Weight Loss Injections
at Spa Private Medical
Supervised weight loss with Wegovy - Mounjaro Injections
Wegovi and Mounjaro are part of a family of medicines called Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (or GLP-1 RAs). They were initially developed to help Type-2 diabetic patients lower their blood sugar levels but have been subsequently found to help with weight loss.
This results in lowered cardiovascular risk by lowering cholesterol levels, lowering Blood Pressure and improving (or even reversing) diabetes. They have been revolutionary… and millions of people around the world are now regularly injecting them.
Like many practices, we were initially sceptical about these injections and thought that weight loss really needed only one thing… discipline… in order to eat less and exercise more. There were bound to be side-effects and people would simply put the weight back on when stopping them, we thought.
But life just isn’t that simple – for many overweight people, exercise isn’t possible, as their joints are arthritic and they may be too embarrassed to exercise in public. Also, meals may be healthy… but the snacking in-between has been described as ‘food noise’ and for many it is hard to switch this off. People generally know what they need to do… but achieving that can be impossible, once the downwards spiral has gone too far.
So in the last year we began suggesting these very injections to some of the patients about whom we worried most – those that we knew were at a high risk of heart attacks and strokes… and in almost everyone, results have been impressive.
Whilst it is possible to get these injections unsupervised from sources on the internet, at Spa we believe that things should be done safely. There have been deaths from side-effects caused by the GLP-1 Ras.
During an initial appointment, in which we will discuss your medical history, weigh you and measure your height (for BMI), we will take baseline bloods that include but may not be limited to, Liver and Kidney function, HbA1c (diabetes), TSH (Thyroid) and at least one inflammatory marker. We will generally start at the lower weekly dose and only increase this after at least 4 weeks if it is safe to do so. You don’t need to see us then, but just email to let us know how you are getting on and we will issue the next prescription.
We will routinely recheck bloods (as above, but also to include Amylase, for pancreatic function) after 3-4 months to ensure that there are no significant changes. Bloods may also be requested by the Doctor for patients who experience significant side-effects or who are on the higher doses.
There is no set duration of treatment, but most patients that we see manage to get to target weight in 6-18 months. We strongly urge patients not to rush… since we know that 50% of users worldwide have put the weight back on when stopping treatment… we want you to be in the 50% that keep the weight off… and it’s likely that taking a steady approach, with ongoing dietary and exercise discipline, will help you to achieve this. This often means some important life changes… making time for exercise and involving other family members in dietary changes. You’re also more likely to get side-effects if doing things too fast. Many of our patients do not need the higher doses, but continue to lose weight on the lower doses.
What are the possible side effects of GLP-1 RAs?
The most common side effects of GLP-1 RAs are Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhoea, Abdominal pain and Constipation. These are experienced by c 5% of patients. Dehydration is also possible, so patients need to increase their fluid intake – this is especially important for diabetic patients. Dehydration may cause drowsiness and make driving unsafe.
More serious side-effects (rare) include:
• inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis).
• changes in vision.
• Dehydration (may cause drowsiness)
• low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
• kidney problems (kidney failure).
• serious allergic reactions.
• gallbladder problems.
• Thyroid tumours.
We will not prescribe GLP-1 RAs to:
Type-1 Diabetic patients
Patients with a history of Pancreatitis
Anyone under 18yrs old
Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive
