A MAN ended up in hospital after weight loss jabs seemingly sent his metabolism into overdrive. The obese 62-year-old, who had type 1 diabetes , shed 5.7st (36kg) in less than six months while taking tirzepatide - sold under the brand name Mounjaro .
1 Mounjaro is an injection used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity Credit: Reuters But he soon began experiencing heart palpitations, excessive sweating , a fever, confusion and hand tremors, so took himself to A&E . Tests revealed the patient had developed atrial fibrillation - an irregular and often rapid heartbeat sometimes described as a 'silent killer' as it does not always have symptoms and can be fatal. Doctors also discovered he had thyrotoxicosis - when the thyroid gland produces excess hormones.
This can have life-threatening consequences, the NHS warns. Writing in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine , doctors called for anyone taking tirzepatide or other slimming jabs to be monitored more closely to prevent "adverse events". They said: "We recommend evaluating patients using tirzepatide closely (every four to six weeks initially) for assessment of therapy response, adverse events, and possible dose adjustment of other concomitant medications.
" The patient, who has not been named, initially weighed 20.8st (132kg) and had a BMI of 44.4 - putting him in the obese category.
He was prescribed 2.5mg of tirzepatide per week for obesity, as well as 200-μg of levothyroxine daily and insulin injections to control his h.