June 11, 2025 — Reality TV star Dolores Catania is speaking out about the challenges she’s facing after stopping her use of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
The 54-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member has been open about her journey with weight loss medications. She first began using Ozempic in 2023 before switching to Mounjaro. Both drugs are typically used to treat Type 2 diabetes but have grown popular for helping people shed pounds by reducing appetite. Catania said she lost 20 pounds while on the medication.
However, in a recent interview on The Jeff Lewis Show on SiriusXM, Catania revealed she’s now struggling.
“I’m having a really hard time right now,” she said. “My Mounjaro stopped working. I gained 20 pounds. I’ve been looking for therapy for all my friends. I’m really having a bad time with this.”
When asked by host Jeff Lewis if she had tried switching to another medication, Catania replied, “I did it all.”
She explained that she had to pause her use of Mounjaro for a month while undergoing a medical procedure. Catania recently had a cardiac ablation due to atrial fibrillation (Afib), a common heart rhythm condition. The procedure is used to restore a normal heartbeat.
“My heart was beating a lot,” she said, adding that her doctors told her Afib is typically found in older adults. As part of her recovery, she is now taking about ten pills a day.
“It’s like a formality now. I have to take it for the next 90 days and then I should be done,” she explained. “So I’m hoping maybe that’s why I gained weight.”
The Real Housewives of New Jersey franchise has been on hold since Season 13 aired in 2023. During that time, other cast members have also shared their experiences with weight-loss drugs.
Jennifer Fessler, who joined the show in recent seasons, spoke about her own journey in the debut episode of her podcast Two Jersey J’s, co-hosted with fellow castmate Jackie Goldschneider.
“I have been on — and I’m not going to call it Ozempic, even though that’s become the umbrella name — I’ve been on semaglutide for over a year now, and I’ve lost maybe 22 pounds,” Fessler said during the December 2023 episode.
Fessler also admitted she experienced serious side effects from the medication. She revealed she was hospitalized for an impacted bowel, which she believed was caused by the drug.
“I will tell you I had an experience that was not good — and I’m pretty positive it was about the semaglutide — where I had to go to the hospital,” she said. “And I’m still not nervous about it.”
She added that the incident likely happened because she was not drinking enough water or eating enough vegetables.
“Am I worried about it? No,” she said. “Am I aware of it and a little disappointed in myself for not addressing it sooner? Sure.”
As weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro continue to trend, more public figures are sharing both the benefits and risks. For Catania, the journey remains ongoing as she works through her health challenges and hopes to regain her progress.
