A 47-year-old mother from Oxfordshire has warned others about the dangers of fake weight loss injections after collapsing into a diabetic coma caused by a counterfeit Ozempic pen, according to The Metro.
Michelle Sword, a school receptionist and mother of two from Carterton, began using weight loss injections in 2020 after gaining two stone following the breakdown of her 20-year marriage. She bought genuine Ozempic from a regulated online pharmacy and lost the weight within three months, as per news story.
After reaching her goal, Michelle stopped taking the drug and maintained her weight for some time through diet and exercise. However, by 2023, the weight returned and she struggled to find legitimate Ozempic online.
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While browsing Facebook, she came across a seller offering the injections and paid 150 pounds via PayPal for a month's supply. Although the pen looked genuine, she noticed it kept clicking and was unsure of the dosage.
Minutes after injecting herself, Michelle collapsed at home. Her 15-year-old daughter found her unconscious and called emergency services. Paramedics worked for over an hour before rushing her to hospital.
Doctors later discovered her blood sugar level had dropped to 0.2 millimoles per litre, a life-threatening level. Tests revealed the pen contained insulin, not Ozempic.
Michelle survived and has vowed never to use weight loss injections again. She is now sharing her story to warn others, urging people to only buy prescription medication from regulated pharmacies. The UK medicines regulator has seized more than 6,500 fake Ozempic products in just over two years.
