Woman's Gallbladder Removed After Weight Loss Jabs Turn Tongue Black
Sarah-Jayne Crawford, a 32-year-old personal secretary from Antrim, Northern Ireland, claims that weight loss injections led to her gallbladder being surgically removed and caused the alarming symptom of her tongue turning jet black. The mother-of-one began using Wegovy in August 2024 after her weight reached 19 stone 9 pounds, hoping to slim down for her wedding in November 2025.
Rapid Onset of Severe Symptoms
Initially, Sarah-Jayne spent £199 through an online pharmacy for a month's supply of Wegovy at a 0.25mg dose. After 12 weeks, and an additional £350 expenditure to increase the dosage to 1mg, she started experiencing sharp pains in her upper abdomen along with regular vomiting episodes. The situation escalated dramatically one December morning when she discovered her tongue had become completely black.
The peculiar symptom prevented her from eating spicy foods like peppers and onions and was accompanied by intense mouth discomfort and repulsive sulphur burps that smelled of eggs. Seriously concerned, she attended A&E at Antrim Area Hospital, where CT and MRI scans revealed multiple gallstones obstructing her bile duct, plus diverticulitis - an inflammation of abnormal bulging pouches within the large intestine wall.
Emergency Surgery and Recovery
In February 2025, Sarah-Jayne underwent a cholecystectomy to have her gallbladder completely removed following the gallstone discovery. Her surgeon advised her to cease using Wegovy to safely undergo the anaesthetic. Now, nearly fully recovered and no longer using the injections, Sarah-Jayne - who currently weighs 18 stone 8 pounds - remains mystified by the black tongue symptom.
"Wegovy was my last resort," she explained. "I know a lot of people who are on the jabs and it worked like a dream for them. I had been battling my weight for what felt like forever and I was dying to slim before my wedding - but dieting, exercising and starving myself never worked."
Medical Explanation and Manufacturer Response
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, semaglutide - the active ingredient in Wegovy - is recognised for causing dry mouth, halitosis (bad breath) and sulphur-scented burps resulting from delayed digestion, and can allegedly lead to a black-coated tongue. The medication enhances glucose regulation and weight reduction but carries these potential side effects.
A Novo Nordisk spokesperson, representing the Wegovy manufacturer, stated: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to us at Novo Nordisk. In the registrational trials for this medicine, cholelithiasis (acute gallstone disease) was reported in 1.6% of patients and led to cholecystitis in 0.6% of people living with obesity treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg."
The spokesperson continued: "For this reason, acute gallstone disease is listed as a 'common' potential adverse reaction for Wegovy in the product's UK Summary of Product Characteristics and should be considered when patients are being evaluated for this medicine."
Warning to Others
Sarah-Jayne, who has since gotten married, attributes most of her weight reduction to illness rather than the injections. After stopping the injections in December 2024, her tongue has returned to its natural colour. She remains baffled as to how Wegovy caused her tongue to blacken, as medical professionals couldn't provide a definitive explanation.
"I did my research and thought I'd be okay," she said. "But it was the complete opposite. It's not worth it. Weight loss jabs are a temporary fix and the dangers aren't obvious. I'm proof that anything can happen once you inject yourself."
She now urges others to thoroughly research weight loss medications before committing to them, emphasizing that women may be putting themselves at significant risk without fully understanding the potential consequences.
