Weight loss injections now too expensive

[unicornsarereal72]

Like many others I have successfully been able to loose weight using injections. Yes I should address my poor eating habits and emotional eating but here we are

I was happy to maintain my weight by continuing with WLI. I’m now being priced out of buying them. Especially now the 5th dose is reduced.

historically I’ve moved around to get the best price but that is no longer bringing it to an affordable amount

had anyone else had this problem ?

I know the answer is to eat less this is just a moan

Could you buy a stronger pen (10mg, 15mg etc) and just use clicks to get a smaller dose for maintenance? You'd therefore only need 1 pen to last a few months.

I've been on WLI 3 times for a few months as I stopped in between to save a bit of money.

Each time I swapped provider every month to get the new customer deals. Eventually I'm worried I'll run out of pharmacies I haven't used yet! 😄

Might have to work out what the lowest dose is that has an effect and get a higher dose pen like the PP suggested.

Also swapped from Mounjaro to Wegovy as it's cheaper.

Yes, stretching the pen, skipping the occasional week, and really focussing on protein/high volume low calorie foods to support satiety is all you can really do to reduce costs as much as possible yet still get some benefits from treatment.

Are you partial dosing and what dose are you on/pens are you buying?

I buy a 5mg pen every 8 weeks and click count 2.5mg, works out at £85 a month.

Those who split the doses. Do you have problems reordering?

you can usually stretch 3-4 weeks and still order.

i had a problem as a mistakenly went 12 weeks without ordering as I had a stockpile - got prescribed in the end but it was a faff.

Can you go to a lower dose and every 10 days - the suppression might not be the same but it will be more than no food suppression

I have a 10mg pen & dose 2.5/mg weekly- lasts ages.

I split doses. I use MedExpress and reorder about every 7-8 weeks with no problem.

Those of you who split doses. Where do you get the extra needles from? How do you know you're using the correct type?

Many pharmacies are ok with 6 weeks and staying on same dose. Even with that I have built up a small stock pile as swapped to using my pen for 8 weeks (I have 4 unused pens which if I use 8 weeks each will last me 32 weeks) so I have a consultation with my provider next week when they have said through email they will support a break in ordering, but want to chat first to make sure everything is ok 🤞

@Wisenotboring the needles are universal fit, you can buy boxes of 100 anywhere - online pharmacies, even amazon (don't buy syringes from amazon but pen needles are fine). Google the brand/length/gauge your provider sends you and you are used to (will be on the paper tab).

Does anyone know how long between orders you can have at lotus?

considering stretching a pen to last and only ordering every other month

None. I'm with We Prescribe.

Sounds from the 5th dose like you're on Mounjaro. Might wegovy also be an option?

Me too, I’m on the 12.5mg, but take it every 11 days.

Thank you so much for the suggestions I have ordered a high dosing pen which should stretch 7 weeks making it much more affordable.

I use these from Medisave https://www.medisave.co.uk/products/micro-fine-insulin-syringe-0-5ml-u40-30g-x-8mm-pack-of-100

How are you finding the efficacy, @Puffalicious?

I was doing that but my pens were lasting 8+ weeks I found the strength really downgraded…

The pens are officially good for 8 weeks of kept refrigerated. Swift doctor are find with a long ordering scheduled.

I use a wegovy 1mg and do 8 0.5mg doses.

You could also consider wegovy tablets, they're no cheaper for low doses but I think the max dose is. No idea whether they can be cut in half!

@SunnySunnyDayz where is the information from that the Mounjaro pens are officially good for 8 weeks? Everything I’ve seen says 30 days once in use.

I struggle to see how a pen loses efficacy over 8 weeks if kept in a fridge. It’s sterile, no air enters, it doesn’t make sense. It’s fine for 30 days at 30 degC (five and a bit weeks) with the manufacturer allowing for our cackhandedness. I see no mechanism to see why it would degrade significantly between day 30 and day 56.
It certainly hasn’t happened with any of my pens which I take well past 30 days.

It’s not sterile after it’s been pierced by a needle for the first time. There’s also a (very small) chance of backwash when the needle is inserted into the body.

I’m sure that in most or nearly all cases pens are fine past the 30 days, for months and months probably. I was just wondering where @SunnySunnyDayz had seen definitive statements from the manufacturer that pens are “officially good” for 8 weeks.

My local chemist stocks it and I buy a 15mg pen and use what ever dose I am on at the time.

I've looked into this and I've seen information for wegovy, but couldn't find anything for mounjaro. I don't know if that's a difference in the drugs, or simply that wegovy is prescribed in some cases by the NHS to people with diabetes, and the information to those users is that the pens can be safely used up to 8 weeks. Presumably because the NHS don't have the same financial interest in selling pens.

I've used pens for 12 weeks many times. I refrigerate them between doses.

Wegovy may well have different preservatives and other ingredients different to Mounjaro and the molecule itself may well behave differently and break down slower than Mounjaro. I don’t think that advice that’s specific to Wegovy will apply to Mounjaro or vice versa.

Wegovy (or Ozempic) and Mounjaro are both prescribed to NHS patients with T2 diabetes. I would think that the NHS would be required to stick to the guidelines from the manufacturer in terms of usage and storage.