Has anyone had a horrible time on MJ?

[petitdonkey]

I’m on week three and it’s progressively getting worse- I’m currently on holiday with my family and can’t eat at all (yesterday I had two crackers and an apricot!!)

I responded immediately to my first ever dose and felt sick that day but it hasn’t previously been this bad. I don’t know if it’s possible I have some kind of bug as well as I’m getting cold sweats.

I just feel so silly that I’ve ruined our family holiday in my pursuit of losing some weight. Was just wondering if anyone out there had a bad time on it?

If you are dinking a lot of water, not eating, and are in environmental heat your mineral salts (magnesium. potassium, sodium etc) will be out of balance.

This is not good for you and can lead to dizziness, naseau, fatigue and so on.

You can get little sachets of salts in most pharmacies abroad but it would also be advisable to dump the breads/crackers and get a little protein and veg into you.

I’m curious what condition is it and what’s the link between WLI ?

It’s called non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and she can’t get life insurance because she’s on a waiting list for further investigation.

Actually a quick google has shown that what your aunt may have is an incredibly rare ‘eye stroke’ caused by fluctuating blood pressure that affects the blood flow to the eye, scientists hypothesise tgst this could be linked to the higher doses of the drug.

Looks like diabetic meds can do the same but because people go up the WLI doses very quickly in some cases it can trigger this response. Interesting

Yes, she was thoroughly tested for stroke during several days staying in hospital on the specialist stroke unit and all clear but is now on this waiting list.

OP, it’s really common for people to react strongly to MJ. It’s totally up to you what you do next. If you do want to continue, I’ve heard of people taking half doses, or dosing every 10 days instead of every week, or sometimes just sticking on 2.5mg for at least another month (or more) while their body adjusts. At least with those options you save money compared to moving up the doses! (I was on it for a year - started at BMI 32 and stopped at BMI 24. Now trying to maintain.)

Usually, your body adjusts and you start to want food/drink etc again, so don’t panic and think you’ll never enjoy food or a cocktail with your family ever again!

Op, sorry not sure if this has been pointed out or if I've missed it, but bear in mind - WLI meds are designed to build up in your system gradually, most people don't notice a significant effect right away. Which makes sense as to why you might have a stronger side effect at week 3 compared to week 1.

Obviously it's your call what to do next, but do seek advice from the prescriber so you can make an informed decision, not least to reduce the chances of any more side effects!

@petitdonkey I had savage food suppression when I started MJ and would not have wanted to be on holiday - so I feel for you. Food absolutely repulsed me and I had to force myself to ingest calories. Fortunately, I was at home and had picked a week where I worked from home. I used protein shakes and sipped them really slowly pretty much all day to ensure I was getting some calorie intake and a reasonable amount of protein.

I had to extend the injections to every 8 or 9 days for the first pen, just so that by day 4/5 onwards, I did want to eat a bit of food. I did 5 months on the lowest dose and lost all the weight I wanted to. Gradually, as the months went by the food suppression was less extreme and whilst it definitely reduced my appetite, the repulsion passed and I could eat more normally.

If you can hear lots of gurgling going on, is it worth trying a Rennie or Gaviscon. Reflux is a fairly common side effect.

Thanks yes that’s what I was reading on google. That’s so unfortunate for her as it’s incredibly rare.

My first couple of weeks on MJ were definitely the hardest, although mine wasn't quite as severe as what you're describing. I found eating very small, plain meals and keeping my fluids up helped. If you're struggling to eat at all and feeling unwell, speak to your healthcare team because it sounds like you need some advice