Tag Archives: health

wegovy vs mounjaro

29 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Spoiler alert… Mounjaro has already “won”, at least for now, but mostly because I was put on the spot today and didn’t want to have to wait another two weeks to see my GP again. It’s like this. Wegovy (semaflutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are both GLP-1 drugs that slow digestions and suppresses appetite, but Moujaro has another hormone called GIP that has a stronger impact on blood sugar regulation and hunger reduction.

I had been leaning towards Wegovy as I had read that it is also approved not just for weight loss but cardiovascular health, helping to lower blood pressure and inflammation, as well as reducing the risk of “cardiac events” by as much as 20%. Sounded good to me. And I was hoping that today’s blood test results, combined with my heart issues, would mean that it could be prescribed for medical reasons (not just weight loss) so I wouldn’t have to pay.

Mounjaro is mostly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, with no obvious cardiac benefits. The Endo had made it sound like the only way I could get either of these covered by social security was to be diabetic, hence the new blood test. But it turns out that not only am I not diabetic, my GP informed me today that neither of these drugs are covered under SS so I would have to pay in any case.

So then I asked… how much? Wegovy is 180€ for the first month, Moujaro is 210€. Apparently the price will either remain the same or increase depending on whether I need stronger doses going forward. But GP insisted that Mounjaro is the preferred option these days but if I wanted to think it over… no no, no more delays. I went for it.

Effectiveness… Wegovy shows an average weight loss of 15-21% over 72 week, Moujaro 21-22.5% over the same time period.

Meanwhile, I dunno. Yes, I’m going to give it a go. Picking up the prescription this evening (they had to order it in) so will start tomorrow. But everything I read is about it suppressing appetite, even about losing “obsessive thoughts about food” (probably from feeling nauseous from the drug) and this just isn’t my problem. I mean, yes I do obsess about food, but more in the sense of photographing it and, yes, making it too, but not about wanting to eat all the time. Because you may recall, after four major abdominal ops, my belly is full of adhesions (look at your own risk) so if I do ever happen to over eat, which rarely happens anymore… PAIN PAIN OMG VOMIT VOMIT MORE PAIN. I mean, it’s like I have my own built-in Wegovy/Moujaro. Anyhow, we shall see I guess. Wish me luck.

Apparently I should be down to acceptable knee op weight by Oct/Nov and then I’ll have to get my GP to request another Traumatology appt (average waiting time: 6 months) and THEN they’ll put me on the waiting list for an operation (as long as I’ve kept the weight off). Honestly, if I despair at times, can you really blame me? Every day the pain gets worse, walking (hobbling) is becoming almost impossible and now I have a whole year ahead of me before I will even be able to see the slightest bit of light at the end of this awful awful pain-filled tunnel. Anyhoodle… out of words.

the endo

28 Thursday May 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Last (also first) time I saw an endo was in July 2023. Heartless GP had set up the appointment for me and I thought it was going to be about, you know, my endocrine system and metabolism, etc. But it turned out she had made an appointment recommending bariatric surgery (!!!) which I would never have consented to and which I was too old for anyhow.

I was hoping for more this time round as Nice GP made today’s appointment asking for treatment re: weight loss for knee surgery suggesting THOSE injections. What the heck, worth a try? Anyhow, this endo was less dismissive than the first one but said she needed an up to date blood analysis (which should happen next week) and then she mentioned two drugs: Wegovy and Munjaro. And then came the clincher… they are only subsidised for treatment of type 2 diabetes, which presumably the new blood test will rule out. She said Wegovy was less expensive than Mounjaro (180€ vs 360€ per month) and my GP could prescribe one or the other for me after I get the blood test results. Then I go back to see her, the endo, in October.

So now what? I really don’t know. Obviously I can’t afford either of these drugs, but I’ll go get the blood work done and then take things from there.

here we go again…

06 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in health, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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Back to see my GP today. I wanted to make sure everything was registered and understood re: the knee op and required weight loss, and the procedure we would follow. After my long-time friend, GP (and ex-student) Agustín retired just after lockdown it’s been a bit hit and miss with front line health care. At first I was assigned Heartless GP who didn’t listen to anything I said and clearly couldn’t wait for me to leave her consulting room asap. Then in June 2024 I had to see the GP again and was surprised to see a different woman at the desk. Pleasantly surprised as it turned out because, in spite of a somewhat serious demeanour, she was actually a Nice GP! She got stuff done. It’s thanks to her that I’m even seeing the proper specialists. In other words, she understands the job.

