Has anyone become ill from GLP-1s?

[BeachAndSea]

I wanted to ask if anyone had becoming ill or seriously after taking a weight loss injectable? So pancreatic problems, thyroid, anything like what is in the press about the risks? I so want to try it but am afraid if the risks.

No, I never had a single side effect. I know quite a few friends and colleagues on it and they are all feeling fine, and looking fabulous. My husband’s GP is using it too.

there is kidney disease in my family so i’m concerned about that

Balance the risk against the risk you are doing to your health by being overweight? I think pancreatitis is only a problem with rapid weight loss so to give yourself the best chance you need to ensure you eat enough to fuel your body correctly. Lower those risks.

I’ve had bouts of constipation and a metallic taste in my mouth which has meant I’ve reduced my dose but no big deal really. I’m nearly up to target weight so will stay on it a couple more months.

I never had any side effects beyond a bit of constipation - know lots of other people who are on it and and they didn't have any side effects either.

There are currently 1.5 million people on GLP-1s in the UK so there will certainly be some people who have had a bad reaction, or who have bought something from their cousin's neighbour's hairdresser which turned out to be fake and made them ill. But if the side effects were widespread and common, we'd be seeing huge numbers of people getting ill from taking them - which as far as we know, we aren't.

And as @porchiepalava says, there are risks to NOT losing weight as well.

I know of one person who has had to have their gall bladder out BUT she was a healthy BMI to start with and bought WLIs from a dodgy salon so she didn’t really know what she was taking.
I was BMI 30, have been taking the lowest dose of MJ since July ‘25 from a registered online pharmacy, have lost 28.5kg, am now BMI 22.5 and other than a bit of constipation a few months in, have had no side effects at all.
Some people take it to the rules and are unlucky but the risk is much greater if you don’t - I suspect many people who have problems are not

Yes, I know the side effects of being overweight. Just the fear of what I read in The Times articles at times. I don’t want my organs damaged either. Maybe more research needed on how widespread the side effects really are. Where do you all buy it from?

If you're diabetic op your GP will do routine blood tests every 3 months.

They're really not widespread as PPs have pointed out. I've only had a bit of constipation now and then as others say. The risks of things like pancreatitis are not because of the drugs, they're because of too rapid weight loss - just do it slowly and at a low dose and you'll eliminate that risk.

Being overweight does damage to your organs.

Um there is over 5o million people on them globally, with an initial 15 years in trials then subsequently more; how much research is needed? They have been used by humans in real life for two decades.

no 9ne has died from legitimate use of the meds. They are very safe, if you have health anxiety that possibly makes you focus on tiny risks v the very real risks of obesity I think I’d focus on that. Alternatively lose weight without.

Can you explain maybe what you mean? Are you not overweight then, is this the issue? As your organs are being damaged if you are.

do you maybe have health anxiety ?

I got my prescription from Voy, which involved a video consultation with an actual doctor, plus I told my GP - I then switched to MedExpress. My mum got her prescription from her gynaecologist who prescribed it alongside adjusting her HRT and now gets it from her local pharmacy.

I figure given that more than 30 million people in the USA, 3 million in Canada, 1.5 million in the UK alone have taken them we would have seen population-level effects if there was any likelihood of widespread damage. They've been used with diabetics for many years now, following the many years before that of clinical trials - see for instance this study which tracks people taking GLP-1s long term: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12361690/

I think the media just loves looking for an angle, and "fatties pay money to cheat and lose weight too easily, must be a catch" is a perennial favourite.

Yes, I’m overweight, BMI 30. I just saw Asda online sells Mounjaro. I like the idea of speaking to a dr online first too. Thanks!

There’s a saying in the news business: If it bleeds it leads

I believe you!

I’ve used MedExpress and Farmeci, had good service from both

Mounjaro also helps with kidney disease,

https://healthtree.org/blood-cancer/community/articles/how-to-manage-and-slow-down-kidney-disease#:~:text=Mounjaro%20or%20Zepbound%20(Tirzepatide)%20%2D,to%20end%2Dstage%20kidney%20disease.

There are many clinical trials of these drugs, done long before these drugs became available commercially and it's why the side effects are known in the first place and ranked in terms of common or rare. It's also why drugs come with a leaflet with warnings and for weight loss drugs, recommendations about slow increases of dosage levels, rate of weight loss and diet and exercise regimes, all to offset some of the potential risks.

Research into these drugs is happening all the time. No pharmaceutical company wants lawsuits. In the UK we have the 'yellow card' reporting system. This is where side effects to drugs can be reported by users and is run by the Medicines & Health Regulator. Anything new, significant or unusual can be investigated and in serious cases the drug suspended from use until further tests and checks are made. Medical regulators across the world also share data to create a bigger picture than just from one country. I'd probably trust those reviews before some journalist who may be cherry-picking medical articles to quote for maximum scaremongering effect.

Also many research studies need to be read carefully as what they are 'testing' for will be very limited in scope e.g. looking at specific co-morbidities or interactions with particular drugs, or excluding certain types of people from the study based on age/race/sex/BMI, which can skew results. Basically, you have to view anything you read with healthy critical thinking.

Most drugs will have some sort of risk attached. That has to be balanced against the benefits by the user and their medical professionals and for many, obesity is by far the worst risk.

Yellow Card | Making medicines and medical devices safer

@BeachAndSea look at monj.co.uk (mounjaro) and igovy.co.uk (wegovy) for registered safe pharmacies and prices.

I think I read over 4 million people in the UK are now on GLP1s. There are rare side effects so when dealing with 4 million people there are going to be a few who did experience the serious side effect, but the majority don't. If anyone on mumsnet did they are unlikely to be hanging about this board now.

GLP1 are new news just now which is why you see them reported. You don't see reported side effects from other medications - there are people admitted to hospitals every day suffering adverse side effects from lots of drugs, even ibuprofen, but the news doesn't report them as they aren't trending on social media for them to sell advertising space! The more articles you open on social media about them the more you will see on your feed.

There are risks to obesity and risk to most medications. Research and decide which is the riskiest for you.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Thank you so much, especially for sharing articles and knowledge of the drugs. I feel far more positive about this now; just need to convince my husband.

Why do you need to convince your husband, I thought they were for you?

18 months in. Apart from some nausea and 1 night I actually vomited I've been fine in all that time

What has it got to do with your husband?