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\n\t\tTaken to hospital by ambulance, the 30-year-old was quickly put on a drip (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tTaken to hospital by ambulance, the 30-year-old was quickly put on a drip (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
Watching her husband call for an ambulance, Ana Noulty felt terrified. She was so weak she could barely walk. Her throat was raw from throwing up for hours \u2013 and she had no idea why.<\/p>\n
Taken to hospital by ambulance, the 30-year-old was quickly put on a drip. It was a scary few hours for her and husband, James, 34 \u2013 and something, she later discovered, that was entirely avoidable. <\/p>\n
Just seven months prior to calling 999 in March this year, the railway worker started taking Mounjaro<\/a>, also known as tirzepatide, an injectable prescription medication for weight loss<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201dI got married in 2021 and the weight just crept on. I\u2019d got to 17st 6lbs through a combination of not exercising<\/a> and having a lazy or bad diet<\/a> because work was busy.<\/p>\n \u2018I was after something to kick start my weight loss and after reading and hearing so much about weight loss injections<\/a>, they seemed like a good idea,\u2019 Ana tells Metro<\/strong>. <\/p>\n However, afraid she\u2019d be turned down by her GP who had always recommended diet and exercise as the preferred way to lose weight, Ana sought out the \u2018miracle\u2019 jab elsewhere. <\/p>\n \u2018I bought it from a pharmaceutical website where they didn\u2019t even want a video consultation,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n Although Ana was adamant she wanted to use the jabs \u2013 which can be prescribed on the NHS if you\u2019re over\u00a030\u00a0BMI\u00a0or 27 BMI <\/a>with a weight related health condition like high blood pressure<\/a> or diabetes<\/a> \u2013 her husband, mum and sister were worried from day one.<\/p>\n \u2018None of them liked the idea and kept saying I might be safer losing weight slowly <\/a>by joining a gym and changing my diet,\u2019 she remembers. \u2018But I\u2019ve had disordered eating<\/a> since I was a teenager, so while I knew that could work for a lot of people, I wanted to try the jabs, because I knew if I could get the weight off, I\u2019d likely be able to keep it off.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Ana had to take the jabs once a week, with the price per month starting at \u00a3150, but increasing to \u00a3210 as it went up in strength. After starting them in August last year, she lost a staggering 40lb in just 12 weeks \u2013 but the side effects<\/a> kicked in immediately.<\/p>\n \u2018I was really happy with my weight loss, but I also started losing my hair, which I hated,\u2019 she says. \u2018However, when people noticed and I got so many compliments, that in itself becomes addictive. Pair it with the fact you can see your waist emerging and going up and down stairs isn\u2019t as hard, it soon becomes something you can\u2019t imagine living without.\u2019<\/p>\n Despite initial success with losing weight, by January this year Ana had gone up to a 15mg dose but, with less to lose, her weight wasn\u2019t dropping as quickly.<\/p>\n The side effects<\/a> hadn\u2019t worn off either. \u2018I was getting stomach cramps and noticed I was being sick if I ate anything greasy or unhealthy,\u2019 she remembers. \u2018I had also lost around half of the thickness of my hair, which really upset me.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018My disordered eating came back, too. The injections curbed my appetite, but I was still ignoring any hunger pangs I did have, in the hope it would help me keep losing weight quickly.\u2019<\/p>\n James begged Ana to stop and seek medical attention, but she stubbornly refused. \u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018My husband and mum were worried about the effect the jabs were having on my body and kept telling me I could go too far with them,\u2019 she recalls.<\/p>\n \u2018James got particularly concerned when I started being sick. He hated seeing me poorly, but I can be really stubborn and the thought of gaining back everything I\u2019d lost made me really worried.<\/p>\n \u2018I knew I was looking better and liked the reflection I saw in the mirror. Losing weight impacts everything \u2013 how much energy you have, how you feel about yourself, I felt like my confidence was coming back despite the side effects.\u2019<\/p>\n With over 7,000 complaints to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency about weight loss jabs, Ana says she had no idea in March this year she\u2019d become one of over 500 hospitalisations because of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSide effects – what you should know\t\t\t<\/p>\n According to NHS Inform<\/a>, common side effects of semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide include: <\/p>\n Less common side effects include:<\/p>\n You should check the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine for a full list of side effects. If you\u2019re worried about side effects, speak to your healthcare professional.