Extremely hacked off by GP. Won’t prescribe Mounjaro

[Hakunatomato]

I have been self funding Mounjaro for the past year, and have a debt on credit card because of it. As a result, my HBa1c has gone from 19 to 5.5. I have lost almost 5 stones, now down to 16 .stones so effectively I have put my diabetes into remission as a result. I can no longer afford it because of the price rises and have asked my GP to start prescribing it. Their response is that because my blood sugar is now nearly normal they won’t do it, despite me having a bmi of 46. When I finish the course I have I now have to watch my good work go in to reverse and watch my health decline. All for the sake of the £30 a week is would cost my GP at wholesale NHS cost. If I put the weight back on again and wait while my blood sugar levels rise and I will have to apply again. I am so pissed off.. The relatively small cost as opposed to what the bills will be when my Diabetes returns doesn’t make sense.

Your GP is not condoning you becoming unhealthy again just so you can be prescribed the medication, don't be so bloody ridiculous. Your GP can only prescribe Mountjaro to patients who meet all the specified criteria and you currently don't meet those criteria.
You want to blame someone, blame Trump for pressuring Eli Lilly to reduce the price for US patients; blame Eli Lilly; hell, blame yourself because personal accountability is a thing. But stop blaming your GP.

the difference is that people know, and respect, that being an alcoholic means fighting it everyday, not just take a pill to make it go away.

Meanwhile others expect a miracle cure, with no effort and are miffed when everyone who already makes an effort every day is not terribly sympathetic.

I’m thin. Not that it matters but I’m not coming from a place of being triggered that’s why I mention it. Your ignorance around why people are obese is astounding. It’s absolutely mindblowing to me that people are still so ignorant. I can’t even argue with you. Do you think people are obese because they think they’re hungry/greet/have no willpower? I’ve seen people binge eat with tears rolling down their faces. You have no clue what many people go through. And you should be very thankful that you don’t. My understanding is that for many people the main benefit of this drug is that it turns off food noise. No one who is morbidly obese ended up that way because they thought they were hungry. People want to be thin and healthy. People are literally crying their eyes out and not able to stop eating. You’re just not one of those people so pipe down because you don’t know what you’re talking about if you haven’t lived in their shoes. That’s what revolted me. If you’ve not walked in their shoes you don’t know.

Surely the plan isn't to take it forever anyways? So this day would always come?

It's just come sooner than you were prepared for...
If the GP can't help, then you need to prepare yourself now or attempt to carry on funding it until you feel ready to come off it.

I thought the schools had gone back now? 🤔

Grow up.

@ComfortFoodCafe , your ignorance of the subject is astonishing! It is you who should look at themself.

If you don't meet the criteria at the moment you don't meet the criteria. I don't really get why you're angry that you have to become more unhealthy in order to meet the criteria. That applies to everybody not just you!

Wow these comments are harsh! If it was a simple as ‘use your willpower’ I’m sure OP wouldn’t have gained weight in the first place 🙄

I think this the kind of situation where a co pay could help

I knew you'd get loads of ignorant posts, OP.

If I were you I'd keep self-funding by any possible means but would try to reduce the costs by 1) using the golden dose, 2) increasing the time between doses from 7 days to 10, 3) shop around different providers to make sure you're getting the best price and making the most of voucher codes

They won’t, if you don’t meet the requirements ie all 4 conditions. YABU.

I’ve reversed diabetes, improved cholesterol and lost 3.5 stone with low carbs (60g per day) and 1000 cals per day. It’s been really hard going and taken a huge amount of will-power, but I’ve had to accept that this has to be a permanent change of lifestyle - it was time to stop making excuses and get on with it. Mounjaro has its place, but it’s not the only way.

What does it cost now? I was thinking of giving it a try as all my friends have lost shit loads of weight on it.

Exactly. Coupled with rising sedentary lifestyles of our children too, as I remember when I was at an interview for a features writer position, I researched some preparation work about "sitting being the new smoking".

I guess these days, there's definitely more temptation to eat junk and move less.

Is your BMI 46 now after 5 months?

I think this is actually it…the language around addiction recovery is all about acknowledging you have a disease but also acknowledging you have personal responsibility.Obesity due to food addiction is no different and perhaps it’s some of the language that the OP uses that people are responding to negatively. Ultimately even where NHS does prescribe, it’s not a life long prescription, even though we understand some people will face a life long battle with obesity. It’s no coincidence that theres been a move away from defining obesity purely by BMI to one where its BMI over a high threshold plus a particular number of health conditions, its a way for healthcare providers to manage demand for WLI. Those NHS options may change once cheaper tablet versions are available to prescribe.

I have type 2 diabetes, long covid and am obese, @Hakunatomato. I asked my GP (in Scotland, which may make a difference) if I could have Mounjaro prescribed, and they refused point blank.

I have lost weight (not a huge amount, but enough to be noticeable) and reduced my Hb1AC and my daily sugar levels by cutting out bread almost entirely, cutting down on other carbs, as well as switching to wholegrain/wholewheat versions, cutting out sugar and sugary drinks (I loved Innocent fruit juices, and drank a lot of them), and doing my best to eat lots of veg and fruit.

It has taken some serious thought, because my go-to lunch was 1.5 rounds of sandwiches, and I've had to switch to either entirely carb-free lunches, or I just have a couple of low carb wraps. I have hummus, carrot sticks and cauliflower, or cold chicken, beetroot and coleslaw. Home made soup is good too.

Dinners have stayed much the same but I have more veg and less potatoes/rice/pasta.

My SIL is diabetic, and she told me that, if you cook and chill or freeze rice or potatoes, then reheat them before eating them, this will change the carbs in them so they don't spike your blood sugar. I haven't tried this myself - because I have long covid, I'm disabled, so can't do the cooking any more - and dh has enough on his plate looking after me, so I can't ask him to cook rice etc a day early.

