A woman has told how she suffered a burst appendix after taking blockbuster weight loss jab Ozempic, as she tried to shed a few pounds before her son’s wedding.
Ali Eastburn, who was a size 16, was prescribed the drug by her doctor in April to feel more confident in wedding photos.
The 58-year-old, from Nashville in Tennessee, US, claimed she had tried shifting the weight from her ‘post-menopausal’ body naturally, but nothing had proved effective.
After her ‘trusted’ doctor suggested she was eligible for the weight loss injection, she began on a low dose of the drug and soon noticed her weight drop.
But after this plateaued in July, weeks before the wedding, the mum-of-three suddenly increased her dosage—which experts have long warned against.
Within days she experienced heartburn, nausea and ‘violent’ diarrhoea, and was rushed to the emergency room twice.
Determined to make her son’s wedding despite her health woes, the estate agent travelled to Orange County in California on July 15.
Yet, her appendix ruptured during the flight and she was rushed for emergency surgery as soon as she landed.
Ali Eastburn, who was a size 16, was prescribed the drug by her doctor in April to feel more confident in wedding photos
The 58-year-old, from Nashville in Tennessee , US, claimed she had tried shifting the weight from her ‘post-menopausal’ body naturally, but nothing had proved effective. Pictured, with husband Ken at her son Chase’s wedding
Semaglutide, the ingredient behind Ozempic, has long been hailed a game-changer in tackling obesity.
Administered weekly, the drug—manufactured by Novo Nordisk—is designed to help type 2 diabetes patients control their blood sugar levels or for obese people to lose weight for health purposes.
However, the injections, known collectively as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), are known to cause worrying side effects such as pancreatitis—when the pancreas suddenly becomes inflamed—or gastrointestinal issues.
Recalling her terrifying ordeal, Ms Eastburn said: ‘I would say think long and hard before taking a GLP-1 as it almost killed me.
‘If you care about your family or people that you love, think about them having to live life without you as it might kill you. Being thin is not worth losing your life.
‘I’d been struggling with my weight for years. I was post-menopause and my whole metabolism just changed and I had tried everything to lose weight.
‘When I went to see my doctor, my doctor said I’d benefit from a GLP-1 and I trusted them.
‘At first, it seemed like a miracle as the weight was just coming off.
After her ‘trusted’ doctor suggested she was eligible for the weight loss injection, she began on a low dose of the drug and soon noticed her weight drop. Pictured, in hospital after surgery
‘I was trying to get thin for my son’s wedding and I knew I had to do something drastic as I was desperate to look better. I didn’t want to hate the wedding photos for the rest of my life.
‘[By July 1st], I had lost 15lbs and I felt better and that there was hope.
‘But when my weight loss plateaued, I upped my dose so I could get to my goal of losing 20lbs.’
She added: ‘The first week the nausea was uncontrollable and I had no desire to eat or drink anything.
‘The heartburn was at an all-new level and it was excruciatingly painful all day long.
‘In week two, I went wedding dress shopping and I was sick as a dog.
‘I was dry heaving and I was fighting the urge to throw up all day. I then had violent diarrhoea for four days.
‘[On July 15th], when we landed, an ambulance took me to the hospital straight away and I was diagnosed with a burst appendix.
After her weight plateaued in July, weeks before the wedding, the mum-of-three suddenly increased her dosage—which experts have long warned against. Pictured Ms Eastburn with son Chase at his wedding
‘It was terrifying. Within 15 minutes of leaving the airport I was in a hospital room. The doctor said my appendix had ruptured and they needed to remove it.’
After having her appendix removed, Ms Eastburn spent four days in hospital, which saw her miss her son Chase’s rehearsal dinner.
Despite being discharged in time for the wedding, she spent the day in pain and unable to walk properly, she added.
Following the celebrations, she was hospitalised again over concerns about internal bleeding, delaying their flight home until July 29.
Ms Eastburn said: ‘I was really upset and when I couldn’t go to the dress rehearsal I just cried as I felt like it was my fault as I did this to myself.
‘I missed all of this as I wanted to be thin and it broke my heart.
‘On the wedding day we went at the very last minute as I was in so much pain. Sitting on a chair was so painful and I could barely walk.
‘When my son saw me sitting in the front row, he came over and hugged me for the longest time and bawled like a baby.
After having her appendix removed, Ms Eastburn spent four days in hospital, which saw her miss her son Chase’s rehearsal dinner
‘For the longest time, we didn’t think I was going to be at the wedding, much less live to tell anyone about it.’
She added: ‘My weight was the last thing on my mind at the wedding and I was so swollen and my stomach was so puffy.
‘It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen and to see my son marry the woman of his dreams was amazing.
‘I didn’t care about my size as I was just so proud to be there. It was hard to stand and do the mother-son dance, but I was so grateful.
‘I will never jeopardise or endanger myself again with any drugs to lose weight as that was too close of a call.’
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told the Daily Mail: ‘We understand and empathise with the health challenges this patient has faced. While we cannot comment on this particular incident, the safety and wellbeing of patients taking our medicines is our top priority.
‘We strongly recommend that all patients stay in close contact with their healthcare professional for proper diagnosis, ongoing guidance, and careful monitoring.
‘It is important to note that Ozempic is a prescription-only medicine, meaning that it must be prescribed by a healthcare professional under strict supervision.
‘Patients must make any decisions about treatment together with their healthcare professional so that their doctor can assess whether it is appropriate to prescribe the medicine or not, based on their assessment of the patient’s individual medical profile.
‘Accessing prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription or without the care of a healthcare professional can pose a direct danger to health.’
It comes as a a Mail on Sunday investigation in January revealed almost 400 Brits had been hospitalised—some with life-threatening complications—since the rollout of weight loss jabs.
Most of the reactions were gastrointestinal issues such as persistent nausea and diarrhoea, which leave some patients with ‘severe dehydration’.
But some doctors warned they were seeing patients with ‘serious, life-threatening complications’ including seizures, bowel obstruction and inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis.
Under official guidelines, only patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 and at least one weight-related health problem like high blood pressure, or those who have a BMI of 30 to 34.9 and meet the criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service, should be prescribed weight loss jabs.
In the UK, law forbids the sale of such drugs without a prescription from a medical professional.
