Camilla Jessen
‘I thought I was a goner’, the woman said after vomiting blood.
A 40-year-old woman from Nottingham has spoken out after a weight-loss injection left her seriously ill.
Emma Dyer said she feared she might die after suffering severe side effects, describing the decision as the “worst” she has made.
Dyer paid £85 for the injections, which she ordered online. She told The Mirror that obtaining the medication was “shockingly easy,” adding that she was not asked for identification or details about her medical history.
“I just thought, everyone’s doing it. It felt safe because it’s so normal now,” she said.
Severe reaction
When the package arrived, Dyer said the printed instructions were unclear and difficult to read, leaving her unsure about how to administer the dose.
“The instructions were really vague and hard to follow. I had to go on YouTube to work out what I was meant to do,” she explained, adding that she now believes confusion over the guidance led to an incorrect dosage.
Although she initially felt fine, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
“It was Easter Sunday and I became violently ill,” she said. “I couldn’t keep anything down. I was throwing up constantly. I collapsed on the bathroom floor and was covered in vomit.”
‘I thought I was a goner’
Dyer said she spent five days in bed, unable to sit up, eat or drink.
“I was so weak. I couldn’t even sit up. I thought I was a goner,” she said.
Her symptoms worsened when she began vomiting blood.
“I honestly thought that was it,” she added.
After contacting the supplier, she claimed she received little support.
“You’re left to your own devices. When it goes wrong, you’ve got no one to speak to. It’s terrifying.”
Calls for caution
Her experience comes as research by Well Pharmacy suggests some people may be willing to overlook medical checks to achieve faster weight loss. A survey by the pharmacy chain found that nearly four in 10 adults said they would accept side effects if weight loss happened quickly.
Mital Thakrar, Head of Private Services at Well Pharmacy, warned against treating such medication as a shortcut.
“Weight-loss medication shouldn’t be treated as a quick fix and it is not suitable for everyone,” she said.
“What’s worrying is how many people appear willing to rush in without research and consideration. These medicines should always be part of a clinically supported programme. That means full screening, understanding a patient’s wider health, monitoring side effects and supporting people through every stage of their journey.”
Dyer said she would not completely rule out weight-loss treatment in the future, but only under medical supervision. “I wouldn’t rule it out completely. But I would only do it through someone who actually checks you properly and supports you throughout.
“I’d want to know I’m being looked after.”
Sources: The Mirror, Well Pharmacy
