Alisha Trafford lost three-and-a-half stone while taking Mounjaro, but was later rushed to hospital with pancreatitis which doctors claim was linked to the weight loss jab
Alisha developed severe stomach pain after taking Mounjaro(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
A woman praised Mounjaro as ‘magical’ after shedding 3.5 stone – only to end up in hospital with agonising chest pains and a failing pancreas.
Alisha Trafford, 25, described it as a ‘magic’ drug when she began taking it in February 2025 to shed pounds and control her debilitating PCOS symptoms. Within just three months of buying the £135 weight loss injections from an online pharmacy, she lost three-and-a-half stone. However, following her initial triumph, Alisha began developing severe stomach pain and sickness and was rushed to A&E.
The healthcare worker was diagnosed with pancreatitis, which doctors informed her was triggered by Mounjaro, she said. Alisha claims she was repeatedly admitted to hospital with pancreatitis over the following months, with only brief periods of relief between stays.
She was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis, a condition where portions of pancreatic tissue die. It can lead to sepsis, which without treatment can prove deadly.
Alisha claims she was forced to “put her life on hold”, and had she understood the potential consequences, she would never have used it. Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, stated that patient safety remained its ‘top priority’.
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Alisha Trafford described Mounjaro as a ‘magic’ drug (Image: Kennedy News & Media)
Alisha, from Hull, explained: “My weight has always been an issue since I was a teenager. I’ve tried different things to lose weight but it’s never really been as successful as Mounjaro was.
“Mounjaro was also helping my PCOS symptoms and it was just making my life better. It was probably the best thing I ever did at the time because everything started to change.
“It was quite nice, really, seeing everything start to clear up and feeling like you had a magic drug. It was pretty much magical.”
She lost three-and-a-half stone within a few months of taking the weight loss jabs(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
However, when Alisha began using her second pen, she started experiencing agonising pain that resulted in her first hospital admission in May, she said. Alisha explained: “I’d been struggling with some abdominal pain for a while, but I didn’t really think much of it, I dismissed it”.
“Then one day the pain got really, really intense. I asked my manager to go home from work and that’s when it all really started to go downhill.
“Within six hours of me being home I rang for an ambulance, I was vomiting continuously. The pain was getting more intense and it felt quite similar to what I imagine a heart attack would feel like. I got to the hospital and I was diagnosed with pancreatitis.”
Alisha received treatment with fluids and painkillers and was discharged following a week-long stay, but within 48 hours she was readmitted and diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis. Alisha, who ceased taking Mounjaro after her first hospital admission, said: “The only thing they could put it down to was Mounjaro.
“I couldn’t lift my head or speak because of how poorly all I was, all I could really do was sleep. The pain was agonising and my body was exhausted. I lost two stone while I was in hospital because I couldn’t eat. The consultant was adamant in the end that it was Mounjaro.”
Her doctor claimed her symptoms were caused by Mounjaro(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
Following numerous hospital stays between May and August 2025, Alisha says her consultant was amazed she was even well enough to hold a conversation. Alisha revealed: “I don’t think I realised how poorly I actually was until I went to see the consultant. He couldn’t actually quite believe I was sitting there and talking.
“He said he’d never seen so many admissions for pancreatitis so closely together like this and he was surprised how stable I was. He said the only reason I wasn’t in a medically induced coma was because of my age, if I’d been any older then it would have been a different story.”
Alisha was rushed to hospital with pancreatitis once more on December 6 and warned she would face the threat of pancreatic complications for life. She explained: “My life has completely been put on hold. I’ve been told the pancreatitis is probably going to come back and I’ll be at risk of that for the rest of my life now.”
She regretted ever buying the injections. and would never have ordered her first dose if she’d known this could happen, she said.
Alisha said: “I was that person that thought [being hospitalised] wouldn’t happen to me. I have chronic pancreatitis and my pancreas is still healing, all because I wanted to make better changes and give myself a second chance in life.
Mounjaro’s maker said patient safety was its priority(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
“It’s heartbreaking because I saw taking Mounjaro as a way my life was going to change for the better. I was pretty much independent, I was healthy, I was getting on with my life, making plans for my future, now I’m just at risk constantly.
“If I knew this was what my life was going to be like then I never would have taken it.”
Now attempting to lose weight naturally, Alisha is urging anyone taking Mounjaro to get medical help if they begin feeling unwell.
Alisha said: “Just be careful. Don’t ignore any pain and something doesn’t feel right, get it checked. Don’t ignore it, it’s not worth ignoring if something doesn’t feel right, get it seen to.”
She urged anybody taking Mounjaro to listen to their bodies, and to act when something doesn’t feel right(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
A spokesperson for Lilly said: “Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority. We take reports regarding patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines.
“The Mounjaro [tirzepatide] Patient Information Leaflet warns that inflamed pancreas (acute pancreatitis) is an uncommon side effect (which may affect up to 1 in 100 people). It also advises patients to talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional before using Mounjaro if they have ever had pancreatitis.
“We encourage patients to consult their doctor or other healthcare professional regarding any side effects they may be experiencing and to ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine.”
What is Pancreatic Necrosis?
According to the NHS, pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time. Pancreatic necrosis can occur when individuals with severe acute pancreatitis develop a complication where the pancreas loses its blood supply.
This can result in some of the tissue of the pancreas dying. When this occurs, the pancreas can become infected, which can lead to sepsis and organ failure.
It can prove fatal if left untreated.