Yep... Another weight loss injection thread... Interested in trying.. but worried about potential bowel symptoms

[Tree2026]

I'd like to give WLI a go. 16 stone, higher than I've ever been, and at 5 foot 4, I am about 6 stone over weight... I know I would need to change eating habits for it to not be off and back on situation. But my hope is 6 months or so on them will reduce my appetite and stomach size, and give me the kick start I need, given that now I am early forties, eating less and moving more is not as easy as it once was.

However, my biggest worry is potential bowel issues, urgency etc, given that I commute to work every day , at least an hour each way. If medications have side effects, I usually get them... And I can sometimes get an urgency after eating certain foods etc anyway. Any thoughts people can share ?

Thanks

My experience of MJ is that it slows the bowel down rather than creating urgency.
I am lactose intolerant so have a reaction with dairy where I need the loo quickly. Even that has slowed down on MJ.

I have IBS-D. It was better on MJ as slowed things down to a normal pace.

The only time i've had urgency while on mounjaro is after eating a high fat meal. Otherwise, as others say, it tends to slow everything down!

I have urgency issues about 2 days after taking MJ. Luckily they have really reduced but when I first took MJ (lowest dose) I shat myself in a work meeting 48 hours later. Luckily it was online.

I have titrated up slowly and it's now manageable. However I work from home most of the time.

My nurse told me when I started that she had about 80 patients on MJ and only one person had had to stop because the bowel issues were too severe to cope with. So most people are fine with it.

I did have some diarrhoea once or twice after first starting, and then moving up to 5mg. BUT it generally started overnight (and invariably related to what I'd eaten) which meant in the morning I simply took Immodium to calm it down.

Other than that, like others I've found it's helped with the mild IBS I've had for years because it slows things down.

I will say, though, if you've got 6 stone to lose you're not looking at six months. I'm in my mid 50s and from starting in March last year I lost just over 6 stone. The first 4 took six months, the last 2 took another six. You don't want to lose too fast and besides, you generally can't as the loss slows down the lighter you get.

Im constipated on Mounjaro, having to push fluids to keep it moving. Eating less and not thinking about food it great

I take psyllium husk every day which has really helped.

I had one urgent bowl event in my 2 years taking MJ, it was in the early days and I'd eaten a really fatty meal. I didn't do that again in a hurry! I had to eat very plain food in the first few months, after then I could eat normally - just a lot less.

Mounjaro slows your digestion down which can mean that constipation is an issue, especially if you are not eating enough fibre or drinking enough fluids. Conversely though, the slower digestion can cause diarrhea as anything that irritates your digestion is there for longer and can cause digestive upset. It's usually associated with starting the medication, and on increasing your dose. But usually it's mild and manageable with OTC treatment and dietary changes. The extreme experiences are very unusual, but they get highlighted on threads like these so the danger is that they are perceived as common when that's not the case at all.

I had a couple of instances of digestive upset in the first few weeks (on moving up to 5mg and then again moving up to 7.5mg), and then nothing at all since for the last 2 years. Many people don't get any digestive upset at all.

Im on ozempic and it slows down bowels . I had to get red grapes to encourage movement ! I think most people get the same . Did get some burps so having rennies for commute or pepto bismol would be useful.

Hi all, thanks for sharing your experiences, I really appreciate it. It's certainly given me food for thought (no pun intended lol). Thanks for also sharing that 6 months is not realistic.

Adding to this - on wegovy & it slows things down, I’m taking fibre supplements

Re timeline: the evidence is that once you stop nearly everyone regains most of the weight (like most diets). So if you start you may be on a low dose long term in order to maintain… it’s probably a long term financial commitment

The only time this has effected me is when I took too much laxido when I was constipated..

Constipation and feeling cold are my only negative side effects I've had. Im still sometimes cold now and its bloody June!!

Thanks both. Ref timeline, I am one of those delusional people who wouldn't want to stay on it forever, and would promise myself I'd change my habits once I'd been given that kick start

Constipation is much, much more likely than “dire rear”.
Have no worries.
If you do get constipation a bit of lactulose will sort you out.
Crack on!

My experience has been positive. I started with wevgovy and then moved on to mounjaro. I lost 5.5 stone.
I then had skin removal surgery
full FDL tummy tuck, muscle repair and extensive lipo with a lift here and there
I then had an upper arm lift.
I am now around a size 10/12. But I look small!
it has been worth it for me. I have not had any side effects at all.
I do go to the gym a min of 3 times a week to maintain it and I am still on mounjaro.
but I only jab every 14 ish days now. I am very careful with what I eat and my eating habits are completely different to what they were

But I do always feel cold. I wear thermals all the time.
I have a blanket when I am at work as the air con is harsh!!

Slightly concerned about the talk of feeling cold. I feel cold often, even with all my extra padding !!! It is really interesting to hear different people's perspectives, and glad to hear that constipation is more an issue rather than the opposite, I feel like that would be more manageable than urgency.
I know there is so much info and opinions online, and generally I have tried to stay away from this as is it can be overwhelming. Is there a general consensus as to the best version of the truth, to refer to for more information, including which type would be best ? And where to source the injections from ? Thanks again everyone

Honestly any source of info online is going to be pro or anti. As for where to get them, it’s online or in person. If you want in person, look locally. If online, do you want to pick it up or have it delivered. I use Boots and order online and collect it in store as it is easier for me. Lots of people use the monj price comparison website and bounce between providers for the best price.

The monthly new starter threads here are really useful I follow one for the month I began and the 3 months before as it is helpful to hear about people a little ahead on the road.

I'm another one who's got mad constipation rather than diarrhoea except when I went up a dose.

Use https://monj.co.uk/mounjaro-price-comparison-by-monj/ to pick a pharmacy.

@Tree2026 I find that the online pharmacies often have useful articles on their websites. Online pharmacies in the UK are regulated by the GPhC and have to follow the rules and regulations with regard to prescription medication. So, I would view content on that kind of website as likely to be accurate and truthful. For example, Asda Online Doctor have lots of articles eg https://onlinedoctor.asda.com/uk/wegovy-vs-mounjaro-vs-ozempic.html

The comparison website that @PearlsTeapot linked has a list of GPhC registered online pharmacies where you can check the prices, both with a new customer discount and then the normal prices for subsequent orders.

Please ignore if this isn't helpful, as not specifically about MJ, but it might be useful. Years ago, someone I knew was on a weightloss pill given by GP, and it had GI side effects, so she always took it Friday night so worst was done by Monday. If your job has weekends off/or wfh periods, maybe align this till you see how it suits you? And while I wouldn't know, people say if you eat decent food, you'll have fewer side effects, so it helps you get used to cutting out rubbish.

I had severe diarreah several times a day after I started it, and it also triggered my IBS . That lasted for around weeks. It meant that if I was going out to the theatre or for a day out, I couldn't eat anything at all before I went, to be on the safe side.

Now around week 10, I am constipated and the diarreah has stopped.

A lot of people don't suffer with it.

I have a HH, GORD, gallstones, so any one of them could also have helped to trigger it when starting the medication