[Misc] Weight loss jabs - Mounjaro, Wegovy etc.

[Professor Plum]

I know there's a general weight loss thread somewhere but I'm particularly interested in whether anyone has had experience of weight loss jabs like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy etc?

My wife's sister started using Mounjaro about a month ago and says it's done her a lot of good by reducing her appetite. She's lost about 10ibs in a month. I've struggled with my weight for decades. It's not a critical problem but now that I'm into my late 60s I'm much more conscious of the health risks. I've tried all the usual diets/eating regimes and they always work for a while then tail off and my motivation drops. I could do with losing about 35lbs. I do exercise regularly (if moderately) but would like some extra help. I've read a lot about the weight loss jabs which at first I dismissed as gimmicky but it seems they really can work. Though reading Facebook groups, Reddit etc it seems that success is a bit patchy.

I wouldn't be eligible for NHS assistance, I don't think, so I'm looking at about £130-£150 a month. So before I shell out, I was just curious about whether the NSC hive mind has an opinion, preferably based on actual experience.

If I can say this as politely as possible, I'd really appreciate not being told to just eat less and exercise more. Been there, done that, with some success but not enough. Thank you.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I am a pharmacologist but have not been paying much attention to this. My impression is that there may be adverse effect risks....let me have a read and I'll get back to you. I could do with losing a bit of weight myself.....

OK, I see what these drugs do - mimic the body's 'I feel full' hormones.

Recommended use is presently cautious, with two years maximum use, and an expectation weight will increase when you stop taking the medication.

The wiki page lists lots of adverse effects.

Semaglutide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My take is there is no evidence that the benefits, when used purely to lower weight in otherwise healthy people, outweighs adverse effect risks. All the data we have so far is short term benefit in people quite unwell with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

I personally wouldn't touch these meds until there is good data from several thousand people taking the drugs for at least two years purely to lower weight.

If you consider that aspirin is a good drug for reducing the risk of a heart attack, and yet is prescribed for regular use only as secondary prevention (meaning prevention of a second heart attack in survivors of a first heart attack) because of side effects (increased risk of gastric bleeding) and aspirin has been with us more than 100 years, there is good reason to be cautious over these new meds.

So unless you have type 2 diabetes, and need some help with morbid obesity to lower a real risk of heart attack and stroke, I would avoid tapping up your GP.

And absolutely do not buy any of this stuff off the internet.

 

[Zeus]

They def make you lose weight but have heard the side effects are horrible.

 

[Weststander]

R4 and LBC pieces about this in recent weeks have been very positive, from experts, and from callers who’ve shed loads doing it. No horror stories. Aside from the story of these meds, weight loss is now known to reduce internal inflammation which causes a load of health issues as the years pass and also it’s a risk factor to certain cancers.

The only subjective criticism seemed to be “You don’t want to have to inject yourself forever, do you?” and “What happens when you stop”.

 

[Professor Plum]

I am a pharmacologist but have not been paying much attention to this. My impression is that there may be adverse effect risks....let me have a read and I'll get back to you. I could do with losing a bit of weight myself.....

Thanks. Some people do report side effects like nausea and constipation. Seems these aren't too bad for most people. A bit like Covid jabs, these things affect different people in diffferent ways. I wouldn't go to too much trouble researching this (though I appreciate the thought) as there's quite a lot of information already out there, both official and anecdotal.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Friend of mine is overweight and on Mounjaro, through the NHS. She also has type 2 diabetes but it's not well controlled, she still has hypos. It has supressed her appetite she says but this just means rather than eating a small healthy meal of protein veg and carbs she often just isn't hungry.... and then just has a starchy snack as a meal. Therefore, no surprise, she has lost fa weight. No offense to her but what a waste of NHS resources.

Recently read that Mounjaro is £200-300 per jab, once a week? (Was something like the Mirror or Sun online so not sure of accuracy).

If you have half decent willpower then maybe it could work for you. Best of luck.

 

[Bry Nylon]

They def make you lose weight but have heard the side effects are horrible.

Not unlike the teriyaki king prawn stir fry I made for myself last night then.

 

[Shaktarman]

I’m tempted too @Professor Plum - would like to try something like this for 6 months to a year then go alone and keep it off.

 

[The Clamp]

Eat less. Move more.

There are simply no short cuts for 99% of the population.

If this is costing people money I guarantee you it doesn’t work long term.


The weight loss industry is one of the few business models based on the fact the product doesn’t work.

 

[Weststander]

Thanks. Some people do report side effects like nausea and constipation. Seems these aren't too bad for most people. A bit like Covid jabs, these things affect different people in diffferent ways. I wouldn't go to too much trouble researching this (though I appreciate the thought) as there's quite a lot of information already out there, both official and anecdotal.

The constipation might be caused from simply eating far less, particularly the fibre element?

 

[Professor Plum]

R4 and LBC pieces about this in recent weeks have been very positive, from experts, and from callers who’ve shed loads doing it. No horror stories. Aside from the story of these meds, weight loss is now known to reduce internal inflammation which causes a load of health issues as the years pass and also it’s a risk factor to certain cancers.

The only subjective criticism seemed to be “You don’t want to have to inject yourself forever, do you?” and “What happens when you stop”.

Yes, one ot the fascinating aspects is that these drugs are now being linked to a range of other health benefits including lowering the risk of heart disease. I was reading an interesting thread on Reddit where dozens of commenters reported a loss of interest in drugs and alcohol, including previously heavy users. Others report a reduction in OCD and other obsessive / addictive behaviours. So for some people, possibly one drawback might be far fewer visits to NSC...

 

[Weststander]

Eat less. Move more.

There are simply no short cuts for 99% of the population.

If this is costing people money I guarantee you it doesn’t work long term.


