Oxfordshire mother left in diabetic coma after injecting fake Ozempic bought online
What began as a familiar struggle with weight loss nearly turned fatal for a 47-year-old mother from Oxfordshire, exposing the growing and dangerous underworld of counterfeit weight-loss drugs circulating online.
Michelle Sword, a school receptionist and mother of two from Carterton, collapsed into a diabetic coma after unknowingly injecting herself with a fake Ozempic pen that contained insulin instead of the prescribed weight-loss medication, according to a report by The Metro.
Sword first turned to prescription weight-loss injections in 2020 after gaining two stone following the breakdown of her 20-year marriage. Purchasing Ozempic from a regulated online pharmacy, she lost the weight within three months and later maintained her results through diet and exercise.
But by 2023, when the weight returned, finding legitimate Ozempic had become increasingly difficult amid widespread shortages and soaring demand. That search led her to Facebook, where a seller claimed to offer the injections. She paid £150 via PayPal for what was advertised as a month’s supply.
Although the pen appeared genuine, Sword noticed something was wrong almost immediately. The device kept clicking, leaving her uncertain about how much medication she was receiving. Minutes after injecting herself at home, she collapsed.
Her 15-year-old daughter discovered her unconscious and raised the alarm. Paramedics battled for more than an hour to stabilise her before rushing her to the hospital.
Doctors later found Sword’s blood sugar levels had plunged to just 0.2 millimoles per litre — a critically low, life-threatening reading. Further tests confirmed the pen did not contain Ozempic at all, but insulin, a drug that can be fatal if taken without medical supervision.
Sword survived, but the experience has left her shaken and resolute. She has vowed never to use weight-loss injections again and is now speaking publicly to warn others about the deadly risks of buying prescription medication from unregulated sellers online.
Her case comes as UK authorities step up warnings over counterfeit weight-loss drugs flooding the market.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has seized more than 6,500 fake Ozempic products in just over two years, highlighting what regulators describe as a growing public health threat.
Health officials are urging people to only obtain prescription medicines from regulated pharmacies, warning that desperation, shortages and social-media sales are creating a perfect storm, one that, as Sword’s ordeal shows, can have devastating consequences.