Mounjaro reviews

Mounjaro acts on two different hormone receptors called GIP and GLP-1. By activating these in the body, it increases the amount of insulin you produce, increases your body's sensitivity to insulin and slows down how quickly food leaves the stomach. This makes you feel fuller and causes weight loss.

Adults over 18 with a BMI over 30 (obesity). Or a BMI over 27 (overweight) with a weight-related health condition like prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or sleep apnoea. It must be combined with lifestyle changes like diet and physical activity. You can not use Mounjaro if you are pregnant or breastfeeding (as there is no current research), have diabetic retinopathy or if you are over the age of 85.

Mounjaro is prescribed for weight loss by specialist weight loss clinics and some GPs. The usual NHS crtieria to be referred to a weight loss clinic are a BMI over 35 or over 32.5 if you're Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean. OR a BMI over 30 or over 27.5 if you're of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean origin, and you have a weight related health condition. To access Mounjaro from your GP, currently the criteria is very strict and you must have a BMI over 40 and four weight related conditions. Weight related health conditions include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease, and some areas may include severe asthma, PCOS and other conditions in their criteria. To be eligible for Mounjaro, you usually must have engaged with a local weight loss programme encouraging healthy eating and exercise and should continue this while using Mounjaro.

The private cost of Mounjaro has recently increased to between £200 to £300 per month.

In clinical trials, people using Mounjaro at the higher doses lost an average of 22.5% of their body weight in 18 months.

Mounjaro is designed to help you lose weight and is very effective

As you lose wieght using Mounjaro, you can lose belly fat. But it is important to also increase exercise and strength training to help lose belly fat and develop strong abdominal muscles.

How you feel on Mounjaro is individual. Some people feel worse due to side effects, whereas other people feel much better due to the benefits of weight loss for their overall health or medical conditions.

There is no specific way to stop Mounjaro, it is what works for you. Some people reduce the dose slowly, others stop it immediately. However, when you do stop, make sure you continue healthy eating habits and exercise to prevent regaining weight.

If you stop taking Mounjaro, the effects will wear off so you may feel more hungry or interested in food again. This is why it is so important to change your habits while using the medication. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, including strength training, while using Mounjaro and after you stop it will help maintain your weight.

In clinical trials, people who stopped Mounjaro regained 14% of their body weight over a year, although not all the weight lost was regained.

It is expected that you will lose your appetite in the first couple of weeks after starting Mounjaro. Over the first month you are expected to notice a small amount of weight loss, with more obvious results coming over two to three months. Most weigh loss occurs over 6 to 12 months.

Mounjaro is known to cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea alongside reducing appetite. This can lead to dehydration and kidney failure which is why it's so important to drink plenty of water while using the medication. Mounjaro can also increase the risk of gallstones and pancreatitis, which can be very serious. If you are diabetic and use Mounjaro, you may be at risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) and worsneing of diabetic retinopathy (an eye condition associated with diabetes). Mounjaro increases the risk of aspiration (where stomach contents go into the lungs) during a general anaesthetic. Finally, in rat studies on GLP-1 medications, there was an increased risk of thyroid cancer in rats, although this hasn't been observed in humans.

If you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea as side effects with Mounjaro, this can cause dehydration. If you have these symptoms and feel weak, thirsty or are passing little urine, seek medical advice. Abdominal pain can be caused by gallstones or pancreatitis which are risks associated with Mounjaro and you should see a doctor with these symptoms. Some people experience mood change with Mounjaro, so please speak to someone if you feel low. The Samaritans are available 24/7 365 days a year on 116 123 or call NHS 111, choosing option 2.

As Mounjaro is a fairly new drug, there is limited research on the long-term effects. As it is a new drug, it is still being monitored for safety, and any issue will be flagged up by health safety authorities.