A couple of years ago, I wrote about a “miracle” anti-obesity injection that a dear friend of mine had discovered. This woman had struggled with her weight all her adult life and had tried every diet without success; now, over the course of a year, she had lost almost 30 pounds. The name of this life-changing drug? Ozempic (semaglutide).
Now hot on the heels of Ozempic is a similar drug, tirzepatide, made by Eli Lilly, the company behind Prozac. It is sold under the name Mounjaro and acts on two appetite-regulating hormones rather than just one (as Ozempic does). It is rapidly gaining popularity in the UK.
I may be a wise old lady at 59, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get annoyed when my waistline suddenly starts to feel a little tight or my jeans seem to have suddenly “shrunken” in the wash. And if, like me, you’re post-menopausal, it can be nearly impossible to keep those pesky pounds at bay.
I may be a wise old lady at 59, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get annoyed when my waistline suddenly starts to feel a little tight, says anonymous writer
I’m not overweight (I was 120 pounds before trying the drug, just under 100 pounds), but I am of gluttonous descent. I’d love to be the kind of person who could eat just one chocolate bar or one bite of dessert, but I’m 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 percent of the time I win, but lately, for whatever reason, not so much.
And that’s how I decide to try Mounjaro for a week.
On Monday morning, Royal Mail delivers a small package to my doorstep. It’s four mini-syringes of the lowest dose (2.5mg) (costing £250 for a month’s supply) inside what looks like an expensive box of chocolates – a good thing because I haven’t yet got around to telling my partner. In the meantime, I can’t wait for him to get out of the house so I can inject myself.
The good doctor I used (because many other people I know use it) prescribed it to me over Zoom. He has no issues with any of the other medications I take or the fact that I am not overweight.
Many of his patients, he says, want to use it short-term for just a few pounds. Exactly what the drug is supposed to do No According to NHS England’s national medical director, Professor Steven Powis, I’ll be using it only as a one-week experiment. The doctor gives me his personal number in case I have any problems.
After the first meal I eat (my two slices of toast and Marmite for breakfast), I feel its effect almost immediately. Normally, it’s never enough and by midday I find myself eating one or two more slices. But this time, I feel like I’ve eaten an entire Christmas lunch. I’m so full I feel a little dizzy, but the nausea soon subsides and I don’t think about eating again (a miracle for me, given that there’s a plate of brownies on the counter) until about 5pm.
The author was prescribed the Mounjaro weight loss vaccine via Zoom. The online doctor has no problem with any of the other medications I take, or the fact that I am not overweight, he writes.
Since we’re going out tonight, I decide to eat something first. I don’t have time to cook, so I make some poached eggs on toast and regret not eating it. Bread, the mainstay of my life, now feels like a lead weight in my stomach. When we get back, the only thing I can eat in front of Love Island is ice cream. Again, a miracle for someone who can’t watch TV without getting up to look in the fridge as soon as the adverts start.
I have a friend who took Ozempic for three weeks and had to stop taking it because she felt terribly depressed. However, my mood, if you remove the slight fatigue, is one of mild euphoria. I don’t just feel physically, but also psychologically lighter. It’s very liberating not to be constantly thinking about the next meal.
By the end of the week, I’ve lost a kilo (just over two pounds) and my jeans fit pleasantly loose. Apart from nausea for the first two days (a bit like morning sickness), I’ve had no other side effects. What’s interesting is that my love of carbs has diminished and I crave protein. Lean roast beef. Grilled white fish. Smoked salmon. Scrambled eggs. Nuts.
This is lucky for me because protein builds muscle and one of the BIG downsides to these drugs is muscle loss (especially in older people like me). According to the online doctor, I have started weight training to build even more muscle. It’s harder at my age, but I find myself wanting to push myself a little harder. To be honest, this new feeling of eating to live instead of living to eat is kind of exciting.
Mounjaro has really made me choose grilled fish and beans over a packet of boiled sweets and a bagel. This may be because the medication slows down the rate at which my stomach empties and these foods sit in my stomach too long. It may also be because carbohydrates have a big impact on blood sugar levels and the carbohydrate “loading” now feels uncomfortable.
I end up doing two weeks and find that I’ve lost two more pounds. I don’t need to lose any more, so I keep the remaining two syringes as emergency spares.
Did I get my appetite back? Yes, I’m afraid so, although maybe not as strongly as before. It definitely gave me the reset I wanted and eliminated the fear I had that once you hit 60 you have no control over your weight so you might as well just give up.
What I find so pernicious is the obsession, rather than the act of eating the damn food. Who knows? If I had had all this extra mental space (because I wasn’t thinking about food) when I was younger, maybe I’d be Prime Minister now.
Dr. Ellie Cannon says:
There is no “miracle” drug and I am very concerned that this is how Mounjaro is perceived.
According to family physician Dr. Ellie Cannon, there are no miracle drugs
This drug does exactly the same thing as Ozempic: it tricks our body into thinking we are not hungry, while at the same time reducing the amount of sugar in the body. It was designed for diabetes and works very well in this type of case.
In June 2024, health watchdog NICE approved the use of Mounajro for weight loss if someone has a BMI over 35 and a health condition as a result, such as high blood pressure. It should not be used at all if someone wants to shed a few extra pounds over the holidays.
In addition, all medications carry risks and side effects. We know that these medications cause many stomach problems, such as nausea, diarrhea and pain, as well as headaches and dizziness.
Rapid weight loss also leads to problems with sagging skin, something the NHS and private providers are already being asked about. Not only is it medically unsuitable to use Mounjaro to achieve a bikini figure, but as the drug is in short supply it is unfair that people who need it for diabetes cannot get it.