NEED TO KNOW
- An Indiana girl was hospitalized after mistakenly taking her mother’s GLP-1 medication.
- Jessa Milender, now 8, injected herself with 60% of the medication, believing it would help her stomachaches.
- Her mother, Melissa Milender, informed WHAS-11 that doctors feared kidney failure.
An Indiana girl, just 7 at the time, ended up spending several days in the hospital after accidentally overdosing on her mother’s GLP-1 medication. The alarming incident, which left Jessa Milender feeling “lifeless,” caused significant concern for her family.
“I thought it was stomach medicine,” Jessa, now 8, explained to WHAS-11 about the December 2024 event when she injected herself with a substantial dose from a prefilled injector pen. “My mom takes it, and I thought it helped her with her stomachaches.”
Upon discovering what Jessa had done, Melissa immediately contacted the poison center—a decision that likely saved her daughter’s life. According to sources, symptoms of an overdose can include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which are common side effects of GLP-1 medications. Melissa rushed Jessa to the emergency room, where she was treated with IV fluids. At that moment, Jessa was suffering from dehydration and vomiting.
“We really weren’t prepared for how critical it would get,” Melissa admitted. Even after initial treatment, Jessa was discharged, but nausea returned almost immediately.
“I regret letting them send her home,” Melissa shared, noting that Jessa was so weak she needed help to move. “She just wanted to drink water, but she would throw it back up.”
They had to go back to the hospital, where it became apparent Jessa had stopped urinating, prompting doctors to express concerns about her kidney function. Melissa felt a deep worry for her daughter, stating she was “100%” anxious for her well-being.
“She didn’t eat for six days,” Melissa recounted, recalling a moment when the family gathered around Jessa, who seemed completely unresponsive.
Since the incident, Melissa has taken extra precautions, putting the medication in a locked box right after Jessa’s overdose. Thankfully, Jessa has fully recovered, but Melissa hopes that sharing their experience will prevent similar situations for other families.
“I try not to dwell on what could have happened,” she reflected. “I believe we were protected from the worst, and it could have been so much worse.”
