Thinking about starting Mounjaro but so many questions

[Bunny2607]

Hi everyone!
i’ve been thinking today that i should try MJ after seeing some videos on tiktok of people having great results and reading some threads on here too. But i know very little about it. I’m ashamed to say i weigh just over 27 stone and i have two young children, one SEN so i need to do something. Stress is a trigger which makes me eat.

i have some questions if anyone who has taken MJ can help please?

1. is it safe? This is my main concern about putting something into my body as i saw on the news alot of people saying Ozempic wasn’t safe and had alot of unknowns
2. can you in theory eat what you want? Is it just your appetite which is supressed so you don’t want to eat? I’m just thinking about christmas/nights out etc?
3. side effects - a few people saying acid reflux, assume this could be sorted out with omeprazole or rennies etc?

just grateful to hear people’s experiences really. To the point where i think being this overweight will start affecting me soon anyway so surely MJ can’t be anymore dangerous than the side effects of obesity but are there any risks such as blood clots or more serious things like that? I saw ozempic had been linked to pancreas problems i think it was.

thanks in advance

I've lost 3 stone since start of May. Have went from obese to just a tiny bit overweight, size 18 down to size 12/14.

1. it's been used for diabetes for over 20 years, it's not a new drug. Any worries I had about it being safe disappeared when I realised obesity would probably kill me in the long run via heart disease, stroke or the huge number of cancers linked to being obese.

2. yes and no. There are things that do not agree with me anymore, alcohol unfortunately is one of them and I have zero desire for it or sweet treats etc (or greasy fried food). And I was a sugar addict before mounjaro.

3. side effects are the hard part, I have frequent insomnia, some nausea, constipation and a lot of acid reflux, but again that linked to what I'm eating. The insomnia is the worst for me.

If you want my opinion, I'd say if you're obese then give it a go, it's changed my life I'd tried every diet going and I had a one way ticket to type 2 diabetes.
I am a new woman and I'll never Go back to that miserable obese person I was 6 months ago

I have been prescribed Mounjaro for diabetes and so far I'm really happy.

I've been able to stop my insulin after just 2 weeks and I've been able to reduce my metformin, my blood glucose levels are just so so much better so it clearly is effective at doing it's primary job which is to increase your bodies receptiveness to the insulin it produces.

My appetite is reduced, not gone but definitely reduced so it's much easier to stick to a lower carb and lower calorie diet. You do still have to moderate though. I could easily eat 6 bars of chocolate a day if that was the food I chose to eat instead of actual meals, it hasn't made me unable to eat that stuff, it has just stopped me from feeling so hungry I grab the first thing to hand and it's made it so that I actually feel full after eating a reasonable amount of food.

I do wonder how many people on MJ are experiencing low blood sugar and don't realise it, it really is very effective at lowering your sugar levels so if you are also low carb and eating very little it would be easy to go hypoglycaemic and feel dizzy, nauseous and generally unwell. So it's important to ensure that alongside the injections you have a healthy diet and eat small amounts regularly.

Thank you both thats really helpful! I didn’t realise it was already a drug for diabetes so that makes me feel abit better. I got a bit spooked when Ozempic hit the press about the safety concerns, but yea agree the risks with being obese are also a consideration especially at my weight.

so do you think MJ stops you from sort of mindless eating? Like usually when i get home from work i’m picking at the cupboards out of boredom admittedly and also stress.

i guess i haven’t got anything to lose by giving it a go? And the worse that will happen is i’ve lost £200 and stop taking it because of side effects. How long do the pens last for?

TIA x

Each pen is 4 doses (with extra priming liquid that many take as a 5th dose) so last for 4 weeks.

The first 2.5mg should only cost around £120 ish.

And yea, for me it stopped the grazing, the cravings, the mindless eating!

Hey.

What is this? I've never heard of it before? Also can you buy this or does this have to be prescribed?

Hey
its a weight loss injection called Mounjaro, people seem to be having good losses with it but i know very little about it so just trying to find out some info!

@blondemumof4 mounjaro is a medication containing synthetic peptides that is used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

It is a prescription only medicine.

