Will online pharmacists continue to prescribe a “maintenance dose” when you reach target weight?

[Askingpumpkin]

Good afternoon all.

Just starting my Wegovy journey today! Though may transfer to Mounjara.

I’m 63 and 14 stone and would love a target of 11.5 to 12 stone.

In people’s experience will online pharmacists allow you to continue on a maintenance dose once you reach target?

Yes a number of pharmacies have now said they will support maintence. Oushk, asda and med express come to mind

Yes for wegovy, it can only be taken for up to two years.

mpunjaro is different and is approved for life usage. So maintenance is available on that.

Dunno. I have a relative who was taking one of these drugs and she said the second she stopped taking it the weight piled back on, really really quickly, even though she was continuing to diet and exercise (she didn’t really need them in the first place to be honest). Honestly it’s put me right off the idea. I thought I could use them for a kick start but who would want to be on this stuff forever (or who could afford to be) just to keep the weight off??

For Mounjaro, Cloud and Oushk support ongoing maintenance with no time limit.

As to whether the weight goes back on or not, it's the same as any method of losing weight. The majority of people who lose a lot of weight by any method go on to put it back on again, that's just unfortunately how things go. Some people may choose to be on some sort of medication regimen for life or at least for the foreseeable future (those with diabetes are already on that path anyway), others will be able to manage on their own, etc.

You will give yourself the best chance if you use the medication to overhaul your eating habits and approach food as well as just the eating lower calories the medication helps make sustainable,

Manual kicked me off Ozempic at goal weight so now I use old photos to buy.

NOT MedExpress!

These support maintenance
Cloud
Pharmulous
Oushk
And, most interesting of all IMO - the Family Chemist

Here is the Family Chemist stance:
Family Chemist Maintenance Policy

I’m more than happy to stay on a maintenance dose for life and am lucky I can afford it, as you get the bonus dose it works out at about 22 quid a week for the low doses. As my food and drink bill is reduced by way more than that, it pays for itself.

and within a couple of years it will be available in pill format and much cheaper.

I don’t know how your relative got it though if she didn’t really need it, as you need to be clinically obese to get it , that is unless you buy it illegally from a hairdresser or something.

Thank you all so much.

Obviously I would try my best to use healthy eating and exercise (though I have a chronic illness so limited there). But it may be that a small maintenance dose would help keep me ticking over.

Then you need to be on mounjaro, it is the only one approved for life time use.

@Losingthetimber I have done some similar calculations to you! And worked out it wouldn’t be that much per week if you include food savings too (especially if I eked out lower doses!)

And thanks @IrisPallida for the list of possible pharmacies. Appreciated v much.

Then her problem may not be diet. It may be something else medical which means she may need to continue this medication for life to keep it under control, just like people who have diabetes or depression, etc have to continue their meds for life to keep it under control.

Mounjaro isn't just an appetite suppressant. It helps with other hormonal and metabolic issues which can affect weight gain/loss. Some people will need to stay on it permanently; some won't.

It's a serious med to solve medical issues and isn't really supposed to be used just for a "kickstart". It's not cosmetic or at least shouldn't be.

Yes @IMustBeInvisible there is some interesting reading re.micro dosing and the positive effects this can have on some other health issues eg inflammation.

(Though some of the opinions and information is given by specialist clinicians in the USA mostly, a few in the UK, but I would imagine these are very expensive private clinics for those with a high income.)

@Losingthetimber what you said re Mounjara -“ within a couple of years it will be available in pill format and much cheaper” also interesting.

@IrisPallida also pharmacy prime clinic do maintenance i believe

I can’t recall the date but it is either 26 or 27 they think it will be available, Lilly did a press release, however I’m sure others are too

in addition eight more drugs, which are supposed to be even better in final testing, and ozempic/wegovy comes out of patent , I think in 27, so generic will come to market.