Image caption,

Maddy threw up stomach acid, blood, white foam after taking an unapproved version of the drug

By Aoife Walsh and Pria Rai

BBC News and BBC Three

A woman who was illegally sold a weight loss drug on social media told the BBC she ended up in A&E vomiting blood.

Maddy, 32, fell seriously ill after using an unlicensed version of semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic - from Instagram.

A BBC investigation found unregulated sellers offering semaglutide as a medicine, without prescription, online.

It also found the drug being offered in beauty salons in Manchester and Liverpool.

Watch the full BBC3 documentary 'The Skinny Jab Uncovered' on iPlayer

Doctors say drugs bought from unregulated sources are dangerous and could contain potentially toxic ingredients.

Demand for Ozempic, a prescribed type 2 diabetes medication, spiralled last year after it hit the headlines for being Hollywood's secret weight loss drug - nicknamed the skinny jab.

The drug works by lowering blood-sugar levels and slowing down food leaving the stomach.