Where do I start?

[CutthroatDruTheViolent]

Hi all,

I had an ad for Juniper come up on Facebook and I fit the criteria according to them (40 BMI [sick]) but there are SO MANY different companies I have no idea where to go.

I also am struggling to find a really simple to understand page that will tell me what the actual medication is and does and how much I can expect to pay on a monthly basis. For example, I saw a woman on tiktok said she had lost 5 stone in 20 weeks and only now just getting her second pen. That sounds great to me - if the £189 quoted on Juniper is a single pen that lasts that long! (suspect not).

I'm just getting overwhelmed and want the best option. I also have a GP appointment where I was going to ask about getting it but not even sure it's worth it?

Is there a helpful 'getting started' post or something someone can point me to?

As a general rule don't source any information from TikTok. That influencer is either lying or not following safety guidelines from the manufacturer.

The GP is highly unlikely to prescribe, even if they could they'd make you go through two tiers of weight loss methods before offering medication, so diet advice, maybe weight watchers type courses and so on. The tier 3 approach on the NHS could be injections but in many areas is bariatric surgery instead.

Private prescriptions can be prescribed by online pharmacies. The pharmacy should be GPhC registered, you can find comparison lists from a couple of websites that are updated frequently:

www.missmounjarouk.com

monj.co.uk

Privately via these pharmacies you can choose between Wegovy (semaglutide) or Mounjaro (tirzepatide). Mounjaro is newer and research shows it produces greater weight loss with fewer side effects than Wegovy (also called Ozempic).

Both medications are similar, they are called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They mimic what happens to your body when you eat, which normally wears off in a few minutes. These artificial versions last for a week or so. They produce a feeling of fullness, and so reduce appetite and feelings of wanting to over eat. You feel fuller quicker and on less food. They also slow down your digestive transit. That can lead to side effects for some people, can be nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting. Usually only temporary and can be sorted out with changing diet, OTC treatments or if necessary reducing the dose that you're on.

These medications are meant to be taken long term. A pen contains four doses which you take once a week, so it lasts for a month. The first month of Mounjaro is a dose of 2.5mg each week which is meant to get your body used to the medication. Many people don't experience weight loss on this dose. After 4 weeks you can move up to 5mg which may start to produce weight loss. Then you can move up if you feel you need to, in steps of 2.5mg until you reach the maximum dose of 15mg which is the highest dose you can take.

A Mounjaro pen has to be discarded 30 days after you take the first dose.

The websites I linked have details of discount codes and referral codes which you can use to get a cheaper price. You can change suppliers whenever you want, to take advantage of the new customer discounts. The only issue might come when your BMI is less than 30 as a new prescriber may be reluctant to take you on as you wouldn't meet their prescribing criteria.

To be honest I think there’s so much information online especially on social media/forums - some of it is misinformation.

I think you should get your information from the medics directly, so for example the FAQ page at a pharmacy eg https://onlinedoctor.asda.com/uk/mounjaro.html

I went with the cheapest which was Med Express - I got a referral code so I got £40 off.
I filled in the consultation. A couple of days later my first pen arrived. I had emails from Med Express detailing how to administer the drug.
Mounjaro has four doses per pen and you take one per week. There is a way to get the bonus dose so it lasts a week longer.

Its not cheap but really does work well!

@CutthroatDruTheViolent it's worth remembering that whichever company you go with, the actual medication is the same. Eli Lilly are the only company that makes Mounjaro at the moment, as they hold the patent. What each online pharmacy supplies is the exact same "KwikPen" injection pen. So it really doesn't matter which one you choose, as long as it's properly regulated. Some companies offer a subscription model, and some offer additional online coaching and support. Some people like those options, it depends on what you prefer.

I've used Asda Online throughout, they are not the cheapest or the most expensive, and they've been efficient and prompt so far for me.

Op that’s the price per month, you need one pen a month,

Also if your bmi is 40, do you habe health problems? High blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol etc? As for those with a bmi of 40 and above, and health issues it is now available on the nhs, but needs to be via the weight management clinics. Which I think have waiting lists of up to a year,

For example, I saw a woman on tiktok said she had lost 5 stone in 20 weeks and only now just getting her second pen

op, that will be nonsense, the pens last 30 days when open. You only start at 2.5mg. For the first month, which is just to get your body used to it. There is no way anyone made the starting dose last 5 months,

No I don't, only recently had an MOT. But I am noticing that I'm more tired and getting aches and pains where I didn't. Plus, I just cannot stop gaining.

This is all really helpful thank you so much. I'll get investigating this evening - I did notice the codes thread as well (and thank you @SilenceInside for sharing the one's you've seen) so fingers crossed I can get at least one month a bit cheaper!

@CutthroatDruTheViolent at the beginning of the long running 'continuing mounjaro' thread (now on 22!!) is a link to website with information for new starters. Have a read through and think about what level of support you are looking for/type of delivery or pickup etc and then use the links silenceinside has given you to investigate pharmacies. The monj one is very good as it includes links to the websites, trust pilot reviews and GPhC registration information.

I think what the 5 stone in 20 weeks woman might've meant by only just getting her second one was that she had only just gone up to 5mg from the starting dose of 2.5mg. That sounds far more feasible than stretching out a single one for 16 weeks longer than it's supposed to last. People quite often stay on one dose for longer than four weeks - I'm still on 2.5 myself and I started on my third pen last week. Currently lost nearly 2 stone so it's working for me thankfully!

I'm not sure GPs would be terribly helpful in all cases because a lot of them wouldn't be that clued up about mounjaro, I've seen quite a few people not getting very far with asking either for advice or a prescription and sometimes it's just sheer ignorance to the medication rather than anything they have concerns about.

I've been with MedExpress from the start but will start shopping around for my next pen as other than the first one I've never had a discount and I know I can get it cheaper than I've been paying. There are a lot of online pharmacies who will prescribe for this and just because they're not Boots or Asda etc and are lesser known, doesn't mean they aren't reliable and legit.

OP I'm happy for you to PM me if you want a chat about it. My BMI was higher than yours at the start (and still is!) and it can be intimidating trying to figure this all out!

A question for those who have chopped around providers (I’ve no intention, I’m happy with where I get it from I’m just being nosey), do you have to start back at the lowest dose of 2.5mg?

No, you just provide them with your current prescription. I just needed to send a photo of my pen box with the prescription on.

No of course not you’d be tied to one supplier if that was the case, you’re prescribed the dose you need and wish, based on the usually titration up methods,

One of the main issues you need to be careful with when you jump around different pharmacies seems to be when you reach a healthy bmi and you're looking for a maintenance dose. I've read a few stories where people have found it difficult to get the ongoing doses if they weren't with their current supplier at higher weights.

Thanks @doodleschnoodle and @Slimmingtime - that makes more sense!