Coming to terms with the risks

[TinglyandCurious]

I’ve got to the point where I’m fairly certain I want to try weight loss injections after Christmas.

my BMI is 34 (I’m 6ft and nearly 19stone) and have repeatedly tried and failed low calorie diets over the last 15 years. I can’t do this anymore. It’s exhausting and depressing. I’m so unhappy with myself.

I have a lot of fear around the more serious potential side effects/adverse effects though. The news story about the nurse that died has worried me. But surely this is so rare?

How do you rationalise these risks?

The nurse didn’t die due to the drug, she was ill anyway.

the risks of obesity far outweigh the risks of the drugs, but 8t is a personal choice.

Being obese is shit. Losing weight easily and safely is amazing. I didn't give the risks a second thought.

15.5 million folks 9n the USA alone on these drugs since 2019 . Only 274 deaths in that period, not one yet proven directly due to the drug taken legally and as prescribed, but due to “wreckless usage” and fakes.

Hi, I had same misgivings. I started on mj 6 weeks ago, not lost loads, about 12 pounds. I think I thought that every drug has side effects, I have had nausea and headaches, but the really serious ones are rare. But then being obese is also a health risk!! Just monitor your health and come off it if the side effects get too

Being seriously obese would have killed me in the end anyway. I was happy to take the ‘risk’.

I didn’t lie about my height and weight to get it, nor my medical history, I got it prescribed by a legitimate pharmacy, I take it as prescribed, and I do my bit to make long term changes. If I stay on it forever, fine.

I’m not concerned about taking it - and I definitely don’t read sensationalised rubbish about it on social media or in the newspapers.

OP, I was a BMI of 29.5 but was pre diabetic and carried all of my weight around my waist which is a major risk factor for many things, so I was prescribed MJ about 10 weeks ago. It has been life changing for me. I havent weighed myself for 3 weeks but when I last did I had lost 7kg. I would assume I have lost another couple since then based on how I look and the fit of my clothes.

My blood sugars are now completely normal and I don't binge eat like I used to.

I will be weighing tomorrow and I am hoping I am almost at normal BMI.

I have only used 2.5mg and then one week of 3.75mg but that was too much for me and I could barely eat.

Obesity has so many risk factors. Well done for n=being concerned though and weighing up your risks.

I’ve been on it for over 8 weeks now. I’ve lost 26lbs and my BMI has gone down from 33 to 29.6. I also worry about risks and if that death had happened before I started, it might have made me dither so I know where you’re coming from but I’m so glad I started and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel so to say. Theres risks with obesity so it’s up to you to weigh the risks and benefits.
I buy from a reputable pharmacy. I use it as prescribed and have a lifestyle to make it work and have few side effects and I don’t have any regrets. It’s a personal decision though so it’s up you

It's a balancing of relative risk, the risk of ongoing obesity is easily quantifiable and includes a myriad of additional risks. In my case I was extremely morbidly obese, so the very small risk of weight loss injections was easily outweighed by the existing risks of remaining obese.

What helped me was to make sure I was aware of the warning signs for the most serious side effects, like pancreatitis. I was one of those statistically very unlikely people who got blood clots from the pill and it was having read about the side effects that made me put two and two together and go to the doctors. So I feel happier with the risks knowing what to look out for.
I was really noticing how my weight has been affected my health though. I've been out of breath from really minimal exertions, I'm prediabetic, I can't do up my shoes easily. In terms of risk assessing it felt worth it for me playing the risks of taking it against not taking it.

When you weigh up the risks of some of the rare side effects of weightloss injections also include a risk assessment of staying obese, many of which are common with obesity.

Go check the BNF (prescribing bible) and look up the side effects of Mounjaro. Then check the same for the some other weight related meds, mine are metformin (diabetes) losartan (high bp) atorvastatin (cholesterol, montelukast (asthma).
All drugs have side effects. Some of them are horrendous! The birth control pill is highly unpleasant.
We rarely look at the listed sides effects for things that we take.
Mounjaro and it's like, have them, and we hear about them a lot, because the media has grabbed glp1s to be the latest enemy, but it's all very over hyped.
We need to be aware of the side effects, for sure, the same as with any drug, but I won't stress about them until they happen.

The main side effect of obesity is death.

I really appreciate the responses and I agree with what’s been said. I turned 40 a few months ago and I’m not sure I can continue with the same cycle of failed diets any longer. I feel like I owe my children the chance to have a mum who has a (statistically more likely) longer and healthier life.

Oh and we have several obesity related cancers in our family (breast and bowel mainly) which again makes it appealing to try a new approach. So much to think about.

op do you have the same concerns about other drugs. For example , 2000 people die each year from rare side effects of nurofen. Do you not take this? Have yoy taken any medication a doctor has prescribed you, or have you always been like this. Where the risks of rhe medication are more prominent to you than the risks of the health condition you have?

@Dietingfool excellent point (oh and had no idea ibuprofen has mortality stats that high.) I think you could talk yourself out of any medication with enough googling couldn’t you! Really helpful thank you.

Yes you got it, that was what I was trying to make you consider. If you take other drugs without thought for health conditions why the sudden concern over this one, when it’s clear you’ve limited info on it.

Interesting thread.

Agree with the above that if you look in to the side effects of any medication it would put you off.

I've been on MJ for a few months and the risk is worth it for the results.

OP your 40s is when (or it at least was for me) the time when obesity became an issue, all Drs will do is give you more and more meds - high blood pressure meds, acid reflux meds, etc etc. Knees start to feel the strain, weight gets harder to lose and more piles on, low mood sets in, peri menopause starts bringing with it insomnia. You get pulled all ways if you have kids and elderly parents with their own health issues they need support with - comfort eat and more weight piles on. The root cause of so much is obesity.

Wish this option was around when I was in my 40s (I am mid 50s now) and my forties would have been a completely different decade.

Go in with your eyes wide open, take you time and do your research until you are happy with the answers. It is most likely the answer you find will be the same as the rest of us did.

@WeAllHaveWings thank you for your thoughtful reply. I’ve been obese for all my 30s and feel like I’ve “got away” with it so far (I’m pear shaped and recent bloods etc all good) but I know that won’t be the case forever. My joints aren’t great actually and reflux has become more of an issue this year so clearly things actually aren’t that great (despite looking alright on paper.) I’m feeling pretty resolved now that I’m going to try.

thanks again.

I can’t say I actually looked into any risks, as I’m rather laissez-faire about such things. But I’m sure having 40 pounds of blubber, much of it visceral, was much riskier than any tiny thing associated with mounjaro.

Good luck @TinglyandCurious with whatever you decide.

If you do decide it is for you there is main Mounjaro thread where the opening post has a few links to help you out finding safe registered suppliers/discount codes and some starting tips

Then there is usually a thread running for the month you start in where you can talk to others at the same stage as you.

I haven't done the maths but if you have >5st to lose, and will have a longer, or perhaps just different journey to others with less to lose join us on the >5st to lose thread.

There is a referral code thread too where you can pick up and use or post your referral codes.

Thank you @WeAllHaveWings , I’ll definitely join some threads when I start. I have a good 6/7 stone to lose so will definitely join you on the group you mentioned 🙂 Feeling quite hopeful about this journey x

Some mortality statistics on obesity to compare against the risks of weight loss injections.

Baseline age 46, probability of living to age 70

BMI 22.5 to 25 c80%
BMI 35 to 40. c 60%
BMI 40 to 50. c 50%

Source: Prospective Studies Collaboration, Whitlock G, Lewington S, et al. Body-mass index and cause-specific mortality in 900,000 adults: collaborative analyses of 57 prospective studies. Lancet. 2009