Overview

• Emma McDonald of Oxford was prescribed Mounjaro (tirzepatide) by her GP in June 2024 for weight loss and PCOS symptoms.
• After increasing to a 7.5mg dose, she developed severe upper‑abdominal pain, and in August A&E clinicians found a large gallstone blocking her bile duct with cholecystitis.
• She had her gallbladder removed in October 2024, with a biopsy reportedly finding it was “rotting,” and she has since recovered.
• McDonald says she remains on a 7.5mg dose, reports reaching 12st 9lbs after an 8st loss, and says her surgeon advised continuing the drug to undergo anaesthesia.
• An Eli Lilly spokesperson says the leaflet warns gallstones are a known risk for weight‑management use, while cited experts note gastrointestinal side effects and female‑specific risk factors such as rapid weight loss and recent childbirth.