To wonder if there will be any fall out from skinny jabs?

[TheLemonGuide]

Everyone I know is now suddenly very slim. Okay, im exaggerating slightly, but genuinely, most of my friends who were previously overweight are all now slim thanks to skinny jabs. I am delighted for them! It seems unbelievable to think that a jab can cure this obesity crisis, but I am so pleased my friends and a couple of family members are able to live a healthier life thanks to this.

My only slight concern is, is this something that is going to be too good to be true? Do you think there will be any long term repercussions, or are we right to just celebrate this medication as a cure for something that so many have been battling for so long?

I think it’ll be like the start of World War Z where everyone takes a cancer vaccine. Fast forward 10 years and the world is overcome by ravenous zombies. It’s a shoo-in.

Usually these posters mean anything that will slow down or prevent people getting them, that’s what it boils down to.

someone ludicrously suggested everyone has their muscle mass checked,

the drugs are a tool anyone can starve themselves. What are these people wanting, guards down slimming world meetings, checking no one loses to fast. Someone monitoring dieters grocery shopping. Cameras in our homes.

no it’s just for anyone using the drugs and it’s resentment or envy, and you know the teller, because they can’t bring themselves to mention all the positives, the overwhelming amount of users. Instead they try to find anything they can, think of the anorexics! To try to stop or prevent people getting them,

it’s tough for them, as it ain’t happening. It’s done.

I’ll keep repeating if helpful..

I don’t resent you for taking WLI, I don’t want them. I’m not envious of you for taking WLI, see previous reason.

I think they should be prescribed “eyes on” and not online, for a start.

I don’t think you should be able to use the same photo repeatedly.

I think you should have to get your medical history checked, as a minimum, so those with ED can’t get them from those online companies. It’s dangerous, and if it takes longer for you to get it but someone else doesn’t end up using them to fuel an existing MH problem - tough. Greater good, etc.

None of those things are unreasonable. They may slow you down, but if they’d prevent you from getting it, you weren’t using it properly to begin with.

@ChunkyMonkey36 by prescribed “eyes on” do you mean only with an in-person consultation? So not available online at all, not even with a live video consultation. Just this one specific medication out of all the various ones that can be applied for viaan online private prescription? It is uniquely dangerous?

I don’t care about pharmacies requesting additional photos or a video consult, or about contacting your GP or accessing your NHS summary care record. That’s all good practice and many pharmacies do already. Those that can’t show they do things like these will fail their inspections and be sanctioned. Which is as it should be.

@SilenceInside

Live eyes on, whether that’s online or face to face.

It would remove the possibility of people (like my colleague) just using old photos to stay on a dose above maintenance.

I appreciate that not everyone does that, but she isn’t the only one, and the fact it’s a possibility at all is a problem.

But just for this one prescription medication, not for any other prescription medication that you can access online privately?

This is the specific one we’re talking about, but I equally don’t think you should get any other long term medication initially prescribed without seeing someone.

I don’t currently need heart medication, I shouldn’t be able to order it online without seeing someone first, and even if I did need it, that needs signing off by a medical professional using more than just my say-so.

Ah ok, so it’s the whole idea of online prescribing that’s the issue for you, not just this one medication. It’s a model that’s been around for a long time and very many people are successfully accessing appropriate medication that benefits them as a result. I don’t think it would be possible or justified to remove access to everyone because some people abuse the system.

Ok @ChunkyMonkey36 you simply dont understand the reason why on line prescriptions are both beneficial and important to society, nor do you understand the resource requirements and cost of doing it all face to face, and you are unable to quantify the risk of online v the benefits to society.

and that’s ok. The authorities can.

Its not the online ordering per se. It’s that people can just decide to increase doses without full doctor review of say - their diet what they are losing, if they are taking steps to maintain muscle. If they are already dangerously low in muscle etc I think there should be a requirement for an online consultation for each dose change or every 6 months.

I think they sound great but my uncle tried two types and ended up hospitalised with pancreatitis both times. But then I’ve got lots of friends on it who have had no problems and look amazing

What is 'a dose above maintenance'?

There are no rules that state which dose you need to be on for maintenance.

The only person I know who says they are on WLI started about 110kg & is now down to about 90 kg, after nearly 18m. They have said they are satisfied with the progress. That's about 15% right? So only a little below average loss. I think the only repercussion could be sadness if they don't get down closer to a healthy BMI, the drugs are not miracle cures for everyone.

Dangerously low in muscle lol.

It’s all so desperate isn’t it. Now people are worried about dieters muscle mass. Guaranteed most of them haven’t set foot in a gym 😂

It would remove the possibility of people (like my colleague) just using old photos to stay on a dose above maintenance.

How are they doing this? All my orders have been with different pharmacies. All have required a live photo, so I have had to stand my phone on a table, ensure all of me is visible and then the app takes the photo. There's no way I could have used an old photo.

Absolutely no evidence for this and you shouldn’t scaremonger.

Also - it makes no sense to say that it’s safe to taken these drugs for diabetes but not for weight loss. Your body doesn’t know why you are taking a specific drug! If it’s safe to take it for diabetes, it’s safe to take it, full stop.

