Now I understand that people may not want to answer this but if you do I’d value your input.
I’m taking mtx and Benepali and wondered how Ozempic effects someone taking similar. There are no contraindications apparently so it’s safe to go but I’d like to know the realities of it in practice as I’m considering trying it.
Thank you!
I’ve not used it, although my husband is on the Mounjaro one for his diabetes. I would say if considering it, I’d take it 3-4 days after the mtx. It can cause loose stools, or delay transit, which either could affect absorption of your meds.
It’s also been found to have a mild anti-inflammatory effect, and some studies have found RA patients being able to reduce their meds. My only advice would be to inform your gp and rheumatologist, if your purchasing this online, so that you are still being monitored. My husband lost a lot of weight initially, but a few months in the suppressed appetite only lasted a couple of days. Now his weight has stabilised, but his blood sugars have reduced considerably.
Thanks so much for your reply. This is really helpful and has helped form my opinion. What’s the worst that can happen 😁. Yes, I’ll be purchasing it online. I’ll email my GP to let her know and leave a message for the rheumatologist to see if they have any negatives. Thank you!
My GP and I had a discussion so agreed weight loss program for 3months (doing intermittent fasting) and lost weight BUT if I complete the training and some weight loss he will discuss with me The best suited one based on all medications.
So I would say talk to GP so they can give input pre buying or might offer it as well. I presume depends on the surgery.
Yes, they don't offer it here on the NHS. I've done intermittent fasting for two years. Nothing *sigh*
Take a look at this book. I developed steroid induced T2diabetes way back when I was first diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis in 2014/15.
I definitely did not want the palaver of taking drugs for diabetes and fortunately I discovered and bought this amazing book worldofbooks.com/en-gb/prod...
I did exactly what Dr Cavan said to do. I bought a code free a blood glucose meter from Amazon, made myself a spreadsheet and tested my blood before and at least ninety minutes after everything I ate until I worked out what foods spiked my blood sugar.
Once I knew what those foods were I cut them out of my diet - there were loads of healthy foods that didn’t so my diet was in no way limited and I ate a lot but just differently and the weight just fell off.
So if you change your mind about wegovy etc then it would be worth giving this totally drug free method a try.
Thank you. I've tried Dr Mosley blood sugar diet. Lost about an ounce 😂😂😂. It's so frustrating
No, this is completely different from Dr M’s blood sugar diet. I is important to test your blood sugar after every meal and record it. By doing that you can tell the foods that spike your blood sugar in my case it is anything grain based - I eat gluten free and even gluten free does it, I have found that veg that grows under ground spikes my blood sugar- a nice healthy jacket potato and salad spikes it too as does what I thought was nice healthy parsnip soup - yet a home made meringue with cream was ok. It lets you really pinpoint the foods that aren’t best for you.
When I was first diagnosed I was given a lst of things to avoid - like no more than one banana a day 🤔 and avoid pineapple! Useless advice and I was wondering how I would know if I was making any progress when I came across my wonderful book which answered my question - I needed to test to know what didn’t suit my body. Actually it’s carbs and although I still have carbs I get them from better sources
It was quite intense to do at the start but for me it is something that really works and I’ve done most diets in the past. As my son once commented ‘Why do you pay £5 a week for the ritual humiliation of a slimming club’.
I've been tested for diabetes and I'm not diabetic or pre diabetic. About the only thing I am negative for 😂😂
No, the steroid induced T2 went after I started to watch what I ate thank goodness. Testing after meals just showed up what foods affected my blood sugars and the extra glucose in my case was and still is presumably stored as fat.
It was only a suggestion that I thought might be worth trying instead of the cost and having to inject. I .
On the other hand people who are diabetic actually have it prescribed for them to help them lose weight so good luck with it.
At this stage I’m open to trying anything. It’s funny as I’m pretty good with willpower. Unless it’s biscuits, and cheese, and chocolate, and almond croissants 😂😂😂. I think paying for it may focus my mind 👌🏼👌🏼
Oh tell me, my mouth is watering at the thought of almond croissants and chocolate, I do love chocolate and fortunately being GF saves me from the croissants, pains au raisin, crispy, crunchy French sticks and big, fluffy, gorgeous garden centre fruit scones.
Many years ago I remember a friend of my mother’s - no doubt from her slimming club days - it’s been a family tradition for years although I don't do slimming clubs now - anyway, this lady used to joke that she always thought Will Power was a fellow. Whoever he is I’m not sure he’s a friend of mine 🤣
Oh heck. You mentioned scones 😂😂
🤣🤣
Take a look at the Zoe app, created by science, I have used it to increase my gut health, but it tells you all the foods that are good for you/ bad for you and you use the app I’m each day to monitor your nutrition. It’s been a complete game changer for my partner and I in terms of bloating/ low energy. Niether of us used it for weight loss but I think you would inevitably lose weight by following it.
