Should I get a second job in order to afford Mounjaro?

Yes a few pens still come with it but I haven't had one for a couple of months.

Good to hear your previous appetite hasn't returned. How long did you take to come off?

Oh 😱 I didn't know that.

I stopped using it in January, but was microdosing for quite a while after stopping.

So far my appetite for eating more than needed has not returned.

You noted in your first paragraph what you went on to request in your second paragraph.

@Winter2020 the golden dose has all but been phased out now, sadly.

Sorry, I just had to chuckle at "bar staff lady" 😁

Is 'weird' code for - offering a solution you dont agree with?

I would get the second job; it’s likely to be temporary for a year or so while you lose the weight. But who knows, you might need to be on it longer. But for now give it a go. Best of luck,

You are being really weird about something OP didn’t ask about.

Oh i dont think so

This person needs medical intervention now

Its a postcode lottery with NHS mounjaro but the surgery waiting list should be pursued immediately

No, of you can’t afford something looking at your finances and trying to work out how to juggle them is far better than gastric surgery.

If you react like everyone I know who has taken it you won’t want to eat at all so you’ll save a huge amount each month on food…

Hi OP,
It's difficult to advise on affording the weight loss medications as I don't know if you are already hugely frugal and single for example or have a family and have areas for cutting back.

You can save some money on the medication by using the "golden dose" (look it up) and by counting clicks when you move onto stronger doses. The meds are supposed to be used in 30 days and can be kept out of the fridge once opened. Some people are comfortable pushing this by keeping meds in the fridge but even within 30 days you can take 5 doses not 4.

Not just due to weight loss injections but due to cost of living/my hours reducing/need to save for university for my son we have cancelled subscriptions (review all of yours), cancelled general savings for the kids (didn't save for ourselves anyway) reviewed phones and broadband and have fewer paid days out/meals out etc.

I don't feel guilty about cutting back financially for WLI. I work night shifts and have a child with special needs. I've been on Mounjaro and lost 2 and a half stone. Before Mounjaro I was putting on half a stone each year and I think this would have continued. I think I will now live a longer, healthier life and be able to work and support my family for longer.

I think most people will save some money on food. You will probably want to buy high quality food (meat. veg, fruit, dairy) in smaller amounts. Saving some money on the amount of processed food and takeaways.

Rather than working more I'd see if you can find savings anywhere to pay for it.

Also Retatrutide should be coming soon and is more effective than any meds so far I believe. Hope they get cheaper with time.

@Propagandalf there are no MJ tablets. There are Wegovy tablets and a new tablet called Foundayo which has just become available, made by the same people as Mounjaro but a different medication. You can access a prescription via an online pharmacy, there are many. You would still need to meet the standard prescription criteria.

There have been a few posts here about where to get Mounjaro jabs privately.

Any pointers on where to go MJ tablets privately? I saw on BBC news recently that the tablets can help against cravings towards food and alcohol alike.

As a household I think we have definitely saved money on our food shopping by taking weight loss drugs (although there are 2 of us taking them). In particular we used to be proper chocoholics (the decent large bars costing £3 or more, from Lindt or Tony's), and we hardly eat chocolate ever now. So that saving would help. We don't eat takeaway regularly anyway but you wouldn't want regular takeaway on weight loss so potentially you'd save a lot on that. Could you make a head start somehow to afford the first month or so by cutting down before starting? Similarly with alcohol. If you have food in your cupboards perhaps challenge yourself to use it all up to help save money on food shopping.

What have you tried so far to loose the extra weight? Diets, exercise?

Surgery would only be done on NHS if your BMI over a certain number and serious health condition caused by obesity

If you cant afford the jabs but want to get the weight loss, surgery is the way to go! I

Why does OP need to join a list for surgery? OP wants to find a way to access WLI, not surgery.

I think that you would be unreasonable. You are already working full-time and must be exhausted. If the Fluoxetine and Aripiprazole are for current psychiatric conditions then you might also risk those getting a bit worse if you're over-worked and overtired (I know for me as someone with psychiatric conditions myself, i couldn't put myself through it).

Could you go back and see a different GP just to check that you don't qualify? They might start loosening the criteria and shortening the list as the NHS acquires more. Alternatively, are you able to save money in other ways to afford it?

i was a similar weight and I had none of the qualifiying conditions.

@AppleJuiceAvid Ive saved an absolute fortune on food since being on MJ. so it may not be as bad as you think. I have no words of wisdom other than it’s changed my life. I had to have a leg amputated at the hip due to cancer and i was told in no uncertain terms that there was no way i’d ever walk again at the weight i was at. So i started MJ and have lost 10 stone (not including the leg weight 😆) and im currently working on building my strength to hopefully get on my feet again.
good luck with working it out 😊

Are you on the waiting list for surgery? You need to join that asap x

Are you well paid? I wonder would it be worth changing your main job to one that is pretty active if you could earn the same money. It would have a big impact on your life style if you were able to get a more active job.

Hi OP. How will the stress of taking on a second job affect your mental health? I appreciate thatyour weight may be having an adverse impact on your mental health too but it's worth seriously considering whether the extra workload runs a high risk of exacerbating your psychiatric illnesses.

(sorry - edited to remove random word)

If taking a second job is the only way you can afford it, and you've no other way to access what you want at no cost and can't lose weight by any other means - I'd say yes, you should try to earn more to buy what you want.

The pros are likely to outweigh the cons, so why not? Lots of people have second jobs for lots of reasons.