If you're one of those who feels you might've overindulged during the festive period, 2026 is the time to start anew.
Still, a weight loss journey is personal and different for everyone, which has seen a rise in GLP-1 injections like Ozempic and Wegovy. With everyone from Elon Musk to Lizzo admitting they've been jabbing themselves, the popularity of these drugs continues to climb.
With even the World Health Organization doing a U-turn on its thoughts about semaglutides, supposed benefits like a reduced risk of heart-related issues and potential to reverse liver damage are obvious pluses.
Then there's the other side of the story, with worrying side effects and a potential mental health crisis also being a cause for concern. If the likes of 'Ozempic Poo' weren't enough to put you off, one woman has taken to TikTok to share her story about how a year of GLP-1 injections has supposedly 'ruined' her stomach.
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We've repeatedly been told potential nausea and abdominal pains, but over on TikTok, 23-year-old h8ley0 explained how she turned to skinny jabs after graduating college in December 2023.
Saying she'd gained a 'cr*p ton' of weight and her mental health was in the gutter, she went on Wegovy and admits it changed her life.
It all started well as she upped her doses as recommended, and after losing 50lbs, she was happy with where things were going. Here, Haley reminds us: "When you're on a GLP-1, they tell you do not stop when you're happy with your weight. Keep going and stay on a maintenance drug, or everything that it did for you will reverse."
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Although she hadn't experienced any side effects before, Haley says that she noticed some adverse issues when she stayed on the maintenance dose.
She recalls two separate incidents in July, where she had a cocktail at the start of the night. By the end of the evening, she apparently couldn't stop being sick.
Even though she thought it was 'really weird', Haley reiterated: "But I never did well with Wegovy and alcohol and I was fine with that."
She added: "Then it happens a third time after I went to the movies. I did not consume any alcohol, just movie theater popcorn."
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Things were so bad the next morning that Hayley took herself to the ER because she couldn't stop being sick.
Having stomach tests, a CT scan, and even being tested for Celiac disease, doctors couldn't find anything wrong. Hayley decided to take herself off Wegovy, and although things were fine for a while, these symptoms kicked into play again by the end of August – resulting in multiple hospital visits.
Giving a warning to others, the TikTokker said: "I spent the whole month of September and almost all of October only having soup, protein shakes, liquids. I literally lived off of miso soup."
Claiming she'd inadvertently lost an extra 20lbs, she says her body had 'shut down'.
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After more tests, doctors suggested that Hayley was having symptoms of Gastroparesis, which is a chronic condition where the muscles of the stomach work poorly and slow or stop the movement of food into the small intestine.
Going on nausea pads and stronger nausea meds, Hayley says she'd constantly wake up feeling weak and was scared to even drink water because she was worried it would make her sick: "It was hell. It was just trying to stay alive every day for days."
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Ultimately, Hayley says her doctor traced it back to the Wegovy: "She kind of broke it down to me that my body had gotten used to kind of that paralyzed stomach that the drug gives you, and wouldn't get out of that routine on its own."
Hayley is adamant that her body got stuck in a loop, concluding: "Of course, the brain-gut connection is impossible to reconnect once it's already messed up."
She is thankfully in a better place and is eating solids, although she still avoids things that are hard to digest and is telling her story as a warning to others.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, previously told LADbible: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 RA medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety. As part of this work we continue to monitor reports of adverse drug reactions through routine pharmacovigilance.
"GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) for more than 15 years including Novo Nordisk GLP-1 RA products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 10 years.
"We recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile.
"We recommend that any patient experiencing side effects while taking GLP receptor agonists including Wegovy®, Ozempic® or Rybelsus® report them to their healthcare provider and via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/."
Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, said: "Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority. We take any reports about patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines.
"Mounjaro (tirzepatide) should only be used when prescribed by a healthcare professional and prescriptions should be fulfilled and supplied by registered pharmacies and providers."