Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.
Doctors have issued an urgent warning about counterfeit Ozempic, stressing it is extremely dangerous and could put you in hospital.
From all the celebrities in Hollywood who have jumped on the latest weight loss trend to all the buzz surrounding the severe health impacts misuse can cause - it's clear the world is absolutely obsessed with all things Ozempic at the mo.
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The drug in question is a medicine intended to treat people with type two diabetes, however many people associate it with weight loss thanks to its active ingredient, semaglutide, which can help regulate your appetite.
What is Ozempic?
In case you're unsure of the science behind it, the weekly Ozempic injection - also controversially referred to as the 'skinny jab' - suppresses a person's appetite by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
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The hormone is usually released after eating, making people feel full and resulting in them eating less.
Common side effects of the weight loss jab include nausea, constipation, stomach discomfort and diarrhoea.
What is 'faux-zempic'?
Given the surge in popularity in the drug, after stars like James Corden and Sharon Osbourne admitted to taking it just to name a few, a warning has been issued over illegitimate Ozempic injection - now being referred to as 'faux-zempic'.
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Lucy, a psychiatrist practicing in the Northeast, warned of 'additives' that have been added to potentially 'generic' or counterfeit weight loss drugs, told Salon: "It’s an alarming trend out there of these predatory people being involved with this medication.
"A lot of people will go to pill mills online and get various people ‘prescribing’ [weight loss drugs for them] when they haven’t even talked to a physician."
What are the risks of 'faux-zempic'?
In the last few years, patients all over the world have been hospitalised after taking counterfeit Ozempic that contained insulin instead of semaglutide with several people in Austria being just one example.
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Another Chicago man also slipped into a coma after using the drug from an unregulated source, reports ABC.
And the latest weight loss trend is clearly affecting young people too as one study found that as much as one in 10 teenagers used laxatives and supplements labeled as 'nature’s Ozempic' or 'budget Ozempic'.
Not only are such substances not recommended for children, but they've also been linked to an increased risk of being diagnosed with eating disorders and mental health conditions.
What do the experts say about 'faux-zempic'?
Dr. John Hertig, a pharmacist and member of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, explains: "Any drug received from an illegitimate source comes with inherent risk, including getting sugar pills and wasting money, getting a substance that has been contaminated with something that shouldn’t be consumed, or not having a prescriber to issue instructions on how to administer it.
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"However, illegitimate weight loss drugs posing as Ozempic carry specific risks because they are injectables."
Emphasising the dangers of not just the drug but the needle itself, Hertig told Salon: "They're not only counterfeiting the actual pharmaceutical product, they're also counterfeiting the needles that go with it.
"Think about counterfeit needles in the risk that that might have is you're literally injecting yourself with something you don't know where that needle came from either."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 365 days a year from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on weekends and bank holidays. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat
Rhiannon Ingle