Good to hear the stories already! I have a medical backstory for taking this - I have Type 3C diabetes, or pancreatogenic diabetes I think it's also known as. In any event, my body produces some, but very little, insulin. I have been on insulin for 15 years, and the increasing amount I am needing to use now is frightening. A bloody horrible negative effect of these huge doses is the weight gain - I literally gained 6 stone over the last 3 years, and couldn't really afford to even put 1 stone of that on in the first place. I lost nearly 3 of those stone again over the last 18 months, due to stress and circumstances at home, having two elderly parents living with us and nursing them through their declining health etc.
I was prescribed the Mounjaro back in September. My GP is really keen to reduce the amount of insulin amount I take, but additional diabetic medications haven't worked and this is a bit of a last-ditch attempt before I am considered for an insuln pump. For a whole host of reasons that are so boring I won't go into in great detail, I didn't start taking it - to cut a long story short, last year was the year from hell, After a period of ill health, my parents sadly passed away within weeks of each other between January and March, I was then admitted to hospital shortly after my Dad passed and I ended up having major (full leg) bypass surgery - I was just getting over it and starting to get back on my feet when the graft failed, so I had further surgery in November. This prolonged period of inactivity (and grieving, I guess), meant I stuffed my face too much and piled the weight back on!
Another reason for my reticence to start the Mounjaro was that I have had pancreatitis in the past - it was a terrifying experience and one I have no wish to repeat (and this is where the diabetes came from). My GP assures me that I shouldn't be at any higher risk than someone who hasn't had pancreatitis, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time believing her as it does seem to be listed as a potential danger sign with Mounjaro. Anyhow, new year and all that, I decided enough is enough and I did my first injection yesterday (Thursday) morning.
Within hours I genuinely felt full up even though I hadn't eaten. I'm a dreadful eater, for someone who should eat little and often to regulate the blood glucose levels and optimise my insulin injections, I tend to go all day without eating at all, only to start around 6pm and eat everything in sight for the next 6 hours! I didn't eat very much yesterday at all, some cheese and biscuits, bowl of cereal and a mince pie, but felt quite ok - not overly full but not particularly hungry. When I went to bed, I did have a slight feeling of discomfort in my stomach, but not enough to bother me. Upon getting up this morning, I really did feel like I had eaten a massive meal and felt almost uncomfortably full. I met friends for brunch and had a children's breakfast - I enjoyed it and could have easily eaten more. Interestingly, shortly afterwards I felt less full and bloated, almost as if my stomach had something to do! My DH has been called out to work at short notice this evening, just before I was planning to get dinner for us both. I really did feel quite empty a while ago and was overdue my insulin, so I had a couple of lumps of cheese and a handful of garlic cloves in chilli oil (I know!!!). I don't feel as un-hungry as I did yesterday and I'm sure I could cheerfully stuff my face with crap at the moment. I'm desperately trying not to.....DH is due back around 10, so I think we will have a bowl of soup and some toast for a late supper.
So that's my story folks....well done if you're still awake and have made it this far! I'm slightly disappointed that I don't feel as full as I did yesterday and was hoping for a greater appetite suppression today than I've had so far. Maybe it's early days yet and I just need to give it time. As far as side effects, apart from that slight tummy discomfort last night, I've had nothing - certainly no nausea, gas or anything remotely gastric thankfully.
I'm forward to hearing how everyone else's days progress as we march onwards on our journeys.
Just on a separate note, did anyone see Robbie Williams on the Graham Norton show the other night? I noticed he looked rather old and a bit gaunt around gills and then he made mention of Ozempic and how it had made a lot of him disappear! I must admit that I am a little worried about losing muscle mass, I'm closer to 60 than I am 50 and really have noticed the years creeping up on me recently - the grey hairs and crepe skin seem to have appeared from nowhere. I am very limited in what physical exercise I can do, as I am already registered disabled (I broke my spine in several places in an accident when I was 19), and the leg bypass surgery hasn't helped my mobility at all. I just hope that if I am fortunate enough to shed some weight with the Mounjaro, that I don't end up looking like a deflated barrage balloon at the same time!