A size 6 influencer who was sent free weight loss pills in exchange for an Instagram promotion says she accidentally overdosed on the skinny shot – and spent days vomiting blood, thinking she was going to die.
Leigh-Anne Lagden of Newcastle, England said she injected the “recommended” dose but later learned it was five times more than other women she spoke to were taking.
The 26-year-old spent two days throwing up black vomit before going to the hospital, where she says she was hooked to IVs.
Lagden, who was a UK size 10 (US size 6) at the time, said she was sent the month’s prescription of weight loss injections to promote the brand in June after following the company on social media.
“I started taking them at the beginning of the year. they [the brand] contacted me after I followed them on Instagram,” she said.
“The injections didn’t cost me a penny,” she continued. “The site sent them to me and I had to be on them for a month as I had to promote their brand. It came in a liquid solution with a needle so you had to prepare it yourself.
Although Lagden did not say exactly which drug he took, compounding pharmacies have sprung up to meet the growing demand for drugs such as semaglutide, which is sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, which is sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Meta, which owns Instagram, said they do not allow the sale of pharmaceutical drugs on Instagram or Facebook and urged users to report anything they see.
Lagden said the brand “recommended” a dose of 0.5ml, but immediately had terrible side effects.
“I was sick after the first one [injection]. I was bleeding for four days straight after getting the shot. My vomit was black and I was tied to the bed,” she recalls.
When she started vomiting, she contacted the brand that sent her the injections, but claims they told her it was normal to feel nauseous at first. But after being ill for two days, she was urged by her mother to call the emergency services.
“They sent me an ambulance. I wasn’t eating or drinking and I couldn’t keep everything down,” she said. “When I told them my patient was black, they told me it was blood. I just bled. I thought I was going to die and I felt like I was going to die.
“The only thing I could hold down was [ice pops]so i have been on these for about a week. I felt at home the next day, and then I woke up and my heart was beating so fast that I rushed back to the hospital. “They asked me if I was taking any drugs because my heart was beating so fast,” she said.
“My blood came back and they said they were out of order and my liver was extremely abnormal. I think the reason I got so poor was because I got five days worth in one shot. At the hospital, they told me that I overdosed, but that’s what [the Instagram page]he told me to take it.”
She claims the brand showed no remorse and since contacting other female promoters, she now believes she only had to take 0.1ml of the weight loss solution per injection.
“The brand told me to take a 0.5ml dose, so I took that on my first go, but after contacting the other girls they said they were only told to take 0.1ml. They made me take five times the amount.” she said.
“I asked what the injections actually were and are for people with diabetes, but they advertised it as weight loss injections.”
She says she continued to be ill for three weeks and returned to the brand on Instagram after feeling better.
“[I] i told them i couldn’t go on because i was really poor and quiet [the] hospital. They just said, ‘OK.'”
Meta said they remove weight loss content that contains a miracle claim and attempts to buy, sell, trade, give away or give away weight loss products. They said content about weight loss products and potentially dangerous cosmetic procedures is restricted to users under the age of 18.
Meta said they are constantly working to improve detection and asked people to report anything they think violates policies so they can review it and take action. However, the brand’s Instagram and Facebook pages are still active and promoting skinny jabs. The brand was contacted by Kennedy News & Media for comment but did not respond.
Since the experience, Lagden says she would never wear skimpy dresses again and has now dropped a dress size by losing weight the “healthy” way and going to the gym. She is also urging other people not to buy weight loss injections from anyone other than medical professionals and to do their research first before taking them.
Despite recovering from her near-death experience, she claims her liver function is still abnormal and she struggles to eat as it makes her feel ill.
“I would never take these again. I’ve learned my lesson and now I’m losing weight normally by going to the gym and exercising,” she said.
“I think that’s why I’ve lost so much weight now, since I’ve been walking everywhere.
“I still haven’t got my appetite back. I used to like eating but since getting these injections it has put me off. I would recommend people lose weight by eating well and exercising rather than taking [what they think] it’s the easy way.
“It might work for some girls if they really got the legal stuff from the doctors. I went to the doctors and they said the reason they don’t prescribe it is because you don’t need it.”
She also has some advice for other people struggling to lose weight.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I thought I was big and needed to get these injections when in reality I was a healthy, normal size. Don’t take these weight loss injections from strangers on the internet. Do your research first,” she said.
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