A woman who used weight loss injections in preparation for her wedding has issued an urgent public warning after experiencing terrifying side effects, including her tongue turning black and requiring emergency organ removal surgery.
Wedding Weight Loss Plan Leads to Medical Emergency
Sarah-Jayne Crawford, a 32-year-old from Antrim, Northern Ireland, began taking Wegovy injections in August 2024. At the time, she weighed 19 stone 9 pounds and wore a UK size 20, with her wedding scheduled for November 2025. She initially paid £199 through an online pharmacy for a month's supply at the entry-level 0.25mg dosage.
Over subsequent weeks, Crawford invested an additional £350 in the medication and increased her dosage to 1mg. However, after approximately 12 weeks on the injections, she began experiencing alarming symptoms.
Rapidly Deteriorating Health Condition
The initial signs included episodes of intense upper stomach pain and frequent vomiting. These symptoms quickly escalated to what Crawford described as an "excruciating" trapped wind sensation that left her bedridden. Within a 24-hour period, she made the shocking discovery that her tongue had turned completely black.
"At the start, everything seemed fine," Crawford recalled. "My appetite slowly disappeared and I felt great for the wedding. But I wasn't noticing a huge amount of change."
She continued: "When the pain left me unable to leave my bed I knew something was up. The black tongue seemed like a cherry on top and a warning of what was to come. It all happened so quickly."
Additional Distressing Symptoms
Crawford experienced severe mouth pain and foul-smelling sulphur burps that she described as having an "egg" odor. Spicy foods, peppers, and onions caused her significant agony. The pain became so unbearable that she lost her mobility.
"The pain was so unbearable I couldn't walk," she revealed. "I would rather give birth to five kids at the same time than go through with the pain again."
Emergency Medical Intervention Required
After immediately discontinuing the Wegovy injections, Crawford rushed to the Accident and Emergency department at Antrim Area Hospital. Emergency MRI and CT scans revealed multiple gallstones blocking her bile duct, putting her at serious risk of developing pancreatitis.
Medical professionals scheduled her for a total cholecystectomy—the surgical removal of the gallbladder—on February 10, 2025. Her surgeon advised her to remain off Wegovy to safely undergo anesthesia for the procedure.
"By this point, I was 18 stone and had hardly lost any weight," Crawford noted. "The procedure was about an hour and I cracked on with the recovery. I'm slowly transitioning back to normal and eating more food now—but I'm still far from normal."
Personal Background and Motivation
Crawford, who works as a personal secretary for the NHS, explained that Wegovy represented her "last resort" after struggling with her weight for years. She had attempted dieting, exercising, and extreme calorie restriction without success and was desperate to slim down before her wedding.
"I know a lot of people who are on the jabs and it worked like a dream for them," she acknowledged. "Before, I had heard stories about the dangers and my friend even joked about gallstones."
Scientific Context and Manufacturer Response
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, semaglutide—the active ingredient in Wegovy that enhances glucose control and promotes weight loss—is known to cause several side effects. These include dry mouth, halitosis, and sulphur-smelling burps resulting from slowed digestion. The medication has also been reportedly associated with black-coated tongue.
A spokesperson from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, emphasized their commitment to patient safety: "Patient safety is of the utmost importance to us at Novo Nordisk. To ensure healthcare professionals have a detailed understanding of our medicine’s safety profile, the adverse reactions we have observed in clinical trials are detailed in our medicine’s Summary of Product Characteristics."
The spokesperson continued: "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 percent of people living with obesity treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg. For this reason, acute gallstone disease is listed as a 'common' potential adverse reaction for Wegovy in the product's UK SmPC."
Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting
Novo Nordisk confirmed they monitor adverse drug reactions through routine pharmacovigilance and advised anyone experiencing side effects to report them to healthcare providers and via the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme.
Recovery and Final Warning
Crawford, who has since married, reported that her tongue has regained its normal color, but she continues to carry psychological scars from the traumatic experience. She has completely changed her perspective on weight loss medications.
"I did my research and thought I'd be okay," she reflected. "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."
Crawford concluded with a powerful message: "Please do your research before you commit—I can't stress enough how much women are putting themselves at risk."
