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.

@pinknailvarnish1 I have 7 stone still to lose. I dont drink any alcohol and my downfall is not sweets or crisps its "stuff" whatever is in the cupboard. and yes post menopause its 1 or 2lbs a week off but again thats fine with me too. because on MJ I am loosing the weight.

👏

Christ the fucking judgement on here, also ignorance, this drug not only works on appetite it helps stabilise blood sugar, reduces inflammation and a host of other benefits. I agree with you op it should be prescribed, and the nhs does get it at a reduced rate so not as expensive as buying it privately. I've never heard such fucking ignorant comments, the op and others would have lost weight years ago if it was as simple as just regulation of appetite not being able to stop eating etc. The diet industry would not have been making billions for decades if diets actually worked. The slimming world model is actually ludicrous, designed to keep you yo yoing and going back for more, unlimited potatoes eh? Syns, pasta wtf!

Why is it disgusting to suggest eating salad? It's a fantastically filling meal, with very few calories. You can add tuna, mackerel, chicken, eggs....so many filling things. If you are full, you generally don't want to eat more.

When I lost a ton of weight, I was chomping constantly, but on the right things, that had very few calories. I never felt hungry. You can reach for a muffin at 700 cals, or a packet of French fries at 90 cals. You can order a full fat latte at 240 cals or a black coffee at 0 cals.

That doesn't pay for the time of the professional who is prescribing it, the administrator who books the appointment etc etc etc

What kind of "stuff"? Could you change what's in the cupboard? See post above. I do get it. I was told to switch white wine for G&T....sounds ok in principle, but it's wine that I like!! Gah!!

Would you tell someone with anorexia to just eat more? It’s honestly amounts to the same thing. Both obesity and anorexia are eating disorders, eg only obesity is vilified.

If you are full, you generally don't want to eat more.

For many reasons, that’s not the case for vast swathes of people. Hence it is a phyiscal problem and needs medication. Not willpower.

You didn't feel there was any sarcasm coming off the comment about buying some salad? I did.

Can you not eat sensibly and exercise? The NHS cannot fund everything...

@pinknailvarnish1 I have never ever in my life felt full. never, not once. I dont understand what that means because it has never happened to me. and on MJ I no longer eat "stuff" but it used to be absolutely anything just opening tins of tuna, cereals anything. no one else in my household is obese. just me.

I'm not sure it needs medication, but even I at a healthy weight, can and do often eat beyond being "full". I quite often order dessert despite not being hungry and always leave an all you can eat buffet feeling uncomfortably full. Last night I had yogurt and fruit after dinner just to avoid getting up and clearing up when i didnt really want it.🤣

I guess the difference is, i recognise this that once my clothes start getting tight, I'll have a reality check and get my eating on track for a while, stop buying the desserts or going to the buffet.

Lazy arse society. Want something for nothing

I also think about this argument but then

• if WLI quieten the food noise (and that seems to be the number 1 positive outcome most people talk about) then they could also do this for anorexics. This is probably a very flawed argument.
• if undereating to the point of anorexia is a mental disease then isn’t overeating to the point of obesity the same? This supports the argument that you WLIs should not be available to people who just can’t stop eating. Or at the very least the requirements to be prescribed this need to be accompanied by some sort of psychological assistance to combat the underlying cause of overeating so that lifestyle changes can be made for long term benefits away from the medication eventually.

No. Weight loss doesn't require medication. Many people successfully lose weight through changing their lifestyle themselves. Nowadays, our environment is problematic as we have too much of everything available too easily and a lot of what is on offer is poisonous for humans. That doesn't mean the medication is needed though.

@oldclock an argument that is equally true of contraceptive prescriptions, the vast swathes of time given up by medics in A&E departments treating people who have injured themselves through stupidity or sport, the treatment of those who have had cosmetic procedures that have gone wrong, the treatment of addictions etc, the treatment of those with lung cancer caused by smoking .... Your point could be applied to so much medical time spent on self induced problems.

