‘Healthy’ student, 19, found dead on bathroom floor next to empty Mounjaro vial after telling family she felt nauseous

A 19-YEAR-OLD law student was found dead with an empty Mounjaro vial in her London university room, after telling family she’d been feeling nauseous. Josephine Nasr, who was prescribed the slimming jab by her doctor in the US, was found by University of East London staff just two hours after she last spoke to her parents and sister. An inquest into her death found the student suffered an undiagnosed heart condition – but determined side effects caused by the weight loss jab also contributed. Josephine Nasr, 19, died of a cardiac arrhythmia in her room at the University of East London in September 2025 Credit: Facebook The teen, pictured with her mum Lorin, was prescribed the weight loss jab Mounjaro months before Credit: Facebook Ultimately, a fatal heart rhythm had caused the cardiac event and led to Josephine’s death, an inquest at East London Coroner’s Court found, with the coroner concluding Josephine’s death was caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, brought on by myocardial bridging and an imbalance of electrolytes, caused by Mounjaro. Josephine, a second-year student at the University of East London, told her dad, George, mum Lorin Mansour and sister, Anastasia, that she’d been vomiting and feeling nauseous on September 23 last year. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, are a known side effect of weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. It follows news of the death of Caroline Savage, 73, from Wortwell, Norfolk, who tragically passed away after developing severe stomach pain following an increase in her Mounjaro dose. Josephine’s sister Anastasia arranged for a nurse from a private healthcare provider to visit Josephine with IV fluids, fearing she’d get dehydrated from all the vomiting. But she grew concerned when Josephine stopped responding to her calls and contacted the university’s security team to request a welfare check. Josephine had been in contact with her family just hours before her death Credit: Facebook Her family said she was selfless and ‘full of joy’ Credit: Facebook Security staff and the nurse let themselves into Josephine’s room when their knocks received no answer and found her lying on the bathroom floor. An ambulance was called and the team pronounced the teen dead at the scene. Police searched the room and found an empty vial of tirzepatide – or Mounjaro, as it is also known. Josephine’s heartbroken parents, who live in California, were then notified of her death. Her mum Lorin, who answered the call, reportedly fainted upon hearing the shocking news. She exclaimed “Deceased means dead” before collapsing at Los Angeles International Airport, having planned to travel to Egypt. Josephine had only returned to London to begin her second year of university a week before her death. She was due to graduate with a degree in international law and legal studies in 2027. What are the side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, weight loss jabs may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There’s a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. The 19-year-old was prescribed Mounjaro by her doctor in California in the summer of 2025, the court was told during the inquest. A post-mortem found that Josephine had an undiagnosed heart condition, known as myocardial bridging. This occurs when the where part of the coronary artery bringing oxygen-rich blood to the heart runs through muscle in the organ, instead of over it. Most people won’t experience problems or symptoms from this, but if the artery is compressed it can cause chest pain or other complications. The condition may have contributed to Josephine suffering fatal arrhythmia, the inquest heard. But pathologist Alan Bates, who carried out the post-mortem, also said vomiting caused by tirzepatide could cause a drop in blood sugar known as hypoglycaemia. This in turn can cause an electrolyte imbalance and lead to arrhythmia. He claimed the teen’s heart condition could have worsened that imbalance. Mr Bates said: “She was an otherwise healthy young woman.” Josephine had likely died soon after speaking to her family on the phone, he added, as her body showed signs of rigor mortis by the time she was found. The teen’s sister Anastasia spent some time trying to get hold of security services at the University of East London. The university has now changed its policies to make this process easier, the court heard. But coroner Graeme Irvine, who oversaw the inquest which was covered by the Daily Mail, found that even if Anastasia had been able to get hold of security earlier, it was unlikely to have made a difference. He concluded that Josephine’s death was caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, brought on by myocardial bridging and an imbalance of electrolytes caused by Mounjaro. Mr Irvine said: “This is a terrible tragedy and the fact that it happened to someone who was thousands of miles away from her family only made it worse. “Please accept my sincerest condolences.” Josephine’s family paid tribute to her, with her dad saying: “She was full of joy and always helped others before herself. “She loved travelling and the ocean.” A spokesperson from Eli Lilly, who makes Mounjaro, told the Sun: “We sympathise with Ms Nasr’s family on their loss. “Lilly was not asked to attend and has not been provided any materials from the inquest, so we cannot provide further comment at this time. “Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority, and we actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines. “If anyone experiences side effects when taking any Lilly medicine, they should talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional.” Last week, it was reported that more than 200 deaths have been linked to blockbuster weight loss jabs in the UK. Some 120 deaths were potentially linked to Mounjaro, 37 to Saxenda and 59 to Wegovy, figures published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) showed. Meanwhile, UK patients using the drugs have filed around 158,000 reports of non-serious adverse side-effects to the watchdog’s Yellow Card Scheme. The data doesn’t show that GLP-1 drugs caused these fatalities. People may have died due to underlying or undiagnosed illnesses that had nothing to do with weight loss jabs.