Grandmother, 73, who upped Mounjaro dose dies hours after A&E sent her home with stomach pains

A GRANDMOTHER tragically passed away after developing severe stomach pain following an increase in her Mounjaro dose, an inquest has heard. Caroline Savage, 73, was prescribed the weight loss drug and had been taking it for around four months before falling seriously ill and later dying. Caroline Savage died after developing sudden and severe pain following an increase in the dose of her Mounjaro jab, an inquest heard Credit: SWNS Pictured with her husband Jeremy, Caroline sadly passed away in October 2024 Credit: SWNS An inquest into her death at Norfolk’s Coroner Court has been examining the extent to which it may be linked to the weight loss drug, which is known to have gastrointestinal side effects. In July 2024, after unsuccessfully losing weight through diet and exercise, weighing 128kg and suffering from symptoms associated with lipoedema, she turned to a private doctor and was prescribed Mounjaro. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! According to her prescriber, Caroline was warned that possible side effects of the drug included abdominal pain and constipation. The mum and grandmother, from Wortwell, Norfolk, had a review in October and it was recorded that her weight had fallen to 114kg and that she was feeling well, with no significant side effects. Read more on weight loss jabs She was advised to complete the two remaining 7.5mg doses in her existing pen before increasing to 10mg. But on the morning of October 18, Caroline developed acute and constant abdominal pain and an ambulance was called for her at 1:30pm. She was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital’s rapid assessment and treatment area at about 2.45pm but remained in an ambulance because the emergency department was too busy. When the grandmother was eventually assessed, a senior clinical fellow in emergency medicine said his initial concern was pancreatitis, a known but rare complication associated with weight-loss medication. Most read in Health The grandma was rushed to hospital after developing acute and constant abdominal pain Credit: SWNS It is a condition where the pancreas – a small organ, located behind the stomach that aids digestion – becomes inflamed over a short period of time. The condition causes symptoms such as severe pain in the centre of the tummy, a temperature, and feeling or being sick. Caroline’s blood test results, however, did not indicate pancreatitis and after examining her, the doctor concluded that she did not require admission or a CT. An advanced clinical practitioner said Mounjaro’s recognised side effects, including abdominal pain and bloating, formed a reasonable working diagnosis in the absence of any evidence pointing towards a surgical emergency. A consultant in emergency medicine also reviewed Caroline while she was in hospital and carried out a focused ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm. They said she appeared comfortable enough to be discharged with pain relief and advice, adding there was no clinical indication for a CT scan or referral to other specialties. The grandmother was discharged from the hospital at around 6:30pm but collapsed at home just after midnight. Her husband Jeremy, a former Tory councillor, heard a thud and found his wife unresponsive on the floor. He called an ambulance and attempted CPR, but sadly she could not be saved. A post- mortem examination found that Caroline had died on October 19 from faecal peritonitis – a leaking of faecal matter into the abdominal cavity – caused by perforation of part of her intestines. While there is no established evidence that this can be caused by Mounjaro, possible links were discussed at the inquest. The drug slows the process by which food moves from the stomach to the intestine, and constipation is a known side-effect. The hearing was told that if someone already unknowingly had diverticular disease – a condition that affects the intestine – the side effects from Mounjaro could increase pressure in the intestines and therefore the risk of inflammation and perforation. But a report said the impact was impossible to quantify. Much of the inquest, held before area coroner Yvonne Blake, focused on Caroline’s use of Mounjaro and whether sufficient investigations were carried out by hospital staff before she was sent home. Her family also raised concerns that doctors who treated her in hospital may have been too keen to attribute her symptoms to the weight loss drug. They argued she had been discharged without a proper diagnosis and questioned why no surgical review, CT scan or further investigation was undertaken before she was allowed home. Following Caroline’s death, the hospital carried out a review of her care and a consultant told the inquest that her presentation, blood tests, observations and ultrasound findings were all within normal limits at the time she was assessed. They said diverticular perforation was extremely difficult to predict and clinicians had acted appropriately based on the information available. Although Mounjaro has since become associated with increased risks of gallstones and bowel obstruction, the consultant said its use alone does not currently lower the threshold for carrying out CT imaging. The family’s barrister, Jasmine Leng, submitted that Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to life – should be engaged because of potential systemic failures in communication, documentation and clinical decision-making at the hospital. She argued clinicians repeatedly assessed Caroline’s pain shortly after morphine had been administered and may not have appreciated the significance of that when deciding whether further investigations were needed. Solicitor Alison Brockhurst, representing the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, however, argued that Caroline’s death was from natural causes and the high threshold for engaging Article 2 had not been met. She accepted record keeping “wasn’t as good as it could have been” but said evidence showed detailed discussions had taken place between clinicians in person and that appropriate pathways had been followed. The coroner said she required further time to consider the legal submissions before deciding whether Article 2 should apply. She adjourned that decision and said she would later return to deliver her narrative conclusion. Chris Cobb, chief operating officer of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told The Sun: “Our heartfelt condolences remain with Caroline Savage’s family and loved ones. “When the inquest concludes we will carefully consider any recommendations or lessons arising from them. “We are committed to doing everything we can to provide the safest possible care for our patients.” Comment now