BEIJING – A 28-year-old woman in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, was hospitalised in critical condition earlier this month after undergoing a weight-loss treatment purchased online, reported the South China Morning Post.
According to the report, the woman was drawn to advertisements for slimming injections promoted on social media several months ago, which claimed to be able to reduce weight rapidly.
She subsequently purchased three injections for 900 yuan (approximately RM590).
It is understood that she injected only half of the recommended dose into her abdomen due to concerns over safety.
However, within four days, she reportedly lost five kilograms and also experienced nausea and loss of appetite.
Her condition worsened when she began vomiting green and yellow fluids before eventually vomiting blood, prompting her to be rushed to hospital.
Medical examinations found that the lining of her stomach had suffered severe damage, and at one point, her pulse reportedly stopped before she was successfully resuscitated by the medical team.
Further investigations revealed that the injection was an illegal, unregulated product sold through online livestreams.
The woman is now reported to be in stable condition and has been discharged from hospital, but doctors warned that long-term side effects cannot be ruled out.