Eating disorder and Mounjaro

[mumof5andfat]

I'm sure i will get a lot of backlash for this, but i want to hear others views. I have suffered from an ED most of my life in one way or another (anorexia, bulima) since the age of 14. even when i thought i had been cured, i was actually still in the midst of it (i did'nt know then that excess exercise came under the same umbrella). I have tried everything you can think of from self help audiobooks, private CBT, medications to treat my underlying depression/anxiety etc.) I asked my GP to refer me to the ED unit of the NHS. It took 3 years and I finally have my appointment for end of next week. However, at the start of Sept, i decided to give Mounjaro a try. So far, i have had no binge and purge episodes (whereas I would have several of these per day). today, i ate a square of chocolate and put the rest in the fridge without even wanting more. All i want to do is be free of this ED, I'm tired, i was desperate. I just wanted to stop the cycle. I finally feel free. I no longer obsess over food. I feel I have regained some form of control. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but has anyone else been through what I have? Did you finally stop Mounjaro and did you revert back to your ED?

Good luck to all of us, I say!

@TheFunBiscuit im sorry to hear that. I really struggle to believe than anyone who is obese doesn’t have some sort of ED and think it’s naive that prescribers think otherwise.

Similarly I suffered with bulimia in my teens. I stopped purging but never stopped binging so have BED now I’d say. I did try mounjaro and it was really successful in stopping the binges but I’m too anxious to continue because of the side effects.

Hi everyone, just thought I'd share my experience of being on Mounjaro having suffered with ED most of my life from 16 onwards. I definitely developed BED in my 20s and 30s although it calmed down a bit when I had kids (other things to focus on and no time to myself!) but still not 'cured' and constantly dieting/bingeing and overweight. I found it very distressing and couldn't see a way out. Mounjaro is like a weight has been lifted from me and the distress and anxiety has gone. I do still think about food but only in an abstract 'what am I meant to be having today?' kind of way. I plan my meals and count calories and this would usually lead to a binge phase after a couple of weeks of being 'good'. but that just hasn't happened. The urge has gone.
One thing that does surprise me though, is that I almost feel something is missing from my life. When I was planning a binge, and then eating the sweets or whatever it was, it was pleasurable for me in those moments. And that's gone and I sort of miss it. Which is very odd to admit!
I don't know what I'll do when I hit my goal weight though. I'm still on 2.5mg after 2 months and it shows no sign of needing to increase so I'm obviously quite responsive to it - I'm thinking about doing that micro-dosing thing I've read about, although I'm not sure its strictly legit.

@dandelionandbirdcock i know exactly what you mean - sometimes I find myself feeling like binging because I have the opportunity and even when I don’t have the urge because it’s such a habit.

Yes @SunQueen24 me too! It’s so funny isn’t it? I definitely enjoyed the anticipation of knowing I was going to binge (planning it and buying the food) and now that’s gone I do actually have quite a big hole in my life. I need to fill it with new and more constructive things like exercise 😆

@dandelionandbirdcock I find it difficult when I’m home with the kids in the evening not to fall into the trap of a binge.

Can you definitely not give Mounjaro another go @SunQueen24 ? What side effects did you have? I had heartburn to start with but it seems to have faded.

@dandelionandbirdcock i might at some point. I had no side effects with the first dose but had awful anxiety after the second.

Do you plan to come off at some point? If you do, start filling the hole left by binging now so that when do you stop…. you’re prepared.

Otherwise, you’ll be back to square one as that binging demon is still very alive and well by the sounds of it