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A 28-year-old woman in China shared her horrifying experience after using a product marketed as a weight-loss injection, which made her vomit blood and nearly put her in a critical condition
Chen, from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, saw an advertisement for the "weight-loss injection" on a friend's social media over a month ago.
Her friend claimed that each injection could help her lose at least 3.5kg.
Tempted by the promise, Chen paid 900 yuan (RM520) for a full treatment package that included three injections.
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Image via Ketut Subiyanto / PexelsWanting to be cautious, Chen initially injected only half the recommended dose around her belly button. Afterwards, she experienced vomiting, nausea, and a loss of appetite.
She assumed these were normal side effects, as she lost 5kg over just four days.
However, her condition deteriorated drastically on the fourth day. Chen began vomiting green and yellow fluids, which doctors identified as bile, and discovered that the lining of her stomach had already been damaged.
"While lying down for an electrocardiogram, I suddenly vomited blood. My digestive tract was damaged and already bleeding," Chen said. She lost consciousness, and her boyfriend later revealed that she had nearly been declared in critical condition.
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Image via cottonbro studio / PexelsAfter regaining consciousness following emergency treatment, Chen was no longer in a critical state. However, doctors warned that her damage had not fully healed and advised her to wait at least a year before trying to conceive.
Investigations by China's state broadcaster CCTV later revealed that the "weight-loss injections", widely promoted in live-stream salesrooms, are unregulated products.
These injections were found to have used forged or borrowed production licences and were manufactured in small, unlicensed workshops.
The product contained illegally sourced semaglutide, a prescription drug used for Type 2 diabetes and long-term weight management. Each injection reportedly cost only four yuan (RM2.30) to produce.
