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
In January 2023, she collapsed at home with a 'brown substance' foaming from her mouth. She died later that evening.
Doctors recorded her cause of death as 'acute gastrointestinal illness,' noting Ozempic has been linked to fatal intestine blockages.
Separately, last year the family of an American man, known only as Anthony, also blamed the weight loss jab on his suicide and called for it to carry a warning label for 'putting these thoughts in his mind'.
His sister said he became uncharacteristically quiet when he started taking Ozempic in February 2023 to manage his type 2 diabetes.
Game-changing injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy, hailed by the likes of Elon Musk and Jeremy Clarkson, are proven to help people lose up to 2st.
Ministers plan to dole the drug to millions of overweight Brits to trim the country's bulging benefits bill. Children could eventually be given the jabs, too.
Novo Nordisk's semaglutide – also branded as Rybelsus – tricks the brain into thinking its full, consequently slashing appetite and stopping users from overeating.
Wegovy and Ozempic, which both contain semaglutide, work by triggering the body to produce a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals
Despite being hailed as one of the most powerful pharmaceutical tools to date, experts have warned it is not a 'magic pill' or miracle fix all. Trials have shown that users can rapidly pile pounds back on once they stop taking the drug and it can trigger a variety of nasty side effects. Users commonly complain of nausea, constipation and diarrhoea
Like any medication, the jabs can have known side effects that vary in both frequency and severity, including nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches and dizziness. Some patients have also suffered hair loss while on them.
Some rival pharma companies have also labelled the jabs as indiscriminate drugs because people not only lose weight on them but muscle mass as well.
