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Study · Case report or series · n = 1 · 2026

2 results

Euglycemic Ketoacidosis Following the Use of Counterfeit Semaglutide for Weight Loss.

Sterckx M, De Keyser L

Cureus30 Jan 2026Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID41773123 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC12950111 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.7759/cureus.102627 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-41773123
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Summary

Euglycemic ketoacidosis is a rare but increasingly recognized adverse effect related to the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Reduced oral intake in combination with gastrointestinal side effects can trigger a starvation state and ketone body formation. The growing off-label use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agents for weight loss, particularly without medical supervision, may further increase the risk of this serious complication. An 18-year-old woman with no medical history presented with persistent nausea, intractable vomiting, and reduced oral intake for three days. Ten days earlier, she had initiated semaglutide purchased online and self-administered escalating doses without supervision. Laboratory evaluation revealed high-anion gap metabolic acidosis (pH 7.24, bicarbonate 14 mmol/L, anion gap 24 mEq/L), markedly elevated β-hydroxybutyrate (5.9 mmol/L), and normoglycemia (60 mg/dL), consistent with euglycemic ketoacidosis. She improved rapidly with intravenous fluids, dextrose infusion, and supportive therapy and was discharged in stable condition after 36 hours. This case highlights an uncommon but serious adverse condition observed in association with semaglutide use in a non-diabetic patient. Contributing factors include possible inappropriate high-dose initiation and uncertainties in dosing and purity related to unregulated online products. Clinicians should be aware of euglycemic ketoacidosis as a potential complication of GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly when obtained through unsafe sources and used without proper medical monitoring.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In an 18-year-old woman without diabetes who self-administered escalating doses of semaglutide bought online (a product the title calls counterfeit, so dose and purity are uncertain), euglycemic ketoacidosis with high-anion gap metabolic acidosis occurred.

    In plain wordsA young woman used online-bought semaglutide, possibly counterfeit, and developed ketoacidosis, a serious acid-base problem. One case cannot show cause.

    Peptide
    Semaglutide
    Outcome
    Not applicableEuglycemic ketoacidosis
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Measurements

    pH
    7.24
    beta-hydroxybutyrate
    5.9 mmol/L
    anion gap
    24 mEq/L

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Ten days earlier, she had initiated semaglutide purchased online and self-administered escalating doses without supervision. Laboratory evaluation revealed high-anion gap metabolic acidosis (pH 7.24, bicarbonate 14 mmol/L, anion gap 24 mEq/L), markedly elevated β-hydroxybutyrate (5.9 mmol/L), and normoglycemia (60 mg/dL), consistent with euglycemic ketoacidosis.
  2. 02HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In an 18-year-old woman who self-administered escalating doses of semaglutide bought online (a product the title calls counterfeit, so dose and purity are uncertain), persistent nausea and intractable vomiting occurred.

    In plain wordsA young woman used online-bought semaglutide, possibly counterfeit, and had lasting nausea and vomiting. One case cannot show cause.

    Peptide
    Semaglutide
    Outcome
    Not applicablePersistent nausea and intractable vomiting
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Gastrointestinal adverse events · Gastrointestinal
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    An 18-year-old woman with no medical history presented with persistent nausea, intractable vomiting, and reduced oral intake for three days. Ten days earlier, she had initiated semaglutide purchased online and self-administered escalating doses without supervision.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Registered trials1

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

1 trial · 1 ongoing · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

RecruitingPhase 4NCT07513168

Low-Dose Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Obese Non-Diabetic Pakistani Adults

Asian Institute Of Medical Sciencesn = 601 Aug 2025 to est. 1 Dec 2026

Obesity · Weight Reduction · Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Trial pageClinicalTrials.govUpdated 6 Apr 2026

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 00:04 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 03:06 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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