Shemed January Starters - Thread 4

[FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden]

Hello everyone! I completely missed the other thread was full (haven't been too well this week) so I've started this one and will tag as many people as I can think of from recent pages. Do tag anyone else you think of that might miss the new thread!

I hope everyone is okay. It's been unsettling times hasn't it with all the news about the price increases and very little from Shemed as to what they are planning. I am hopeful that of all people we will be shielded the most due to being on the Study (fingers crossed).

I weighed in this morning and took second dose of the 10mg. I seemed to put on this morning but if I take the weight I've been most of this week...

I am exactly half way to my target! And I've lost 25% of my bodyweight!

10mg - so far no burps or nausea but I am wondering if this extreme tiredness is in part due to the drug. Was eating just as I was before the last couple of days but today don't want to eat so who knows!

I'll read up and tag people if I can.

I think I probably will stick with them too, although I had been considering looking around at MJ prices again. I only do the live check in about once a month these days and it’s never been an issue!

Afternoon all. 5th week off MJ and I’ve managed to drop a couple of pounds, so sitting at 13st 10lb now. Had a phonecall this morning to say they’re bringing my operation forward, so that’s now a week on Friday 😱😱 Very nervous! Also got to do a liver reduction diet for 7 days, so very low calorie, which will hopefully get rid of the last couple of pounds that I’ve gained since stopping WLI. Then there’s recovery and back trying to lose the last couple of stones! Hope everyone is doing ok, it’s been very quiet on here recently.

Hi all. I need to decide now whether to carry on and been looking around at Mounjaro prices as I am still up from when I switched to wegovy . It feels like more side effects and less effective . Bolt pharmacy turned me down though and I’m not sure why ? Perhaps because my BMI is now not high enough ? It’s only just under and I thought we could stay on WLI now if we were already on .

I haven't used Bolt - I transferred to Curely when my BMI was 26.1, they were no problems, but I was Wegovy -> Wegovy. Maybe that is the answer? Get yourself on the books as a wegovy patient and then see if they'll let you swap to MJ?

Curely only wanted to see my existing prescription for the transfer.

Anyway, weigh in day today - 500g off. So a pretty low weight loss across the past 3 weeks (800g) but every loss is a loss. I'd been struggling with my sleep and stress for some of those weeks, so perhaps that didn't help.

@kittykarate I hadn’t heard of Curely. Thanks will look them up and maybe that is the answer . It was annoying as it just said I dont meet the criteria but not why!
A loss is a loss I would say! Do you think your sleep is affected by the wegovy? No idea why or how but mine has been bad on it .

Good luck with your surgery @JBJ

Thanks

Good luck with the surgery @JBJ . It will be amazing to not have the pain/ fear of pain won't it!

@Mortigua I am with Pharmulous which are on the cheaper end. They have always arrived next day, let you choose your dose etc. I would fully recommend them. There's lots that are cheap for just the first month and lots of people change each month - but mybrain needed to just settle on one and I'mpleased with these guys.

They do "support maintenance" and say they will take new people bmi24 +/ prescribe to bmi 19 without issue and then its "case by case basis" for others.

Weight Maintenance Treatment Online UK | Mounjaro & Tirzepatide Support | Pharmulous

There are a lot of providers out there though.

Hope everyone is okay. I am on mn a lot less now (started full time work in October and found life quite full on!) but so so happy with mounjaro.

I am just into "overweight" with a bmi of 29.9999999!

Visually it seems the last half stone has made a big difference to others / my dress size even though the whole weight loss is slowing down a lot.

Physically I'm so much more able than when I started :) I will have hanging skin on my stomach/arms and thighs unfortunately but I'm hoping to cover up with clothes most of the time!

So so pleased to have been on this journey :)

@tinyemmy how is the adhd meds going?

Good luck with the surgery @JBJ

So good to hear from you @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGardenand congratulations, what an achievement!!on the ADHD meds front they said they booked in my next appointment but they didn't and so I've gone from 23rd December to 23rd February (appointment on Monday) and stayed on 50mg. I think it's not enough as I've been binge eating and also feeling incredibly tired in the afternoons so I'm hoping to go up a dose. Interestingly I'm on holiday and decided not to take my dose on Sunday through to Thursday as I was worried about being over tired as I'm on the ski slope and I took it this morning and it has definitely reduced what I ate at lunch and I've not eaten the afternoon cake yet - yesterday I ate half of it. So maybe it is working, but it wasn't before I came away so I think an increase in dose will help me 🤞

Due to start 4.8mg today but have a super busy week next week with numerous events and lots of travel. Thinking of delaying by a week as worried doubling the dose may cause side effects. What would you do?

Good luck with the surgery @JBJ!
Congratulations @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden on being ‘just overweight’. It’s a great milestone and amazing to have come so far!

