Hannah Metcalfe was unhappy when her weight crept up to 16st 7lb so tried weight loss drug Mounjaro

20:55, 19 Jun 2025Updated 20:55, 19 Jun 2025

Hannah Metcalfe(Image: Jam Press)

A woman taking weight loss drug Mounjaro claims the jab gave her “horrendous, rotten egg burps” – but says it has still been well worth it. Hannah Metcalfe was unhappy when her weight crept up to 16st 7lb, leading to health concerns including back pain and muscular issues.

She had recently celebrated her 30th birthday on a “once in a lifetime” trip to Las Vegas with her mum and struggled to enjoy it, refusing to be in pictures due to the shame she felt at her size.

At her wits’ end, and having had no luck with diets like Slimming World, fasting and juicing, the now 31-year-old decided to try Mounjaro last September.

She went on to drop an incredible 5st 11lbs and went down several dress sizes – but her impressive journey hasn’t come without a few drawbacks.

“I’m incredibly fortunate that I’ve had a great experience – but I did experience some of the weirder side effects,” Hannah, an accounts assistant from Manchester, told NeedToKnow.

Hannah Metcalfe(Image: Jam Press)

“I started having sulfur, eggy, rotten food-like burps after 12 weeks. They didn’t have any pattern, so it just happened randomly, no matter what I ate. I remember them being really warm in my throat, and the smell was horrendous.

“Usually people would think that I’d passed wind – and weirdly that was less embarrassing to admit! At New Year’s, someone noticed [the smell] – but I just blamed it on the guys in the house farting, and they believed me as they smelt so bad.

“I would blame other people or just comment on the smell as though I wondered who had done it. I kept it quite private [during my weight loss] as it was really embarrassing.”

Hannah, who worked with the weight loss program Juniper, also experienced constipation and dizzy spells, but kept a close eye on what she was consuming throughout her weight loss.

She said: “I knew some of the side effects might occur from the information Juniper had provided me with. If I experienced something that I hadn’t read or seen online, my health coach provided me with tips and information on what was happening, which I really liked.

“I never felt worried about the side effects I was experiencing. I was aware of the [potential] sulphur burps, so when they started, I didn’t panic.”

Hannah was a size 24 when she started taking Mounjaro and “unbelievably unhappy” with how she looked. She said, “I’ve always been focused on body confidence and not being ashamed of how I looked, but so many more external factors started to nag in my head.

“I had lower back pain, and regardless of so many scans and doctors’ appointments to find a root cause, it all fell down to my weight, and the deterioration of my muscles not being able to support my weight. It was a really big shock to the system.

“I went on the holiday with my mum and I don’t have any photos of myself enjoying it, because I hated having photos taken – I still regret that, but my body confidence was shot and my mental health with it too.”

Hannah Metcalfe(Image: Jam Press)

She eased her way into the medication, starting on a low dose and building up, and has seen incredible results. Despite any strange side effects, Hannah says it has all been well worth it.

She said: “Thankfully, I didn’t experience the really bad side effects that some people experience, such as sickness, which I’m grateful for – but I think that even if I did, I would still recommend it.

“I actually recommended it to my partner, and he started taking the medication and has successfully lost weight, and he’s experienced absolutely no side effects.

“I’ve lost 40 cm off my waist and feel amazing now. I constantly take photographs of myself and send them to my mum to show her how good I look in my new outfits.

Hannah Metcalfe was unhappy when her weight crept up to 16st 7lb(Image: Jam Press)

“I also just booked a beach holiday so I can wear a bikini and get great photos of myself and how much I’ve lost. I’m not ashamed to look in the mirror, or try on clothes in a shop [anymore]. But it has been a learning curve, no longer seeing myself in a big body and shrouding myself in large clothes to hide myself.

“I still find it challenging to wear fitted clothes, but when I do, people notice and compliment me, and it makes me feel amazing ­– and worth all the money I spent and the side effects I experienced.”