Diet drug Mounjaro left Cornwall woman ‘depressed and in pain’

A woman has said the weight loss drug Mounjaro has left her in chronic pain, suffering depression and with “no quality of life”.

Pauline Miller, from St Keyne, near Liskeard, Cornwall, is one of thousands of people across the country who have been prescribed the jab to help control her diabetes.

She highlighted her concerns as the NHS prepares to expand its roll out of Mounjaro next year. Other people have reported positive outcomes from using the drug.

Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, said side effects were possible but patient safety was its “top priority”.

Ms Miller said she was a happy and active grandmother who had been coping with health conditions including diabetes and an underactive thyroid. But that changed a month after she was first prescribed with Mounjaro by the NHS to help with her type 2 diabetes.

She said: “I started it back in May, just on the lower dose, which didn’t affect me. After a month, they then made it more [a higher dose], and that’s when I became ill.”

She said she stopped taking the drug as soon as she began to feel unwell but was still suffering from pain now.

“I’m in pain all the time, I’m so depressed,” she said. “It started with a pain in my back, on my left side. Then it came round to the front, to my belly button area,” said Ms Miller.

“It makes me gag. I just feel so ill. It’s just constant pain, so I’m on constant painkillers”.

Lilly warns of possible side effects, including an inflamed pancreas, in the patient information that comes with Mounjaro.

Ms Miller said she believed she had issues with her gallbladder and bowel.

“It’s like a gnawing pain … just above the bladder and I feel nausea with it, I feel sick all the time.”

The three-year NHS roll out of weight-loss drugs began last summer, with government aspirations to reach nearly a quarter of a million patients by 2028.

Many more people have reported buying the drugs privately online.

Meanwhile the The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is carrying out a study into the side effects of Mounjaro and other weight loss drugs.

Diabetic Nigel Benwell, from Plymouth, was also prescribed Mounjaro to help with his type 2 diabetes. He said for him the drug had been “life changing”.

“I haven’t lost as much weight as I was hoping, but my health has improved significantly,” he said.

“My blood sugar levels are down to normal – which is amazing – my blood pressure has come right down and overall, I’m much fitter and healthier.”

He said the health improvements had enabled him to regain his mobility, energy levels and stamina, including going on a trip to New York that just would not have been possible before.

“It’s the diabetic side that’s amazed me. If I’m honest, when I was first diagnosed with it [diabetes], I didn’t understand it, I just carried on,” he said.

“My teeth started falling out – snapping. I started to lose my hearing, I couldn’t walk very far due to related problems.

“I can’t reverse the damage diabetes has done – through my ignorance – but this [drug] is stopping it from getting worse.”

Earlier this month the World Health Organisation called for more people to be able to access the jabs, saying they could help millions overcome obesity.

NHS gastroenterologist Dr Alan Desmond said weight loss drugs were a great tool, but could only do so much to help people in the long-term.

“I think these medications should be easily available for the people who really need them,” he said.

But I think it’s important to outline that these medications are not a single magic bullet for the problems that we’re facing.”

Dr Desmond said side effects were quite common including some severe issues.

“Pancreatitis, gallbladder problems and severe dehydration can occur in perhaps 5-10% of people,” he said.

“So while these medications can be very helpful to some people, some others find them tricky and difficult to be on.”

Lilly told the BBC that if anyone was experiencing side effects they should talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional.

A spokesperson said: “We take reports regarding patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines.

“Patients taking Mounjaro (tirzepatide), like with any other prescription medicine, may experience adverse events.

“These should be reported under the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, but may be caused by other factors, including pre-existing conditions.”

The Department of Health directed the BBC to NHS England to answer questions about the next phase of its plans for Mounjaro.

NHS England is yet to respond.