Tirzepatide caused rhabdomyolysis with necrotizing myopathy in a healthy 35-year-old woman | Research

The takeaway

A 35-year-old woman without comorbidities developed severe rhabdomyolysis with biopsy-confirmed necrotizing myopathy while taking tirzepatide for weight loss, resolving after drug cessation and IV fluids.

Biopsy-confirmed myopathy
A healthy 35-year-old developed necrotizing myopathy on tirzepatide—the first biopsy-confirmed rhabdomyolysis case with this drug

What the researchers found

35-year-old, no comorbidities. Tirzepatide for weight loss. Severe rhabdomyolysis. Muscle biopsy: necrotizing myopathy. No other cause identified. Resolved with drug cessation + IV fluids.

Why it matters

Rhabdomyolysis can be life-threatening (kidney failure). Recognizing GLP-1/GIP drugs as a potential cause enables earlier diagnosis and treatment, especially in otherwise healthy young patients.

How the study worked

Case report with muscle biopsy confirmation.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case. Cannot prove causation definitively. Rhabdomyolysis has many potential causes. Mechanism of tirzepatide-induced myopathy unknown.

How to read the evidence

Single case with biopsy confirmation. Important for safety awareness.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

As GLP-1/GIP drugs are increasingly used by young, healthy people for cosmetic weight loss, awareness of rare but serious adverse events—including rhabdomyolysis—becomes critical.

Questions still open

What mechanism causes tirzepatide-related rhabdomyolysis?
Should CK levels be monitored in patients starting GLP-1 drugs?
Is rhabdomyolysis risk dose-dependent with tirzepatide?

Common questions

Can tirzepatide damage muscles?

This rare case report describes severe muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) in a healthy young woman taking tirzepatide. Muscle biopsy showed necrotizing myopathy. While this is extremely rare, patients should seek medical attention for severe muscle pain, weakness, or dark-colored urine while on these medications.

What is rhabdomyolysis?

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle tissue that releases a protein called myoglobin into the blood, which can damage the kidneys. Symptoms include severe muscle pain, weakness, and dark urine. If caught early, it is treatable with IV fluids. In this case, stopping tirzepatide and IV fluids resolved the condition.

Read the original research

Rhabdomyolysis Associated with the Use of Tirzepatide.

European journal of case reports in internal medicine, 12(5), 005392

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sonavane, Kunal; Shirsat, Pallavi; Agrawal, Gautam; Agarwal, Bhawna. (2025). Rhabdomyolysis Associated with the Use of Tirzepatide.. European journal of case reports in internal medicine, 12(5), 005392. https://doi.org/10.12890/2025_005392