Secret use of Mounjaro, is it possible?

[HotCrossBunplease]

I’ve got my first Mounjaro pen arriving this week.

Have got to the point where I feel uncomfortable all the time, especially in my abdomen, and I have been advised by doctor to lose weight to reverse Fatty Liver.

I don’t really want to tell my husband that I am resorting to help form medication. I will have to say that I have decided to eat very healthily as we are def a bad influence on each other when it comes to food, weeknight wine etc so he’ll immediately notice something is up when I no longer want to dive into a cheeseboard with him.

If it works I think I might feel deceitful claiming I am doing it all via willpower. Am also worried he will think I’m ill! But I’m just embarrassed.

I’ll also need to set alarms to cook for my children as hunger won’t remind me it’s tea time!

Any thoughts on secret vs open use?

Loose, saggy skin isn’t a side effect of weight loss medication. It’s a side effect of weight loss.

Yes - but very quick weight loss.

These types of drugs have always resulted in weight loss in women who struggle with PCOs. I was on metformin in my 30s to help with fertility, I lost over a stone and I did get pregnant.
I suffer with hormone related hyperinsulaemia a side effect of a dodgy pituitary gland. Controlling and loosing weight is easy by excluding all carbs from my diet. Metformin helped by suppressing the sugar cravings.
I haven’t taken metformin for years but have learned how to control my weight. I piled it on recently due to having breast cancer. Everything goes out of the window when you have cancer. But I’m back on track.

I think that these drugs work well if you have insulin resistance which causes high carb intake. They are probably less affective if you are just an overeater.

The two side effects to watch for are pancreatitis and gall stones. I developed gallstones with Metformin which is why I am reluctant to try these newer drugs.

Above all else, learning about the underlying cause of your own weight gain will have the biggest longterm result.

Your weight loss on the medication is as quick or as slow as you want it to be really, because it still involves calories in vs calories out. I have made sure I’ve consumed 1500 calories a day, which means I’ve lost 1-2lbs a week. Hardly ‘quick’.

Quick weight loss can happen with VLC diets too, also with weight loss surgery. It's also majorly affected by age and genetics. Not everyone on Mounjaro experiences rapid weight loss of the kind that would cause saggy skin.

What is your issue here @Collexifon ?

No issue. Just not sure it's healthy for people to be on weird drugs when they aren't diabetic. Better to lose weight slowly and naturally with gentle exercise. Just my opinion- I'm not here to criticise I think the drugs are interesting.

I would be wary of keeping it secret, incase you are one of the people who develops side effects.

I know someone I'm pretty sure was keeping it from their DP, but unfortunately she developed gall bladder issues. I still don't think her DP knows what triggered it and I think he would be hurt if he found out.

There's nothing shameful about doing something positive for your health.

Again gallstones can happen from any weight loss, the injections aren't to blame. Gallstones are very common in common who are overweight too. I wouldn't jump to blaming the medication itself 😊

I've just ordered my 4th pen and I haven't told a soul and I don't intend to. I know my reasons for taking Mounjaro, I know the possible side effects and risks, but I'm very happy in my own decision-making and I don't need anybody else's opinions on the matter - including my husband's. I've found that nobody mentions you putting on weight,or the risk of being obese, but the minute you try and do something about it everybody has to have their say-so.

It’s because slim people don’t really want fat people to lose weight. And if they do, they want it to be as hard as possible for them, as punishment for them getting fat in the first place.

I don't think that's true at all. I'm just not convinced it's that healthy, but I'm sure I'm wrong.

Being obese isn’t healthy. And I’d wager the vast majority of people taking MJ have tried and failed to lose weight by other methods multiple times. Weight loss injections still require eating less and moving more, they just make it easier to do that. Life changing, for many people.

@HotCrossBunplease I was a bit worried about talking to my DP about this, and I did consider not telling him unless he noticed, but overall I think it was the right decision for me to talk to him about it. If he had been negative about it, I would have done it anyway, so it was more a question of running past him what I was planning rather than asking for advice or agreement from him, if that makes sense.

Ooh @HotCrossBunplease that's nice. Good to see you deciding to give it a go! I'll follow and see how you're getting on

@Collexifon Jesus Christ will you leave this thread alone ?! Nobody is asking for your opinion on whether the drug is safe or not. The question was whether the OP can keep it a secret. Stop pretending to care about people's health as if it was any of your business. You're so judgemental and you're not welcome here. Bugger off!

you are wrong, and really judgemental for someone who is fairly ignorant on the topic.

GLP1 receptor antagonists have been used for over 20 years due to impact they have on insulin. That is why they are used as for treatment for diabetics, and now in more recent years, weightloss .

I'd you have done any research on weightloss in recent years other than the over simplified dogma of CICO, then you would be well aware of the relationship between insulin resistance and weight gain. As the very clear link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Taking GLP-1s before reaching diabetic stage as a method of weight loss is treating the same issue before it gets to a more critical point.

Well done on the 3 st weightloss but as someone who has lost that and more, several times over I would suggest losing the sanctimonious tone. The vast majority of people lose weight and regain it...however the method. Why are you trying to make people feel like shit for taking control of their health? it really reflects a lot more on you than anyone else.

You absolutely can keep it a secret but I'd say you are eating healthily and won't be drinking or eating huge meals for a couple of months.
You really won't be able to take Mounjaro and do the above as you'll not lose weight and could get some unpleasant side effects if you eat unhealthily.

You are. HTH.

Well said 🙌

Thanks, yes, absolutely do plan to follow a much better diet while using it. Hopefully will find this easier to stick to than in the past, don’t particularly want to be dishonest about why this is but it’s that or fess up. Will take it a week at a time.

Thinking it through, I think another fear I have is that it may not help with the appetite suppression very much and then DH will be saying things like “what’s the point of spending the money?”. So prefer to give it a go quietly at first and see if it works, and I know can take a while to kick in properly.

I haven't told anyone, mainly because of judgmental twits.

I keep the pen wrapped in a cloth in the cheese drawer that only I use then keep it in my office

@HotCrossBunplease it's not really supposed to "work" until 5mg, so don't worry if it's slow.
My personal experience is that its variable. I've had times of full suppression and others that I've struggled with blood sugar levels.
Sometimes I wonder if part of my loss so far is because I believe it will work!
I'm losing around 9-10 pounds a month.
I was a bit sheepish when I told DH I wanted to try it, but really I felt that I didn't have that many options left with a significant amount to lose.
I also sent him studies to read and sensible news reports.
He's really supportive btw.
It's not the magic wand but it is giving real hope to those physically resistant to weight loss which can only be a good thing.
I've only had one really bad bout of side effects - acid reflux.
Come over to the Mounjaro threads. There's a great bunch posting.

I mentioned it a few times but referenced how expensive it was and the Dr wouldn't help. My DH knew how miserable I was and how I had tried so he told me to buy it. I'm glad he is in on my secret. Not another living soul in my life knows. Family would be all preachy and I have the cover story of a new very busy routine and healthy eating regime at a slimming club to blame for my weight loss.

I'm glad my DH knows because if I were to need emergency treatment of some kind at least he could tell the dr/hospital what I'm taking..... If I couldn't myself

This is a really good reason not to keep it secret.

I'm not against mounjaro (I have taken it myself).

But it's important to realise that if you have to have a general anaesthetic at any point, mounjaro can make you choke. It slows down food passing through your digestive system. If doctors assume you are not on any medication, they won't account for this.

It's up to you OP but it's a good idea not to keep it secret for too long. You never know what could happen and the more people know what medication you are on, the safer.