Anyone got injections for losing 1 stone?

[Onthevergenow]

I’m perimenopause and cannot shift the weight, it’s really affecting my mental health. I’m a short ass so it really shows the extra weight. BMI 25.5/26.
Ive started to socially withdraw due to weight
Would I be able to get the injections?

Basically, some people feel super defensive about WLI and want it to be recognised as a very serious special medication, because their struggle with their weight has been so traumatic. But these things are not related. Our struggles can be serious and traumatic and life-long, and the solution can be simple and easy and available to anyone. Both things can be true. People are also worried that if there's a lot of misuse, their own access will be restricted. I don't think this is a risk, to be honest. The societal costs of obesity are too enormous and the fact that the population is voluntarily self funding the solution is actually a dream come true for PHOs.

Some private doctors, like at Healand, may prescribe small doses of WLI to people who are not obese, but not the mass online pharmacies.

www.healand.co.uk/post/the-guardian-interviews-dr-omar-babar-on-the-science-of-microdosing

No. Sorry OP but this sounds like an eating disorder.

@Lanva It’s not that people are being defensive. They’re trying to get over that medical professionals, the ones with the relevant expertise, not just posters on MN, have classified WLIs as a high-risk, prescription only medication. It’s licensed specifically for the treatment of obesity and existing obesity-related conditions, where the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks of either remaining obese or relapsing into obesity.

However, those who don't have obesity (wish I didn't have it!), don’t seem to be hearing that. The situation isn’t “simple”, disregarding these professional risk assessments would mean dismissing the careful work of experts who have evaluated the balance of harm versus benefit.

Yes, there may be a possibility for doctor led clinics to prescribe off label, with closer patient contact to mitigate some of those risks. But anyone considering that as an option should do their homework, check that the clinic holds all necessary registrations for off label prescribing and has proper repackaging licenses to ensure the safety of the syringes they seem to be sending out.

If a qualified professional determines that the risk/ benefit balance supports prescribing, people don’t actually care who receives treatment. What they care about is preventing potential harm - whether because people go to illegal sources or irresponsible clinics.

I’m not sure if people who have lost a lot of weight on WLI accent that the people who aren’t allowed get it on prescription, and instead try, unsuccessfully, to lose weight by restricting calories, are hungry. All the time.

A lot of women trying to diet eat very little. It isn’t that they are all naturally slim. They avoid eating out, they drink coffee instead of eating, they choose chicken because it has protein instead of a much tastier pasta dish - not because they want chicken but they are trying so hard.
I think on these threads there is a lot of ‘just diet if you only have two stones to lose’ but as we get older, we are trying very hard, unsuccessfully, and are hungry all the time.

I'm not dismissing the careful work of experts. I'm just saying you can go to an expert, a doctor, and ask them for their advice, and it's not a big deal or a crime to do so, even if you're just a bit overweight. It's fine to go to a clinic. They might say no - they might not - it's up to the doctor, not MN.

Some people are still of the opinion that WLIs melt fat which is not the case. There is also data that shows that WLIs don’t work for everyone - something like 10% of users

Do you have inherited high cholesterol? Thin people can also have high cholesterol as well.

Though WLI has supported my weight loss as it tool that supports weight loss. I fear my long term morbid obesity has already done the damage and in likelihood the plaque has already built up.

Having obesity is the biggest risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes but it can also be caused by other factors as I am sure you will have researched.

@Lanva the NHS rollout is painfully slow and the requirements to obtain WLI is long. Therefore instead of waiting another 5 years or so hoping the NHS would deem my morbid obesity worthy of treatment I pay privately along with over a million other people in the UK.

There will always be suppliers who will happily take money off people who don’t actually meet the criteria. If people want to go down that route that is their choice. Just done buy it off the person who does Aunty’s Botox

I’m not sure if people who have lost a lot of weight on WLI accept that the people who aren’t allowed get it on prescription, and instead try, unsuccessfully, to lose weight by restricting calories, are hungry. All the time.

Indeed. I am in the healthy weight range, always have been, but my metabolism has slowed right down and it is bloody hard work. I have hypothyroidism, PCOS, high cholesterol and borderline pre diabetes (I had GD in pregnancy so more prone to type 2). I am 45 and peri is kicking in.

I now eat less than my 10 yr old DD and a lot less than my 12 yr old DD, skip breakfast, eat barely any lunch, work out 4-5x a week (never used to!), but despite this the scales are still slowly creeping up. I have a constant battle going on between my head and my stomach. It feels like I’m running faster and faster just to stand still weight wise.

But I have a BMI of 23.5 so all is fine right?

This is almost certainly true, and I think it is likely that the initial BMI will fall in time, especially for those with co-morbidities not covered by the current license. This might be accelerated once tablet forms and generic injectables are available and shift the economics of treatment.

FWIW, I started at a BMI of 28.2 with raised cholesterol and an HbA1c at the top end of the non-diabetic range. I’ve lost a stone and a half, my HbA1c is now normal, and my cholesterol reduced, though still too high. The female relatives in my family were all very overweight and I have strived all my adult life to avoid becoming like them, but post menopause, I was losing the battle. WLI are an opportunity for me to reduce the risks associated with my genetic makeup.

Whether or not to treat people in the obese range is IMHO is a valid and important discussion. There is a public health argument that intervention at an earlier stage could reduce the burden associated with overweight and obesity.

I get you. I think it will become more accessible, especially in circs like yours. It could be, should be, a game changer for public health.