Done all of that. Nothing
The worst side effect of semaglutides etc is that when you mention you are taking them, or even thinking of taking them, someone will chime in with a "simple" alternative as if you haven't thought to try everything else and this isn't a last resort. It's like when you mention you have chronic insomnia. "Have you tried..." "YES I BLOODY HAVE".
I decided on Mounjaro with SheMed. Eeek! Let's see what happens now 🤞🤞🤞🤞
Can you let us all know how it goes with shemed? I’m considering this as like you have tried everything and lost very little - especially now I’m in my 50s! Everyone I’ve mentioned the injections to are shocked but I’m desperate - and my weight is causing me pain. Best of luck to you. 🤞🏻 for no side effects x
Me too. I have bone on bone on one knee and other ankle. I’ll try anything at this point. Did consider a gastric bypass too but I’m a bit of a coward 😂.
I had a knee replacement 11 weeks ago so totally remember that bone on bone pain! I’d like to get a bit of weight off to help my recovery as I feel I’m at the point it’s hindering it. Do what you can weight wise before resorting to this - it’s a big op and far far harder than I expected (and I’ve had a pretty normal recovery).
You will encounter a lot of negativity from people who have no experience of these drugs. They cite the horror stories and emphasise the side effects. Like you say, you are desperate and you've tried everything else, and there is this potential solution that's safe and effective. Why would anyone with your best interests at heart be against that? I think there is a little resentment that it seems too "easy". So what if was, anyway? Why struggle when you don't have to?
I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a teen - it’s obvious it hasn’t worked. Diets have just left me with disordered eating patterns. I do not over eat, I mostly eat healthy - I just can’t move enough. I look forward to seeing how you go x
It’s so hard. I was always so active but then the arthritis and then perimenopause conspired against me despite eating the right things. I just ate too much and moved too little. A lot of people say the cost of the medication is outweighed by what they save in takeaways but I never ate takeaways!
I started with a BMI of 31 and I’ve lost 9kg since November - nearly half of that was in the first month.
The weight loss has been very slow this month but before Mounjaro I was gaining weight, so a 200g loss this week is better than it seems. I also haven’t titrated up dosage as quickly as I could, as I wanted to minimise side effects. So I’m still on 5mg, when I could be starting 10mg by now.
Exactly this with the arthritis and perimenopause ! Well done on your loss.
Thank you! Life's too short to keep doing the same thing pointlessly. When there's another way.
I’ve recently had a conversation with my gp about my inflammatory arthritis and other autoimmune things, now I hear I’m starting to have furred up arteries. She’s going through the list - smoke - no - drink - no - overweight - yes a bit. Do now she’s got something to push me to do to look after my own health, I don’t eat badly and have been this weight a long time after initially losing some. Why are people like me who would benefit so much from wegovy etc excluded? It could potentially save the nhs loads. I’m interested to hear how you get on. If looking after myself means using weight loss drugs then why not? I don’t think about food a lot though and don’t really eat that much. So I don’t know if it would help.
Is Shemed a recognised pharmacy, and approved , I was going with Asda as it’s an approved pharmacy but they are more expensive than Shemed but I was a bit nervous to use them as only just heard of them this week
They’re attached to a registered pharmacist, yes
Ah, I remember you saying that before mros - believe me my alternative certainly isn’t *simple*, it’s a lot of consistent hard work compared to semaglutides. I’d just rather try to use as little medication as I can - side effects or not and I think anything that can do what they do must be very powerful medication.
As for semaglutides I noticed two articles about them in a paper yesterday - one was saying how dreadful the side effects etc were and the other said how absolutely wonderful they were - both in the same newspaper which seemed quite funny really.
It’s something you have to make your own mind up about but what I thought was interesting was a comment from someone who said that she no longer even thinks about food. Now that is quite something. 😊
Not those ones but I've been on Mounjaro since November.
Happy to answer any questions but, in brief, I have pretty much nothing but positive things to say about it.
I'm on Secukinumab (an IL-17i biologic) and 12.5mg methotrexate.
Thank you so much - a friend just mentioned Mounjaro and it was the first I'd heard of it. Thank you for answering me - I appreciate it. I need to do something so let's give this a shot!
Good luck!
Hi did the Mounjaro make you feel sick , it’s the only thing I fear about it , also is it a pen type where you don’t see the needle ?
Don’t know yet. Haven’t received the first ones as they ask you to return a blood test first
Hi. I had nausea for a day or two when I started and then again for a day when I moved up a dose. But nothing now.
It isn’t a pen but the needle is tiny.
Really hope it works for you. I've struggled with my weight all my life. Luckily/ unluckily I've been unwell with the RA since before Christmas and it actually has suppressed my appetite and I've lost a bit of wt recently. Will see if it goes back on or not.
