Late April ‘25 starters - thread 4

[wlinewbie0425]

Hi everyone -time for thread 4 as we close in on 2 months on our journey!

And to everyone worrying about the new prices, I’m so sorry. It’s such a tough thing when it’s already a big financial commitment but also feels such an important way of looking after your health. I have no idea how you make those choices, if you even have a choice. The only thing I can say is that if you think you have a chance of an NHS prescription, do try for that.

@bridgetreilly that’s amazing! Congratulations 🥳 you must be over the moon at the positive impact on your health.

@RubyJuno2lb per week is the ideal loss really, steady for health but also stacks up quickly into a noticeable loss as you’ve seen - well done 🥳

@Merlin23congrats on your loss too! That’s fab - we have very similar stats I am the exact same weight as you this morning (new low for me - I blame stress of yesterday’s news!) and I was just a few lbs above your SW in January although a bit less when I started MJ in April. 👯

@GoGoGovy that’s a great steady loss too , well done and also thank you for being here as our resident WeGovy expert - it’s really great to have your knowledge that there are other options out there for anyone who is going to be priced out of Mounjaro. It sounds like all the big providers will offer support to switch for those who want to.

For all who are struggling with worry and anxiety since yesterday’s news, know that you are not alone. I think we are all dealing with it and making plans in different ways depending on where we are in our journeys and our financial circumstances. There is no good answer right now but please do not be tempted to order anything dodgy from anyone other than a registered pharmacy. The black market dealers will be rubbing their hands in glee at this and they will prey on those vulnerable who can’t afford it any more. Other options are all better than injecting something unknown. Chat here or to your provider, shop around even if you didn’t before, swap meds, lower dose or taper off, there is always a way that doesn’t involve unknown substances.

what a 24 hours it’s been!

Amazing @bridgetreilly 👏, that’s one of the many fantastic benefits of these drugs, not just the number of the scales or on a clothes label, but the way it changes people’s health trajectories for the better.

Feeling a bit emotional now at the thought of people being priced out of the market or taking on extra debt to find a way through it when they are having such a positive benefit to so many 😢

This is about the most amazing NSV I've seen. What a result.

Hope you are able to come off some of your meds when you are reviewed.

I'm not sure if I'm going to go down this route but it's certainly an option.

Do you just choose a new provider, complete the online application and tell them your an existing user (I assume you have to show your current prescription?)

I'm not even sure I'd be able to do it as my 10mg prescription was issued on 4th August so would a new prescriber issue to me now just 11 days later?

@bridgetreilly that is superb. Better than my results last month and i was delighted

This price increase is a double whammy for me.
Full disclosure here. As a type 2 diabetic i was prescribed Mounjaro on the NHS and started, like all of us, about 4 months ago. I didnt 100% meet the criteria and had to argue my case for it. On the phone by the way, ive never seen anybody face to face about it bizarrely. On Tuesday, i was on the NHS app about something unrelated and noticed a new "consultation". It was a detailed medicine review from the clinical pharmacist at my gp practice describing why i should be 'deprescribed' mounjaro as i do not fit the criteria. So im pretty sure its going to be taken off me. I thought i was on it for the long term. Its clearly working as my blood results have been amazing like @bridgetreilly's. So i kind of got my head around that and thought i can probably afford to pay for it. Then the bombshell came yesterday and ive gone from getting on the Nhs, to looking like i have to pay, to probably not being able to afford it on the new price scale. I can't believe it. It takes a lot to upset me. Last time i cried was when my mum passed 6 years ago but im filling up jut typing this. I was so happy with the way my health was improvong on MJ but i cant afford £200+ every month.

That’s really crap. I would see if you can get an in-person appointment with someone who might be able to override the pharmacist. I could not imagine coming off it now, but there’s no way I could afford the new prices.

@Scouseblokethat’s shocking that they would complete a consultation on your medical file without even consulting you. I’m so sorry, it’s terrible how this seems to be further impacting on those who are evidencing its positive health impacts other than weight loss. I would think you have a good case to fight this as if there has been an error it’s theirs - they did start you on it and cutting off with no taper or warning has been known to cause detriment to health - eg worsening fat to muscle ratio and it’s bound to make your diabetes stats worse again. This will be like all corporate decisions someone at a high level being told to cut the numbers - if you push back enough and make enough noise they might just backtrack or revise decision to buy you some time to finish/taper/swap. Get an appt with your GP or whoever you see to manage diabetes asap and ask for option. Cold turkey with no warning is not acceptable.

Thanks for the advice @bridgetreilly and @wlinewbie0425 . I had already made my mind up to fight the decision when they actually bother to tell me or reject my next prescription request (3 weeks from now). I will get a face to face wih my gp and state how this decision is messing with my mental health to be granted a medicine, for it to clearly work and then to have it taken away.

i think I read most suppliers won’t prescribe within 2 weeks of your last prescription? I used my previous prescription issued in July which I had saved, but yes, then made new separate applications…but there’s probably an ethics question around a) how I’ve done it - not broken the rules exactly, but maybe bent them and b) the backlash of whether people who genuinely need a new pen in the next few weeks will struggle to get a pen because of people like me stockpiling.

