Autoimmune conditions and weightloss injections

[Mrsredlipstick]

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromialga and low thyroid. All medication is at high levels.
I have recently started Rituximab infusions every six months.
I have lost five stone over the last two years but still need to lose another four stone. Does anyone know if I can get these injections or is there a contraindication? My consultant wasn't keen but didn't give a reason other than just carry on eating less.

@smarty4 that's my hope too.
I genuinely want the inflammation benefits as well the weightloss.
Unless you suffer with constant pain you wouldn't understand.

The burps have gone but I was pretty poorly yesterday. Not sure it was fibro or the jab. Horrible headache.
Feeling much better today.

How is everyone getting on? @FlappingMadly @Bamboozled5 @Evenstar @Flopsythebunny @ginnybag @Hencewy @Jabtastic @Mombie @Nomorethanthree73 @ObsidianTree @Ozanj @Pigeonqueen @RainbowZebraWarrior @smarty4

Ive not had any reduction in inflammation . I've lost weight but had some D and V
Nearly the end of week two for me. .

I'm a bit underwhelmed so far if I'm honest but I'm hoping the 5mg might help! 2.5mg stopped giving me suppression after 2 weeks. I'm struggling with fatigue and have been concerned about low level depression. So I'm keeping things under review and may well quit unless I get a major boost with 5mg.

@Jabtastic i didn't want to ask on the main thread as our ongoing health issues add another layer don't they?
I'm not keen on the gastric issues so will take a view at the end of the month. If it's just more of the same I would not go beyond month two.

Yes it complicates things. For example I have fatigue as a symptom generally and have to manage my energy carefully. Heaping more fatigue on top is making life hard. I'm also feeling a low level depression which is totally out of character. And I'm struggling a bit with constipation which isn't something I EVER have (I eat a lot of plants and bulky carbs). It can be a problem with my condition and I don't want it to be!

So yes I'll be giving it one more month then walking away unless the pros outweigh the cons.

Similar with me @Jabtastic fatigue is a massive part of my EDS as is slow gut motility. I cannot cope with fatigue on top of fatigue. Also 2.5mg only really worked for me for two weeks too. The thing is the suppression (great as it is) made me feel nauseous, cold and tired for the first couple of days but also did improve my pain and inflammation for the entire week. I'm about to order 5mg pen and see how I go with that, but I can't deal with being tired, cold and nauseous in the run up to Christmas.

It's annoying as my health conditions already come with medication side effects and pros and cons. Obviously it proves that it isn't a side effect free wonder drug I guess, but it's an added layer of something else to take into consideration every goddamn day / week with the potential for the unknown. ("Hmm should I eat before my medical appointment at 2pm or should I just starve myself in case I shit myself?")

I appreciate I have been quite fortunate so far, a bit of nausea and feeling cold but lost 5lbs in my first week, currently in week two.

I am feeling tired but i do all the time anyway as part of my RA and having three small
Children. I used to get awful nausea from my RA meds as well, so may just be used to it. So far (and if it keeps like this) I will carry on but know it's early days too.

I just stumbled across this thread and found so much that resonated with me.

I've been on MJ since June and I haven't had a single flare up of my scleritis. I'm an odd scleritis patient anyway as I don't have RA or lupus with it, unlike 98% of scleritis patients. I do have auto immune thyroid disease though.

Usually I'd have had 2-3 flare ups by now and would have been on and off steroids.

I feel well for the first time in decades. I don't have the overwhelming exhaustion for half an hour every afternoon that I genuinely used to think would eventually end my career.

I thought I was imagining it, or that it was linked to the weight loss (almost 4 stone now). Never thought it was rhe drug itself!

@Splendud wow.what good news.

I genuinely bought the meds for both inflammation reduction and weightloss. I had read so much about this plus benefit.
I'm only week two so no changes yet with my RA. I was bed ridden for 17 weeks at the beginning of the year. I haven't worked much this year. It's been a disaster. However I'll keep trying.