I’ve taken the final dose of my final pen of the 12 month trial today. It’s been an amazing journey - 7 stone 4lbs down and a BMI of 22. This is the lowest weight I think I’ve been since I was at primary school! I had a lovely email from one of the clinicians at SheMed and was able to discuss what I wanted moving forwards. My new pen arrived this evening, with a SheMed insulated case and a SheMed Founding Member wristband! Not that I’ll ever wear it as no one knows 😂

Good luck with your next steps everyone 😁

Thanks everyone. I’m finding it really tough being off the jabs all of a sudden. All my joint pain has come back, sleep is horrendous, brain fog is worse than ever and food noise is fully back now. Really, really struggling with it all. Still tracking what I’m eating, very restricted at the minute anyway, but just seem to have come to a complete standstill with weightloss. I’m hoping so much that I’m allowed to go back on it at some point - still have several brand new pens sat in my fridge staring at me which I’d love to be able to use again as I’m not ready for my journey to be over and I’m not prepared to accept that I have to live in pain again after having a year off. It sucks :(

So sorry to hear this @JBJ

Have you had the surgery now?

I can't remember your age bracket… but may be relevant as I plan on starting HRT (age 45).
I wonder if this could help with some of the joint pains and sleep issues?

I know desperate to keep loosing but it may be your body needs some time to adjust before it can again

Surgery is next Friday. I’m excited and terrified in equal measure, and I’m sorting and tidying the house like a woman possessed to keep my mind off it.

I’m 47, so I could probably do with looking at HRT, although the pain, brain fog and sleep issues started after a traumatic brain injury 13 years ago, so it’s been lovely to have all that go away for the last year. There’s definitely something in Mounjaro that works magic on other issues!

I think what’s most frustrating is that I was doing all this to be able to ride again and I’ve had to stop when I’m a stone short of that goal, and now all my joint pain has returned, I’m not sure I’ll be able to manage it now anyway. I’m actually pretty happy with the size I am now (14-16 at 5ft 8), but just need to lose that little bit more to get back on a horse!

((( @JBJ )) Good luck for Friday. Could you potentially go on low dose mj for the joints after the op is all over as the gallbladder issue is gone then? Or is it not that sort of thing? ( I am obviously so not medical !) I remember talking about horse riding with you as I have only ever done those "horse for a trip for an hour or two" but have such lovely memories from over 20 years ago and would love to go on a horse in the summer so it was added to my "list". I so hope you can get there one way or another.

@tinyemmy That doesn't sound straightforwards for you either - is it worth looking at counselling for the binge eating? Or some more specific advice? Have you come off mj or doing both? I'm thinking very long term (when I get to my goal weight!) i'd probably want to do a low dose of mj if i can get back down and the meds - but the meds have worked for me for my adhd . I do get tired in the evening but its worth it for the functioning in the day! Silly question but are you eating enough and enough of the right things. I did some eating disorder work before I went onto MH and apologies if this is super obvious but one of my binging triggers was having not eating enough in the day.

Hope the holiday has been amazing :) :)

@Reginaphalangeeeee How are things going with you? You had such a difficult year last year didn't you - I really hope this year is going better.

I have started to wonder about hrt. I know lots of people say mj does reduce symptoms of peri but my preiods are really dropping now but my main thing is disturbed sleep and mixing up words... fatigue.... but so many of the symptoms could be where I'm still losing weight I guess and Gps appointments are like hens teeth - I'd quite like to get my next fatty liver scan done and ideally a blood test and then go onto talk about hrt maybe early summer so I can try meds when I'm not teaching....

I've got back into the exercise plan I was doing and enjoying that. Its funny - my girls are growing up and sometimes Im sad i missed so much of their childhood being unable to do things and then im proud how much I did do even though looking back from someone in a mobile body i can see how much extra effort it took . I really am having a bit of a midlife moment though and want to be fitter and healthier for the future.

Just wrote a response, went to edit a spelling mistake and lost the whole thing!

@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden I’m hoping they let me go back on after the op. Doc at the hospital said a definite no when I was admitted with pancreatitis, but he was extremely rude about WLI and basically said it was my own fault and the MJ had caused the pancreatitis so I needed to stop and never touch it again, however, it was actually caused by a gallstone getting stuck, so I’m hopeful once the gallbladder is out, it won’t occur again.

Dilemma is, I have loads of Mounjaro in the fridge and I’m very tempted to use it up once I’ve recovered, but, providing I’m ok on it, I’ll need to order lower doses as well. No pharmacy will prescribe with a history of pancreatitis, regardless of what the doc says, but how do they know? Fairly sure they just inform the GP that I’ve ordered, they don’t actually check medical history do they? I don’t want to get in trouble!

Ah @JBJ.Its so tough. I am sure you can get that next stone off!!! Then keep that horse ridding in the goal line.

I have now had several friends (only one who had MJ too) say that HRT massively improved joint pain. This is an easy low risk to begin with for you especially if transdermal.

As for returning to MJ… I Think most conscientious doctors will tell you no initially. You need your digestive tract to recover. Post op you will be at risk of pancreatitis and with anaesthetic, constipation can be significant.

