I went from 18st to 8.5st on Mounjaro, there's a dark side coming off no-one talks about – I've gone back on it 3 times
A WOMAN has shared how she lost a staggering 9.5 stone being on Mounjaro, but said there was a dark side that no one talks about when you come off.
Shannon revealed she went from 18 stone to 8.5 stone on the popular weight loss jab, and she's been on it three times after 'failing' to ditch it.
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On her @shanmacxo account, she insisted that it was 'genuinely the best thing I ever did for myself' and said 'it will change your life.'
However, coming off the injections is extremely tough - and she claims she is now an 'addict' of its effects.
In a video that has 85,000 views, she shared: 'I've been taking Mounjaro now for 16 months. I have gone from 18 stone, and I weigh 8 stone 5 now."
She shared how she had come off the weight loss jab three times 'cold turkey' and each time has 'completely failed and got back on it.'
Shannon said she'd been on a maintenance dose of 7.5 and had been injecting herself every week or every other week.
But when it came to stopping, she faced a big obstacle.
Shannon explained: 'The last week or so has been like I have been an addict. My brain has been like, I need it, I need to order it.
'I'm eating far too much. I've got this severe, sickening worry that I'm gonna put weight on, checking the scales all of the time.'
Shannon said she thinks her issues come from her feeling like she was 'big' her whole life.
She said that she's been really worried about putting on a single pound and caved about bought more of the weight loss jab, although the decision left her "disappointed in myself."
RELIANT FOR LIFE?
And it's not just her who finds the weight loss method 'addictive.'
She explained: 'And friends do the same as well, where they've come off it, lost so much weight, and then they're just like, 'I need— I need it back.''
Due to her reliance on the controversial weight loss jab, she wondered if she will now be reliant on it 'for life'.
She continued: 'Is it a life thing? It's not sustainable financially for life.
'I feel like this isn't talked about enough, and how we are supposed to manage the weight loss after— and the food noise—it's a real struggle."
JAB WARNING
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) - which can have negative side effects for some users - became available in the UK in February 2024, primarily for private use.
But access to the weight loss jab through the NHS has gradually been rolled out.
By activating GIP and GLP-1 receptors, Mounjaro slows down the emptying of the stomach, making you feel fuller for longer and reducing appetite.
This can lead to eating less food overall.
In addition to nasty side effects, those debating whether to begin using Mounjaro should know that it can also have fatal consequences.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
The injections are licensed for patients with type 2 diabetes and are administered every seven days.
They are also available to assist those who are clinically obese (with a Body Mass Index of 30 or over).
The drugs, which have been widely regarded as 'fat jabs', can be prescribed by a practitioner - such as a doctor, nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber.
But increasingly, we are seeing more and more people buying them through online pharmacies, without sufficient checks.
Not only this, but recently, figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency revealed that fat jabs had been linked to 82 deaths across the UK.
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