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Artemis Bayandor was initially thrilled with the weight-loss success she had with blockbuster weight-loss jab Wegovy.
The 41-year-old lost just over a stone (about 7kg) of her stubborn baby weight in six months back in 2021.
But, forced to quit the jabs in April 2022 after a price increase, the air stewardess from Illinois said she ended up not only regaining the weight she lost but becoming heavier than when she started.
Within 18 months she’d gained two stone — and was 16lbs heavier than she was before she started injecting.
Ms Bayandor said her appetite became ‘insatiable’ when she quit the drug, leading her to snack constantly and take bigger portions at dinner.
‘As soon as I am off of it I realize: “Oh no, this little portion is not enough. I need more. I am still hungry”,’ she said.
And she’s not alone. Experts recently highlighted that the majority of the people who quit weight loss jabs like Wegovy, which contains the same ingredient as Ozempic, put two thirds of the weight they lost back on within a year.
TikTok star Remi Bader experienced a similar phenomenon, stating she had gained ‘double the weight back’ she had lost while taking Ozempic.
Artemis Bayandor, 41, from Illinois, says she is now (right) about 20lbs heavier than before using Wegovy (left) which contains the same ingredient as Ozempic. She shed 15lbs while on the drug for six months, but quickly gained back all the weight and extra.
Bader, who had previously sought treatment for a binge eating disorder, also detailed how her binging got worse after quitting the drug.
Another celeb to not experience weight-loss success on the drug is comedian and actor Tracy Morgan, who revealed earlier this year he had ‘out-ate’ Ozempic and gained 40 pounds (18kg) while taking it.
Many patients, as highlighted by experts, have also reported regaining portions of the weight they lost.
One of these is Meredith Schorr, a nurse in Arizona. The 25-year-old had gained three and a half stone during the Covid pandemic.
She turned to using semaglutide after dieting and exercise failed and lost the pandemic weight she gained in 11 months.
However, after coming off the drugs to try for a baby she found she regained almost a stone of the weight she had lost.
Sam Tejada, 36, from Florida told MailOnline he lost just over four stone while using semgalutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the weight-loss jab Mounjaro last year.
Mr Tejada, who works in the wellness industry, dropped to just under 13 stone while on the drugs.
But within a month of stopping, he noticed his weight start to creep back up again.
However, he said he had managed to keep the weight off by increasing his exercise regime.
Numerous studies, including the original trials that led to the drug’s approval in the US and UK, have shown patients regain the weight they lose if they stop taking the drugs.
This has raised concerns that patients will need to take the drugs for life in order to keep the excess pounds off.
Experts have also noted the those coming off the drugs had various indicators of poorer health including higher blood pressure and cholesterol as well as increased risk of heart disease.
All the fat jabs currently on the market work by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1 which makes people feel full, reducing their appetite and therefore helping weight loss.
While primarily a weight-loss medication studies suggest the jabs also have a suite of other benefits including slashing the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, and recently even some cancers.
However, the jabs have also been linked to host of side effects that vary in both frequency and severity.
Reported problems include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches and dizziness.
Bizarre symptoms, such as hair loss, have also been reported among some patients.
Far more serious issues like kidney damage, a dangerous inflammation of the pancreas called pancreatitis and paralysis of the stomach have also been reported.
