Can using weight loss injections be kept private from family?

[Darkcafedays]

After a fair amount of thought/research,I’ve decided to start on WLIs. I don’t have masses to lose - but it’s creeping up, and I also have high blood pressure.

My question is - I would like to keep this private from my DH and two teenage kids! Is this possible? I generally eat less than them anyway at meals - but do most people find they can barely manage to eat at all?!

A friend of mine was on them and she couldn’t manage more than a few bites of anything at a time.

I am alone working from home during the day so that’s fine, but hoping for our evening family meal I’d be able to eat a small healthy portion? How did others find it?

Since you're not unhealthily overweight, only want to lose a stone and there have been financial strains recently, I’m wondering why you don’t choose to put some of your personal savings towards helping the whole family, tbh.

Thanks @Wickedlittledancer you’ve articulated my thoughts so much better than me, and I agree about the wider benefits. I think if it wasn’t so costly, it wouldn’t be a decision at all.

Name change for this.

I’m on it without DH knowing.

I’m on Mounjaro. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated once opened, so I pick it up from the pharmacy on the day I need to use it, and then keep it at the back of one of my drawers that I know DH will never need to go into.

I just don’t want to deal with the comments that he will undoubtedly have.

@Namechangedforgoodreasons - kind of wish I’d never mentioned the financial aspect now 🤪 It’s more that I think DH would find it a silly waste of money, particularly given the cost of living rises that we are all facing right now. It’s not letting the kids starve while I take WLIs.

No need not to tell people. Everyone will assume you're on wli if you're losing weight.

I wouldn’t be able to keep it secret from my family as the side effects for me while taking Mounjaro is that I hardly eat.
I lost 5 stone in 11 months and I just don’t fancy eating anything at all.
I used to love my food (which was the reason I was so overweight!) but I really couldn’t care less now

I agree the cost is so prohibitive. This is where many of the issues come in I think, if it was a lower price point, millions and millions more would take it.

I think that as el Lilly continues to invest in manufacturing and can produce more, and other drugs come to market, the price will drop. But right now I don’t think it’s solely about profit. Or a return on investment, I think manufacturing capacity also has a lot to do with it also. They need to limit it so they can supply, and the way to do this is price.

I didn’t tell my DH till I’d lost some weight. Mainly cause I didn’t want it to be another failed diet.

I haven’t told my teens cause it’s none of their business

Once opened it doesn’t need to stay in the fridge

Yes of course mother comes at the bottom of the pecking order. God forbid that she should do something for herself.

You can have a pen unrefrigerated for a month. So collect on the day you inject and you can keep the pen anywhere.

That's what really gets my goat the comments DH would make every time I ate or drank anything. Are you allowed that? Do you need that?

So it's ironic that the fat man I married is hiding his weight loss drugs from me when I would be supportive.

Price point well. Friends husband was in the pub most nights he spent far more on beer than the jabs cost.

I’ve lost a stone and a half so far; 2 months on WLI then I’m doing it myself. Got 12 pounds to go to be in healthy BMI (was over 30 when I started; I’m short!)
No one knows. I had it delivered to work. It can stay out of the fridge for a month after first use. DH hasn’t commented on my weight loss but tbf he never commented on my weight gain either after I trained it out of him! I make the food generally and give myself what I want.

I tried to keep it a secret, wrapped the pens in foil and put them in the fridge. My. STXBH was straight in there, he thought it was secret biscuits I was hiding (he cannot resist…)

and so… he knows.

I don’t share it with others though. In my mind, it’s personal and private, and I only share it with those I want to.

i was talking to my endocrinologist at my last appointment and she was saying that soon we will switch over to maintenance, and how obesity is a chronic disease, so I should consider that I will be on this for life. Which I am ok with… and it should be manageable, cost wise.

Personally I wouldn’t his it from my dh but kids.. fine.

I kept it hidden for a few months… then husband opened a letter and found out! I unashamedly told him and he was just sorry I thought he wouldn’t be supportive! It is easily possible. Drink lots and save your eating for public!

I understand the desire for secrecy OP. Only my DH knows I’m taking MJ. I have a MIL who is often cooks at our house (I keep my pen in a Tupperware box in the bottom drawer of our second fridge that is just for drinks).

I haven’t informed my GP of the MJ. I do think it’s good for someone close to you to know though in case you have a medical emergency. Is there a best friend you could tell?

If you find yourself eating less (and your family notices), just say you’re making an effort to diet.

In 5 months, I haven’t had bruises or jammed needles, I have vomited several times though. If DH didn’t know otherwise, he’d think it was morning sickness 😂

P.s. having seen feedback on the WLI board, you may want to skip wegovy and use mounjaro. It seems to be more effective so you’ll hopefully need it for less time.

There are quite a few of us on mumsnet who have not told a soul.
Dh just thinks my appetite is suppressed due to dieting. I'm increasing the doses slowly so can still eat. I think a couple of friends were surprised when I said I was full at a meal out, as its not normal for me to show such restraint! I do sometimes (lie) say I've had a big lunch.
At a bbq I skip the bread rolls, but I noticed others did the same.

And alcohol cravings are much reduced!

I personally find it's dangerous not to explain. What will happen if you are so ill that you can't communicate with medical staff but someone has to tell them about medication? I ended up in hospital with a fracture recently, fainted several times and DH had to answer questions regarding medication I am on.

DH is utterly supportive and I can't imagine not doing this with him on my side. DD (18) was told as I wanted to ensure she understands why I don't have that many snacks at home anymore and also eat differently. She is anxious regarding food and weightloss/-gain so it was important she knows what is going on.

I still eat 3 meals a day, definitely smaller portions and especially less carbs. I am the one cooking at home so I moved most of our meals to more protein as well and transformed my breakfast food totally.

I’ve never been unable to communicate in my almost 60 years, including when I had sepsis and a heart attack. The risk of it happening is minuscule.

My student DD manages to hide it from her 3 housemates, putting it behind other things in the fridge. So it is possible

My family don’t know I take it. My friend also uses it and her boyfriend has no clue. She keeps hers in a tin in the fridge. I keep mine tucked under the egg tray on the top shelf.

in terms of eating less, my family
must absolutely know I’m eating less but then that’s no different to any other weight loss. I do still eat three meals a day.

Stop scare-mongering. There have not been many cases of blindness. Studies suggest WLI treatment may be very rarely associated with NAION; this means it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people.

semaglutide.www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/semaglutide-wegovy-ozempic-and-rybelsus-risk-of-non-arteritic-anterior-ischemic-optic-neuropathy-naion