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Mounjaro - Fat jab injections

(73 Posts)
mrsgreenfingers56 Mon 23-Jun-25 12:12:07

What do you all think of the fat jab being available on the NHS?

After spending 13 hours in A & E last week with my elderly mother my immediate reaction was to input money into A & E departments.

But will the fat jab save the NHS long term with overweight related problems?

I am in two minds now, my late father used to say sit further away from the table and go for a walk if a bit chubby!

Comments please.

Menopauselbitch Wed 25-Jun-25 09:38:28

I’m sorry but they obviously haven’t tried everything. You are what you eat end of.

ViceVersa Wed 25-Jun-25 07:44:36

Allsorts

If it's an appetite suppressant, wouldn't self control over portions and types of food eaten be a better option. If you want something bad enough you will do it. I can understand it used in the case of diabetes which it was developed for. No one enjoys dieting, least of all me but you couldn't pay me to be on it.

If it was as simple as that, no-one would be overweight.

Allsorts Wed 25-Jun-25 07:25:22

If it's an appetite suppressant, wouldn't self control over portions and types of food eaten be a better option. If you want something bad enough you will do it. I can understand it used in the case of diabetes which it was developed for. No one enjoys dieting, least of all me but you couldn't pay me to be on it.

Omaju Wed 25-Jun-25 01:58:33

To be able to be prescribed Mounjaro on the NHS you have to have one of a number of conditions, mine is diabetes which, Mounjaro was actually developed to help control. You can't just rock up and say you need to lose weight and ask for it to be prescribed. Hypertension is another condition that GPs will prescribe Mounjaro for and these patients are usually very overweight and need help losing it to get their condition under control and usually the patients have been trying for years to get their weight down and their conditions under control and have tried other medications throughout those years. I have tried several medications to try and control my diabetes and they either, haven't worked or have stopped working, I had one that was great for years and then it started to make me ill. Mounjaro can be the wonder drug for some people but generally, most people have to think of it as a tool to help you lose weight and you still have to put the work in and cut calories... most people using it can't inject once a week and stuff their faces with junk food and cakes etc... you still have to change your eating habits and lessen the calorie intake and exercise more.
Type 2 diabetes is quite a complex illness but a lot of people think we're just incontrollable gluttons who can't stop shoving doughnuts in our faces which is upsetting. The number of people who are surprised at the amount I actually ate because they assume that I'm diabetic simply due to overeating and I'm not, it's actually hereditary in my family. Mounjaro helps me control the portion sizes I eat and helps me to feel fuller for longer, I haven't lost a lot weight on it yet but I heard that it is helping to get rid of visceral fat around your organs first which, takes longer to shift apparently, I will stick with it. I for one am glad I have a Diabetic nurse who thought this would help me.

sunglow12 Tue 24-Jun-25 17:07:10

And there lies the potential problem Bluebelle -very worrying .

orly Tue 24-Jun-25 16:15:11

Kate1949

Why does it annoy me? I've spent years trying to eat healthily and keep my weight down. Now people can just get a jab. So why bother?

because your way doesn't come with side effects.

25Avalon Tue 24-Jun-25 16:08:42

There was a nurse who died after taking Mounjaro last November. It was listed with several other factors as cause of death but was not the sole cause. The Government have now authorised further trials over the next five years. This lady was not heavily overweight so maybe it was not the best course of treatment for her. If you are very overweight through certain diseases or immobility then any risk of taking the drug would be outweighed by the advantages. I don’t agree with frivolous use of it however.

IOMGran Tue 24-Jun-25 16:00:12

MrsMatt

My hospital consultant referred me back to my GP for weight loss medication. A few health issues and damage to my Achilles tendons I desperately need to lose some weight. I can't do any exercises that involve prolonged weight bearing on my feet due to pain in my feet and knees. I have been on a strict diet since March and have lost a total of 3lb !! The GP told me that they do not prescribe them unless I am on the list for bariatric surgery. I even offered to pay for them but no go. I am seriously contemplating going private. I'm not expecting miracles but do need some help that doesn't involve stopping eating completely.

