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What happens when you stop taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic?
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Pricing people out of using Mounjaro would be bad news for the NHS
There were scenes of shock in pharmacies across the country when a notice from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly hit inboxes out of nowhere last week. The wholesale price of their popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro, administered via jabs, was going to more than double from the start of September. While Eli Lilly has struck an, as yet secret, deal with the NHS, this massive increase will hit the vast majority of patients who are prescribed Mounjaro privately. More than a million Britons are estimated to already be taking Mounjaro, and scores more are interested in using it to start their weight-loss journey. So, when the news of this massive price hike went public, it wasn't only pharmacists who were worried and disappointed. The first message to concerned patients is don't panic and don't stop taking your medication; your local pharmacy is ready and willing to talk you through the options going forward. There are alternatives to Mounjaro that, for now at least, remain cheaper. They may be right for you, but it is essential that you get professional advice before you do anything, and your neighbourhood pharmacist is best placed and most on hand to give that advice. The consequences of this unprecedented price hike won't just hit patients; they will also hit the pharmacies on Britain's high streets. The finances of the whole pharmacy sector are already in a state of crisis after years of underfunding. The price hike for Mounjaro will put it under more financial strain. Unless the government steps in and offers the sector a fairer funding settlement for our NHS work, then, inevitably, we are going to see more pharmacies close and more communities robbed of the vital service on their street corner. If the government really wants pharmacies to be the 'front door' of their Neighbourhood Health Service, then it needs to act now. We call on the other weight-loss manufacturers to hold their nerve and hold their prices. The British market for weight-loss jabs was only set to grow, but it will only achieve that growth if treatment remains affordable to the average patient. There is a real danger that patients priced out of Mounjaro, but anxious to maintain treatment, turn to sourcing replacements online. If other manufacturers follow suit and up their prices, that danger will only grow. In their desperation, patients could well end up sourcing counterfeit jabs online, which are completely unregulated and potentially extremely harmful. At the click of a mouse, patients can find themselves buying jabs that they have no idea what they contain, or if they were manufactured in safe conditions, no matter what picture the unscrupulous sites use to tempt them in. We are urging patients to be extremely cautious and vigilant when looking to buy weight loss medication online. If it looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Again, talk to your trained and regulated community pharmacy, which is there to help. There is a real risk it won't end here. Although the companies would deny it, tariffs and the noise from the White House would seem to be hitting this side of the Atlantic. British patients must not become pawns in a wider dispute about the costs of medicines arising from President Trump's recent letter to the US drug manufacturers. For now, it seems that weight-loss jabs prescribed privately are the easy win for the pharma giants, but we are concerned that more companies may increase the prices of more medicines as a result of tariffs. Any increases in wholesale prices, even for those drugs prescribed by the NHS, will impact the sustainability of the sector. The Mounjaro price hike came out of the blue. It could prove just the start. Exploding prices for pharmaceuticals risks a genuine and rapid crisis. Ministers need to urgently develop contingency plans; otherwise, we risk the system that keeps vital medicines flowing to patients entering an unprecedented era of uncertainty.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mum who lost 4st in five months on Mounjaro issues urgent warning after her eyes turned yellow and she needed an organ removed
A mother who used weight loss jabs to get a post-break-up glow-up ended up with her eyes 'turning yellow' and needing her gallbladder removed. Jane Fennah from Blackpool, Lancashire, went on Mounjaro in February of this year, after seeing a myriad of success stories online. The family of drugs known as GLP-1 RAs, originally developed to treat diabetes, are now often being used by people hoping to become slimmer as they were found to suppress a patient's appetite. Wanting to shed some pounds after coming out of a relationship, the 39-year-old ordered the £170 injections from an online pharmacy and at first just had the 'normal' side effects, including feeling sick. Before long, she lost a whopping four stone within five months, dropping from 21 stone down to 17 stone, and continued to up her dose. However, Jane has now revealed how one terrifying incident while using the jabs - which had her thinking she was going to die. After the horrific health scare - and being hospitalised for nine days - she is now awaiting surgery to remove her gallbladder, but has been told she is also suffering from liver blockage and blood clots. 'I was 21 stone and I was losing weight quite quickly,' she explained. 'I did what people said, drank plenty of water, and took my vitamins. 'Six weeks in I started to feel hungry again so I upped my dose to 5mg. I started getting really bad diarrhoea. 'I looked into forums and people said that can happen so I carried on. I gave it a couple of months and went up to 7.5mg. However, that's when things got worse for Jane. 