Weight-loss drug Mounjaro ‘changed my life,’ says mother-of-two

weight loss drugs Munjaro will be rolled out on the NHS I will be going to England in March.

It is one of the many weight loss drugs that have become increasingly popular in recent years and is sold privately by clinics and pharmacies.

BBC News asked people who have already paid for access to Munjaro, or who would like to access it through the NHS, what they thought of the announcement.

Alix Harvey, 35, a marine biologist from Plymouth, welcomed the move to increase access to the weight loss drug.

She started taking Munjaro in May after struggling with weight gain after giving birth to her two children.

“I’ve reached the point where I’m going to be morbidly obese by the time I’m in my late 30s if I continue like this,” she said.

Over the past six months, her body mass index (BMI) has dropped from 32 to 22 and she has lost 25% of her weight.

According to the NHS, people with a BMI of 25 or above are in the overweight range, while people with a BMI of 30 or above are classified as obese.

“My life has changed…my attitude towards food has completely changed,” she said, adding that she also felt motivated to go to the gym and start lifting weights.

Munjaro said she initially struggled to eat more than 1,000 calories because it acts as an appetite suppressant, but the effects “diminished” and her appetite increased again.

Mr Harvey, who spends around £170 a month on the drug, said he was planning to stop taking it after saving the same amount by buying less food and drink.

NICE guidelines state that Munjaro is offered to people with a BMI of 35 or above and at least one obesity-related health problem, making her ineligible to receive the drug.

But she believes the rollout should be gradual to ensure support is provided alongside taking the medication. If the drug is stopped, there is a risk that the user will regain the weight.

“It’s not a quick fix,” she said. “It’s very important to have a maintenance plan in place afterwards to help maintain your weight.”

Jane Graham, a cardiac physiologist from York, said she was hoping to lose two stone (12.7kg) after receiving weight loss support through the NHS.

The 60-year-old man had a heart attack nine years ago, and in addition to being at high risk for further heart attacks, he is also pre-diabetic.

“I don’t have any fat arms or legs, just my midsection. That’s the risk.” [for heart-related health issues] “That’s a lie,” she said. “My waist is 42 inches” [106cm] But I weigh 12 stone [76.2kg] And you can’t take it off. ”

Graham said she had “tried everything” to lose weight, including going on a 5:2 calorie restriction diet and reading nutrition books “until I was blue in the face”.

“I’ve been trying for so long that the fight has gone away from me,” she said, but added that she was “worried” that her health problems would get worse.

She would like to try Munjaro, but due to pre-existing health problems, she would like to be supervised by a doctor as part of the NHS programme.

“I’d be happy to pay for supervision, but I can’t do that. It’s one or the other,” she said.

She was very disappointed to find out that because her BMI is 30, she is not eligible to use the drug under NICE guidelines.

And even if she met the catchment criteria, Ms Graham was concerned about potential wait times to access Munjaro.

“By the time I wait 12 years…I’ll be 72 and everything that’s going to happen to me will have happened. It’ll be too late.”

NICE has given the NHS more than a decade to introduce the drug over concerns it could overwhelm the service.

Professor Jonathan Wenger, NICE’s chief medical officer, admitted this meant “many people will have to wait”.

But he added: “We have had to take this difficult decision to protect vital NHS services and to test how we can deliver this new generation of weight loss medicines.”

Paul and his wife, who did not want to give their last name, have been taking Munjaro, which they bought from a private online clinic, for the past few months.

“My wife and I don’t drink or smoke, but we like to eat and we were both very fat,” he said.

His wife has lost five stone (31.7kg) since starting the regimen in July, and Paul said he has also lost weight since starting in October.

Paul, who weighed 20 stone (127kg) at his heaviest, said he had “tried everything” to lose weight.

“But I found that I was having trouble losing weight. I was depressed,” he said.

After consulting with his doctor, he decided to try Munjaro after hearing about the success stories.

Paul says the medication has helped him get rid of the “food voice” that makes him feel hungry all the time.

His wife pays £180 a month for private prescriptions and he uses some of her medication, but as he has lost weight and requires less of her medication, he has This is because they cannot afford to buy their own medicine.

Paul is not asking for advice about sharing prescription drugs, which is potentially dangerous and not recommended.

Mr Paul said it would be great if the NHS could provide it, but for some people waiting 12 years was “too long”.

He accepts that it is dangerous to take anything that is not specifically prescribed and that he has experienced minor side effects.

“That’s a bit of a stretch. At some point I’ll go back to my GP for a general check-up and tell them I’m being treated,” he added.