The family of Caroline Savage, a 73-year-old grandmother who died in 2024, has expressed concerns that her doctors were overly focused on potential side effects of Mounjaro, a weight-loss medication, and may have overlooked other diagnoses. Savage died from faecal peritonitis, a condition involving leakage into the abdominal cavity caused by an intestinal perforation, which is not typically associated with Mounjaro use.
An inquest at Norfolk's Coroner Court heard that Savage had been privately prescribed Mounjaro for approximately four months before her death near Harleston, Norfolk. Her daughter, Susannah Savage, testified that Mounjaro was mentioned on the discharge letter from Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as the only potential diagnosis considered by clinicians after her mother fell ill on October 18, 2024. Her daughter stated that while pancreatitis, a known but rare side effect of Mounjaro, was inquired about, other potential issues were not sufficiently explored.
Susannah Savage suggested that the focus on Mounjaro side effects, sometimes referred to as "fat jab side effects," might have led to other diagnoses being missed, especially when doctors struggled to identify a cause for her mother's pain. She also questioned whether medical staff were aware that her mother had received intravenous morphine shortly before her assessment at the hospital.
Caroline Savage had been diagnosed with lipedema, a condition characterized by painful fat cell buildup in the limbs unresponsive to diet or exercise. She had been referred to the doctor who prescribed Mounjaro as the medication was thought to potentially help with lipedema symptoms. Her family reported that she had lost some weight and was feeling positive about her treatment.
However, Norfolk area coroner Yvonne Blake stated that evidence did not clearly indicate that doctors were fixated on Mounjaro. She noted that Mrs. Savage had been advised to increase her dosage but had not yet administered the higher amount. The coroner's narrative conclusion attributed her death to faecal peritonitis and did not mention Mounjaro.
Mrs. Savage, weighing 128kg (20 stone) in July 2024, had sought Mounjaro after failing to lose weight through diet and exercise. Her private prescribing doctor, Dr. Harvinder Chahal, confirmed she was warned about potential side effects such as abdominal pain and constipation. By October, she had lost weight to 114kg (18 stone) without reporting significant side effects. She was advised to complete her current dosage before increasing it.
On October 18, Savage complained of severe abdominal pain and an ambulance was called. She was taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where she was assessed. An initial concern for pancreatitis was ruled out by blood tests. An advanced clinical practitioner concluded that Mounjaro's known side effects, including abdominal pain, formed a reasonable working diagnosis in the absence of clear signs of a surgical emergency. A consultant in emergency medicine also reviewed Savage, ruling out an abdominal aortic aneurysm with an ultrasound. She was deemed comfortable enough for discharge with pain relief and left the hospital around 6:30 p.m. Her husband found her unresponsive later that night. She was pronounced dead just after midnight.