Woman's eyes went yellow after Retatrutide weight-loss drug resulted in liver failure
Experimental weight loss medication Retatrutide has caused an Australian woman's eyes to turn yellow.
32-year-old Megan Hancocks originally caught the scent of this product via TikTok last year, ultimately voicing her interest in Retatrutide to a clinician after being unable to source it anywhere.
The unqualified beauty worker then offered Hancocks an opportunity to purchase some off-market peptides labelled as Retatrutide in cash, which she enthusiastically did.
Known as simply 'reta' in the digital community, the injectable drug is not approved by any drug regulator across the globe, unlike its competitors Mounjaro and Ozempic.
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Despite her excitement to use the stuff, ABC reports that Hancocks was not an immediate user as she didn't want to give herself the wrong dosage.
At this point, she hadn't consulted a single medically trained professional, but went ahead with two doses in December 2025.
Just days later, Hancocks was hospitalised with acute liver failure - symptoms listed as extreme jaundice, constipation and fatigue, vomiting, stomach swelling and nausea.
She spent a whole month in Royal Melbourne Hospital and was even considered for a liver transplant by her doctor.
Mercifully, her liver began regaining its strength and Hancocks didn't go in for the transplant, yet six months on from this ordeal, she's still on steroids and lives with her mum, unable to work.
Sores on her skin, hair loss and weight gain have condemned her to a life of avoidance, though, choosing not to see anybody outside the house other than doctors.
"When I look in the mirror I don't see the same person anymore and that's been really hard," she shared.
As for who's pumping these drugs into their system, Austin Hospital's Niloufar Torkamani has some advice.
"They're not made for someone who is very, very slim and wants to get a little bit more fat off their body," she warned.
"In a very low BMI or weight range, they could have a whole other list of complications that would not have been seen even in the clinical trial, because those patients were not included in the clinical trial."
Meanwhile, liver transplant specialist Marie Sinclair of the same institution mentioned how 'the whites of the eyes and the skin all over' becomes yellow in a failing liver situation.
"When there is a severe insult to the liver, the liver cells can die, and we can see this in a blood test when we look at the inflammation in the liver. In severe cases, people can die from liver failure or they need a liver transplant to save their life," said Sinclair.
This is all backed up in Victoria's Department of Health scientific breakdown.
Topics: Health
Dan Seddon