Not feeling great about it all either way now ☹️.

Oh @Scousebloke that must have been a shock to read and then to have the back-up plan pulled from under you too. Some early indications are suggesting an extra £50 or so might get added…if prescribers continue to offer first time purchase discounts, you may be able to get it under £200? Possibly? But that’s not going to be sustainable every month for a lot of people. Hope talking to your docs can find a solution for you. Is switching to Wegovy an option?

Exactly. It’s one thing to clamp down on new patients, but it’s a whole other mess to start taking it away from patients.

I used a previous prescription from exactly that date too yesterday with swift asking for the step up and it’s been dispatched today. I did explain in a message that I was already planning to move to them on my next order thinking ahead to maintenance (true) so had decided to do it early following the news while I still could get the dose I wanted to reach target.

Decided to order another pen now (still 3 doses left if I include extra) but it was in the fridge for a couple of weeks so not really ordering early. My supplier is out of stock 😭
Edited to add they didn't even just say delivery would be delayed, just sorry, no stock. So that suggests they aren't expecting more stock at the current price and don't want people securing it now when their costs go up. I really am fed up!

☹️☹️☹️

Hi everyone, those of you who are ordering a couple of pens from different suppliers - what criteria do you need to fit as someone already on the medication? My BMI is 25.7 now and I've never tried to order from anywhere other than Oushk, but I'm wondering whether it's worth giving it a try to order my last pen or 2 before the price rises

My supplier have said I can order one pen early after I have administered second dose. So that is next Thursday!

@Scousebloke so sorry you've got that going on, that really is a double whammy 😔

I've put a few extra pens on a credit card, to buy me time and titrate down. I will be priced out in September 😢 I'm gutted. I planned to take mj long term.

I've now ordered from Pill Sorted as I was classed as an existing customer from my previous orders. So many others I looked at were either out of stock on 7.5mg or not accepting new customers which is understandable. By the end of this next pen we'll hopefully know what the increases actually are and I'll decide from there what my next move is.

Same criteria as when new apart from starting weight. It’s just since you are no longer of a high enough BMI you have to evidence your most recent previous prescription - a photo of the label on the box with your name, date and strength. They then allow you to order same or one step up. A lot of providers have currently paused new orders to cope with the crazy backlog from demand in the last 24h but some still are. However many have removed new customer discount codes and price matching offers. Still cheaper than it’s likely to be in September.

Hey @Chunkysewist how are you getting on? 👋

That’s good news @Merlin23!

@SassyLimeHelper as long as you can prove you’ve got a recent previous prescription, you’ll be able to order from elsewhere.

Phew, glad you’ve managed to order one @PumpKim

Hey @Coventree im good thanks, just been plodding on in the background 😊 I'm currently on 7.5 and lost about 22lbs. Proper stressed the last 24hours though, didn't see this coming at all x

Purchased one pen today from my usual supplier (I was due to reorder anyway!!) this has been approved and dispatched - apparently they normally let you order up to 3 pens at a time (I’ve never noticed before!!) but have put restrictions in now to one pen!!!!
And I’ve ordered another from a different supplier - Medexpress (I used them for my first pen but the took a while to deliver!!) Ordered and paid then had an email saying ‘due to demand currently it may take 7-9 days to be approved’ so I’ve got everything crossed it gets approved!!!
Currently on a 5mg pen but only having 3.75mg. So using the golden dose aswell I’m hoping for 6 doses per pen x2 pens should last 12 weeks and I’ve got 4 doses left in my current pen so 16 weeks covered (hopefully!!)
I feel terrible playing the system but I’m not paying extortion amounts for the pens!!
Personally I think once the price goes up the demand will plummet - the vast majority simply won’t be able to afford/justify the price!! So I’m hoping the prices will drop back down - maybe just wishful thinking!!!!
Anyway, good luck to you all navigating this bump in our WL journey!!!

I just wanted to reach out here and give a hug to everyone today. Im absolutely floored by the news, and I know we are all so worried.

everyone will have differing experiences of their ongoing access to MJ… but we have all found this drug to be a lifeline and it feels scary that it can be taken away/ restricted like this. So a collective experience despite our differing circumstances.

We are a good group of people here, we are supportive of one another and that’s important to hold on to. And we have made such incredible progress.

sending my love to you all xxx

I haven’t tried to order another pen. It always takes me a while to get my head round change. I mainly feel really guilty that I didn’t follow a strict plan. I’ve lost 16 kilos but it has slowed right down. I know I could have been further along by now. I think I’m just going to suck it up. I can’t afford it but I just got the state pension this month so my income is more than I’m used to having, altho there are
other claims on it. It definitely means I can’t dick about any more. So sorry for everyone who may have to stop.