The former spokesperson for weight loss injections has disclosed the severe side effects that allegedly left him unable to walk, leading him to file a lawsuit against his doctor for alleged overprescription.
Brad Roberts experienced significant weight reduction through GLP-1 weight loss drugs, which saw him lose nearly half of his body weight.
These GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, work by imitating the body’s hormones to induce feelings of fullness.
At 44, Roberts managed to lose 24 pounds in just a month, with a total of 153 pounds lost over six months.
His remarkable weight loss journey brought him to participate in a commercial for the drug on behalf of his then-employer, LifeMD, a telehealth company.
In the advertisement, he shared that his father’s passing led him to ‘fill the void with food’.
He expressed: “For the first time in five years, I am standing next to my children in photos and I feel confident, I feel the difference.”
Nevertheless, the rapid weight loss allegedly triggered internal health issues that were initially unnoticed.
Roberts has initiated a $35.8 million lawsuit against his physician, alleging that between November 2022 and 2023, the doctor improperly prescribed multiple drugs to enhance his weight loss.
Alongside his wife Stacey, Roberts accuses Dr. Tony Puopolo of medical malpractice for allegedly overprescribing the medications through his former employer.
The lawsuit, available to UNILAD, claims Dr. Puopolo prescribed ‘multiple overlapping and conflicting doses of glucagon-like peptide-1 (“GLP-1”) weight-loss medication’.
Roberts also accuses the doctor of prescribing doses exceeding manufacturer guidelines and providing non-FDA-approved drugs.
The lawsuit states: “Dr. Puopolo’s combining experimental peptides and weight loss medications with GLP-1s caused debilitating injuries to Brad Roberts and significant harm to him and his family.”
Affidavits associated with the lawsuit describe Roberts as suffering from communication difficulties, quadruple vision, memory loss, and significant pain.
He reportedly spends most of his time bedridden due to severe pain in his stomach, muscles, and joints.
Roberts also claims to face ‘severe equilibrium and imbalance issues, making it hard for him to stand and walk, especially up and down steps’ due to the deterioration of fatty tissue in his ears.
The suit further states that Roberts was experiencing weight loss at a rate of up to 3.5 pounds a week, and as a result, a subsequent doctor noticed that his hearing deteriorated significantly due to fat loss, causing sounds to be muffled as if underwater, accompanied by constant tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
This doctor added: “Loud noises make the tinnitus worse, causing severe piercing pain, pressure and migraine headaches. He wears wool caps over his ears in an attempt to muffle loud sounds.”
Roberts underwent at least six surgeries to address his hearing issues, but reports that none have been successful.
According to the Daily Mail, Dr. Yadira Lockard, a psychologist who has been treating Roberts since 2015, suggested that Roberts no longer has ‘the mental capacity to make life decision of any particular consequence to himself or on behalf of his family’ following a decline in his mental health around December 2023, a year after beginning his health journey.
Dr. Lockard noted that Roberts mentioned his ‘medical ailments had impacted his ability to function normally and had rendered it impossible for him to follow and / or understand his email correspondence, transmit email correspondence, read and understand correspondence that he received and focus and / or concentrate on any communication (whether oral or written).’
Dr. Lockard observed: “His teeth are constantly in pain and feel soft.”
She added: “The roof of his mouth is almost constantly burning, but at other times his whole mouth feels ice cold. His tongue feels swollen and he cannot eat anything that is firm. He relies on soft foods and protein shakes.”
A representative for Dr. Puopolo informed the Daily Mail: “As we have explained in our court filings, the allegations in the case are meritless.”
“We have already made a motion to the court to have the case dismissed as a matter of law, and we look forward to the court’s decision on that motion.”
UNILAD reached out to Dr. Puopolo for further comment.