Exactly this.

Funnily enough I know a professor of endocrinology who pays privately for WLI and is a vocal advocate to others.

I don't believe that the pp knows someone who knows someone who knows three people who died as a result of WLI. My next door neighbour's dog doesn't believe it either.

This thread is wild. Properly insane, the utter desperation coming off some posters, their obsession and upset about these drugs thay they can’t get. I doubt anyone actually believes it’s they don’t want them, it’s just so utterly desperate, bordering on hysterical.

the arguments, dangerously low muscle mass, people should have their muscle tone monitored, slow down presciptions and make it face to face, what about the anorexics!

it’s actually really Sad that it’s come to this, the haves and the have nots.

I genuinely say, those in the have not tribe, need to calm themselves down, it’s embarassing for you.

Trust me. I have the means to pay for them, and I could get them through the NHS even if I didn’t.

I don’t want them. I don’t want them because I’d like to lose weight without them, and would only consider them if that doesn’t work or if my health means I need the “boost.” For now, I’m losing weight without, and I’m happy with that.

It can’t be that alien an idea to you that not everyone sees personal value in using WLI, not everyone wants to inject themselves each week, and some people would prefer a perhaps slower, but unaided weight loss.

FWIW I don’t believe my current loss rate is slower than it would be, because responses on these threads suggest a usual loss of 1-1.5lb per week, if the medication is used for its intended use, and I’m managing that without.

I don’t need them, I don’t want them, I don’t think it’s the healthiest choice for me, and the only thing I have said is that IMO WLI should be safely administered and those who are misusing them shouldn’t be able to.

You seem to have a real issue with people suggesting those on prescription medicine should be properly medically accountable. I wonder why that is.

I don’t know the specific pharmacies (not interested enough in getting them to ask!) but the companies she used were accepting old photos, and allowing her to repeatedly move up through dosages whilst losing weight rapidly, eating 200-400 calories per day.

Had anyone had proper oversight, that wouldn’t have happened.

I actually think it would be better if the whole thing was managed through the NHS, with GP involvement, and regular health checks etc. That would make it more accessible for the people who do need them and can’t afford them, and be at least preventative for people who are misusing them.

The NHS is planning to deliver them, but their plan is over a 12 year time frame, and already isn’t going to plan in year 1 because many local NHS services haven’t got the money or infrastructure to deliver. I would have had to wait at least 5 years to be able to get Mounjaro on the NHS and that was despite having a BMI of 50 and rising, with high BP and likely undiagnosed sleep apnoea. I think I would have seriously further damaged my health by waiting for the NHS to be able to offer WLI to me.

Forcing me to only access this medication via the NHS and my GP would make it very much more difficult to access. I can’t get an appointment for anything from my GP and they have recently failed their inspection and are generally dire. They also wouldn’t offer any support, they wouldn’t have the capacity for it. They don’t care about my weight wrt my blood pressure medication, I doubt they’d monitor WLI for weight loss either.

There are about 2 million people accessing WLI privately in the UK and the vast majority are doing so as intended and losing the weight. I can’t see any justification for removing that option and essentially not providing an NHS option (due to cost, infrastructure and poor management of services). Some people will abuse legitimate options, in all walks of life. We don’t prevent people who are behaving appropriately from accessing services because of it.

What a happy coincidence that you don't know the specifics, and your level of interest is such that it motivates you make multiple posts about systemic change needed but not to ask her.

I'm all for greater NHS access, though realistically it's going to take time. But misuse is here to stay given that people access it abroad and bring it back to sell. That problem isn't going to be erased through changing the ways people legally access it.

I'm also sceptical that when this does happen (and I do think it's a when) the NHS is going to be providing the level of oversight some of you seem to believe would occur. We have an ageing population and a HCP shortage, hence systems already need to place substantial reliance on self-reporting, self-management and honesty. Those societal factors aren't going to change.

Sure hon.

in the interesting of information sharing and correcting misapprehensions let me share what the NHS monitor8ng looks like.

I have been on Mounjaro since Sept 2024 and likely will be indefinitely as I take it for diabetes control.

I was prescribed Mounjaro and for the first 3 months I had weekly telephone calls with the diabetes team to get my medication balance with Mounjaro, insulin and metformin adjusted. I bought my own freestyle Libre glucose monitors as hated doing the finger pricks 4 times a day and those numbers were used to track my levels. Once it was stabilised I moved to a yearly diabetic check up with hbA1c and various other tests. I have never spoken with a GP about Mounjaro, I request my repeat prescription through the NHS app, I get weighed once a year at the yearly diabetes check up and if I feel I need a higher dose I write that in my notes when requesting the prescription and it is approved and sent to the pharmacy for me to collect.

I was initially prescribed at 2.5mg and am now on 10mg and have been for about 6 months, I have never been higher as don’t feel I need a higher dose, but at no point have I been refused a request to increase dose or had any kind of check that increasing is appropriate, I ask, they approve, I pick up.

Yes sarcopenia / osteopenia. Not really apparently until late 60s when you break a hip. If the weight loss was being monitored by an in person doctor they’d likely be doing periodic BIA or dexa scans.