To ask doc for ozempic

[Walksbythesea]

I've been battling my weight all my life. Now as a peri menopausal woman, it's just standing still or creeping up no matter what I do.
I eat healthier than I ever have. I exercise. Im 22 stone and it's not budging. It should be easy at this size to shed some. It's impossible. I have a heart condition, pre diabetes (not been tested for over a year) chronic acid reflux, fatty liver and the list goes on. Losing weight would change my life. I just can't seem to do it. Lost 10lb in a year. It's soul destroying.

@CerealPonderer you are correct, the diet doesn’t end. I don’t take the medication anymore but I am on a life long calorie watch otherwise I will gain it all back. The hardest part is maintaining in all honesty you do need to prepare yourself for it by changing your lifestyle

@AhBiscuits thanks

Are these injections a one time only thing? Could you use them for a few months, then carry on losing weight without them, then use them again in the future?

Yes in theory.
You need a BMI over 30 to start them though. So if you lost some weight, had a break and then wanted to restart, you may not be able to if your BMI had dropped below 30 in that time. You'd need to start on the lowest dose and build up again each time.
A better way to use them is to stay on them until you are ready to stop them permanently.

I have done this but I don’t think I am common in fact I haven’t spoken with anyone else who has done this on MN but someone might have. I had to stop them as I had gallbladder colic and at this time, they were in a shortage so I took a leap of faith in myself that I could go it alone as I had such a good start - I lost 2st quite quickly. I then have continued to lose more than 2 more stone. I wouldn’t go back to the injections unless I was desperate because I do not like the side effects but I don’t regret taking it in the first place.

This is anecdotal but Having read a lot of posts about people who stopped Saxenda and Ozempic during the shortage many people found when they restarted that they were less responsive than the first time and it was a bit of a shock. I don’t think the goal is to cycle on and off them. If you can get off them and maintain that would be ideal really but you might need a low level dosage over a longer people of time to get there

Well no, wegovy has been developed specifically for weight loss and licenced as such. That's why the dosage goes up to more than double the diabetes therapeutic dose.

No, it doesn't do anything other than help you reduce calories. Your relative must be consuming calories elsewhere.

'If you took any 20 stone person, locked them in a room and fed them 800 calories of food a day and water only to drink, they would lose weight - probably very rapidly for at least several weeks. Yes, even those with hormonal issues. Even with zero exercise.'

This metaphor is a bit extreme but is effectively what the drug does- locks you in that room so that you are unable to access more calories if you normally lack the willpower.

Which company is this?
I desperately do not want my GP to know 🫣

Why? Is there a reason it wouldn't be safe for you to take it?

I used Health Express.

Why not? They don't judge

Hi OP, on the weight loss chat section on here are a lot of threads where mumsnetters are using the weight loss injections. They might be able to recommend some special offers for you. I think it's around £200 per month.

They are reporting on there that they are less hungry and eating less so hopefully you would see a reduction in your grocery shop to offset some of the cost.

I'm trying it the old fashioned way and have lost 2st following the fast 800 diet. Following for 12 weeks. Hope you find something that works for you.

Well to be completely honest, I suspect my leaf eating relative overeats by thousands of calories Fri- Sun. I haven't witnessed this so can't say for sure but it's what must be happening otherwise they'd be tiny.

But that's why I am asking in case there is something I don't understand. I am obese because I eat too much and I am greedy. I am sceptical when people say that they can't lose weight no matter how many calories they eat.

If the injections work for people who have tried everything, and work because they reduce appetite, then it means the people who 'tried everything' were obviously eating too much beforehand .

If the injections work for people who have tried everything, and work because they reduce appetite, then it means the people who 'tried everything' were obviously eating too much beforehand.

Yes, that is more than likely true. But as many of us know, 'just eating less' is really not as straightforward as it sounds.

I'm not saying so the answer is to simply stop eating too much. If it were that easy, we all would. But in terms of calorie consumption, people who are overweight eat too much.

There are reasons why we all crave food and want to keep eating and if the injection flicks that switch then great!

Really? What type of clinic? @justteanbiscuits

@AhBiscuits my last comment looks like it was in response to you but it wasn't, I was just following up as I knew that would be the next comment.

Would you like my inside leg measurement too.

Endocrinology. I have bilateral pheochromocytoma.

No I'm just intrigued as that's going against NICE guidance and I'm surprised that the Trust allows it, they could be in fairly big trouble.just interested, that's all!

Partly I think people eat more (even secretly) than they think.

Also I listened to an interview with the dr who led the research around the drug (on a Tim Spector podcast). I can’t remember the details but he said there’s a reasonably common dna fault that cause the lining of our digestive system to not properly produce a hormone. He said that for some people it’s massively harder not to put weight on. The drug deals with this issue, as well as reducing appetite.

Many doctors prescribe against NICE guidelines when they have complex cases, it isn't all that unusual.

Do you mind me asking if you’ve kept the weight off?

Not when the NICE guidance is very clinic and commercial agreement specific as this one is.

You won’t get on nhs. Mounjaro has better results less side effects and is £170 ish a month. You’ll eat much less, no or little alcohol so lots of people are affording it that way. You can also get 5 doses out of a pen. There’s a very supportive chat on weight loss board.

The OP said they weighed 22 bloody stone. What actual height do you think they are to think it’s pertinent what their flaming bmi is? FfS!

My husband is a pharmaceutical analyst for a large London hospital. Our knowledge is pretty good when it comes to off license prescribing and the like.