Television personality and former glamour model Katie Price has disclosed that her family is actively encouraging her to pursue medical assistance amid growing alarm over her significant and unexplained weight loss.
Family Pressure and Medical Concerns
The 47-year-old mother-of-five, who has in the past denied using weight loss medication, has caused worry in recent months due to her increasingly slender appearance. On her podcast, The Katie Price Show, she described herself as a 'stick woman' and revealed that medical professionals have expressed concern over her abnormally low blood pressure.
Price explained the persistent pressure from her mother, Amy, to consult a doctor. "All I've had, since everywhere has been closed, is, 'Have you phoned the doctors yet? Have you phoned?'" she told her sister Sophie. Katie insisted she had made an appointment, even providing a screenshot as proof, but Sophie questioned the claim, noting their mother had also spoken to her about the issue.
Katie confirmed her intention to undergo a full battery of tests, stating she was going to the doctor "to talk about blood tests, MRI, everything" to determine the cause. She highlighted the severity of her condition by noting that her blood pressure had to be taken three times during a recent visit because doctors believed the initial reading was erroneously low.
A Timeline of Health Issues and Hospitalisation
The model's health struggles have unfolded over several months. Back in September, she first disclosed she was undergoing tests related to her shrinking frame. By October, the situation had escalated, and Katie confessed to having been hospitalised. While she initially suggested the weight loss was a goal, she later clarified that the extent of it was baffling both her and her doctors, necessitating further investigation.
Addressing fans on Snapchat, she shared a frustrating experience at the doctor's office where medical staff struggled to draw blood due to her "s*** veins," managing to fill only two tubes. She also mentioned having stitches removed from a minor 'stab wound.' The core reason for the visit remained clear: "The reason I'm going to the doctors is because I keep losing weight and I don't know why."
Beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
In a related development, Katie Price began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in November to manage symptoms of menopause, using a combination of pills and gel. Speaking about the treatment, she described experiencing side effects including nausea, bloating, and extreme tiredness.
"It's my sixth day today. I've been feeling sick, I'm bloated and I'm very tired," she explained. "I'm still getting the night sweats, if not worse, but I am persevering." She is due to complete a course of tablets before continuing with the gel alone.
HRT, which replaces hormones like oestrogen that decline after menopause, can alleviate symptoms such as hot flushes but is not without potential side effects. These can include breast tenderness, headaches, and nausea. The treatment is generally not recommended for women with a history of certain hormone-sensitive cancers or blood clots, and any decision to use it should be made in consultation with a medical professional after a thorough assessment of individual risks and benefits.
As Katie Price navigates this challenging health period, the combined concerns of her family and doctors underscore the seriousness with which they are treating her dramatic physical transformation. The ongoing tests aim to provide answers, while her new HRT regimen represents another step in addressing underlying hormonal changes.
