My Mounjaro Journey Week 31 - Mounjaro's Bitter End

Hello

I’m not very happy at all. After confidently telling you that my Mounjaro medication was protected by my 12-month contract with SheMed, it turns out that it isn’t. I can continue, but the cost will increase from £99 to £279 every four weeks. They’re offering everyone the option of switching to Wegovy instead, and I think that’s what I’m going to have to do. I could afford the increase, but I just can’t justify it when there’s a cheaper alternative.

What this means is that my Mounjaro journey will be over in four weeks’ time, so I’ll either have to change the name of my blog or bring it to a close and start a new one.

As you can imagine, lots of people are feeling anxious about switching to Wegovy because it doesn’t work in quite the same way as Mounjaro. Both are GLP-1 receptor agonists—a molecule that binds to a receptor and activates it, triggering a biological response—but Mounjaro mimics two hormones: GLP-1 and GIP.

GLP-1 is released after you eat and sends a signal to your brain that you’re full. It slows down the emptying of your stomach and reduces blood sugar levels by improving how your body produces insulin. Mounjaro and Wegovy mimic these actions by tricking your brain into thinking you’re full. They also slow digestion, so food takes longer to leave your stomach. However, the GIP in Mounjaro targets metabolism, which can reduce the amount of fat your body stores—and this appears to be why it’s more effective.

The upshot is that Wegovy offers the same benefit of reducing appetite and calorie intake, so I shouldn’t feel much different when I switch. But I may struggle to burn as much fat, which could mean slower weight loss. One advantage Wegovy has over Mounjaro, though, is that it lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. As someone with a family history of heart disease, that’s good news.

As you know, I’ve increased the amount of exercise I do, but it’s mainly walking and cycling. I’ve got some wrist and ankle weights, but I regularly forget to put them on. However, if I’m no longer going to be able to rely on Mounjaro to burn fat, I’m going to have to up my game. During lockdown, I did PE with Joe (Google it) every weekday with my grandkids. It was a great way to stay in touch via Zoom and get regular exercise. The videos are still available on YouTube, so I’m going to start doing them again first thing in the morning before I shower.

I’ve got to admit, I feel really let down—but there’s no point dwelling on it. What’s done is done. I’ll make a point of never buying anything from Eli Lilly again—unless my life depends on it, of course! It almost feels like they’ve waited until people are dependent and then hiked the price (yes, I watched Dopesick), and there will be people who’ll pay for it no matter what.

We’re lucky to have Wegovy as a fallback option. Imagine if Mounjaro were the only game in town—we’d all be buggered, forced to cut back to pay for it or go without. It would be devastating to spend six, seven or eight months finally losing the weight you’ve struggled with your whole life, only to have it snatched away.

If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. But I’ll get over it.

I feel like all I’ve talked about or read about lately is the Mounjaro saga, but I have had other things going on. I went to Arundel for my anniversary, which was lovely. We had lunch on the River Arun and a beautiful walk. We mooched around the antiques shops and wandered through the castle. If you’ve never been, you should go.

We also went to Southsea at the weekend to see the Victorious Festival stage. The sun was shining and everyone was having a lovely time. We walked along the promenade, had a drink on the pier and paddled in the sea. The best part of all this is that I can walk all day without getting back ache or aching ankles. I'm loving being thinner.

Weight  - 12st 7.5lb 
Mounjaro dose - 7.5mg
BMI - 33.2
Total loss - 3 stone 7.5lbs

I only lost half a pound this week but a loss is a loss. I've been given 7.5mg again because SheMed couldn't get the stock they needed but it's still working for me and it'll be my last lot of Mounjaro. I need to focus and lose the optimum amount while it lasts.

Hopefully, I'll be happier next week.

Bye all x

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