More and more people have been taking Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to manage their type 2 diabetes and lose excess weight. It’s been estimated that 1 out of every 8 people in the United States has taken Mounjaro or a similar medication to help lower their blood sugar or combat obesity. With numbers like these, you’ve likely been on tirzepatide yourself or know someone in the Houston area who has tried Mounjaro.
Despite the popularity, not all patients have experienced success taking Mounjaro. Many people have come forward with stories about severe health issues that arose after taking tirzepatide, even though they followed their doctor’s orders. Some of these patients developed severe gastrointestinal health problems that required surgery and other types of emergency medical care.
If you were diagnosed with severe gastrointestinal health problems after taking Mounjaro or a similar prescription tirzepatide drug, our lawyers serving Houston can help you file a lawsuit. The Mounjaro attorneys of Bursor & Fisher, P.A. can discuss your eligibility for compensation in a free case evaluation.
About Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)
Mounjaro is the brand name of an injectable tirzepatide medication that was developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro patients also lose weight as a result of taking the drug. Mounjaro is manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company.
Mounjaro received FDA approval for managing diabetes in 2022.
Zepbound is another tirzepatide medication manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company. It is prescribed to treat patients with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common obesity comorbidity.
How Do Mounjaro and Other Tirzepatides Work?
Mounjaro is a GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist). GIP and GLP-1 are both naturally occurring hormones that help regulate blood sugar and feelings of satiety.
Tirzepatide injections mimic these two hormones, which leads to better blood sugar levels, slower digestion, and feelings of satiety.
In much simpler terms, Mounjaro lowers your blood sugar and also reduces feelings of hunger throughout the day. Since you feel sated for longer periods of time, you’re less likely to snack or overeat. That means consuming fewer calories each day, which leads to weight loss.
How Are GIP/GLP-1s Different from GLP-1s?
Even though tirzepatide is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor co-agonist, it essentially functions just like a GLP-1 medication.
Patients who take Mounjaro or a GLP-1 like Ozempic will experience the same benefits: regulation of blood sugar, slowed down digestion, and reduced feelings of hunger throughout the day.
What Drugs Are Similar to Mounjaro?
While Mounjaro is a popular medication, the public tends to use the brand name “Ozempic” as a convenient catch-all term for GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 drugs. In truth, Mounjaro and Ozempic are just two options available to lower blood sugar and help promote weight loss. There are other medications available that function much the same way and can achieve comparable results.
People throughout Houston may recognize the following brand names of diabetes and weight loss drugs that are similar to Mounjaro:
- Ozempic (semaglutide from Novo Nordisk)
- Rybelsus (semaglutide from Novo Nordisk)
- Wegovy (semaglutide from Novo Nordisk)
- Zepbound (tirzepatide from Eli Lilly and Company)
- Saxenda (liraglutide from Novo Nordisk)
- Victoza (liraglutide from Novo Nordisk)
- Trulicity (dulaglutide from Eli Lilly and Company)
Bursor & Fisher, P.A. can represent Houston Mounjaro patients in lawsuits if they took any of the medications listed above and experienced severe complications that affected their gastrointestinal system.
Common Side Effects of Mounjaro
Patients will often experience mild and temporary side effects when using Mounjaro. These minor side effects include:
- Reduced appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Dizziness
These minor side effects are most common when patients begin taking Mounjaro injections. The side effects typically subside as the patient gets used to taking the tirzepatide and their body adjusts to the GIP/GLP-1 dosage.
How Long Do These Common Mounjaro Side Effects Last?
Minor Mounjaro side effects are most pronounced in the first two to six weeks of starting tirzepatide treatment. Once this initial month and a half is over, the side effects will usually subside or become more tolerable.
If your Mounjaro side effects do not improve after six weeks or get worse, be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible. They will let you know what steps to take next.
Serious Health Complications Linked to Mounjaro
Some Mounjaro patients in Houston have reported having severe side effects and health complications. In addition to an increased risk of pancreatitis and gallstones, tirzepatide patients have also experienced these gastrointestinal problems:
- Severe and Prolonged Bouts of Vomiting – Occasional nausea and vomiting while on Mounjaro is normal. Yet some Mounjaro patients report vomiting several times a day for two weeks or more. Constantly vomiting like this can lead to malnutrition, severe dehydration, damage to the esophagus, erosion of the tooth enamel, and tooth loss.
- Stomach Paralysis (Gastroparesis) – Gastroparesis is a condition in which the muscles and nerves of the stomach do not push food from the stomach into the small intestine to continue the digestive process. If stomach paralysis is not treated, it can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, the formation of a hard mass in the stomach (a bezoar), and many other health complications.
- Intestinal Obstructions – Blockage of the small intestine and portions of the large intestine needs to be taken seriously. An intestinal obstruction prevents food from moving through the GI tract as it normally would. This can lead to severe pain, death of the surrounding intestinal tissues, and infection of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis).
- Bowel Obstruction – Like intestinal obstructions, a blockage of the large intestine or colon can lead to major health emergencies. An obstructed bowel that is not treated in time can cause tissue death, peritonitis, or even sepsis.