'My urine was brown, the tissue was brown. I thought I had to drink water and that I was dehydrated,' she explained. 'I thought I might have a bug because I have kids in school. That went on for about two weeks and I started to get bad indigestion in the middle of my chest. 'It started hurting my back and I had to walk bent over, I couldn't stand straight, I couldn't sit down. Three weeks ago, Jane woke up feeling something 'is not right'. The mother-of-two started getting an extreme 'stabbing' pain in the middle of her chest and - fearing she was having a heart attack - rushed to the hospital. 'Even halfway through the breath the pain was horrendous and like stabbing,' she continued. 'The pain was stopping me from breathing. 'They did a CT on me and my heart was okay and they did bloods, they said I have high blood levels in my liver. 'I said I don't know if this has anything to do with it but I'm on the skinny jab. He said there are three other people in A&E who are taking it.' Jane revealed that she had 'lots of gallstones' and 'blockage to the liver'. 'They put me straight on blood thinners, they said I had blood clots but my gallbladder was so inflamed they couldn't see it,' she explained. 'The doctor said to stop taking the jab because it's not worth it. I'm waiting for surgery to have my gallbladder out.' Mounjaro's information leaflet warns that gallstones are a 'common' side effect of the medication and may affect 'up to one in 10 people'. The manufacturer of the jab said patient safety is a 'top priority' and they 'encourage patients to consult their doctor about any possible side effects they may be experiencing'. 'I thought I was going to die because I wanted to lose weight. It was horrific,' she admitted. Jane also said the jab had caused hair loss and made her 'extremely' tired - but she had put it down to being a mother. 'Everybody is on the jabs and I've struggled with my weight,' she said. 'So when I split up with my partner last year I thought I need to sort myself out and it will help me because everyone is on it and I've seen so many success stories. 'It's not worth it. I started documenting my journey, I was happy to work on myself and my body. I felt amazing. 'I won't touch any weight loss thing again, I'm going to start the gym again and eat healthy, have my protein shakes and eat more veg and greens.' Jane also think that there need to be more safeguards in place for the jabs/ 'There needs to be more tests before people get them, it shouldn't be so easily accessible,' she remarked. 'People don't understand that not everyone is going to suffer these complications but there's a lot of people who are. It's scary, it's not worth it.' A spokesperson for Lilly, who manufacture Mounjaro, said: 'Patient safety is Lilly's top priority. 'We take reports about patient safety seriously and investigate and report safety events in accordance with regulatory requirements. 'We encourage patients to consult their doctor or other healthcare professional about any possible side effects they may be experiencing. 'Mounjaro (tirzepatide) must be prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional and prescriptions should be fulfilled and supplied only by registered pharmacies and providers.'
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
What does a tick bite look like?
Lyme disease, a bacterial infection which is spread to humans through bites from infected ticks, is 'increasing rapidly', with the number of people who've been diagnosed with the disease, including several celebrities, rising. Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include a circular red rash, flu-like symptoms and – if the infection is not treated swiftly with antibiotics – it can cause nerve and heart problems, pain and swelling in the joints, and trouble concentrating for years. Therefore it's important for people to be able to recognise what tick bites look like, and the tell-tale red rash that can be the first sign that a person has Lyme disease. A tick bite usually results in a small red bump – similar to the bump you get when a mosquito bites you – and it will likely go away after a few days. The bites aren't always painful, so it's important to check your skin for ticks and bites after you've been outdoors. The distinctive red rash associated with Lyme disease is circular and forms a pattern not unlike a bullseye – but it's important to note that not everyone who gets Lyme disease will get a rash. These rashes can develop up to three months after a person has been bitten, but most of the time they will be noticeable within the first month after the bite. The NHS points out that the majority of tick bites are harmless, and that only a small amount of ticks carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in humans. More Trending If you spot a tick on your body, don't panic – you can use fine-tipped tweezers to remove it. Then simply disinfect the bite. The NHS also stipulates that you should see a GP if you've been bitten by a tick or been in an area in the last month where infected ticks have been found and you have flu-like symptoms (headaches, aching muscles, nausea) or a circular bullseye rash. According to the NHS, to remove a tick safely: Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool – you can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you've removed it. Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water. View More » This article was fist published on August 1, 2019. MORE: British mum steals towels from sunbed hoggers in dead of night saying 'they deserved it' MORE: Cost of Mounjaro weight-loss drug to go up by 170% in the UK within weeks MORE: Chikungunya cases double in UK as expert warns 'all it takes is one mosquito bite' Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
