NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating reports of severe side effects tied to weight loss injectables.

They’re not easy to get your hands on because a lot of the drugs are in short supply. However, officials said some people are even taking the drug when they might not need it.

Over a short amount of time, diabetes and weight loss injectable drugs Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro among others, have become wildly popular.

The FDA is now evaluating reports of side effects including hair loss, aspiration, and suicidal thoughts in people taking these medications. Some health officials and even pharmaceutical companies are stressing the importance of properly using these drugs.

Last week in an open letter to consumers, drug maker Eli Lilly released a statement saying in part:

Lilly Stands Against the Use of its Medicines for Cosmetic Weight Loss: Mounjaro and Zepbound are indicated for the treatment of serious diseases; they are not approved for – and should not be used for – cosmetic weight loss.

News 2 spoke with medical staff with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) who said if used without the proper medical need, there could be significant health consequences.

“This is a second generation of weight loss drugs, and they’ve definitely garnered a lot of popularity on TikTok and different social media platforms because of how profound their results are,” said Dr. Sahar Takkouche, the associate medical director at VUMC. “The way that these drugs work is they help treat underlying issues, so if you don’t have those underlying issues in terms of glucose management, you’re more liable to have negative side effects that are typically associated with these medications, such as dehydration, nausea, vomiting, GI upset, constipation.”

On top of that, without the proper prescription, consumers should also beware of knock-off injectables on the market, as well as injectables that compound the drugs.

“I don’t recommend that and it’s not FDA approved and we’re not sure what they’re putting into these things. A lot of people are adding or adulterating the mixture with B-12 and other weight loss supplements, and as a bariatric weight loss expert, I highly do not recommend that,” said Takkouche.