I’m not sure I agree with this. Whilst everyone is an individual, I would suggest that most people on WLI have tried to lose weight over and over and know only too well what it’s like to restrict calories. They do know what it’s like to be cold and hungry all the time. They have experienced low mood and low energy and have probably also had periods of success. But ultimately, their cells and their hormones fought back.

Totally agree.

Wether you have 2st or 12st to lose it is still incredibly difficult for some people.

it is very easy to sneer at the OP whilst you’re jabbing MJ. It makes being in a calorie deficit so much easier.

I am of the opinion prevention is better than a cure and I take it now at 8st7 for maintenance.

Lots of people I know are lying on line or getting it from unofficial channels. I am in the peri phase with weight slowly creeping up and gathering on my tummy when it never has before. I am just eating less (and feeling hungry a lot of the time) to keep it as under control as possible.

As well as not wanting to lie my way through a health questionnaire, my life insurance wouldn’t pay out if I died and had been taking mounjaro based on a lie or illegal supplier, so it isn’t worth the risk..!

I think perhaps you misunderstood?

The point being made wasn’t that people on WLI don’t know what it’s like to have to restrict calories. Of course they do! I’m sure they’ve been there loads.

The point was that some people seem to think that people who aren’t obese and never have been, don’t have the same struggles, don’t find it hard. Which IMO is not correct.

I don’t really get why people try to gatekeep weight loss injections. Obviously the guidelines right now are to only prescribe for bmi 30 and above (or 27 with cofactors). But I’ve been on mounjaro for a year and my bmi is now 25, and I’m still taking them for maintenance. There’s not a huge difference between me and someone wanting to lose a stone to get to a healthy weight using the tool. I’m sure in the future these drugs will be available to more people, so it’s up to individuals to decide their risk factor.

It's not about your struggles, our struggles or anyone's struggles! It's about the long term, sometimes permanent damage to the body that results from obesity. It's a fact that your body, if you've never been obese, doesn't work the same way mine does. Yours functions much more closely to how a normal human body should function. Nobody believes it's easy for everyone to stay slim/healthier weight, why do you think that's the case?

Fair enough, but I’d suggest that a lot of the gatekeeping isn’t coming from people who are overweight & taking WLI. Because most of us in this group do understand the struggles and are grateful to have a tool that works, we tend to encourage people to consider WLI themselves.

I think a lot of the posters playing you-shouldn’t-be-doing-that-and-I-struggled-so-why-shouldn’t-you bingo are the ones who aren’t on WLI. And yes, their posts do frequently sound like jealousy. I really don’t understand the rationale for wanting other people to find things difficult.

Hey OP, I did it to lose 1 stone but you have to fib to get it. I took a few inches off my height, added enough to my weight to make BMI over 30 and then sent in a comedy photo showing me looking a lot larger than I was. I didn’t doctor the photo, I wore layers of clothes under a tight top and jeans with a towel around my waist and puffed out my cheeks and although I thought it rather obvious, the pharmacy clearly didn’t care and prescribed MJ with no issues.

I found the 2.5mg pen sufficient for weight loss but I’d bought a bundle deal so had a 5mg pen too. I found the 5mg too much though so have used that pen up using half doses (30 clicks). I’ve not enjoyed the side effects but it was worth it.

sorry off point but... I have heard it is useful for alcohol cravings and ADHD symptoms. I'd love more research into that because adhd meds are pretty hardcore for some. I'd like to know which is 'better' to take long term.

I know people who've got it privately to get down to a size 8 from a 12.
tempting tbh haha

No, I don’t believe they have done that calculation, and I don’t believe there is any specific evidence about risks in overweight people simply because no trials have been done on overweight people. Being overweight is not considered a medical condition, so it would be virtually impossible to get a license for a prescription medication. So Lily haven’t even tried, they’ve just been focussing on diabetes and obesity.

over time there may be trials done on eg PCOS as so many people feel it has helped, or on the prevention of diabetes. Or there may be enough long term safety information to allow it to be sold over the counter. But the reason it isn’t currently licensed for overweight people is not because of some highly scientific cut off and risk assessment, it’s simply that the manufacturers didn’t even try.

There’s always legal (but not necessarily ethical) pharmacies willing to prescribe these WLI’s. I’m the same as you in that I’m short, carrying an extra stone & perimenopausal. I was on them
for a year. Problem is I don’t massively overeat anyway, my maintenance calories are 1400 pd so to lose I need to eat less than that, and tbh even on the injections it was easy to out eat them. I found I had a good tolerance to wegovy & saxenda & didn’t suffer many side effects. I was on the top dose of wegovy and started putting the weight back on! Unless you're exercising & in calorie deficit they’re not a miracle cure for people who only have stone to lose. I came off them and use the money for a PT instead now.

Loads of famous people who weren’t obese just a bit fat, have recently lost weight - I’m guessing they got hold of injections. You’d probably need to go privately, like they do.

More likely to be looking for someone to PM and offer to sell some to them

Most people are accessing this privately. You don’t get to skip the prescribing criteria.

I don't think a month will be enough to lose the weight. A colleague of mine at 10st and bmi 24.5 wanted to lose a stone, its taken her 4 months and upto 5mg to lose a stone. A lot of it is due to habits, for her a busy social life with restaurant meals and drinking regularly and she also regains very often!
Yes she obtained them illegally by editing photos, putting on many layers of clothes, taking 2 inches off her height and adding on 2.5 stones on her weight!
The laughing emoji is because the medication is for obesity and diabetes. At bmi 25.5-26 no-one is obese or diabetic. Most people take the injections to completely transform their health and lifestyle and save their lives not to lose a stone.
Try high protein low carb diet as that may help without spending the money.