A woman claims Mounjaro is responsible for her severe pain, leading to the need for gallbladder surgery after using the weight loss drug.
In a piece for The Telegraph, Catherine Hales from the UK shared her ongoing battle with weight and how the widespread attention surrounding weight loss drugs led her to try Mounjaro.
Initially, the results seemed promising. She lost about 9lbs without any adverse effects, which led her doctor to recommend increasing her dosage.
However, the situation took a drastic turn.
“This time, the side effects hit with brutal force,” she said. “If I ate too much (half a 12in pizza, for instance) I would throw up within about 20 minutes. Soon, the vomiting was accompanied by pain in my upper abdomen.”
Over the next half-year, she reported losing 2st 5lbs, but her condition worsened during a vacation.
Describing her ordeal, she recalled spending ‘the whole night spent lying on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor, wretching and clutching my upper abdomen.’
Upon returning home and visiting a hospital, Catherine noted that she was not advised to discontinue the medication; rather, she was encouraged to persist with it.
Further testing revealed Catherine had developed gallstones, a condition where gallbladder buildup can lead to intense pain. She also noticed her skin appearing discolored before experiencing severe symptoms.
During one incident, Catherine described experiencing ‘agony like I’d never experienced, so all-consuming that it left me reeling and terrified that something life-threatening was happening to me.’
Subsequent evaluations confirmed that her gallstones had led to ‘acute pancreatitis and markedly abnormal liver blood tests.’
Catherine was scheduled for surgery to remove her gallbladder and decided to stop using the medication.
She wrote: “I was more than 3st lighter and done with being unwell. The attacks had ruined holidays, interfered with work.
“On the bad days, I feel so guilty for choosing to go on this medication in the first place. I’ve put stress on people I love, taken up NHS resources and I really, really scared myself – all for the sake of a lazy shortcut to fast weight loss. On the better days, I know it’s not that simple.”
In a statement provided, Eli Lilly, Mounjaro’s manufacturer, emphasized: “Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority and we actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the MHRA.
“The Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Patient Information Leaflet warns that gallstones is a common side effect of tirzepatide when used for weight management (may affect up to 1 in 10 people), and that cholecystitis (infection of the gallbladder), and gallstones when used for type 2 diabetes, are uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).”
The statement also advised: “Anyone experiencing side effects when taking any Lilly medicine should consult their doctor or other healthcare professional, and should ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine.”