Which provider to use?! Help please.

[OctFeb]

I have reached the stage where I’m considering weight loss injections. I am not eligible via the NHS as although my BMI is 36.7, I do not have hypertension/pre-diabetes etc.
There are so many providers out there, so far I’ve looked at Numan, Shemed, Superdrug, Asda, med express but I’d really appreciate some real life experience feedback.
Also, are the side effects such as fatigue worse on one type rather than another? I’m very active and this worries me!
Thanks in advance.

Have you seen monj.co.uk for prices and discounts. There are suppliers on there to choose from, don't worry about picking the wrong one, if you have any issues it is fairly easy to change. You can see trust pilot reviews for most and get a feel for them on here too (search the name to see previous posts)

There are not many "types" to choose from Mounjaro is by far the most popular, followed by Wegovy (same med/company as Ozempic, but the brand name for prescribing for weight loss). If you google Mounjaro vs Wegovy lots of information will come up to help with your decision.

There nothing to choose really. Get mounjaro from which ever prescriber suits.

I'd go for mounjaro and choose a provider that meets your needs. So if depends if you want coaching/ support, be able to pick a delivery date, want a well known pharmacy like boots etc.

I researched a lot and read other people's comments on here and chose Oushk and am 100% happy and won't change.

Some people chase offers and move every month.

The side effects are different for everyone, I'm on Mounjaro and haven't had fatigue just constipation. There's no way of knowing which effects you'll get until you try the medication.
Check out the monj.co.uk list for all the current prices and trust pilot ratings. I've used WePrescribe and Chemist4U and Simple Online Pharmacy and have had good service from all three.
Good luck!

You wouldn’t be eligible with the nhs with a bmi under 40 anyway!

I wouldn't touch any of the pharmacies you have named tbh! Superdrug and Asda are ridiculously overpriced, Numan is an expensive subscription model, Shemed have an expectation of weekly video check ins for jabs and Medexpress are unethical, expensive, constantly change their rules and often have delays.

Have a proper look on monj.co.uk and think about the sort of service you are looking for. WePrescribe seems popular at the moment, Swift Dr are good although they use affiliates which puts me off, Medicine Marketplace seem good. I’m with Pharmulous and very happy with them.

I'm in a similar position as you, BMI 37.9 - I've been thinking about starting for a while and haven't been sure which supplier to go with. I'm set on trying Mounjaro, it seems to be the best option for me of the weight loss jabs that I've read about.

I've spent a little bit of time researching on Monj.co.uk and looking at reviews etc today. I did a spreadsheet comparing the average prices (inc discount codes) of all the doses as I don't want to be changing supplier too regularly - I couldn't see a settling on Monj to do it. I've decided on the supplier with the lowest average cost option as it also has a reasonable trust pilot rating and other reviews - IQ Doctor. I've done a grab of the top 12 (for lowest average cost) from my spreadsheet if you want to take a look. You can see the ratings also for each one.

Hope it helps. Best of luck.

x

@SweetpeaM33 have you considered that the discount codes are usually only for new customers? So only available on your first order with that pharmacy.

I assume the Monj.co.uk cost is using the correct costs for each dose factoring in which dose has which code applicable - for instance IQ Doctor has a higher discount on the first dose and then 15% off future doses. My average costs is just based purely off the Monj costs for each dose. I wanted a rough idea of which ones were better on average as I don't want to be constantly changing every time I move up a dose. I thought it made sense, but perhaps I'm missing something. I totally appreciate that everyone will be different and 1 person my stay on 5mg for longer than another person for example, so it's not an exact science. But gives a rough idea of the lowest cost across the doses.

May I ask a question, please ? - I’m presently with Asda but the prices of other suppliers look more attractive !
What happens when you switch to a new provider, do you have to do questionnaires / send measurements or videos etc as though you’re starting from scratch ? - or will they accept evidence that you’re already on such-and-such a dose from your current provider ?
Thanks in advance !

@SweetpeaM33 it’s a discount off your first order, which could be at any dose. So if I was swapping to a new pharmacy it would be a 10mg pen I’d be ordering. So IQ doctor would be £121.37 for a first order of 10mg, but then £169.49 minus 15% which would be £144.07 for any subsequent order of a 10mg pen.