You have done so well, losing so much weight and putting your diabetes into remission - and I am sure that wasn't just the mounjaro - that was you too. You will have learned new eating habits and new recipes, and I am sure that will stand you in good stead, going forward without mounjaro. I absolutely understand how you are feeling, but perhaps you need to give yourself a bit more credit for what you've achieved, and what that will mean going forward. I don't think coming of mounjaro has to mean the weight will go back on.

I wish you well.

I have tried to read the full thread but its sending my blood pressure through the roof. UNLESS you have actually been obese stop bloody commenting on threads like this. I have been on Mounjaro for 8 weeks and its an absolute fecking game changer. all my life the food noise has dominated everything I do. I have battled every.single.day to overcome it and failed. I was miserable, fat uncomfortable but most of all unhealthy. This isnt about some skinny minny wanting to drop the last half a stone. its someone who wants to get to a healthy weight but that constant eat eat eat, snack snack, grab it stuff it in all day every fecking day they know will come back. Obesity costs this country millions and millions in health care - more than tabacco, more than alcohol. so why are we not giving it to more people to ultimately bring the costs of the health service down?

I am an intelligent, educated woman. I know exactly what a healthy diet and exercise are. but unless you have had that constant and I mean CONSTANT fecking food noise overtaking your brain and your sensibilities you have not a clue what this poster is on about, you really really dont.

Sorry op but if you do want to lose the weight without paying for the MJ then the only way around it is not to give in to your cravings. It’s quite simple, a calorie deficit and limiting carbs.

I used to be obese as well as having Pcos which makes it more difficult to lose weight. Had GD and also a large family history of type one and two diabetes. I lost 30kg in one year from a calorie deficit and low carbs (no exercise).

I used to be convinced I was addicted to food but I really was not. It needs to be a lifelong change. I very rarely eat sugars and stay away from pasta or rice. When I get a craving for deserts, I have a diet hot chocolate or a sugar free jelly.

The first 3 days will be the worst. I always found them 3 days are tough and then your appetite suppresses anyways. Also drinking a sip of water inbetween each bite fills me up much quicker.

MJ self funded user here, MJ is a tool to help you create a better lifestyle and make better lifestyle changes.
Try other providers and see if you can get a cheaper deal or switch to Wegovy.
I don't think the NHS should fund this carte blanche, you need to take a little bit of ownership.

Some mentioned Michael Mosley 800Fast, I can really recommend this. I lost 2 stone on it without MJ and then went on to MJ to continue and have lost another 1 and 1/2. I have stuck to the 800Fast principals.
I think you need to reframe this in your mind. You have done so well now it is time to go alone and carry on the positive habits going forward.

MJ is only ever going to be successful if you use it as a tool and learn lessons.
Well done on coming so far but maybe you need to think about taking responsibility for your own health - your post screams that it is everyone else's responsibility but yours.

Sorry, OP, are you very short, e.g. 4'10'? To have a BMI of 46 and weigh 16st you must be extremely short. If not, your BMI is incorrectly calculated. The NHS criteria is a BMI over 40 and 4 out of 5 medical conditions. They are very strict on this and rightly so.

Why do you think that you are a special case and should be prescribed on the NHS?

I, too, have self funded MJ for the last 9 months and will be switching to Wegovy as that is cheaper and does the same thing, albeit at a slightly slower rate.

You have been on MJ for a year and surely, by now, you will have learnt new behaviours that you will be carrying forward, I know I have.

It sounds to me like you are expecting to have to take it for the rest of your life, surely you are not expecting the NHS to fund many years of MJ?

Finally, where did you get the information that MJ costs the NHS £30? A quick google search tells me that it will cost the NHS £122 a month for the 15mg dose.

I’m just doing the maths… are you 1.48m tall?

That is really short for someone who weighs 16 stone… I’m surprised you haven’t been allowed mounjaro…

I've only read the first page in fairness to you op, but it sounds like very absolutist thinking - I'm not on mj so I MUST now put on weight to get it. Without it I WILL put weight back on. My gp is CONDONING me putting on this weight again.

None of this is concrete although as someone who's struggled with weight gain and loss over the years I really do understand the fear of putting it back on when things have been more manageable for you. But I think you're looking at mj like it's done all the work - you've still eaten healthier and been more active. You've worked at this too and it's still your win. So what you need to tackle is actually your mindset. 5 stone down is no small feat and you're bound to find certain things like being more active etc easier to do.

I also would say your attitude towards the NHS is shockingly entitled- £30 a week for your mj is still coming from the one pot of money and could be the difference in immediate lifesaving care. It sounds like a dispensible amount because nowadays a lot of us would spend this on petrol or shopping easily but it all adds up when you think how many people fall into the same category as you (me included). It's correct that the NHS has to draw a line somewhere in order to spread out limited resources. If you're angry about that, be angry at the years of austerity and intentional under funding of our healthcare service by previous governments. Not at your local gp who has nothing to do with this and is only doing their job. While I accept this is scary and daunting and stressful for you, it's not fair for you to take it out on them.

I think the drop in nutritional value of 'real' food has been a big factor too. It surprises me when I buy tomatoes that smell and taste of tomato as we've got so used to the insipid mass produced ones. Even eating well, and the way we are supposed to, now with lots of fresh veg, isn't feeding our bodies the way it did 50+ years ago.

People have to fund all sorts of stuff themselves, IVF, Roccutane for acne, expensive dental work. It's annoying but it's life, I had gestational diabetes so do have a small idea of how mind numbingly dull and difficult it is to control through diet alone.

Well done on your weight loss though, that's excellent work and I really hope you can carry it on, you must feel so much better.