When it’s been life changing but can’t afford it anymore

[Lardybumbum]

I’m on my last MJ pen. It’s a ten and I’m taking 5.5 injections to make it last because I can’t afford anymore. I managed to lose about 3.5stone over a year. My weight has stalled and while it isn’t really going up it’s not going down anymore either. I still need to lose 2stone to get to healthy weight but if I could stay here I’d be happy. More than that though is how much better I feel without chronic inflammation. It’s been revelatory. My range of movement has been amazing, my joints and tendons much less painful (I have a connective tissue disorder that affects my joints, tendons and muscles). I’m dreading stopping because the benefits of MJ hugely outweigh the minimal side effects I’ve experienced.

I am convinced now more than ever that it’s the obsessive thinking about food and inability to recognise satiety that is the problem (driven by long term use of a medication that increases hunger hormones and weight gain) and I’m terrified of that returning because I know it’s not something I have any control over. I’ve had psychological input and they believe it is hormonal rather than psychological given how well the medication worked switching the thoughts off. I can live with being fat I’ve done that for a long time but I cannot live with the food noise (as it seems to be referred) and the inability to feel full. I love feeling free range of movement without pan and stiffness and I love that I no longer have water retention in my legs, I can’t live returning to the pain and immobility. It’s been miraculous but I’m not rich and can’t justify the cost anymore despite feeling like it’s given me some semblance of a life back.

I know some have changed to wegovy but does that help with inflammation in the same way? Are the side effects (like nausea and diarrhoea) not worse?

Wwyd if you can’t afford it anymore but it’s made such an impact on your life?

I think you just need to try to stay the same or continue losing and be grateful you could get 3.5 st down as that’s amazing. The loss will have reduced aches and pains too. Just make a commitment to yourself that you won’t blow the advantage you were given. You can do it. It’s not impossible.

I would do absolutely everything I could to continue affording it.

My 5mg pens cost me around £125pm which is £25pw - most of which is covered by my reduced food bill. I would, if unable to afford this, reduce the dose and make the pen last up to ten weeks. Can you not do this? Money is very tight for me but there is no way I'm giving up this medication which is improving my life immeasurably in ways similar to how you've described.

Same as Tovetov , j would make the cut somewhere else and continue as long as I possibly could .
been life changing for me too , and I’d consider picking up overtime at work just to pay for it

I would suggest that the most cost effective way would be to buy 15mg pens every 8 weeks (which seems to be the max between purchases without having at account for a gap). Put on a credit card if possible.

• Each 15mg pen will give you 15×6.5 doses = 97.5mg (including the bonus dose)
• This gives you 18 weekly doses of 5.4mg
• or 17 weekly doses of 5.7mg
• which means you'll need to buy 3 15mg pens at around £255, to last you 12 months
• Therefore £765 over 12 months
• which works out at about £64 per month

It will be slightly more because you'll need a 12.5mg pen before going up to 15mg, but not all that much more.

I have been thinking about the same thing.
I have had a huge improvement in inflammation and pain and mobility since being on mounjaro and the thought of stopping and going back to that is so depressing but realistically I just cannot afford to stay on it forever.
The reduction in food noise and appetite have been great but when they eventually return I can cope with that. The pain and stiffness and inflammation returning actually scares me.
If you do try Wegovy please come back and update as I've also been wondering if that would give the same benefits.

The improvement in inflammation for me has been more life changing than the weight loss although obviously it’s both that makes the difference. I think the advice above to get a 15 pen is good. I will do anything to keep affording it including putting it on credit card because my mobility has increased so much it has changed my life.

8 weeks will be too big a gap for some pharmacies. So you might need to be careful in this approach just in case you get knocked back to 2.5mg. Some of us have got away with weeks between orders but only because we have built up a stockpile.

Voy seems to be the only one now talking about the possibility of stretching pens to 40 days.

You should contact your pharmacist to discuss flexibility

Thanks all. Unfortunately there are no more cuts to make except the medicine. I’m not sure if it’s been too long between orders to order up
but I’ve emailed a few places.

some have suggested going to wegovy but I’ve not heard of it being as successful with inflammation and the side effects are apparently worse.

I have to consider something.

Where are you getting a 5mg pen for £125pm ???
I cant find it cheaper than 200 for 5 mg

@Sleepysunrise look at https://monj.co.uk for prices. Lots of places doing 5mg for around 150 to 170 with no discount, and less with a new customer discount. Cheapest is currently around £135 for 5mg.

@Sleepysunrise my last three pens, all 5mg and using new customer discount, were:
Pharmacy2U £128.50
Bolt £129
Numan £129 (cancelled subscription as soon as pen received).
I need to order again this week and when I checked monj a few days ago 5mg was still available at around this price.

Your calculation of how many doses per 15mg pen are wrong
15 weekly doses from a 15mg pen is 4mg not 6.5mg

The fifth dose has disappeared in some countries already and the UK won't be far behind. If you're working out how to afford pens you should plan on four full doses from any pen not five. Obviously you can still stretch pens by taking smaller doses from larger pens.

That schedule doesn’t include the 5th dose though

The calculation is completely wrong with or without the golden dose

A full dose on any pen is 60 clicks

So for example, 5mg is a third of 15mg - so the dose is 60/3 = 20 clicks

A full pen has a total of 240 clicks
240 / 20 clicks = 12 doses
Then the golden dose would be 15mg, so another 3 doses

Which gives a total of 15 doses @ 5mg... not 6.5mg