Nina Hazelwood, a Raleigh business owner, opted to try the medical weight loss drugs after she struggled with her weight and tried just about every diet there was to try.
"Vitamins, gummy shakes, you name it I've tried it literally everything. I'd lose a little bit of weight but then what would happen is when I went back to my normal eating habits, I would just gain even more," she said.
At her heaviest, Hazelwood weighed 230 pounds. She said she felt so miserable she went to her doctor and had a full blood panel and lab work done, but those results showed nothing health-wise preventing her from losing weight.
"I talked to him about the medication and he said, 'I've heard incredible things; give it a shot.'"
Hazelwood literally gave it a shot -- a weekly shot of the medical weight loss injections.
"I actually did Mounjaro for one month and my insurance doesn't cover it, so it was $1,100. That was not something that I was able financially to afford. I did it once, but I switched over to compounded Tirzepatide which is the active ingredient in Mounjaro."
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The compounded injections are much less expensive than the FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs. The FDA placed the meds on a national shortage list and allowed certain pharmacies to make what are known as compounded versions.
Hazelwood went through an online weight loss clinic to get her compounded Tirzpatide.
"I had a little bit of nausea, but I had a really great doctor that guided me through the process and answered all of my questions."
Hazelwood said everything was done virtually, and had such great success, that her husband Derek joined the program.
"It really took a month for it to really start working," Derek said. He also felt comfortable using the online weight loss clinic. "I do a lot of research to begin with. So therefore, I felt very confident that I had asked the doctors the questions that I thought were necessary and then also the pharmacies that the drugs were coming through, the legitimacy of who they were."
He did all of his doctor's visits virtually.
Not only did Derek lose weight, but it changed his whole lifestyle.
"I was like, 'OK, so I'm paying for this medicine. So if I'm paying for this medicine, why am I going to eat this? Why am I going to, you know, eat this ice cream?' So, it really changed my mindset and really my cravings or things that I wanted."
Derek lost 65 pounds with the medical weight loss injections. His wife Nina also successfully lost 78 pounds.
The couple said losing the weight got them back in the gym. Derek, who is a firefighter, said he was able to do the 9/11 stair challenge for the first time.
"I've never felt better," Derek said.
Testing medical weight loss drugs
With the popularity and availability of medical weight loss injections growing, ABC News bought Semaglutide and Tirzepatide from three different websites. The team purchased 11 samples in total without presenting the prescription that ABC News had and without speaking to a medical professional
The orders went through in minutes.
ABC News sent out the 11 samples to be tested by a lab to see how much of the active ingredient each contained.
Lab results show six had between 90-110% of the listed active ingredient. A range the lab said is accepted as an industry standard.
One sample had none of the active ingredients listed on the label.
One site's medication was extremely inconsistent. Two of the vials had less than 90% of the listed active ingredients. While two others had more than 250% of the listed potency, which could lead to overdose symptoms like fainting, nausea, and pancreatitis.
ABC News shared the results with all three companies and one declined to comment, the other two haven't responded.
"Unfortunately differences in the actual potency of medication on what is advertised on the internet is not uncommon at all," weight loss doctor Charlie Seltzer said.
Seltzer said it's concerning just how easy it is now for people to get medical weight loss injections.
"These are powerful medications and right now a consumer can go on the internet and purchase them, even if it's not the right medication for them without any prescription, with no oversight. It's crazy," Seltzer said.
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Concerns surrounding weight loss drugs
Ron Gill lives in the Triangle and understands those concerns. He said when his doctor prescribed it, he was hoping his insurance would cover the $1,000+ monthly price tag.
"My health insurance wouldn't cover it, Ozempic or anything."
After the denial, he also went online and found a subscription-based weight loss program.
"I did the research and saw reviews on them and I didn't see anybody that had any problems with it. I looked at several different ones and just what their plan was and what the cost was. This seemed to be the most reasonable that I didn't have to pay all these extra costs," Gill said.
After a virtual consultation, Gill was sent in the mail one month of Semaglutide.
"You get one month and then once you do well, they prescribe three months at a time."
Gill lost 10 pounds in the first month, and just got in the mail his next three-month supply.
"I can eat now and be full and stop eating where before I couldn't do that. I don't crave candy snacks at work like I used to do and that kind of thing. My goal is to lose 60 pounds," Gill said.
Doctors said no matter who you're getting your weight loss injections from the key is to research it and talk to a doctor or medical professional to make sure the shots are right for you, as there could be better options when it comes to weight loss.
ABC News looked into the safety of compounding weight loss drugs in its investigation called Shot in the Dark: The Weight Loss Injection Wars.
ABC News also took a look at what the end of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide shortages could mean for people who depend on compounded versions of the drug. Ending the shortage, could result in the FDA disallowing certain pharmacies to compound the active ingredients.
This is a big deal to those who are on the compounded versions, because if they've had success with it and it ends, they're worried about what that means for their weight loss journey.
Gill said he would be one of those people who would be impacted.
"I hope they don't do that as I wouldn't be able to afford Ozempic as that's paying $1,200 a month for it."