Woman who lost two stone on Mounjaro warns of potentially-fatal side effect discovered on cruise ship
Weight loss drugs continue to be more popular than ever despite the vast side effects that are often associated with them.
Once a treatment for Type 2 diabetes GLP-1 medications such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy have exploded in use in recent years after people caught on to the drastic weight loss they contributed to.
Working to suppress the body's appetite, the drugs are unsurprisingly popular and can come with a lot of health benefits, when prescribed and utilised in a safe way, unlike the many people who buy the medication from less-than-legitimate online pharmacies.
Lynn Carratt was classified as obese by her local GP and diagnosed with fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome, which can cause high blood pressure and high blood sugar, both of which can lead to cardiovascular issues later down the line.
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So Mounjaro felt like an obvious solution for the 44-year-old, but she feels that it contributed to one of the scariest moments of her life, while on a cruise ship with her husband and young daughter.
For the Daily Mail, she confirmed that she'd been having some health concerns including pain in her lower abdomen, ever since switching to a higher dose of Mounjaro, but she put it down to her IBS.
She wrote: "Having continued to ignore the niggling discomfort, we were a week into our three-week trip when I woke in the night in so much pain, in my chest and abdomen, I thought I was having a heart attack.
"Clutching my torso, I told my husband there must be something seriously wrong and that I was going to get checked out at the medical centre.
"The doctor examined me and, hearing my screams when she pressed my abdomen, said: ‘Oh, I think you’ve got an inflamed gallbladder'."
Naturally, the mum was concerned about the potentially consequences of an inflamed gallbladder, which can prove fatal if it ruptures completely.
However, she was able to get some medication from the on-ship doctor before eventually returning home to the UK and discovering that while the medication had eased her symptoms, the walls of her gallbladder were still larger than expected.
She added: "My consultant told me that, while he couldn’t say with absolute certainty, he thinks it’s ‘likely’ taking Mounjaro caused my gallbladder to become inflamed."
As the inflammation settled, she opted against having surgery when the MRI scan gave her a positive update, although she still may require surgery in the future.
A spokesman for Eli Lilly, the producers of Mounjaro, said: "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 cholecystitis (infection of the gallbladder) is an uncommon side effect, which may affect up to one in 100 people.
"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."
James Moorhouse