A woman’s dream cruise to the Virgin Islands became a medical emergency last October when she experienced excruciating gallbladder pain. Doctors suspect the pain may be linked to her use of weight-loss injections, such as Mounjaro, highlighting growing concerns about potential side effects of these increasingly popular medications.

Cruise Turns into Medical Scare

The woman awoke in the middle of the night fearing a heart attack, experiencing intense pain and profuse sweating. She sought help at the ship’s medical center, where an examination revealed an inflamed gallbladder. Immediate research revealed the possibility of a gallbladder rupture, a potentially fatal complication while at sea.

Possible Link to Weight-Loss Injections

A London-based gastroenterologist suggested a possible connection between her condition and her recent use of weight-loss injections. The woman is one of 1.6 million people in the UK currently using these injections.

Growing Correlation with GLP-1 Agonists

Surgeon Ahmed Ahmed, president of the British Obesity and Metabolic Specialist Society, has observed a growing correlation between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists – including Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro – and the development of gallstones. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, now acknowledges gallbladder infection as a potential side effect.

NHS Data Supports the Trend

Data from NHS England shows the highest number of gallbladder surgeries in a decade, coinciding with the increased popularity of these weight-loss injections. The risk is believed to stem from the way GLP-1s slow gallbladder emptying and how rapid weight loss increases cholesterol concentration in bile, promoting gallstone formation.

Personal Experience with Mounjaro

The woman, a 43-year-old journalist and publicist with a BMI of 37, was prescribed Mounjaro in February of the previous year after being diagnosed with fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome. She had struggled with her weight since her teens and found it difficult to lose weight after the birth of her daughter, Mia.

While aware of potential side effects like fatigue, nausea, and pancreatitis, she hadn’t been informed of potential gallbladder issues. She initially experienced nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, and diarrhoea, but continued the injections after losing a stone in the first four weeks and another half a stone in March.