Former minister Nadine Dorries hospitalised and diagnosed with Barrett’s oesophagus after Mounjaro-linked heartburn

Former health secretary Nadine Dorries said she was hospitalised after suffering persistent heartburn that began soon after she started the weight‑loss injection Mounjaro and continued months after she stopped treatment. An endoscopy performed last week found Barrett’s oesophagus, a change in the lining of the gullet linked to chronic acid reflux, she wrote in a Daily Mail column.

Dorries, a former nurse, said she began her weight‑loss treatment in June last year and stopped in January after losing more than two stone. She told readers heartburn began within days of the first injection, worsened when she went long periods without eating and persisted after she stopped taking the drug. She described an acute flare while on holiday in August that required prescription proton pump inhibitors and, weeks later, another severe attack that prompted her GP to request an endoscopic examination.

In the endoscopy, clinicians identified four inches of oesophageal lining that Dorries said had been damaged by excess stomach acid and diagnosed Barrett’s oesophagus. She said biopsies were taken and that she expected results within two weeks. Dorries added that the condition is not reversible and that she will need regular endoscopic surveillance going forward.

Barrett’s oesophagus is a change in the cells lining the lower oesophagus that can develop after long‑standing gastro‑oesophageal reflux disease (acid reflux). Medical literature describes the condition as a risk factor for oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer with a relatively poor five‑year survival rate; Dorries cited a figure of about 20 percent. She told readers she had been advised to alter her lifestyle, including avoiding alcohol, coffee and mint tea, and to take steps to prevent further reflux.

In her column, Dorries linked the reflux to behavioural changes she associated with the weight‑loss injections, saying the treatment suppressed her appetite so effectively that she frequently skipped meals and relied on antacids such as Gaviscon to manage symptoms. She listed commonly reported side effects of drugs in this class — including nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness, muscle and hair loss — and urged patients and prescribers to be alert to secondary effects that result from altered eating patterns rather than only those caused directly by the medication.

Dorries said she remains an advocate for the injections, which she said helped with pre‑diabetes, fatty liver and high cholesterol, but advised prospective users to discuss dosing strategies with their doctors so weight loss proceeds at a rate that allows for regular, nutritious meals. She also urged people experiencing persistent heartburn to seek medical assessment.

The account highlights concerns among some clinicians and patients about side effects and downstream consequences of newer anti‑obesity medications. Manufacturers and regulatory bodies note that gastrointestinal symptoms are among the most commonly reported adverse events with incretin‑based weight‑loss agents, and guidance to prescribers typically includes monitoring for adverse effects and counselling on diet and symptom management.

Dorries’s column does not report the biopsy results, and hospital and clinical sources were not cited beyond her account. Her description serves as a personal case report of symptoms, diagnosis and follow‑up care and underlines the importance of medical review for ongoing reflux symptoms, regardless of their suspected cause.