@ElsieJay you have to fill out the new pharmacy’s form exactly as you did for your previous supplier because they have to do their own due diligence and can’t take another company’s word for it. When you fill out their form, you say what dose you’re on, and you’ll be asked for evidence of your last prescription. Usually a photo of the prescription label on the medication box from your latest pen. That shows your name, the date, the medication and the dosage.

I’ve used Medino so far (3 pens). No issues with them at all, price is good and order always arrives quickly.

Literally go for the cheapest one. As a new customer most places have deals but check monj's discount list for the exact. I've changed pharmacies multiple times to take advantage of new customer codes and it's very easy. I stick with medicine market place now for the higher doses as they're the cheapest without discount but definitely take advantage of other places that do low doses for around the £100 mark

I’m using SheMed. £99 for first month including a blood test and £159 regardless of what dose (although they decide when you move up). There is a weekly video weigh in call. I’m happy with them for now but might move for maintainance later.

@christr89 posts with discount codes will be deleted on threads here. They need to go in the Money -> Weight Loss Promo Codes

Hey @OctFeb after researching for a couple of months before I started in Feb I went with ZAVA and have worked my way up through the dosages of Mounjaro 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and now on 15.
I started at 116kg and now at 93.75kg
I didn’t really experience any side effects until I started the 12.5, where I experienced mild side effects feeling a little nausea in the couple of days after the injection, oddly only at night when laying in bed though.
Appetite was suppressed from week 1 and is still suppressed, if you decide to go for it remember to still eat even if it’s small meals as and when, prioritising protein intake, followed by veg and carbs as the last thing to eat from your plate.

Zava have been a good choice for me, still get support emails and can contact them and their doctors through the app messaging if you ever have a query.

Link to their prices below which are pretty competitive which was one of the big factors for me.
https://www.zavamed.com/uk/mounjaro.html?srsltid=AfmBOorIxjj-aS-TkSQCCeQKLBLy8q3hesSXEMHcD6Ihb7stnPQhXris

You will also then get a referral code which you can share with others and you will get a 25% voucher when someone uses it.
**
@ElsieJay if you start with one provider you can hop to another, you just need to evidence that you are already taking it and at what dosage. Providers usually write to your doctors to inform them and this happens every time you change dosage or you can just ask them to provide confirmation.

@SilenceInside how can I delete the first post? I have reposted without the discount bit. But can’t see a delete post option

@christr89 you can’t. It’ll be reported by other people to Mumsnet and they’ll eventually get round to deleting it. You could also report it yourself if you want.

Yes, with some pharmacies you do, and with others, they just want a picture of your most recent pen.

@christr89 You think those prices are competitive?!?

I've tried five pharmacies over the last 19 months and have concluded that Medino is the best. They give you an automatic 8% discount every month and their prices are competitive.

@SilenceInside , @christr89 and @TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne - thanks very much for the info , understandable they will need proof and happy to supply it.
Will certainly be shopping around !
Very useful , much appreciated.

I was using Med Express but had so many issues and the customer service was shocking, they just constantly sent copy and pasted responses without reading the full message and the call centre staff were beyond useless and just kept saying it was Royal mails fault my pen was lost and I couldn't be refunded. I did eventually get a refund but it took weeks of pestering them.

I'm now with IQ doctor, zero issues so far although they have put my order on hold a few times when I've ordered too early but it's still always dispatched in plenty of time for when I need it. Just remember to always use the discount code every month.

Thank you for explaining. I see what you are saying - I completely misunderstood the data, and thought it was basing the figures on starting with the 2.5mg dose per the recommended dosages and then moving up monthly. In any case, the one I've chosen IQ doctor seems to still be up there with some of the lowest, because it has a good first order discount and then decent follow up discounts of 15% off every order... so it should still work out reasonable value.

I just want to get on with it now that I'm ready. :)

Swap around and get the best deals. Monj isn’t as reliable as she used to be, I know it’s all affiliate links which might be making a difference to it but I often find the prices different when I go to buy. So check yourself before committing.