So today she looked over the last report from Traumatology, including the weight loss requirement, and her first response was to say that I should see an endocrinologist. Since the first step to a new knee is the weight loss, she said we needed to find ways to have that happen as quickly and efficiently as possible. And well, yes please! Then I remembered how back in 2023 Heartless GP had sent me to The Endo for bariatric surgery (!!!) when I thought that appointment was going to be about getting to grips with metabolism, post-chemo and menopause issues, trying to work out a way that would help me not have to take statins and other meds that had recently been prescribed. Anyhow, that appointment was a complete disaster (read at your own risk).

Today it felt different. Again, Nice GP is no-nonsense, I can’t joke with her, I can’t say anything actually personal, she’s just dealing with the facts. The facts today included making a new appointment with an endo (hopefully not the same one as before) and also putting in a new “preferential” request for my shoulder (that appointment seems to have gone missing) and then that was that. And for now that’s fine. Because for now, that’s all I’ve got.

whelmed

04 Monday May 2026

Posted by in health, health & happiness, home, hope, sevilla

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Can I tell you? April was a MONTH. I mean, it was a good month in many ways, especially the trip to Aracena, but that also took a lot out of me and left me frustrated that I wasn’t able to do more there because I COULDN’T WALK. So that’s a painfully ongoing situation and I’m a bit stuck in “lose weight limbo” after my last traumatology visit when they finally confirmed I needed a full knee replacement BUT that they wouldn’t put me on a surgery waiting list until I lose 10 kilos. Meanwhile, I can’t find my report from that last appointment (they are usually online) so on Wednesday I will be seeing my GP to make sure she knows what’s up, as she will be the one to confirm the weight loss (when it happens) and then inform traumatology. I just want to make sure this is all written down somewhere. Every day the pain gets worse and to say it’s taking me from my life is a serious understatement.

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here we go again…

11 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in health, hospitals, knee saga, knees, sevilla

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So after that disappointing attempt last week to get my GP to push for a new traumatology appt based on new x-rays (she wasn’t having it) I actually GOT A CALL TODAY from the hospital saying I had an appointment for my knee… tomorrow! And well damn, that wasn’t happening because I have two couples booked for a sherry tasting at the exact same time, so I asked if we could find another date. And so now it’s going to be on March 23rd, ten-ish days from now. Which is better than nuthin. I hope.

You may recall that back in August during my last traumatology appointment they did basically nothing but ask for more x-rays, give me a useless jab in the knee, tell me to take opioids (as well as the usual lose weight, ride a bike, go to the pool) and then said they’d see me again in three months. THREE MONTHS. So I am not expecting that when I show up next time they are going to suddenly say… a knee operation? Well why didn’t you just say so? How’s next Thursday?

They keep fucking me around. Like last time they said they needed the new x-rays to determine if my arthrosis had developed to the point that they could request a knee replacement. When I told them I was actually more interested in having the torn meniscus repaired – because that was actually causing all the serious pain and it’s a fairly minor op – they said they couldn’t okay that until they saw the extent of the arthrosis, even saying that an attempt to repair the meniscus before having that info could make things even worse. Fucking what?

You’re seeing the pattern, right? Here, get these x-rays or this MRI taken so we can make a decision on your treatment. But then by the time I get the follow-up appointment the test results are already too old to be useful and so… yep… need to retake those tests. And it goes round and round. Meanwhile, as long as they are “following protocol” and writing in their reports that they have told me to lose weight, go to the pool, ride a bike and take pain killers, and have requested new tests, then they are off the hook. Next!

Watch this space. I was hoping to get a friend to come with me as back up but the only person I can think of who might actually be able to help isn’t available. Well, I have ten-ish days to prepare. Wish me luck!