Chances of being prescribed MJ for diabetes on NHS

[meeplepeople]

Firstly, I just want to say how gutted I am for everyone regarding the MJ price news from yesterday. I am not currently on a GLP-1, but feel for everyone who is worried about this.

My question is, does anyone have any experience of getting Mounjaro, or other GLP-1 from the NHS for diabetes?

I have been recently diagnosed and I'm due for my first session with the diabetic nurse in a few weeks, so I might ask her about Mounjaro, but I'm not sure what my chances are since I have read that you have to try a bunch of other diabetes meds first. Has anyone been prescribed it on diagnosis?

My BMI is well over 40, and I have high blood pressure and fatty liver as well. I don't meet the criteria of the 4 comorbidities that are required for them to prescribe it for weight loss.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta924/chapter/1-Recommendations

Think these are the NICE guidelines.

Doesn't hurt to ask though, you might strike lucky.

Hi,

I think they may prescribe you the usual tablets to start with and then monitor. Ask them if fatty liver would prevent them with prescribing MJ because I heard somewhere that his may contribute to unwanted serious side effects. I have MJ prescribed for my Diabetes. I had to show that with my diet I was able to lower my HbA1c , I did by 0.5 in 4 months time. Then you will be required to have your diabetic eye test, also known as diabetic retinopathy screening. I think your nurse can provide with some timeline. After diabetic eye test I had to wait for endocrinologist appointment due to some marginal chance of complications. It took over 6 months before I was able to start it. It goes only up to 5mg/4weeks, no more. There's a chance that obviously may not be enough in long term. In our case it is to primarily to treat T2 that's why they want to know how you are going to respond to medication first. You are likely to lose weight with that I am sure.

Thanks. It's really interesting to hear your experience. I have my eye test next month, so that's sorted. Thanks for the heads up about NAFLD - I'll do some research on this.

Yeah, it does suggest that you should either try the other meds or that they be contraindicated. I guess this is because metformin is so much cheaper. I would probably save the NHS more money if I lost weight though.

Very unlikely. It’s not first line treatment.

My diabetic nurse also mentioned Rybelsus and one of W or O, I can't remember which but agreed with me that Mj is safer due to fewer SE.

Yeah, this is what I thought, but wondered if anyone had experiences around it.

I got it on the nhs. However, I have type 1 diabetes and that is harder to get. Unless like me, you got a very good consultant who is willing to fight it with you. Even after my diabetes doctor perscibed it, they went all wishy-washy and said no. We need more information regarding dosage and will only accept from the doctor who perscibed it.

It is an nhs clinic, that is so full that I was told I need to come in sooner after starting Munjaro, but they have no availability could I attend their other hospital waiting list.

Luckily, I my diabetes nurse work telephone number. So I sent her a text and she sent me the doctors secretary email. Who I then emailed and asked advice from. I now got a response today. I emailed my gp. Finger crossed they accept it.

I don't know about newly diagnosed people, but I know one woman who was told because she is on insulin her diabetes consultant needs to perscibe it. She ticked every other boxes for eligibility. She is now waiting for a doctor referral. She had been taking insulin for years, but her gp were managing it.

I was put on it because I was on insulin twice a day and 4x 500mg metformin tablets daily and had cut out all carbs except what is in non-starchy veg and my blood sugar results were still not consistently within normal range. I feel so lucky that the diabetes nurse agreed to prescribe it because within 6 weeks I was able to drop the insulin completely and start reducing the metformin. I’ve been taking it nearly a year now, no longer need metformin, have lost over 5 stone and last HbA1C was in the non-diabetic range. It’s worked brilliantly for me, even if it’s not likely I would recommend having the conversation with your diabetes team and asking that they consider it.

I'm glad you manged to navigate all that and get what you need. I suppose it's a whole different ballgame with type 1

Sounds like it was life changing for you. I can see the NHS wanting to use it for diabetes, since it's so effective, but I guess it's also very expensive too.

I am being prescribed Mounjaro on NHS, I have my appointment to inform me how it all works next week and to get my first prescription. I have been diabetic for years, none of my meds are now working as they should.

I have sudden hypos, especially nocturnal. Have tried a lot of different meds so I have now been offered this. I need to get my levels down as my latest diabetic eye screening showed the start or diabetic retinopathy and they believe I have some neuropathy in one of my feet. I am currently around 16 stone.

I have been told its being given to me because of my levels not just for weight loss as our GP practice are rolling this out for diabetics only where other medication is currently not working.
I am currently on Rybelsus which will stop that when I start Mounjaro.
I think each practice is different I know with mine not every diabetic will be offered it and other practices around the country are yet to roll it out at all for diabetics.
As someone else said, its not a first treatment option. If newly diagnosed you will have to most likely go down the other routes of trying metformin, gliclazide etc

I have been told however the Mounjaro will help to loose weight but not to the extent it does for a non diabetic (unsure why)

Not first line, you have to have tried triple therapy first AND still have a raised HbA1c

@Loobylu66I’ve found it amazing for weight loss even though primarily it was prescribed for the sugar levels.

Right from the start I had no side effects and my cravings for sugar disappeared almost overnight. That gnawing, mouth watering hunger that demanded carbs was just gone. I still feel normal hunger but at a level where I can pick and choose what and when to eat and sticking to a low carb high protein diet is completely achievable. I’ve been on it, calorie and macro tracking for a year and rarely have anything sweet or feel the need for a massive meal. I don’t have guaranteed weight loss every week but it’s pretty consistent and far far more so than any other diet I’ve ever done and I started weight watchers when I was an obese 11 yr old. I actually weigh less now at 41 than I did back in primary school.

Oh that is good, she did tell me I would loose weight but just warned me It might not be as much as someone who uses Mounjaro just for weight loss.

I have MODY and have been on Mounjaro for a year. I was on liraglutide before that and I’ve been on insulin for 24 years. Mounjaro is the the best diabetes drug I’ve ever used. I have gone from 96kg to <70kg and I am still losing weight. I have a very forward thinking consultant who put me on liraglutide 11 years ago. You can absolutely fight for it on the NHS.

My DH and DMIL are both prescribed ozempic for diabetes on the NHS. I'd ask your diabetic nurse and see what they say.

What meds had they had for diabetes previously though? It’s not prescribed on diagnosis. When DF saw the diabetic nurse all she did was do a set of obs and tell him what to/not to eat. We had to wait 6 months before the GP would even prescribe metformin as they wanted to see how ‘lifestyle changes’ would pan out first.

Thank you for all your replies. I think I'll have a conversation with the nurse, but not hold my breath.