Hi I’ve been on it for 2 months and am also a stress eater/drinker. I’ve lost nearly 2 stone and minimal side effects. I’m only on 5 but due to move up to 7.5 next jab. Worst side effects I’ve had are nausea and a bit of constipation but obviously everyone is different. I bought some anti sickness tablets online (cyclizine) and keep lactulose in just in case.
It has definitely got rid of the mindless eating, I have to plan meals and have meal replacement shakes just in case as sometimes it’s a struggle or I just forget to eat. As the other poster said it’s important to eat otherwise you could feel unwell, I always track my calories and eat a minimum 1450 a day. Obviously sometimes you have more of an appetite though as it does begins to wear off 5 days after injecting. To answer your other question, I always inject on a Sunday so I can be social and go out for a meal and a couple of glasses of wine on a Saturday. It is possible but I would definitely struggle on a Monday.
Each pen lasts 4 weeks and has 4 doses.
Some suppliers offer coaching and some don’t. Maybe worth researching suppliers to see what would suit you best. I opted
for coaching and I do use it. I wouldn’t swap now as I’m happy with the way my supplier operates also.

To be totally accurate, it is Ozempic (semaglutide) that has been around for 20 ish years, but only recently approved for weight loss. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is newer and only been in use for 8 years or so. They are both the same kind of chemical with a similar action (GLP-1 agonist).

Mounjaro has been shown via research to be more effective for weight loss and has fewer side effects.

Both are safe, as with any regulated medicine, if used as directed by the prescribing doctor.

I've been taking it for 10 weeks now, started at just about 22 stone, and am now 18st 10lbs or so. It suppresses my appetite and makes me feel full quicker. I don't have any urge or interest in snacking or in high fat, high sugar or salty foods. The things I feel like eating are high protein, lots of fresh salad or veg. I eat three times a day, a lot smaller portions than I would ever have done before. I don't feel hungry or like I'm starving myself.

When going out for meals, I choose smaller things and eat less of them, I don't usually finish the kind of portion that most places serve. I still enjoy what I'm eating but just have a lot less, and leave what I can't eat.

I've had one instance of digestive upset, and I think it was caused by eating something dodgy but I had quite a large reaction which is unusual for me. Took a couple of days to settle down, but that was it. Other than that, I've not had anything side effect wise.

Thank you @SilenceInside thats really helpful. Thats a really good loss as well in 10 weeks. I need to try it i think to fully understand, but part of my problem with food is I don’t think twice about eating for the sake of it and eating when i’m not actually hungry. Do you think it helps with that? I guess from what you’re saying something clicks in your brain where its telling you that you actually don’t want to eat anymore. Like i will finish a meal even when i’m full after two thirds, so do you think Mounjaro would help with this? I guess you would feel fuller sooner therefore maybe you physically couldn’t finish the full meal anyway.

Hey thank you I’m getting some really helpful replies! A great loss too. I will definitely have a look into suppliers and think the coaching option sounds good especially at the beginning when i’ll no doubt have all these questions. It makes sense what you said about injecting on a sunday too, not that it happens often with children etc but i’d like to still be able to enjoy a few drinks with friends etc when the chance comes along.
i think all i am unsure of now is that i know i will and can eat when i’m not hungry, so its just whether even if i use Mounjaro and it suppresses my appetite will i still eat or does something click in your brain and it makes you physically feel like you just don’t want food?

@Bunny2607 oh I would eat and eat and eat before starting Mounjaro. I had no connection between hunger and eating or being full and stopping. I'd eat when bored, tired, stressed, grumpy... I'd use sugary things as a short term energy burst but then have a crash and so the cycle would continue. I'd use caffeine in similar way. I drink a lot less coffee now and sometimes can't finish a cup. I thought about eating all the time, lots of constant negative self talk about what I wanted to eat versus what I should. Berating myself for wanting food, for having over eaten, for making bad choices. That's all gone now, almost immediately on taking my first injection. I don't think much about food at all and when I do it's easy just to make healthy choices and eat small portions. It's very pleasant not to have that all going on mentally!

