A WOMAN who’s lost almost five stone on Mounjaro has admitted she’s willing to get herself into debt to stay on it amid the upcoming price hike.
The fat jab community was left panicked when GLP-1 supplier Eli Lilly announced they will be increasing their prices by up to 170% from 1st September.
So the price of a 12.5mg Mounjaro pen is likely to go from £139 to a whopping £236 – leaving users terrified they’ll be forced to come off the “miracle” drug.
One person who went into an “instant panic” after hearing news of the upcoming price hike is 34-year-old Chloe-Lou, who has lost 4st 11lbs in 14 months on the jabs and has been documenting her journey on TikTok.
To date, she hasn’t struggled to afford the pens, as she’s spending what she previously shelled out on junk food to be able to buy the Mounjaro.
But come September, she and millions of other users will have to take a hard look at their financial situation to work out if they can afford to stay on the pens.
“When I heard about the price hikes I felt totally deflated,” nail tech and mum Chloe-Lou, from Woolston, Southampton, told Fabulous Online.
“I know things rise in cost all the time but hearing the price is set to rise by 170% put me in an instant panic .”
The situation is made doubly scary for Chloe-Lou, as she’s previously tried “all sorts” of diets to lose weight, but hasn’t been successful until Mounjaro because of her PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).
She’s also panicking because she has tried coming off Mounjaro before – and ended up gaining 8lbs in two months when she did so.
Luckily, her husband has said he’ll cover the extra cost so that she can stay on the shots.
But Chloe-Lou admitted she would even consider putting herself into debt by using credit cards or payment plans like Klarna to afford Mounjaro if she had to.
“I wouldn’t want to rely on credit to continue but if it was my only option I think I’d have to consider using my credit card or the likes of Klarna,” she said.
Mounjaro users have taken to social media in their thousands to share their fears over the price hike.
And countless people have admitted they’ll even consider “microdosing” – taking smaller doses of the pen to make it last longer.
However, as the jabs have an expiry of 30 days once they’re used, doing so means users are putting themselves at risk by changing their dosage.
There are also people looking into getting the jabs on the black market – something Chloe-Lou also did before she started with a legit Mounjaro supplier.
“Before using Mounjaro I bought semaglutide off of the black market,” she said, referring to the other GLP-1 drug, most often sold under the name Wegovy.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR WEIGHT LOSS JABS ON THE NHS?
NHS eligibility for weight loss injections has expanded but still lags behind the number who could potentially benefit from taking them.
Wegovy, medical name semaglutide, is only available for weight loss through specialist weight management clinics.
Patients are typically expected to have tried other weight loss methods before getting a prescription.
They may be eligible if their body mass index (BMI) is higher than 30, or higher than 27 if they have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
Mounjaro, known as tirzepatide, is also available from GP practices but currently only to patients with a BMI of 40 or higher (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) plus four weight-related health conditions.
The medicines are currently being rationed to the patients most in need.
NHS watchdog NICE estimates that more than three million Brits will ultimately be eligible.
The GLP-1 injections are prescribed separately by GPs for people with type 2 diabetes, and patients should discuss this with their doctor.
“It made me poorly, and it made my asthma symptoms 10 times worse.”
But Chloe-Lou admitted even her friends are considering buying on the black market so they can afford the jabs.
And she fears struggling to afford the jabs will mean a huge impact on people’s mental health.
“I’m so worried that after working wonders reversing my PCOS and giving me a new lease of life that people who have no choice but to end their treatment will become depressed,” she sighed.
How to get free debt help
There are several groups which can help you with your problem debts for free.
- Citizens Advice – 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales)
- StepChange – 0800138 1111
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
- Debt Advice Foundation – 0800 043 4050
You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVA) by visiting MoneyHelper.org.uk or Gov.UK.
Speak to one of these organisations – don’t be tempted to use a claims management firm.
They say they can write off lots of your debt in return for a large upfront fee.
But there are other options where you don’t need to pay.
“Especially after how I felt being off the drug for 8 weeks – gaining weight and having uncontrollable hunger.
“I can see it having a huge impact on people’s mental health, especially if they start to regain weight.”