If you're in the UK your pharmacy will supply it to you for circa £150 per month.

cc Tue 24-Jun-25 15:58:55

I know somebody who is having the jabs, when I saw her after six weeks she looked noticeably thinner and said that she simply wasn't as hungry as usual and had initially felt a bit nauseous. She is making a serious effort to eat healthily too.
Many people like her are buying them privately online but they do appear to have medical supervision before they sell.

IOMGran Tue 24-Jun-25 15:58:54

Elowen33

BlueBelle

My best friend works in an office with a number of women paying out quite a bit for these injections and going out midday for MacDonalds and boasting about how they can eat what they want now

They are an appetite suppressant , the amount you eat will be limited.

Exactly. I am on it and I would not be able to even want more than a mouthful. I love the way some people get all morally superior, it's so boringly predictable. It's my money and I will buy this if I want to. I qualified on an online pharmacy and so far all is good apart from some constipation. I have COPD and carrying extra weight impacts my health considerable. I have plenty of natural will power but also the Labrador gene.

Mo31 Tue 24-Jun-25 15:57:23

I don't understand how they ca. Ear when taking the jab
My son was on it.privately and could only eat little bits of protein. Now he has stopped it is watching what he eats and exercises. He has coworkers who now after losing weight are eating g McDonald's, KFC znd no exercise, ti.e will tell.

Bertiebasset Tue 24-Jun-25 15:54:35

Hello, i have been on mounjaro for 3 months, I've lost 31lbs and feel so much better for it, still have a way to go, it cuts down on the food noise, when you know there is a bar of Cadburys in the vicinity and can't stop thinking about it, it takes that away and you feel less hungry & fuller for longer. I'm not chasing the don't feel hungry at all phase as I'm calorie counting , but I see mounjaro as a support system. I am paying privately and yes it is expensive but to me personally worth every penny.

MrsMatt Tue 24-Jun-25 15:22:34

My hospital consultant referred me back to my GP for weight loss medication. A few health issues and damage to my Achilles tendons I desperately need to lose some weight. I can't do any exercises that involve prolonged weight bearing on my feet due to pain in my feet and knees. I have been on a strict diet since March and have lost a total of 3lb !! The GP told me that they do not prescribe them unless I am on the list for bariatric surgery. I even offered to pay for them but no go. I am seriously contemplating going private. I'm not expecting miracles but do need some help that doesn't involve stopping eating completely.

Stillness Tue 24-Jun-25 15:18:03

Think it will eventually be phased out due to inefficiency and side effects. I would rather the money was spent elsewhere.

DeeAitch56 Tue 24-Jun-25 14:59:15

I’ve been taking it for five months on the NHS for Type 2 diabetes, the weight loss is just a happy side effect, initially it did seriously surpress my appetite however that seems to have stopped now, I have my annual review tomorrow so will speak to the diabetic nurse about this tomorrow

Soozikinzi Tue 24-Jun-25 14:38:31

I am on ozempic which I buy from an advance practioner nurse . Itvaffects your appetite so for instance I wouldn't want anything with cheese on it and if I eat too much I feel nauseous . It shows down your metabolism so you feel more full . If I eat too much I get horrible burps . I don't fancy alcohol above maybe an odd glass . I certainly wouldnt fancy a Burger!

4allweknow Tue 24-Jun-25 14:34:06

For those with serious health issues at least trying the medication so find if their health benefits shoukd save some costs to NHS. I've not read much about this drug other than once it is stopped the inherent problems return and that tgere have been unwanted pregnancies even with contraception. Anyone using it advised to use condoms to.

Doodledog Tue 24-Jun-25 14:18:35

If the friends of friends are taking weightloss jabs they wouldn't want burgers, so I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

I don't understand why there are so many comments (in general, not just on here) about how weight loss should take place 'the hard way', as though there is a moral element to it all. Some people are doubtless overweight because of gluttony and/or sloth, but others have medical conditions or metabolic reasons for carrying excess fat.

