{"id":4907,"date":"2025-09-05T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=4907"},"modified":"2025-09-10T21:34:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T21:34:19","slug":"mounjaro-transformed-my-life-then-the-price-went-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/05\/mounjaro-transformed-my-life-then-the-price-went-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Mounjaro transformed my life \u2013 then the price went up"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I\u2019ve battled with my weight and health due to multiple orthopaedic surgeries (Picture: Stephanie Ward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was despondent when I read the news last month that the price of the weight loss drug, Mounjaro<\/a>, could be increased by as much as 170%.<\/p>\n

Explaining the decision behind the hike, Eli Lilly \u2013 the company behind the drug \u2013 said the move was necessary to be more in line with prices in the US<\/a> or the rest of Europe<\/a>. It would come into effect from September 1.<\/p>\n

As a Mounjaro user \u2013 who used to pay \u00a399 but will now have to pay almost \u00a3200 more<\/a> \u2013 I\u2019m calling for this decision to be immediately reversed so that the drug is financially accessible to those of us who have chosen to use it to improve our health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In recent years, I\u2019ve battled with my weight and health due to multiple orthopaedic surgeries, confining me to a wheelchair<\/a>. My mobility will never be perfect and I was told that if I needed more surgery, I\u2019d need to lose weight first.<\/p>\n

So I had previously tried to access weight loss support via the NHS, but my options were limited. I wasn\u2019t overweight enough for bariatric surgery and I\u2019d had a bad experience with Orlistat, which reduces fat absorption from food.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I ended up going down the rabbit hole of researching the different brands: Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Mounjaro (Picture: Macauley Cullen Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So when I first heard about weight loss injectable medications<\/a> in December last year, this seemed like an answer.<\/p>\n

I ended up going down the rabbit hole of researching the different brands: Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. And the results were staggering.<\/p>\n

There was Sharon and Kelly Osbourne<\/a>, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rebel Wilson. Even some of my closest friends had been using it and it had really helped them.<\/p>\n

I only wanted the best, but the steep price tag of up to \u00a3204 for the higher doses of Mounjaro put me off.<\/p>\n

Then I started seeing ads for a study, which was designed to explore the impacts of these<\/a> weight loss injectable medications on women\u2019s health. As someone who has faced health inequalities because of my gender, I wanted to be a part of that.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I only wanted the best (Picture: Stephanie Ward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It offered a complimentary side-effect pack and there was a Facebook group of other study participants that you could join for peer support, but the best part was the subsidised price \u2013 just \u00a399.<\/p>\n

The process was simple: complete a form, take the blood test, and await approval. It was a matter of days after that my first prescription was issued \u2013 I took my first dose around the second week in January.<\/p>\n

The first week wasn\u2019t pleasant. I struggled with maintaining hydration, as well as side effects<\/a> including constipation, abdominal cramps, nausea, and heartburn. Thankfully the side effects pack helped.<\/p>\n

I had to gradually increase my dosage for the medication to continue to be effective, so the side effects would flare up again.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I\u2019m more confident, happy, mobile (Picture: Stephanie Ward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But the positive effects have been brilliant. On top of shedding 66lbs (4 stone 12 lbs), I\u2019m more confident, happy, mobile, and I\u2019ve even seen positive changes in menstrual cycle regulation!<\/p>\n

For the first time in a decade, I genuinely feel well. Then came the news last month of the price hike <\/a>and my mood came crashing down.<\/p>\n

Everyone I knew on the drug was panicking. We had signed up for a locked-in discounted price on a 12-month clinical study \u2013 at \u00a399 per month. Surely the prices would remain locked?<\/p>\n

A few days later, an email from the company running the study pinged in my inbox. It read: \u2018After tirelessly exhausting all possible avenues, Eli Lilly has refused to work with providers\u2026 and is forcing an immediate increase in Mounjaro\u2019s price.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I\u2019ve only just stopped having side effects and I don\u2019t like the idea of switching drugs in case they come back (Picture: Stephanie Ward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The email went on to say that we could stay on Mounjaro, but it would be \u00a3279 to \u00a3319 a month, depending on our dose. Or we could switch to a rival brand, Wegovy, at the locked-in price.<\/p>\n

The problem is: I have minimal information on what switching to Wegovy <\/a>will mean for me medically. As it currently stands, I am 18lbs away from my target weight; the end is in sight.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve only just stopped having side effects and I don\u2019t like the idea of switching drugs in case they come back. So I\u2019ve made a decision: I\u2019m staying on Mounjaro for now, costing \u00a3279 a month.<\/p>\n

I hope once I get to my target \u2013 which will likely be late October \u2013 I will be able to move to Wegovy for the maintenance phase, which is where my dose will be adjusted to maintain my progress rather than lose more, until I taper off.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Stephanie\t<\/div>
I’m reviewing my finances to make sure this is sustainable (Picture: Stephanie Ward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So that\u2019s two months where I\u2019ll be paying \u00a3279 instead of \u00a399. That means it\u2019s an extra \u00a3360 in total.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m already paying \u00a3220 a month for my ADHD medication<\/a> because I was diagnosed through a private provider. And as a working parent with bills to pay, I don\u2019t have money to burn, so I\u2019m feeling lost, unsettled, and despondent.<\/p>\n

In the short term, I’ll be putting the additional costs on my credit card, but as a self-employed person with ADHD who finds money management challenging, I’m reviewing my finances to make sure this is sustainable. <\/p>\n

I’m gratefully self-employed supporting business owners with Autism and ADHD to run their own businesses, and so I have control over what I’m paid, and if there is scope to increase my withdrawals from my businesses, I will cover the gap with that.<\/p>\n

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Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Have you been affected by the price hike in weight loss injectable drugs? Have your say<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>My main concern is that finances will force many people\u2019s decisions. I\u2019ve seen so many people leaving the study, or switching to Wegovy reluctantly, out of fear of losing progress.<\/p>\n<p>Health \u2013 and the medications we need to be healthy, whatever that looks like for us individually \u2013 should not be seen or priced as a luxury. I\u2019m disappointed that Eli Lilly made this decision.<\/p>\n<p>Estimates suggest that up to 750,000 people in the UK are taking Mounjaro, and while I cannot speak for all of them, I know many of us feel lost and uncertain about our futures as a direct result of this price hike.<\/p>\n<p>It is my hope that in the coming days or weeks, changes will be made to make the medicine once again more financially accessible to those who need it. If not, I dread to think what will happen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:ross.mccarthy@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:ross.mccarthy@metro.co.uk\">Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk<\/a><a href=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk\">.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve battled with my weight and health due to multiple orthopaedic surgeries (Picture: Stephanie Ward) I was despondent when I read the news last month that the price of the weight loss drug, Mounjaro, could be increased by as much as 170%. Explaining the decision behind the hike, Eli Lilly \u2013 the company behind the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4907"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4907"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4916,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4907\/revisions\/4916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}