Pancreatitis and Gallstones after massive weight loss

GLP1 Receptor Agonists aren't miracle drugs, and one of the benefits of their continuous use and recent popularity is that side-effects are well known and researched.

While scouring the web for anecdotal data ("anecdata"), the trend of pancreatitis and gallstones reports seems to be picking up, so we did some more digging.

Known side effects of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and others

We've covered some of the base side effects for GLP1s in the past. While they're not exactly the same necessarily across every formulation of GLP1, in general GLP1 Receptor Agonists have the same sorts of side effects:

Are GLP1 side effects all the same?

Do some GLP1s have less negative side effects? They work the same, but can affect you differently -- let’s look at the research.

GLP1 GuideGLP1.Guide Staff

One of the biggest persistent side-effects of using GLP1 Receptor Agonists is the risk of gastrointestinal issues such as Gastroparesis that can be severe and even life-threatening. This is well reported in literature and there are certainly reported cases.

New reports of negative side effects

What we came across were a few threads that went into the use of GLP1s:

• Can GLP1 cause death??
• Are you losing weight really fast? Read this, an important warning from me
• Zero side effects until pancreatitis

While the side-effects aren't new, the reports are still worth reading, in particular the person that found zero side effects until they encountered one of the largest ones – Pancreatitis.

Can GLP1 cause death? More likely with gallstones as a pre-existing condition

The first story that was discussed is a story from the BBC of Susan McGowan:

Nurse’s death linked to weight-loss drug Mounjaro approved on NHS

Susan McGowan from North Lanarkshire died two weeks after taking the drug tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro.

BBC NewsCatriona MacPhee and James CheyneBBC Disclosure

While working as a nurse, Susan took two low dosages of Mounjaro before dying, and this is where the connection is made.

Her death certificate, seen by the BBC, lists multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis as the immediate cause of death – but "the use of prescribed tirzepatide" is also recorded as a contributing factor.

It looks like Tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro, Zepbound) may have increased the occurrence of Gallstones in her body, leading to her death.

Susan McGowan, 58, started experiencing severe stomach and sickness days after receiving her second dose. She died on September 4, roughly two weeks after her first dose, BBC News reported.

Susan's death was the first recorded death that was linked to GLP1s in the UK.

The ability of GLP1s to cause pancreatitis and gallstones is well known and documented, and it seems like Susan suffered from these two and GLP1s were a contributing factor.

Susan's case is tragic and the only thing that can be learned seems to be the importance of checking kidney health with a professional before even considering a GLP1 RAs.

Supporting Anecdata on excessive weight loss and many gallstones

A thread on Reddit shed light on just how serious the gallstone problem can be:

The story is certainly a hair-raising retold experience of a terrible (but ultimately non-lethal) health outcome:

Here’s my warning to you: losing weight quickly is a contributing factor for gallstones. It’s not necessarily a side effect from Ozempic use directly, but all doctors I talked to mentioned they are seeing an increase of gallbladder issues in patients using Ozempic.

If you want to avoid the agony I went through, take this seriously. LOSE WEIGHT SLOWLY. Give your body time to adapt.

Ozempic has changed my life given I am not obese anymore, I am exercising, and feel really good — but the path I chose came at a cost. Ozempic is a tool, and you must use it carefully to avoid complications.

Clearly, dramatic weight loss and the tendency of GLP1s to produce that (and contribute to pancreatitis/gallstones) created a huge health risk in this case.

Using GLP1s is not without risk, and this is the second case that confirms that.

It looks like widespread gallbladder testing may be an important step to any regimen of GLP1s.

Zero side effects until Pancreatitis

A similar story unfolded with yet another reddit user:

Yesterday my stomach started to hurt really bad, out of the blue. Just below my sternum. Breathing became more shallow and when I finally had the courage to call the doctor the pain already was unbearable. Made it to the GP but was soon in an ambulance to a larger hospital and blood works confirmed pancreatitis and gallbladder blockades. For the next days I'm hospitalized. Hoping the pancreas restores and days won't be weeks or months.

With similar signs and experiences as some of the other things, there's at least the beginnings of a pattern – Pancreatitis and Gallstones often go hand-in-hand and are quick-onset very serious side-effects that can be exacerbated by using GLP1s.

What can people do to protect themselves from side-effects?

GLP1s are not miracle drugs, and do have side-effects. Knowing the most likely side-effects (which are not only Pancreatitis and gallstones) is important, and talking to a medical professional is also important.

While Tirzepatide was mentioned in many of these accounts, it's almost surely not the only GLP1 that is capable of producing this effect.

Getting regular scans of your kidneys and pancreas seems to be good general advice for those on a GLP1 regimen, especially when the drugs are working well and weight is being lost quickly.