The weight loss industry is one of the few business models based on the fact the product doesn’t work.

I think it boils down to eat less, especially carbs and sugars. Very hard to lose weight from exercise in itself.

You have to actually kind of fast, so long spells some experts suggest 14 hours of no calorific intake, preferably skipping food for an entire day a couple of times a week. Obviously if doctors are okay with that for the individual.

Giving that feeling of unaddressed hunger. But hard to do!

 

[Weststander]

Yes, one ot the fascinating aspects is that these drugs are now being linked to a range of other health benefits including lowering the risk of heart disease. I was reading an interesting thread on Reddit where dozens of commenters reported a loss of interest in drugs and alcohol, including previously heavy users. Others report a reduction in OCD and other obsessive / addictive behaviours. So for some people, possibly one drawback might be far fewer visits to NSC...

That’s exactly what got mentioned in a phone in with Shelagh Fogarty last week. The grazing habits of unnecessary eating, especially evenings.

 

[Bry Nylon]

The constipation might be caused from simply eating far less, particularly the fibre element?

A leading scientist who’s trialled the jabs says he doesn’t yet know what causes the constipation but he’s busy working it out with a pencil and paper.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Eat less. Move more.

There are simply no short cuts for 99% of the population.

If this is costing people money I guarantee you it doesn’t work long term.


The weight loss industry is one of the few business models based on the fact the product doesn’t work.

This was what I would have written before doing my research.

 

[Professor Plum]

Friend of mine is overweight and on Mounjaro, through the NHS. She also has type 2 diabetes but it's not well controlled, she still has hypos. It has supressed her appetite she says but this just means rather than eating a small healthy meal of protein veg and carbs she often just isn't hungry.... and then just has a starchy snack as a meal. Therefore, no surprise, she has lost fa weight. No offense to her but what a waste of NHS resources.

Recently read that Mounjaro is £200-300 per jab, once a week? (Was something like the Mirror or Sun online so not sure of accuracy).

If you have half decent willpower then maybe it could work for you. Best of luck.

Thanks.

Mounjaro is once a week, and costs about £130 for a 4-week supply.

Re your friend's behaviour, the important thing about the jabs is that they're not a panacea. I've read the NHS info, and without doubt you have to approach these things sensibly. You have to eat, and eat healthily. Which isn't what your friend is doing, it seems. For most people, the drug reduces the desire to eat large meals. But to binge on crap is not the idea!

 

[The Clamp]

I think it boils down to eat less, especially carbs and sugars. Very hard to lose weight from exercise in itself.

You have to actually kind of fast, so long spells some experts suggest 14 hours of no calorific intake, preferably skipping food for an entire day a couple of times a week. Obviously if doctors are okay with that for the individual.

Giving that feeling of unaddressed hunger. But hard to do!

Yes, I’ve read about the starvation theories.

I don’t buy them. Purely because it’s not sustainable.


Diet is important. Cut out processed crap. Refined sugars. Eat more fibre. Limit your meat intake. Get calories from real food. Eat a fair bit of fruit and a lot of veg.

Treat yourself now and again.

Stay mobile.

Approx 75-80% of older people in care homes are there for no other reason than they have limited mobility. Can’t get out of bed or a chair unassisted.

Any weight loss will result in lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and a healthier heart.

It’s unlikely to be the drugs that are doing that , it’s a natural result of weight loss. Arguably, that’s down to the drug. But you’ll get those benefits with natural weight loss. And it’ll be healthier.


Look, if these meds work and somebody needs to clinically reduce BP or cholesterol then okay, I get it. But I don’t think it’s sustainable. Quick fixes don’t last long.

 

[Professor Plum]

The constipation might be caused from simply eating far less, particularly the fibre element?

It might I guess, yes, but eating plenty of fibre is part of the NHS recommendations for using weight loss / T2 Diabetes drugs.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I know there's a general weight loss thread somewhere but I'm particularly interested in whether anyone has had experience of weight loss jabs like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy etc?

My wife's sister started using Mounjaro about a month ago and says it's done her a lot of good by reducing her appetite. She's lost about 10ibs in a month. I've struggled with my weight for decades. It's not a critical problem but now that I'm into my late 60s I'm much more conscious of the health risks. I've tried all the usual diets/eating regimes and they always work for a while then tail off and my motivation drops. I could do with losing about 35lbs. I do exercise regularly (if moderately) but would like some extra help. I've read a lot about the weight loss jabs which at first I dismissed as gimmicky but it seems they really can work. Though reading Facebook groups, Reddit etc it seems that success is a bit patchy.

I wouldn't be eligible for NHS assistance, I don't think, so I'm looking at about £130-£150 a month. So before I shell out, I was just curious about whether the NSC hive mind has an opinion, preferably based on actual experience.

If I can say this as politely as possible, I'd really appreciate not being told to just eat less and exercise more. Been there, done that, with some success but not enough. Thank you.

I'm on Trulicity and started before on Ozempic. There was definitely a loss of about 20 lbs at first due to a change in appetite and physical workouts at the gym. One thing I think I was susceptible to was binge eating due to habits of eating at certain events like sporting events or special TV programmes. You must learn to realize you eat out of habit.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Thanks. Some people do report side effects like nausea and constipation. Seems these aren't too bad for most people. A bit like Covid jabs, these things affect different people in diffferent ways. I wouldn't go to too much trouble researching this (though I appreciate the thought) as there's quite a lot of information already out there, both official and anecdotal.

I have added my comments to my reply above. It may seem like it was a 'five minute job'. but there is a method of looking at this sort of shite (sorry, data), and an absence of long term studies in the relevant patient population, together with a great list of warnings that make sense, are enough of a smoking gun for me. Best of luck with conventional weight loss