Once you are properly over the op, got your diet settled, seek a good doctor to ask. I think less of ‘you may get in trouble’ rather hearing good advice of when may be ok to restart with less risk to you.
I’m so sorry you had this all to deal with. I would feel much as you do.

Oh gosh yes i forgot it started with pancreatitis - I think I'd be nervous to do that. If i had all the money in the world I'd pay to speak to a dr properly around prescribing in that case and certainly not risk it. I remember now how rude your consultant was :( That was awful .

But if hrt can work that might be a way forwards....

@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGardenthank you. Yes a tough year and still feels tough.
I feel weight loss slipped down my priorities and focus which is silly as is so important to me.

There was one point everyone was commenting (positively) on my weight loss, and I hated it. I just wanted to be seen normal.

I met a new friend of a friend who commented to me about our mutual friends loosing loads of weight recently (I haven’T seen them or heard from them), but this new person asked if our joint friend was taking the ‘jabs’.
It hit me as the sort of gossipy comments I am not subjected to as people are normally saying that about me. Hell, I may have even inspired our friend to try even though I denied taking myself.
Then it struck me…. This new person doesn't know I lost all this weight and seemed able to comfortably bring uo weight loss injections. I think this means new people to me don't see me as the obese person I was and it's a safe topic. Maybe that's a NSV but all I want is to be ‘notmal’ and viewed as normal. The more normal I look and less drastic changes, the more normal and included and not judged I feel.

Let's face it at 97kg I still weigh a lot! BMI 32!
But I wear size 14-16 now not 22-24!
I can run now (ok CT5K week 3) but clearly move better.
I feel less self-concuius when I eat now, like I have permission and actually eating normally (not a tiny salad) is more normal.

The danger of all this is I become complacent!

Hoping with spring arrival, some HRT I may get a spring of enthusiasm and another drop in weight. I also coming to conclusion I need some counselling. My mental health is holding me up. Still dealing with grief and also anticipatory grief of my other parent. My relationship with husband has not improved and I feel sad and worried a lot of the time.

I truly hope the hormones may work for you too @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden. Do you have any other health plans to give you the next kick? Though there is nothing wrong with slow and steady. I suspect you are well below my weight now despite us starting similar.

@Kaggi9 you are amazing!!!!
My 6 stone 2 lbs is impressive but still have a BMI of 32.
Wow, just wow! Are you on an maintaince dose now?

@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGardenI did have some counselling a few years back but have been toying with seeing if my work will offer some e-CBT sessions. My previous ones didn't really get me anywhere mainly as I'm not sure I engaged. They wanted me to eat loads and I didn't want to! Although I definitely recognise regular eating is important so that's my aim now. I think at least some of the binge eating is from not eating enough in the day and the other element is all or nothing behaviour, but again rooted in restriction.

I've been in HRT for some time, it definitely helps with some of the joint pain, but it didn't totally go away, but mine isn't bad. Maybe between 1 and 3 out of ten depending on the day? I spent the week in naproxen to help skiing so I'm feeling all my aches and pains coming back now.

I came off mj around 9 weeks ago. I had a faulty pen and so didn't have any left and was starting titration and they wanted me off it. I have a pen in the fridge and still waiting on a response from Eli Lilly for the faulty pen. I'm not afraid to go back on it but I ideally want to get through titration to see if the ADHD meds can be enough, plus taking mj will change how they work so I want to make sure I'm working with what if I'd like the end game to be. I'm thinking also perhaps using a pen post holidays to get me back to goal and then off. A bit yo-yo but it might do the trick...

The holiday was amazing, I was so much fitter than last year when I'd just started mj. Last year I couldn't ski the last two days because my knee was so bad. This year it niggled a bit but held out.

Weigh in tomorrow to face the music. I know it will be really bad due to water retention etc from the flight and heavy food but I'm hoping it will come down quickly. I'm planning a daily weigh in. When I was on mj it came down every day. It doesn't do that when not on mj but I'm hopeful that I will still drop some weight quickly. I might go back to slimming world for accountability!

Thank you - but what everyone has achieved so far is amazing!

I’m on a dose of 2.4 Wegovy. They asked me what I wanted, and this is working for me and my weight is quite stable at the moment, so they were fine with that. They have made it quite clear that if my BMI drops to 20 I will have to stop, but that’s another stone, and unless they start removing some skin I don’t have anywhere to lose a stone from 😂

I would have preferred to go back to MJ, just because I felt so well on it, but I can’t complain - the WG enabled me to reach below my goal and stay stable.

Almost a stone over target 😱 hopefully some water weight in there from flying and exercise.

Breathe @tinyemmy
If you bring your eating back in line to where you were, it will come off. Some will be water weight (travelling and holiday food) and adaption if been very active skiing. Drink lots of water and be kind. My Christmas holiday weight took 2/3 weeks to settle back out.