If a Mounjaro patient experiences these gastrointestinal complications, they need to seek immediate medical care and hospitalization.
In extreme cases of intestinal obstruction, the Mounjaro patient may require the use of an ileostomy bag or a colostomy bag for the rest of their life. Furthermore, these GI issues could be fatal if patients do not receive urgent medical attention.
How Common Are These Serious Health Issues from Mounjaro Use?
Thankfully, severe gastrointestinal complications related to Mounjaro use are rare. Many tirzepatide patients do not require hospitalization to treat GI problems and instead just experience the more common side effects of the drug.
However, there are GIP/GLP-1 patients in Houston who have experienced severe GI problems from taking drugs like Mounjaro. This even applies to patients who carefully followed their doctor's instructions to the letter.
The attorneys at Bursor & Fisher, P.A. are here to provide legal guidance and support to people who’ve been adversely affected by taking Mounjaro as directed.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Serious Gastrointestinal Complications
If you are worried that using Mounjaro has caused a serious health problem, there are several common warning signs of severe gastrointestinal issues. These are the most common symptoms of the GI complications we've detailed above:
- Frequent nausea
- Excessive vomiting
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Severe abdominal discomfort
- Bloating or swelling of the abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Lack of bowel movements
What to Do If You Experience Gastrointestinal Complications from Mounjaro Use
If you have experienced any of the GI warning signs that we’ve listed above, seek medical attention ASAP. Do not delay. As we’ve mentioned, severe medical complications that affect the gastrointestinal tract could be fatal if they are not treated immediately.
After getting necessary medical treatment, you may wonder what you can do to seek compensation. When you are well enough to do so, we encourage you to contact our Mounjaro lawsuit lawyers serving Houston for a free case evaluation.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Gastrointestinal Problems Linked to Mounjaro Use?
Yes, you can potentially file a lawsuit against Eli Lilly and Company if your health or a family member’s health was negatively impacted after taking Mounjaro or Zepbound.
While Eli Lilly and Company has warning labels about the most common side effects of their GIP/GLP-1 medications, the language on these labels may not have provided adequate warnings about serious GI health risks such as stomach paralysis, intestinal blockages, bowel obstruction, or frequent and excessive vomiting.
Had Mounjaro patients been sufficiently warned about the potential dangers of these rare medical complications, they might not have started GIP/GLP-1 injections and instead asked about safer alternatives.
Who Is Eligible to File a Mounjaro Lawsuit in Houston?
You may qualify for a Mounjaro claim if you were prescribed tirzepatide and suffered serious medical complications that affected your gastrointestinal system as a result.
Keep in mind that a history of certain medical conditions, past surgical procedures, or other health factors could block you from seeking compensation through legal action.
Given the many variables that could affect your ability to qualify for a GIP/GLP-1 claim, it’s best to contact our Houston Mounjaro lawsuit attorneys about your situation so we can professionally assess your eligibility. Our experienced team of lawyers can go over the details of your case, the severity of your GI problems, and determine if you qualify to seek compensation from Eli Lilly and Company in a legal action.
How Much Can I Win If I File a Mounjaro Lawsuit?
The amount secured from a Mounjaro claim will vary from person to person. Many variables need to be considered, so an estimate cannot be provided until our attorneys have an opportunity to evaluate your claim in a free case review.
The potential damages you could receive in a legal claim will depend on what you suffered while taking Mounjaro. You may be compensated for medical bills, lost wages, lost future earnings, and the lasting effects your gastrointestinal health issues have had on your quality of life.
During your free case evaluation, our Mounjaro lawsuit attorneys can review the harm you experienced, its long-term effects on your life and livelihood, and other financial losses. We can also help you understand how your circumstances will determine the value of your Mounjaro claim.
Why Choose Bursor & Fisher, P.A. for Your Mounjaro Lawsuit
The attorneys of Bursor & Fisher, P.A. are nationwide leaders in high-stakes complex litigation. Since 2008, our law firm has secured numerous multi-million dollar verdicts in major lawsuits. This includes a $267 million jury verdict against a debt collector who was found to have violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
With law offices in Miami, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area, our attorneys have represented more than 160 million people in legal actions—that’s roughly 1 in every 2 Americans.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Mounjaro Attorney?
At Bursor & Fisher, P.A., it costs you nothing upfront to get your case evaluated. In addition to offering free case reviews, our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay our Mounjaro lawyers anything unless and until we win.
Put simply: you pay nothing unless we secure compensation for you.
How Can I Learn More About Filing a Mounjaro Lawsuit in Houston?
If you experienced severe gastrointestinal complications after taking tirzepatide injections for diabetes, you’re not alone. Our Mounjaro attorneys serving Houston are here to help and ready to listen. Contact our Mounjaro lawyers to learn if you qualify for a lawsuit. We can discuss your situation as part of a free case evaluation.
Bursor & Fisher, P.A. is not a medical provider. The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.