Tell me about mounjaro

[SunQueen24]

I have been dieting my whole life, mostly managed to stay relatively slim but gained around 2 stone over the last two years that I cannot shift. I think this is mostly because I have two young kids and just cannot keep up the level of activity I used to - I mean the dog walking twice a day, plus the hobbies - I’ve always been very sporty coupled with age.

For a whole year now I’ve been going to the gym 5x a week and see a PT. I’ve gained muscle mass and I’m loads stronger but I am still bigger than I’d like to be.

I cook all my own meals, hit my protein goals but I cannot combat the emotional eating and am feeling really disheartened that I’m hindering my success with my bad habits.

So I’m considering mounjaro to get that weight off and hopefully get me to a place I can maintain. To have some space from the “food noise” and the constant hunger that I feel whilst calorie restricting no matter whether I make near perfect food choices or not.

I’m concerned about side effects - I’m a busy Mum and can’t be ill or suffer with hazy eye sight which I’ve read about.

Is your BMI above 30, is the first question? If not, then unless you have a weight related co-morbidity, it's unlikely that you will be able to be prescribed Mounjaro or the other similar injections.

"Hazy eyesight" is not a side effect of taking Mounjaro, perhaps you've read about diabetics who have got diabetic retinopathy who can experience a temporary worsening of their condition due to the rapid control of blood sugar levels when taking Mounjaro for their diabetes.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/07/04/novo-nordisk-weight-loss-drugs-linked-to-rare-eye-condition-study.html

The online prescribers will prescribe to you with a BMI of 27?

You can be prescribed at a BMI of 27 only if you have other weight related conditions.
That was an observational study and indicated an association only and did not establish cause.
With any medication there is a balance of risks and benefits to be considered. If you are overweight rather than obese, and otherwise fit and healthy, the balance would be different compared with someone with life limiting long standing obesity. In any case, in those circumstances you shouldn't be prescribed it.

That story is about Wegovy/Ozempic, not Mounjaro. It’s a really bad choice of photo!

@SunQueen24 I believe it depends on ethnicity. If you’re white then you need to have a BMI of 30+, or 27+ if you also have weight-related health conditions. For some ethnic groups the BMI thresholds are lower though so it may differ.

Isn’t it all Semaglutide just different brand names?

Nope. They are all GLP-1 agonists, but they are different ones. Mounjaro is tirzepatide not semaglutide.

No, Mounjaro is Tirzepatide, similar-ish action on the body. You might want to have a read of the info thread here, but essentially if your BMI is below 30 you won't get a prescription unless you have other serious health conditions.

Hi @SunQueen24

I am on day 5 with no side effects except for a decreasing appetite.

As others state, you need to have a BMI of 30. If you are a couple of stones over your idea weight (11-12kg) then it is unlikely you are overweight enough. Are you obsessing with the scales, though, because the number on the scales will not factor in build or how muscular you are - a particular issue if you are really sporty?

If you are 5ft7 and (say) a size 12, and as fit as you say, then it may be that your weight loss goals are perhaps unrealistic? Does a PT person at the gym agree that you need to lose that much, for example?

(and, yes, mounjaro is tirzepatide, not semaglutide, so not used for diabetes so the diabetic retinopathy issues observed in diabetic patients are not an issue. MJ also tends to have fewer side effects generally.)