Danger from weight loss injection pens sold illegally online

Health hazards from rapid weight loss

On social media platforms, weight loss injection pens are being sold openly with many attractive advertisements such as losing 3-4 kg/month, no fatigue, no need to diet or exercise. Most of the products are introduced as hand-carried goods, with packaging in foreign languages, no Vietnamese sub-labels, unknown origin, expiration date or storage conditions.

Weight loss pens of unknown origin are flooding the online market. Screenshot

Ms. M (24 years old, Hanoi ) once spent nearly 20 million VND to buy 8 injection pens from an online sales account. After two months of use, she lost nearly 3 kg. But by the third injection pen, she began to have symptoms that were dangerous to her health.

"After the third injection, I had to be hospitalized due to difficulty breathing, allergies all over my body, and a rapid heart rate. From then on, I stopped completely and gained weight again. Now I have completely stopped, and do not dare to buy random drugs online anymore," Ms. M shared.

According to Dr. Truong Hong Son - Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Medical Association: "Current weight loss injection pens, typically those containing active ingredients such as semaglutide (trade names: Wegovy, Ozempic) or liraglutide (Saxenda), work based on the mechanism of simulating the hormone GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) - a natural hormone in the body that plays a role in regulating blood sugar and controlling hunger".

However, according to Dr. Son, although they are a big step forward in the treatment of obesity, these drugs are not “miracle drugs”. Their use requires a prescription and close monitoring by an endocrinologist or nutritionist because the risk of serious side effects still exists. Some common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, while rare but dangerous complications such as acute pancreatitis, prolonged digestive disorders or dehydration can also occur if not monitored promptly.

In particular, the drug is not suitable for people with a history of medullary thyroid cancer, MEN2 syndrome, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and the elderly without careful evaluation. The use process also requires a gradual increase in dosage for the body to adapt. If the dose is increased suddenly, the user may experience hypoglycemia, severe vomiting and electrolyte imbalance. Another worrying risk is the risk of drug dependence or abuse in people who do not really need to lose weight medically.

Consequences of arbitrary use and illegal trading on the Internet

Dr. Son warned that people buying weight loss injection pens online without medical examination is becoming an alarming issue. These floating products can be fake, diluted, and not guaranteed to be cold-storage, causing the active ingredients to change or lose their effectiveness. In some cases, products that are not properly sterilized can cause infections, abscesses, or anaphylactic shock at the injection site.

Dr. Truong Hong Son - Director of Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, Deputy Secretary General of Vietnam Medical Association. Photo: NVCC

Dr. Son also said that he had received many cases of patients sharing serious complications after using weight loss drugs of unknown origin. Some people had to be hospitalized for acute pancreatitis with symptoms of epigastric pain, vomiting, fever, and bloating. Others suffered from acute kidney failure due to taking diuretics, causing excessive dehydration and low blood pressure. More serious were cases of psychological disorders after prolonged injections such as insomnia, depression, anxiety disorders, and anorexia to the point of requiring hospitalization for psychiatric treatment.

Early warning signs such as severe abdominal pain above the navel radiating to the back, continuous vomiting for more than 1-2 days, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, prolonged digestive disorders or rapid weight loss (>1kg/week) are dangerous symptoms that users need to pay special attention to and go to the hospital early.

There are no shortcuts to sustainable weight loss.

One of the biggest mistakes today is that many young people, especially women, follow the "super slim" body model, "flat belly 0% fat" spread on social networks. They are not really obese but still abuse weight loss injections for quick beauty, ignoring the principle of safe weight loss, which is 70% nutrition, 20% exercise and 10% medical support.

In fact, after stopping the drug, users are likely to gain weight again due to not changing their lifestyle (the “yo-yo” effect). If weight loss is too rapid, the body can also experience metabolic complications such as fatigue, hair loss, amenorrhea, muscle wasting, acute fatty liver, osteoporosis, and even weakness.

Doctor Son recommends: "Weight loss and fat loss is a process that requires the coordination of many factors such as diet, work, rest, exercise... Before deciding to lose weight, you should consult a specialist or nutritionist to develop a suitable roadmap. You should not arbitrarily buy and use weight loss drugs and functional foods."

Therefore, according to Dr. Son, everyone should eat a lot of green vegetables, low-sugar fruits, divide meals into small portions (5-6 times/day), prioritize drinks with little or no calories, and drink enough 40ml of water/kg of body weight per day. At the same time, it is necessary to get enough sleep and avoid prolonged stress because this is the reason why the body secretes a lot of cortisol, causing fat accumulation. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, 5-6 sessions a week is the foundation for maintaining a healthy figure and overall health.

In cases with BMI ≥30 or BMI ≥27 with underlying diseases, if after 3-6 months of lifestyle changes the desired results are not achieved, the patient may be considered for using weight loss support drugs as prescribed by a specialist.

There are no shortcuts to a healthy body. Weight loss injections are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Beauty in a safe way starts with the right knowledge and right actions.

Phuong Cuc

Source: https://congthuong.vn/hiem-hoa-tu-but-tiem-giam-can-ban-troi-noi-tren-mang-388024.html