Me too. I went from super skinny in my twenties and six feet tall, even did some modelling. To putting on weight non stop seemingly without any reason. Then gave in and thought stuff it. I’ll just eat everything under the sun as it makes zero difference anyway. Probably wasn’t the best road.
I wasn't even skinny when I was young and I'm short. 🙈😂 But I swim 1.5k three times a week so I'm not completely unfit nowadays.
hey. I’m in a similar position at the moment. I’ve been considering Mounjaro. My weight has been up and down all my life and at the moment I have no control over it due to constant infections/pneumonia and being immobile. As soon as I gain weight my joints hurt more, it’s harder to breathe and I’m very uncomfortable. I’m really fed up with it now and impulsively bought the medication.
I took the plunge and bought it but I sissied out and haven’t used it. I had read some woman died after two injections and it’s scared me half to death. Just that one negative has really worried me, even though I’ve read countless of positives.
At the moment I’m on my fourth lot of antibiotics for 10 more days. Then I can try get back on my methotrexate (been off it since October and struggling). Once I’m healthier and back on the methotrexate and I’m more stable I’m going to consider taking the Mounjaro. Until then I’m trying to follow other people/conversations to give me more confidence using it.
I’m sorry to hear this. We always hear about negatives around anything because it’s so rare. I imagine it was a complete coincidence with somethings else that affected them but I understand it can make you feel fearful. If it’s something you want to do, I hope you can overcome your fear. Hope the antibiotics sort you out too. I seem to have an almost constant infection and they’re so annoying aren’t they 🥰🥰🥰
Thankyou. You’re probably right with her having some other health issues. But it’s scared me now I have 3 young children and don’t want to make a bad decision.
I wish you all the luck with the jabs, keep us updated. Hopefully I’ll find the confidence to take it soon too x
Hi I'm on semeglutide weightless medication I'm also on ramapril atrovastatin asprin isobordmononitrate and versatile i don't have any side affects but the weight loss is slow hope yours is better 😘
Thank you. I think the price will also focus my mind and stop my biscuit obsession
Mine was prescribed by my heart doctor but my thing is when I first had my heart attack ibwas brilliant at eating everything healthy but I've kind of wondered of so need to get back on track I'm loosing 1lb everyother day so if I stuck to diet I would loose more but I'm also going through menopause so some days can out on a 1lb 🤨
I don’t know anything about the medication but let’s be honest if it doesn’t work then you can just stop taking it. On theTV the other morning the doctor was talking about half doses. Might be worth a watch. Best of luck.x
That's interesting. I'll see if I can find that. Thank you! And yes, if it's not right for me I can just stop. Or,.I could be sending half my wardrobe to charity if it does 🎉🎉
Good luck with your weight loss journey. As well as having RA myself I am a psychology of eating coach and have worked along side people taking GLP-1 (such as Ozempic etc). There is no doubt these drugs have an impact, their ability to suppress the appetite is really impressive, people literally don’t want to eat but, as with all drugs, there are side effects, especially on the digestive system so the timing of taking you RA meds will be critical. There is also some anecdotal evidence that micro dosing might have an effect on inflammation so I am watching this with great excitement and hoping somebody will start proper research into this aspect as it could help with lots of diseases, including RA. All the best, please let us know how you get on.
Thank you! I think me paying for it will psychologically make me make better food choices too. Well that’s what I’m hoping anyway. Having no gall bladder my digestion is dodgy now . Hoping it won’t be even worse. If it is, I’ll have to stop as I’m not planning to live in the bathroom 😂 We will see! I’ll post on here after a month of takin them I think. Someone may find it helpful
I’m in the same position as you except I am recently diabetic, so my diabetic nurse asked a doctor at my surgery if I could have Mounjaro ( they don’t use wegovy or oxempic anymore as Mounjaro gives better results ) she said was 99% sure I would get it, but even though I exceeded all the criteria for it, Dr said my diabetes wasn’t bad enough. Ffs, how stupid , if they have M to me then my diabetes would go into remission. Where as now I have to wait untill it is bad enough. Nurse did say watch this space as things around this drug are changing very quickly, so there maybe some hope , but I don’t think I can wait and I may self fund.Let me know how you get on with it if you do go for it. Btw, my daughter hasn’t got our illnesses but she was very obese 18 stone , self funded wegovy and has lost 2 stone in about 8 months .
It is ridiculously that we have to wait until things are worse before using something to prevent it. Seems crazy
Recently disgnosed
Folic Acid
Where do I stand now with anti virals?
Knee replacement - biologics
Anyone ever tried or hear about the Gerson therapy? Lots of people are saying it works miracles, but I’d like to hear if anyone here tried i
