A mother-of-three who shed two stone in just nine weeks by using weight loss injections has warned other users of a painful side-effect—which has left her looking bigger than ever.
Once aimed at diabetes patients, Mounjaro has been dubbed the ‘King Kong’ of skinny jabs, bringing about rapid weight loss by reducing appetite.
But the injections often come with side effects including severe bloating, nausea, diarrhoea and in some severe cases, life-threatening organ damage.
Kayleigh, 37, from Kent, weighed over 19 stone (120kg) and dropped to around 17 stone (107kg) within just nine weeks of taking Mounjaro.
The jabs, which can now be prescribed by GPs free of charge in England, initially vastly improved Kayleigh’s relationship with her body.
But she shared shocking images taken before and after her weekly dose which reveals she suffers from extreme bloating—causing her stomach to balloon to more than double its normal size.
The photos, taken just 24 hours apart after taking a 5mg dosage of the medication, show Kayleigh clutching her abdomen, which looks swollen and very painful.
The mother-of-three shared the agonising side-effect with her TikTok followers, adding that the bloating is usually accompanied with vomiting and diarrhoea.
Kayleigh shared her symptoms with her 6,000 TikTok followers, saying that she suffers painful bloating every time she takes the medication
The jabs spur weight loss by mimicking the actions of hormone GLP-1, which is naturally released in the gut after eating
Other jabbers flooded her post with support and tips, with some complaining of similar symptoms, whilst others suggested it could be caused by slower digestion triggered by the medication.
One commented: ‘Any time I eat something it’s like I’m pumped up!’
Another said: ‘Every meal I eat my stomach swells like a balloon too.’
The injection, like other weight loss jabs such as Ozempic and WeGovy, works by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eating, called GLP-1.
As well as signaling the pancreas to produce more insulin, Mounjaro disrupts signals between the gut and brain, keeping users fuller for longer and delays the stomach from being emptied.
According to Professor Penny Wad, a pharmaceutical experts at King’s College London, this alone could be enough to trigger painful bloating.
‘Delayed stomach emptying might delay the transit of carbohydrate through the gut,’ she explained.
This gives certain foods more time to produce gas in the intestine, through gut bacteria digesting and fermenting them—causing painful bloating.
Bloating can also be caused by various medical conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO), which occurs when there is an abnormal increase in the amount of bacteria in the small intestine.
Alongside bloating these conditions can also cause other distressing digestive issues, such as cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and blood in the stool.
Alongside the bloating, which usually happens around 24hours after taking the jab, Kayleigh also experiences nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea – common side-effects of the blockbuster jabs
Kayleigh told her followers that her bloating is reduced by taking Wellgard probiotics which support digestion and bowel regulation by boosting the number of healthy bacteria in the gut.
However, bloating is not the only adverse side-effect experienced by Mounjaro users.
Last month, the UK medicines regulator launched a probe into the safety of fat jabs, after hundreds of users developed pancreatitis, leaving ten dead.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it has received more than 560 reports of people developing an inflamed pancreas after taking the jabs since they were first launched.
Side effects such as these continue to be a significant burden on the NHS and studies have shown they account for one in six hospital admissions.
It is predicted that adverse drug reactions could cost the NHS more than £2.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone, Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer said.
These blockbuster jabs have also been credited with lowering blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes, but experts have warned they are not a silver bullet and can come with a number of serious side effects.
Last year a sobering report suggested Britain’s spiraling obesity levels—which costs the economy around £75billion a year—have fuelled a staggering 39 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes among people under 40.
Kayleigh has lost two stone on the medication
Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs, which can help users lose up to 20 per cent of their body weight in just a few months.
And the numbers using them privately where it costs around £250 a month are even higher.
It comes as severely obese patients in England with a BMI over 40 and at least four obesity-related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, will be offered Mounjaro free of charge from their GP.
The weekly injection will be offered to around 220,000 people over the next three years under new NHS prescribing rules.
Within 12 years, around for million Britons are expected to be receiving the jabs on the NHS.
However, like any drug, side effects are wide-ranging and include issues like nausea and abdominal pain as well as digestive problems.
