A woman who was one of the first in Britain to try the Wegovy pill claims it is the only weight loss drug that will shed stubborn pounds – after trying a host of diet and exercise plans over several years.
Despite recent reports that the slimming tablets could cause a range of worrying complications depression to severe kidney damage – Lauren Carrigher, 35, from Essexsaid she hasn’t experienced any side effects.
The social media influencer has shed almost a stone in six weeks, going from 15 and a half stone to a slimmer 14st 7lb.
The mother is on track to reach her target weight of 12st in a few months and is shocked that the treatment has been so effective.
“For the first time in a long time I can see the weight coming off,” said Ms Carrigher, who added that no diet and exercise regime has successfully tackled her “stubborn” extra pounds.
‘The most important thing I noticed straight away was that I felt full much faster.
‘I I got about a quarter of my dinner and I couldn’t eat anymore, while, nNormally I would eat the whole plate and then I would still feel like eating it.’
‘There will always be pros and cons, but it has worked great for me so far.
The 35-year-old said she had tried everything to lose two stone, but nothing worked
‘I eat healthy, I eat less and I see the kilos coming off. I’m very curious to see what will happen in the coming weeks.’
Ms Carrigher started gaining weight late last year, when she started taking hormonal medication to treat the mental health condition, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
The disease, which affects up to five percent of women of childbearing age, causes mood disorders due to dramatic hormonal fluctuations during the monthly cycle.
“I started taking the medication in September and by Christmas I was two stone heavier,” she said.
Although she had considered injectable weight loss medications such as Mounjaro, Ms Carrigher was put off by the fear of needles and concerns that injections could interfere with the absorption of her medications.
She was also put off by terrifying stories she had heard from friends who tried the drugs known as GLP-1 agonists.
“I have friends who were sick and spent hours in the bathroom after getting the shots,” she said.
Before Ms Carrigher took the pills, she suffered from bloating and feeling full after meals
When she heard that an oral version was available, she decided to give it a try.
The Wegovy pill has been approved for use in the UK and is now available from pharmacies such as Superdrug, ASDAand MedExpress – although it is not yet available on the NHS.
ASDA Pharmacy reported 7,000 orders for it on July 6, the day it launched.
This month, another similar slimming pill was launched in private pharmacies; Foundayo (offorgliprone) is a daily tablet that works in much the same way, but can be taken at any time of the day and with or without food.
Both pills use the same mechanism to induce weight loss as the injections, mimicking a hormone in the gut that suppresses appetite.
Ms Carrigher signed up through online weight management provider Voy, where she completed a health questionnaire before receiving the medication.
The first batch cost her £99 for a month’s supply. The influencer also opted for some extra £20 vitamins.
She started taking her pills on July 11 and so far has taken one every morning before breakfast.
She said she started noticing a difference in appetite within just three days.
‘I brought a box and a half [six weeks worth] and lost 12 pounds,” she said.
‘I haven’t had any side effects other than feeling full quicker.
‘My energy level was absolutely fine. In general I feel very healthy.’
Mrs Carrigher plans to continue taking the medication until she reaches 12 stone, so she still has a stone and a half to go.
She has also noticed a reduction in bloating.
‘I always carry weight around my stomach and hips. When I gain weight, my stomach sticks out and I feel really bloated. That is already starting to improve.
Some have reported more extreme side effects while taking the pills, compared to shots
‘I know everyone reacts differently, but my experience has been very positive.’
Ms Carrigher’s story follows warnings from experts that as the pill contains a much higher dose of medication than the jabs, it could cause more extreme side effects.
‘Maybe the pill is easier to take [than jabs]but it does bring its own problems,” Dr Madusha Peiris, a neurogastroenterologist at Queen Mary University of London, told the Mail on Sunday.
‘With injections you get a steady release of the medicine for seven days. However, with the pill, the drug is released relatively quickly once it has dissolved in the stomach.’
Dr. Peiris believes this could help explain why some patients experience particularly severe nausea while taking the pill.
GLP-1 drugs slow the rate at which the stomach empties, keeping food there longer and making us feel full.
This is part of what makes the drugs so effective for weight loss. But if digestion slows too much, patients can feel bloated and nauseous – and in severe cases, induce vomiting.
A Reddit user who switched from injections to pills claimed that “the side effects, especially nausea, were off the charts.”
“The first month on the starting dose was fine, but after increasing the dose in the second month I had two cases of debilitating nausea and one of them sent me to the ER because I thought I was dying,” they added. “I’ve never had any side effects from the shot, so I’m going back to the shot.”
Another user described the nausea as “unbearable.” ‘I took the lowest dose pill for a week and the nausea was debilitating. I could barely breathe and certainly couldn’t eat. It was terrible,” they said. ‘I stopped today. I just can’t do it. And I still feel terrible.’
In response to the claims made by Dr Peiris and users of the pills, Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We care deeply about patient safety.
‘Like all medicines, treatments for chronic conditions can have side effects, and these can vary from person to person. That is why medicines are prescribed by healthcare professionals, who weigh the potential benefits and risks for each individual.
‘In line with the available evidence, anxiety and mood disorders are currently not listed on the UK side effects label for the Wegovy pill.’