Where are you getting those Hba1c counts from? If it's the daily "pin prick" type test, that's not accurate enough, or so my GP tells me.
To get a "proper" score, you need blood screenings at least 3 months apart. The scores are then in double digits and the NHS considers a score of below 42 to be OK, and 42 - 44 as 'pre diabetic", which triggers medical intervention.
When I was diagnosed, my score was 98, and by cutting sugar and carbs to the least I could, I'd halved my score in under a year and got to 40 in 18 months (assisted with 2000mg a day metformin) 5 years on, I'm still at "normal" Hba1c counts. I still count as being diabetic and always will (free prescriptions 🙂) but at least I'm a healthy(ish) diabetic.

So you need to stay on it for life then?

Gestational diabetes is completely different

you cannot reverse type 1 diabetes.

I feel your pain, I honestly do. I’ve been on it for 11 months and have lost 8 1/2 stone.
however - it’s a tool. In that time you need to seriously examine your relationship with food, work on developing permanent habits and recognise what right choices look like. I’m titrating down and will be fully off it in a week or so and I know where I was going so wrong. I do not want to be on it forever - I know it’s not as easy as that but I have to try, and it shouldn’t be relied on. My running has taken the place of MJ to control my weight, alongside changing how I see food (fuel!).

I know how hard it is. Have you considered swapping to wegovy?

I do make the odd loaf but white bread and me have to stay apart - seriously its my trigger - start of with just the end piece - finished the loaf within the hour lol

I stick to a whole wheat pitta or a German rye bread, leave them in the freezer and take a slice as needed.

Dh also given up the bread, he takes a portion of left overs on his work days

Before I lost the weight I would put hand on heart and tell everyone - Ive eaten sod all today . Started work at 6, went for breakfast at 9 - would have had someone put my toast on when they went before me . Two slices of cold toast waiting me , Id put another two on - four slices with butter sliced onto it . Lunch - another two slices - with the butter and then cheese. Id say it wasnt much cos it was hard physical work. Get home around 3 - starving - so a sandwich and a packet of crisps. If it was a gravy dinner - like stew - more bread ( Im not fussed on spuds ) and more then likely Id have the munchies at 10pm and then it would be another two slices. Piles of calories going on a substance that doesn't fill me - Id be reaching for more all day

Now Im back down to a normal size for height - still technically over weight - my BMR is only 1400 cals to maintain. If I wasted those on bread Id be hungry and the weight would come back. One slice of rye piled with salad, pickles, cottage cheese, tin of sardines - Im stuffed full for the afternoon and not snacking

@ARamblingRoseGarden - I take it you have never used the NHS ever for anything, or the roads, pavements, schools, drainage system, street lighting or any of the infrastructure that is available in the UK for everyone to use? Is it just fat people who are lazy arses wanting something for nothing - even if they are paying their taxes? Are you including housewives who don't work? Pensioners who don't work? Perhaps people who get disability benefits? Where does your lazy arse criteria start and finish - or is it just fat people who are lazy arses?

Id suggest going to weightloss board or the weightloss injection board. You'll get more support and ideas from there than AIBU.

In reality, the majority (at least 90%) of T2 diabetics are overweight or obese, because overweight and obesity are specific risk factors for its development. People are overweight first. This is why we are increasingly seeing T2 in children and young adults, due to the growing incidence of childhood obesity.

Diabetes UK advise that a low calorie weight management approach is the most effective approach to get T2 diabetes into remission and provides extensive advice on how to adapt to an appropriate diet safely.

Diet and exercise are a far better long term solution to T2 than WLI. They are a tool to help with the above. Not a panacea.

I understand and have sympathy op. Ive gain a lot of weight quickly due to pcos.
However i think w hile its unfortunat e you didnt go nhs route to start woth as you may have qualified then, overall unless you are very high paid in terms of paying tax you probably havent covered the cost of all the self induced medical needs so diabetes high bp and colesterol but eother way the nhs and you and everybody through tax has been funding your unhealthy diet. It lokely is cheaper for nhs to fund the WLI but i then being angry at nhs for not fundong even more what should be unnecessary treatment is misplaced.