The NHS treats people for infertility, skiing accidents and other sports injuries, alcoholism and smoking cessation (as well as alcohol-related liver disease and smoking-related illness such as COPD and cancer) and so on - all of those things are lifestyle choices, and there are numerous other examples. Why is obesity always singled out as a waste of money?

Should people who get stomach cancer because they eat cured meats or skin cancer from sunbathing be expected to fund their own treatment? Or those with diet-related diabetes? Where does it stop? What about those who are unable to pay for treatment? Do they get treated free and others not? Who decides which patients are 'deserving' and which are not?

I understand that the jabs are being phased in, which is why the criteria for acceptance are so tight, but IMO putting a number on the BMI required to get them free will encourage people to gain the extra weight. If someone has a BMI of 38, and upping it to 40 would mean they could get it down to 25 or so, I can see why they might reach for the ice cream. In principle, I am in favour of the jabs being available to those who want them, but I can see that there might be teething troubles until it that can happen.

esproson Tue 24-Jun-25 14:17:53

I’m on medication that has piled the weight on I eat healthy and exercise every day only have to smell the cup Shop and put on Ibs so I am hoping to use the jabs 🤞

vintageclassics Tue 24-Jun-25 14:16:16

I'm one of the lucky ones - I already have it through the NHS - I am a Type 2 insulin dependent diabetic but also need two new hips - both my long term blood sugars were high and my BMI too high for a hip replacement. You can't exactly do much exercise with 2 dodgy hips so my surgeon suggested my eligibilty for Mounjaro - my bloods are the lowest they have ever been since diagnosis (saving some insulin prescriptions) and I am slowly but surely losing weight - I guess over time I will cost the NHS less in medication and be able to stay healthier

Babamaman Tue 24-Jun-25 14:10:41

Not good if you can still get ‘fake’ poison online!
Also it’s the same a Botox no one knows the long term effects?
Apparently once you start you have to stay on for life? How awful.
Not sure it’s good until every other means of losing weight has been proven ineffective!
What annoys me most is so called ‘famous’ women (Dawn French, Lizo) who proclaimed ‘my size is who I am! And then they are using it?
Hypocrites

knspol Tue 24-Jun-25 14:01:34

My only concern with this is that it's incredibly difficult to get a GP appt now and if there's a rush of people wanting these jabs it will become almost impossible. As it is at my GP surgery its a 5/6 week wait for a face to face appt unless you say it's an emergency. As I class chest pains or similar as an emergency then it's a long wait for an appt. At the moment I've been waiting 7 days for a repeat prescription to be filled at the surgery although they state meds will be available 72 hrs after request.

Jewelle Tue 24-Jun-25 13:55:29

BlueBelle

My best friend works in an office with a number of women paying out quite a bit for these injections and going out midday for MacDonalds and boasting about how they can eat what they want now

Why bother to comment on this thread if it being started offends you so much?

Totallylost Tue 24-Jun-25 13:48:12

No need to be quite so rude with your response Bluebell the op may not have read or seen other posts, if you don’t like one then scroll past.

Grandmotherto8 Tue 24-Jun-25 13:45:53

I have been morbidly obese for decades. Paid £13,000 for a gastric bypass 15 years ago and lost 6 stone. 3 years ago took Ozempic via NHS to try to reverse my diabetes 2, didn't lose anything. Swapped to Mounjaro alongside an NHS referral to Slimming World. Have lost 3 stone since January. Am about to begin a referral to OVIVA, again linked to my diabetes, and hope that this will help me with my final 3 stone. The jabs are not a panacea, they suppress appetite but that is frequently not the reason for weight gain. I am hopeful that my new mindset will continue and help me to shed my excess baggage. I am very grateful for the NHS support I have received from my GP surgery, they didn't just prescribe and let me walk away!