A 73-year-old woman from Norfolk died in October 2024 after increasing her dose of the weight-loss medication Mounjaro, raising questions at a coroner’s inquest about potential links between the drug and her death. Caroline Savage, who had been taking tirzepatide—marketed as Mounjaro—for approximately four months to manage weight and lipedema-related symptoms, died from faecal peritonitis caused by a perforation in her intestines.
Savage’s use of Mounjaro began following private medical consultation in London, where she was initially prescribed a 7.5mg dose. At that time, clinicians warned her about possible side effects including abdominal pain and constipation, advising dietary adjustments and increased fluid intake. Over the treatment period, she lost weight, dropping from 128 kilograms to 114 kilograms. Her pharmacist later advised completing two remaining doses at 7.5mg before increasing the dose to 10mg.
On October 18, 2024, Savage developed acute abdominal pain and sought medical care at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Due to emergency department congestion, she was assessed in the hospital’s rapid assessment and treatment area. Initial clinical suspicion included pancreatitis, a rare but recognized complication of weight-loss drugs affecting up to 1 percent of patients, but her blood tests did not support this diagnosis. Ultrasound scans ruled out an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and hospital staff deemed her stable enough for discharge with pain management advice.
Savage died at home later that evening after collapsing and becoming unresponsive. A post-mortem examination revealed her cause of death was faecal peritonitis resulting from intestinal perforation. Although no pre-existing digestive conditions such as diverticular disease—known to increase risk from such side effects—were diagnosed, experts at the inquest discussed a possible link between the drug’s gastrointestinal effects and the intestinal rupture. Mounjaro and similar medications are known to slow digestion and delay stomach emptying, potentially causing side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
Savage’s family raised concerns that her symptoms were insufficiently investigated, arguing that clinical assessments following her hospital presentation may have overlooked warning signs due to timing after pain relief administration. Their legal representation suggested a potential breach of the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing possible systemic failures in hospital communication and clinical decision-making.
Representatives of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged shortcomings in record-keeping but maintained that appropriate clinical pathways were followed and that the death was from natural causes. They emphasized that the evidence of any direct causation between Mounjaro and the intestinal perforation remains unestablished.
This inquest adds to a small but growing number of investigations into adverse outcomes linked to weight-loss medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy. While gastrointestinal side effects are common with these drugs, serious complications requiring medical intervention are considered rare. The coroner adjourned proceedings and is expected to deliver a narrative conclusion later this month.