Taking up to eight different vitamins and supplements a day, mum-of-three Charlotte Foster never dreamed it would ruin her body and unable to leave her house due to her skin
Charlotte was spending up to £50 a month on supplements (Image: ROWAN GRIFFITHS)
A teaching assistant who turned to weight loss jabs to transform her life has been left a virtual recluse after accidentally overdosing on supplements.
Charlotte Foster, 36, thought she was nourishing her body, but she was accidentally overdosing on a cocktail of vitamins that left her in constant agony with weeping, swollen skin. The mum-of-three, from Pontypridd, Wales, now relies on steroid creams and has had to cancel work and social plans due to her severe skin flare-ups.
Charlotte began taking Mounjaro in October 2024, paying £200 a month for a private prescription to tackle her back pain and feelings of being sluggish, with a starting weight of 16 stone. The results were immediate, within two months, she had lost two stone and felt her confidence returning.
Charlotte’s flare ups can be so bad she can’t leave the house(Image: Charlotte Foster)
She is now trying to find a cure for her chronic skin condition(Image: ROWAN GRIFFITHS)
However, her social media was flooded with weight loss ‘influencers’ claiming that supplements were mandatory for anyone on GLP-1 injections. Struggling with hair loss after she lost weight, Charlotte decided to take the plunge.
Experts urge people not to take more than the recommended daily amounts, especially of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K as buildup in your vitamins in your bloodstream can become toxic.
“I was following loads of influencers online who were saying if you take Mounjaro, you have to take all these different supplements,” Charlotte told the Mirror. “I was taking around 10 different supplements a day…multivitamins, B12, D3, K2, gummies, cortisol support, fibre, and gut health. Literally anything I saw on TikTok.”
Changes in skin
By February, the cocktail of supplements, which she spent £50 a month on, began to backfire. It started with a tiny dry patch appearing under her eyebrows, just four months after she started taking the jabs, but quickly escalated into a chronic, painful condition.
Her skin developed large dry patches that were burning, and if she cried, her skin would turn red. After seeking medical help, blood tests revealed Charlotte had overdosed on vitamins. Her levels were extremely high across the board.
“I didn’t even know you could overdose on them,” she admitted. “It’s obviously my fault but it’s so easily to be influenced on TikTok. Overdosing on supplements is a real thing, and the side effects can be quite nasty.”
Even her own tears will cause a sore red rash(Image: Charlotte Foster)
She told the Daily Mirror she was taking advice from people online on what she needed to take(Image: ROWAN GRIFFITHS)
While it wasn’t clear which vitamins Charlotte had specifically overdosed on, she was told all of her levels were elevated. Now she’s frantically hoping she can get some answers to help her burning skin.
“When the flare ups are bad my skin weeps and becomes swollen. It’s very painful so it stops me leaving the house. I have had to cancel plans and have even missed work because of it,” Charlotte added. “I love wearing makeup, but now I can’t as much as I used to. I always feel better when I’ve got it on.”
Officials are warning that Charlotte’s story is becoming increasingly common as jab users turn to unregulated online advice. Dr Suzanne Wylie, a GP for IQdoctor, expressed serious concern over patients “self-prescribing” without clinical assessment.
“Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K can accumulate in the body and become toxic if taken excessively,” Dr Wylie warned. “Taking unnecessary or excessive supplements can lead to toxicity, delayed medical treatment and avoidable health complications.”
Superintendent Pharmacist Kishan Purohit says that while Mounjaro suppresses appetite – meaning users take in fewer natural nutrients – supplements are rarely required if the user maintains a reasonably balanced diet.
More than a year on from her first flare-up, Charlotte remains under the care of a hospital dermatologist and has to take steroids. She now talks about her experience on TikTok @charlottefoster3. While she is happy with the relief that the weight loss brought to her back pain after she plummeted to 11 stone, she regrets trusting influencers over experts and urges people to only take things their body actually need.
“I can’t hide my face,” she said. “I am the type of girl who would never leave the house without makeup on but now I’ve had to strip it right back.”
But it wasn’t just Charlottes skin that had reacted.
She added: “My Mounjaro journey came to a sudden end in February because I ended up in hospital as I developed kidney stones and a hiatus hernia so I was advised to come off Mounjaro.
“They couldn’t say it was definitely down to the Mounjaro. Although it has been great for me and great I’ve lost so much weight, it also has long term impacted my health with regards to my skin and now my tummy with the hernia.
Charlotte hopes by sharing her story it can help others be aware of what can happen when taking too many vitamins(Image: ROWAN GRIFFITHS)
TikTok influence on supplements
With just a few swipes on TikTok you can find yourself inundated with ‘advice’ from fellow weight loss jab users on what people should be taking. One creator shared a video of her ‘best supplements’ and told her followers: “Starting off with the digestive enzymes, I’ve taken these right from the beginning and I would 100% recommend these to anyone they are just amazing.”
According to the NHS, most people should get all the nutrients they need by having a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need to take extra supplements. But all it takes are a few Google searches or scrolls on social media to easily be influenced that you need to take a number of different pills.
Dr Wylie noted: “There is also a misconception that because these medications [GLP-1] can cause side effects such as nausea, fatigue or constipation, supplements marketed online as ‘support stacks’ are medically necessary, when in reality many side effects are better managed through careful dose adjustment, hydration, dietary advice and medical supervision rather than adding unnecessary products.
“We would strongly encourage anyone taking weight loss injections to speak to their GP, pharmacist or dietitian before starting supplements, particularly if they are considering high-dose products or combining several different formulations together.”
For more information and a guide on which to take – you can visit the NHS website here.
TikTok and Eli Lilly and Company have been contacted for comment.
If you are worried about vitamins and supplements and which to take, it’s always recommended to speak to a healthcare professional.