This is small fry but boom! Peri menopausal symptoms all gone!

@Mrsredlipstick plodding along here 3kg down, and taken my first 5mg today. I feel a bit disappointed with the loss even though I know you shouldn’t expect it on 2.5 mg.

Definitely feeling the benefit with the fibromyalgia and also feeling mentally better and more inclined to do things rather than procrastinating. Also weirdly I find if I recall something upsetting or embarrassing from the past I am not bothered and think why on earth was I bothered about that before! That is really amazing.

Hugs to everyone that's been made to feel crap cos we're fat.I'm beyond fed up with the move more eat less mindset. Have finally had sessions with the NHS psychology team and wish had had these so many yrs ago .
The reasons we struggle are complicated and varied .

Hi folks I've had another bad day health wise. Nausea, vomiting (nothing to bring up) and huge stomach pain.
I've just had a mousse and had cereal this morning. I don't have a sweet tooth but I eat dry biscuits when I feel ill. I've been feeling dizzy. My daughter has flu so I'm hoping it's not serious side effects.

An update on weightloss from the wegovy jab. Nothing this week.
Very disappointing as I am definitely in calorie deficit.
Last week was two kilos.

Hang in there!

I'm due to start 5mg pen on Wednesday but I might try and use my 'bonus dose' from 2.5 pen. I'm really confused how this works though.

Just a warning. I have been suffering from huge pain under my ribs and have been bedridden. A friend sent me a Google search and it's a serious side effect. I've contacted VOY and I'm not going to take my fourth dose.

Google search

Oh dear it really does sound like gall bladder stuff @Mrsredlipstick I hope the GP can advise!

@Jabtastic many thanks for checking in.
I have too many health issues to make myself ill over this. We have a couple of medics in the family but the general consensus is gallbladder. I'll need a scan now but too painful to drive.

I think in normal weight loss it's really important to still eat fat but just make it the good kind. My friend lost a lot of weight years ago on a very extreme low fat diet and ended up having the same issue. Ultimately she had her gall bladder removed but it was eating very low fat that flared things initially. I'm sorry you've had such a tough time x

I am a dairy queen but I don't eat fatty foods. God knows what caused it. I'm lucky that I don't eat much anymore due to the five stone weightloss. I wanted the anti inflammatory benefits and less wine noise around Christmas. I don't drink anymore but I have strong cravings sometimes. I didn't have any with wegovy.
I'll just keep ploughing on with the straight diet.

Dairy is massively inflammatory for a lot of people with autoimmune disease. It would be really worth you experimentally cutting out all dairy for a month and see how you feel afterwards. It makes a big difference to my symptoms. Occasionally I cheat eg at a party but I usually pay for it within 48 hours.

Very interested to read all this. I also have an auto immune condition and have been immobile at points and put on a bit of weight.

I'm so frustrated on many people's behalf reading your experiences of being judged by ignorant and rude people.

For those who have got MJ privately, does this work please?

@researchers3
For those who have got MJ privately, does this work please?

Most of us have got it privately because it's only available on the NHS with a higher criteria than private prescription, alongside waiting for Tier 3 weight management program that could take years.

Yes it works for me. I've been losing steady weight that I couldn't shift before Mounjaro (and I'm doing the same thing I did before MJ, only now the difference is that I'm on MJ) and I have a lot of health issues including autoimmune ones. I take a lot of medicines (a few of which caused my weight gain over the years as they're known to do as side effects). Some of them have helped manage Mounjaro's side effect like propranolol for heart palpitation/anxiety attack, IBS meds for stomach cramps, etc.

I think this has helped me feel like I don't have side effects (besides the first time or first few times i felt them and took the meds to stop them) when I probably would without these meds. I had to increase my pain meds dose because MJ does affect efficacy of some meds and I've been fine since then. It's been relatively smooth-sailing otherwise.