Mounjaro user reveals unexpected side effects after first week on the drug

A new Mounjaro user has revealed some of the lesser known, unexpected side effects he’s noticed in his first week taking the drug - and they’re not the typical ones you might have heard of.

While the medication was originally designed to help people with type 2 diabetes, it has also been utilised by many as a weight management tool.

Often administered via weekly injectables, Mounjaro works by suppressing appetite and increasing the sense of fullness.

As the drug is becoming more and more popular around the world, Christian, 28, is one of the many Brits up and down the country who’ve decided to give it a go.

With his sister’s wedding coming up, and after a lot of deliberation and a consultation with a private doctor, he thought ‘why not?', with the hopes of shedding some weight before the big day.

28-year-old Christian has opened up on his first week on the drug Mounjaro (Tyla)

In an exclusive chat with Tyla, Christian explained how he got signed off on the drug by a private clinic, where he also gets access to a food therapist and a dietician for the package price of £200 per month.

He revealed how he ‘feels like he typed in a cheat code’, saying he lost a staggering five pounds within the first 24 hours after first being injected with the drug on Saturday (7 June).

Then, a further four pounds dropped off and his weight has since plateaued, but is yet to go back up past the lowest number on the scale.

Christian said: "It’s amazing. It feels like I typed in a cheat code. I woke up the next day and I was like, ‘Oh my God’.

“Those first few days were just crazy but yeah, it's amazing. Absolutely amazing. For me, I think I was kind of stuck in a cycle of going out every week, drinking loads of beer, then feeling s*** for the rest of the week and then eating s***.”

Before taking the drug, Christian weighed 17st, 4lbs and he now has a target goal of getting down to 13st - something he believes is achievable in around four months.

“I could probably lose a stone a month on it,” he revealed, after doing the maths.

While Mounjaro's primary use is not weight loss, it seems to be helping many Brits shed the pounds (Sandy Huffaker for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Reflecting on how the medication has turned his lifestyle around, he continued: “I was in this kind of cycle and it's been able to snap me out of that because I can't just go and have a binge night out because I’ll probably end up spewing after four pints and have to go home.”

Like any medication, side effects are of course common, but thankfully for Christian, there are no real horror stories here.

Mostly, he’s just noticed the usual symptoms you’re told to expect on the drug - mild nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation.

However, there were two more effects of the drug that he noticed that aren’t as common - struggling to sleep and being put off the booze, as mentioned earlier.

Christian explained: “I’ve got loads of energy - like loads of energy. The doctor actually said to me that I’d be surprised. It kind of subdues your stomach but it also helps to burn your fat cells so it gives you loads of energy.

“One of the other side effects is I've been struggling to get to sleep, but I don't feel that's a very common one.”

He revealed that he’s been ‘waking up at night’ but he doesn’t actually know whether that’s just because he’s ‘not feeling hungover all the time’.

He revealed two of the side effects he didn't expect to encounter - and one has turned out to be a big positive (Tyla)

“It's a weird one,” he admitted, “I think there is a psychological part to play in it as well.”

Christian went on to reveal that he wasn’t expecting to be put off one of his favourite drinks - a crisp, cold beer.

He said: “I've avoided drinking because I've heard that drinking beer especially, I love beer, but because it's so filling it's like you can't really drink it.

“You kind of just don't want to drink. It's weird. It's like it's kind of almost changed my tastebuds. I used to crave a beer and now I look at them like eurgh no.”

But, this has actually spun itself into a positive for him, with Christian honestly admitting it’s given him the ‘kick up the a*** he needed’.

“I've got loads of energy, so all I can do is just focus,” he said, “And I haven't got food noise so I’m not constantly wanting to eat.

“I can just focus on exercising and I think it really has given me a kick up the a**e, 100%!

"It is whole lifestyle change. Once it’s in your blood and your system it's like that’s it, it's done - you've got to do it for the week.”

A spokesperson for Eli Lilly, the company which makes Mounjaro, told Tyla: "Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority, and we take any reports regarding patient safety extremely seriously.

"Regulatory agencies conduct extensive independent assessments of the benefits and risks of every new medicine and Lilly is committed to continually monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety data to ensure the latest information is available for regulators and prescribers.

"We encourage patients to consult their doctor or other healthcare professional regarding any possible side effects they may be experiencing and to ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine.

"Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is only authorised for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight management in the UK.

"Lilly does not promote or encourage use of tirzepatide or any Lilly medicine outside of its authorised purpose."