Luigi Mangione , the 26-year-old murder suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , allegedly constantly complained online about a series of health issues, like chronic back pain, spine issues, IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome), and more. He also allegedly fell out of touch with some of his friends and family earlier this year after undergoing a back surgery.
New reports claim that Mangione allegedly turned to the internet forum Reddit to complain about a series of health problems he experienced. PEOPLE reports that posts from a now-deleted Reddit account show Mangione allegedly discussing his health issues, including chronic back pain, spine issues, sleep issues, like sleep apnea, and IBS. PEOPLE reports that while using the name “Mister_Cactus,” he complained about having restless sleep as a 20-year-old.
In one lengthy post, Mangione allegedly said he’d wake up 10 times during an eight-hour night’s sleep. He allegedly wrote, “Usually, I’ll wake up after 4 hours, then after another 1.5 hours, then I wake up another 9 or so more times during the last 2.5 hours. In the last year, these problems have started to get significantly worse, and I wake up feeling unrefreshed no matter how much sleep I get. Getting any less than 8 hours causes extreme exhaustion during the day.”
A month later, on August 31, 2018, Luigi Mangione allegedly posted again, complaining about IBS. He allegedly wrote, “I have IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome] but tested for SIBO [Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth]. Would it still be worthwhile to pursue a low FODMAP [Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols] diet?”
In 2023, years after talking about IBS issues, UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione reportedly opened up online about his back and spine issues — which his neighbors, from when he lived in Hawaii, noted were due to an apparent pinched nerve.
On August 3, 2023, Mangione allegedly wrote, “It can be easy to get caught up in the plethora of horror stories on the internet. When my spondy went bad on me last year (23M) it was completely devastating as a young athletic person.”
PEOPLE noted that “spongy” refers to Spondylolisthesis, a rare back condition where the vertebrae in the spine slip out of place.
Luigi Mangione is said to have undergone a successful surgery and recovery and even shared his experience on a thread called “Athletic Success Stories.”
He reportedly wrote, “Seemingly all I could read on the internet was that I was destined to chronic pain and a desk job for the rest of my life. That representation was terrifying, inaccurate, and completely destroyed me until I realized the silent majority of fusions are highly successful. Hoping this can help others who find themselves in the same place! This is not to encourage surgery per se, but just to provide reassurance that athletic life is totally normal after fusion if/when the surgery is necessary.”
Then in February 2024, Mangione reportedly confirmed that he had undergone a procedure six months prior, around late July or early August 2023. He allegedly wrote, “Yea, I had L5/S1 spinal fusion 6 months ago after 1.5 years of failed conservative treatment. Within 7 days of the fusion I was on zero pain meds. (That’s probably faster than most folks, but my point is just that your body isn’t supposed to be in pain and need meds. Even after getting my back sliced open and my spine drilled into, I wasn’t in much pain).”
Furthermore, reports noted that the Reddit account has been temporarily suspended per its policy. A spokesperson from Reddit reported, “I can confirm that our policy is to suspend accounts that may potentially be related to suspects in high-profile criminal investigations.”
