A few years ago I wrote about a “miracle cure” for obesity that a dear friend had discovered. This woman had struggled with her weight her entire adult life and had tried every diet to no avail. Now, in the course of a year, she had lost almost 40 pounds. The name of that life-changing drug? Ozempic (semaglutide).
Now Ozempic is hot on the heels of a similar drug, tirzepatide, produced by Prozac’s inventor, Eli Lilly. Sold under the name Mounjaro, it works on two appetite-regulating hormones instead of just one (as Ozempic does), and is quickly gaining popularity in the UK.
Now, I may be a wise old woman at 59, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get worked up when my waistband suddenly starts to feel a little tighter or my jeans suddenly seem to have “shrunk in the wash.” And if you’re postmenopausal like me, keeping those pesky pounds under control can be nearly impossible.
I may be a wise old woman at 59, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry when my waistband suddenly starts to feel a little tight, says anonymous writer
I am not overweight (my weight before I tried the drug was 125lbs – just under 9 stone) but I come from a greedy background. I would like to be the type of person who could eat just one square of chocolate or one bite of dessert, but I am not. If something tastes good, why wouldn’t you want to keep eating it forever, as my inner labrador will always reason. It’s a constant battle and 70% of the time I win, but lately, for whatever reason, not so much.
And so I decide to try Mounjaro for a week.
On Monday morning, Royal Mail delivers a small parcel to my door. Four mini-syringes of the lowest dosage (2.5mg) – it costs £250 for a month’s supply – nestled in what looks like an expensive chocolate box, which is good because I’m too scared to tell my partner yet. In the meantime, I can’t wait for him to move out so I can inject.
The nice doctor I used (because so many other people I know use him) prescribed it to me over Zoom. He has no problem with the other medications I am on, nor with the fact that I am not overweight.
Many of his patients, he says, want to use it for a short period of time, just to lose a few pounds. What exactly the drug is supposed to do not used according to National Medical Director of NHS England Professor Steven Powis, but I am only doing this as a week-long experiment. The doctor gives me his personal number in case I have any problems.
After the first meal I eat – my usual two slices of toast and marmite for breakfast – I feel the effects almost immediately. Normally it’s never enough and I find myself sneaking in an extra slice or two in the afternoon. But this time I feel like I’ve just had a whole Christmas lunch. So full that I feel a little queasy, but the nausea soon passes and I don’t think about eating again (a miracle for me, considering there’s a plate of brownies on the counter) until about 5pm.
The writer was prescribed a diet shot from Mounjaro via Zoom. The online doctor has no problem with the other medications I am taking, nor with the fact that I am not overweight, she writes
Since we’re going out for dinner tonight, I decide to eat something beforehand. There’s no time to cook, so I have poached eggs on toast and I wish I’d skipped the toast. Bread, the foundation of my life, now feels like a leaden weight in my stomach. When we get back, the only thing I can eat before Love Island is ice cream. Another miracle for someone who can’t watch TV without getting up to rummage in the fridge as soon as the ads start.
I have a friend who was on Ozempic for three weeks and had to stop. She felt so down. My mood, however, if you take away the slight fatigue, is mildly uplifted. I feel lighter not only physically but also psychologically. It is very liberating not to have to constantly think about the next meal.
By the end of the week I’ve lost a kilo (a little over two pounds) and my jeans are wonderfully loose. Apart from feeling nauseous the first two days (a bit like morning sickness) I’ve had no other side effects. What’s interesting is how my love of carbs has diminished and I’m craving protein. Lean roast beef. Grilled white fish. Smoked salmon. Scrambled eggs. Nuts.
That’s lucky for me because protein builds muscle and one of the BIG downsides of these drugs is muscle loss (especially in older people like me). According to the online doctor I’ve started weight training to build more muscle. It’s harder at my age but I find myself really wanting to put some extra effort into it. It’s a bit of a thrill if I’m honest, this new feeling of eating to live instead of living to eat.
Mounjaro actually made me to elect grilled fish and broad beans over a packet of boiled sweets and a bagel. This could be because the medication slows down the rate at which my stomach empties and these foods are sitting in my stomach for too long. It could also be because carbohydrates have a big impact on blood sugar levels and the ‘carb load’ now feels uncomfortable.
I end up doing it for two weeks and notice that I’ve lost another two kilos. I don’t need to lose any more weight, so I keep the remaining two syringes as a backup for emergencies.
Did I get my appetite back? Yes, I’m afraid so, but maybe not quite with the vengeance I had before. It definitely gave me the reset I wanted. And it took away the fear I had that once you hit 60, you have no control over your weight and you might as well stop.
It’s the obsessiveness, more than the actual eating of the damn food, that I find so damaging. Who knows? If I’d had all that extra headspace (from not thinking about food) when I was younger, I might be prime minister now.
Dr. Ellie Cannon says:
There is no such thing as a ‘miracle cure’ and I am very concerned that Mounjaro is being perceived in this way.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, says GP Ellie Cannon
This drug does exactly the same thing as Ozempic: it makes our body think we are not hungry and it reduces the amount of sugar in the body. It is designed for diabetes and works very well for it.
In June 2024, health watchdog NICE approved the use of Mounajro for weight loss if someone has a BMI of over 35 and therefore a health condition, such as high blood pressure. It should definitely not be used by anyone looking to shed a few holiday pounds.
In addition, all medications come with risks and side effects. We know that these medications cause many stomach problems, such as nausea, diarrhea, and pain, not to mention headaches and dizziness.
The rapid weight loss also results in sagging skin problems: something the NHS and private providers are already being asked about. Not only is it medically inappropriate to use Mounjaro for a bikini body, but because the drug is in short supply it is unfair if people who need it for diabetes can’t get it.