So, that's the effect it's had for me. I just don't even think about snacking, where even just seeing crisps or biscuits would have had me eating them constantly before.

1. is it safe?

for me I’ve weighed up the dangerous potential effects of remaining as I am and continuing to get bigger.

1. can you in theory eat what you want? Is it just your appetite which is supressed so you don’t want to eat? I’m just thinking about christmas/nights out etc?

seems to vary between people. Personally it seems to impact on my enjoyment of food and alcohol for the first 2-3 days after injecting then I’m ok just more easily satisfied. I inject on a Tuesday so by Friday night I’m always fine and able to enjoy meals out, a bit of wine etc (I am not losing weight as fast as some as I don’t want to count calories but it’s still steady)

1. side effects - a few people saying acid reflux, assume this could be sorted out with omeprazole or rennies etc?

it can be more severe than this for some people. beware of people saying how great it is and no side effects then following up with “here’s my Voy code” 😆. On our July starters thread there are a good number of us experiencing unpleasant gastro effects although it is generally short lived and mostly when increasing doses. If the effects are too bad you can drop the dosage back down. I have some gastro side effects with upset tummy and disgustingly foul smelling burps but only for day 1&2 after injecting.

good luck!

I had similar concerns but figured it was something I needed to try or I’d never know whether it would work for me or not and would always wonder.

Ive been on it 10 weeks or so and have lost 1st 3lbs which im happy with given i dont feel like im on a diet.

With the suppliers beware of people wading in with their codes (as they get money off of you use it), there’s a spreadsheet on the other thread with the various suppliers and a dedicated thread for money off codes.

unless you’re made of money I don’t think the coaching is worth it really and you might get tied into a subscription whereas the other suppliers you’re not.

I had my doubts as I am an expert at eating even when I’m not hungry or full.

but it still has helped me a lot even though as I say, I haven’t lost as dramatically as some.

As I’ve put on another thread I’ve spent so far £118 every 5-6 weeks which is better than I thought but even without the discount code it would’ve been £130 every 5-6 weeks and I have saved a lot on alcohol, takeaways and food in general.

I’m so happy to have found this thread as I’ve just ordered my first supply from Pharmacy2U. Obviously having to wait until the online doctor approves it but I’m so happy reading how it’s been effective for so many of you. I just hope that it doesn’t give me bad side effects as I’m a full time carer to my disabled adult children so I need to be feeling as well as possible.

I finally took the plunge and just ordered mine. I've been reading and reading and today i decided to do it. Fingers crossed. I used a discount code a poster sent to me so if anyone needs a discount code, feel free to ask and I'll send mine via pm like the poster did. It was pretty straightforward to register and I had to send upload id and picture. I used Voy if anyone would like to know because it worked out cheaper from the discount and I can cancel anytime.

I'm reading these threads with great interest and I'm considering starting Mounjaro in preference to Ozempic.
I'm a bit, I don't know, concerned ? about these online doctors though?
How does one know who/what they are? I mean, frankly, they could be anyone just ticking the box and saying, "sure, pay us the money and go ahead."

@SilkFloss you do some due diligence. Check that the online pharmacy is registered with the GPhC and that the registration number they give is actually registered and matches the details you expect. The website of the provider should name the pharmacists and the supervising doctors. Check that they are genuinely registered too.

Use a major company if you want to avoid any doubt, such as Boots, Asda, and so on.

Another one watching with interest.

Can you swap and change suppliers to make use of the various discount codes flying around?

@SilenceInside Thank you. That's very helpful (Just pre-empting the points I know DH is going to raise!)

@ChittyChittyBoomBoom yes you can although there is a good chance that the discount and referral codes could vanish in time as the pharmacies are being watched very carefully by the governing bodies to ensure they are not acting unethically or illegally.

@IReallyNeedThisToWork thank you.

Would anyone be willing to share exactly how much the spend from the first pen and how much it increases as the dose rises? I would like to see if this will be sustainable financially for me.

@ChittyChittyBoomBoom here is a comparison of a number of the main pharmacies