I panicked a bit at this. But while both Sarah and Miles agreed that this was unusual, they assured me that this dose was not “dangerous”; People with type 2 diabetes have been taking this dose for years. But I won’t go so far as to say I’m excited.

That evening, I started feeling nauseous and reached for the box of anti-sickness pills. It was empty. The clinic sent me home with only a cardboard box. So I had to ask for a new prescription and pay again to have it issued.

The effects began in earnest about 12 hours after the injection. The next morning my toast and jam looked like an alien. I bit a corner and barely took a sip of my tea. At the same time, the nausea really kicked in: The best way to describe it was morning sickness; a constant, low-level feeling of intoxication.

But unlike morning sickness, this nausea did not improve as the day went on. In fact, the situation has gotten worse. I would suffer like this for a week and I was constipated – so I couldn’t go none – for the same period.

Three or four times this nausea progressed to vomiting. On Friday night I had to leave the theater screening to throw up and went home, missing the rest of the movie. I met my partner for lunch the next day and could only manage three spoonfuls of soup as I stared resentfully at the bad bread and salad. I eventually moved them to the next table so I didn’t have to look at them.

Frankly, this couldn’t continue. I tried to reach the clinic, emailed the doctor and the practice manager, and finally reached the receptionist on Tuesday. I told him I can’t tolerate the dosage, I want to go back to the recommended 2.5mg, can they please help?

“Oh, we may not be able to provide that for you,” the receptionist said. I said I would be there in person in the afternoon.

I was taken to a room where the doctor who wrote the original prescription was. Sitting next to him was the chief doctor of the clinic, a man probably in his 60s. I told them that I appreciated their help but could not tolerate the side effects of 7.5 doses. As Nice and all other Google results of my search suggest, I would like to switch to 2.5mg please.

“You’ve misinterpreted the rules,” said the old doctor. “This starting dose is for Type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss.”

A little surprised, I stood my ground. “No,” he said. “We are doctors. “If you want to lose weight, you should do what we say.” So you won’t give me 2.5? I asked in disbelief. The doctor refused again. “Okay,” I said. “This is definitely not treatment or clinic for me. “I don’t want to continue.” Both clinicians seemed a little surprised, especially when I asked for a refund. They said “we don’t give refunds” but I insisted on getting £20 back for the empty box of anti-sickness pills (I was rudely slapped on the counter by the receptionist on my way out).

I was shocked and angry, but also felt guilty and stupid. Do you call yourself a health journalist? I called my family’s medical team to make sure I had the correct information. They assured me I had it. “This looks like bad medical practice,” Sarah said. “You had terrible side effects, and actually it could be dangerous because there are stories of people being hospitalized. with dehydration.

“The rules are very clear and available to everyone,” says Sarah. “Apparently they were just full of fuss. The only reason I could see was that they didn’t have 2.5mg on hand.”

I contacted the clinic to complain about my experience. About a day later, they responded by “apologizing for the issues that caused your dissatisfaction,” but reasserted that their protocols were “consistent with clinical studies conducted on over 20,000 viewers regarding weight loss.”

It took a week for the illness and constipation to subside. As the days went by, I slowly became able to look at a plate of spaghetti without wanting to leave the room. Ah, the convenience of getting into bed without having to get up to go to the toilet half an hour later.

But I still need to mention the silver lining here. After a week at Mounjaro I had lost 4 lbs. Frankly, I was very happy about this situation. In fact, I was so motivated that it started my determination to intensify my healthy eating and exercise regimes, losing weight without any injections.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, who is a family doctor, still thinks I should return to Mounjaro. “When used properly, these medications are a great option for people who need to lose significant amounts of weight,” he says. “The benefits for your heart health, joints and mental health are huge. We may likely see half the population receiving maintenance doses of Mounjaro in the future. Who knows?”

For now, overweight middle-aged people still have to rely on private clinics and online pharmacies.

If this works for you: definitely go for it. Many people have reported miraculous results. But: please, dunning recipient. Learn from my mistakes: don’t put yourself through what I just went through. Read the label on the box before the syringe gets near your stomach.