<\/p>\n \u2018One afternoon in March, I started to feel really unwell and began throwing up. I couldn\u2019t keep anything down for hours andeventually called 111, who advised me to call an ambulance,\u2019 she remembers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018It was awful and James was beside himself. When the paramedics arrived they told me to keep trying to drink but I just couldn\u2019t. I kept throwing up stomach acid, so my throat was burnt raw. I was taken to hospital for IV fluids and anti sickness treatments.\u2019<\/p>\n The next day, Ana was discharged from hospital, but she says that exactly a month later, she started feeling the same.<\/p>\n \t\t Initially, she didn\u2019t make any connections to the jabs, but when she was hospitalised the second time, it crossed her mind and Ana mentioned it to the doctors looking after her. <\/p>\n \u2018They said they couldn\u2019t 100% pinpoint it as the root cause, but advised me to stop taking them in case it was, so I did.\u2019<\/p>\n Ana was sent home again, but spent the next five days being sick and was eventually admitted to hospital again. This time, she was diagnosed with hypokalaemia \u2013 an electrolyte disorder \u2013 and put on a potassium intravenous drip.\u00a0If left untreated, hypokalaemia can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm, which can result in a cardiac arrest<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018It was horrendous,\u2019 remembers Ana.\u00a0\u2018I was given various different drips and slowly got well enough to go home the following day \u2013 but during the night, I lost use of my limbs, which was terrifying. <\/p>\n \u2018I couldn\u2019t move them and had no idea why. James had to hold a drink cup to my mouth but I still couldn\u2019t keep any fluids down. I was soon advised to go back to hospital, so my husband lifted me out of bed and in and out of the car.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Ana was kept in for the night and given another two litres of intravenous fluids. \u2018It took two days in hospital before I could eat something and keep it down. Once the doctors were satisfied I could eat, I was released again to recover at home,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n \u2018That was only around six weeks ago and I\u2019m still recovering from the trauma of it all. While I\u2019m struggling emotionally, I\u2019m doing much better physically. I\u2019ve joined a gym and am doing weights and fuelling my body properly.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m stable and haven\u2019t gained weight at the moment but emotionally I\u2019m still pretty scared being off the jabs, as I don\u2019t want to put all the weight back on. It\u2019s a constant battle.\u2019<\/p>\n While Ana\u2019s hair is still thin, her hairdresser has said now she\u2019s focused on getting better and eating right and exercising, it should thicken out again. <\/p>\n \t\t \u2018It\u2019s been a really difficult experience. On one hand, yes, I look slimmer, but it\u2019s come at such cost and caused such worry to my family and loved ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018If anyone\u2019s thinking of taking these injections I\u2019d say to make sure you\u2019re hydrating and eating, as hard as it is to do that. Nutrition is so important for every aspect of your health.\u2019<\/p>\n As her recovery continues, Ana admits she\u2019s been tempted to start the injections again \u2013 but James and the memories of the hospitalisations has stopped her so far. <\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s unlikely I will \u2013 but it can be really addictive<\/a> watching the number on the scales drop, hearing how amazing and different you look,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s the pain and weakness that comes with it is keeping me from starting again. I know the hypokalaemia I had could have been so much worse so I won\u2019t take the risk again, my health is too important.\u2019<\/p>\n Metro has reached out to Mounjaro for comment. <\/strong><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-2-604e.png\")
\n\t\tAna\u2019s husband James (left) was worried about her using the jabs for weight loss<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/att.Gkmp5AOSbjNpKZSR_VbDXJnkEqiayBRKpyWEl7x-RKE-3c11-e1749723602694.jpg\")
\n\t\tAna lost 40 pounds in 12 weeks, but dealt with side effects like stomach pain and hair loss<\/p>\n\n
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\n\t\tEventually Anna couldn\u2019t keep any food down and ended up in hospital (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/thumbnail_att.yu7VJDEcFfbmC9g_UTznxe-TZayq0XXuWWLtOBgIXjE-222b-e1749723885504.jpg\")
\n\t\tAna is no longer taking the weight loss jabs and thinks its no longer worth the risks (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-1-d242-e1749722971128.png\")
\n\t\tAna\u2019s hair is slowly getting back to normal (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
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