Pain makes you miserable. And I should know. For the past fifteen years I have suffered from sciatica – the nagging or sometimes stabbing pain in the buttock that extends all the way down the leg and makes walking or standing for long periods of time unbearable; lower back pain, a hangover from the broken vertebra I suffered a year ago; as well as arthritic fingers that make typing a misery (very bad for a writer, of course).
And don’t forget the swollen ankles and feet, partly caused by arthritis and the medication I take for my heart.
I had resigned myself to taking two paracetamol twice a day with codeine on hand, just in case the pain was extra terrible. I had also gotten used to turning down party invitations because I find it embarrassing to be the woman who sits in the corner like a wallflower.
Friends have accused me of being arrogant, of simply waiting for people to come to me. Not so.
But now I’m starting to hope that in the not too distant future I will be confident enough to not only attend events, but also circulate and stand like everyone else.
After all, over the past six weeks I have been able to completely avoid codeine and only take paracetamol as a comfort blanket and not out of necessity.
As miraculous as it sounds, the sciatica pain is now completely gone. And the surprising cure? Mounjaro, the new slimming drug that I have been taking for two months now.
As miraculous as it sounds, the hip pain is now completely gone. And the surprising cure? Mounjaro, the new weight loss drug I’ve been taking for two months now, writes JENNI MURRAY
I haven’t had any of the problems I encountered when I used Ozempic a year ago. I had hoped to lose the three stone I had gained, knowing that losing weight would take the pressure off my joints.
But Ozempic resulted in constipation, terrible headaches and I was sick almost every day. I couldn’t continue.
I was hesitant to try another drug that needed to be injected once a week, which wasn’t available on the NHS except for people with type 2 diabetes, and which would cost me a few hundred pounds a month.
It was my physiotherapist, who knows all about the pain I suffer, who suggested Mounjaro. She had read research about the drug that uses a different GLP agonist than Ozempic and Wegovy. It is tirzepatide as opposed to semaglutide.
She told me that it would reduce appetite just like the others, but that Mounjaro also has an effect on inflammation in the body and therefore relieves pain. A number of her clients used it and reported that their pain was definitely reduced.
Intrigued, I asked the GP if it might be available as a painkiller on the NHS. She said, ‘No.’
It was surprisingly easy to obtain it from a pharmacy without a prescription. They say they have a team of doctors who assess who is suitable and who will benefit from it. I filled out a form with details of height, age and weight and sent photos of me and my scale. I listed the medications I take for my heart and my pain, and it seemed like none of them would react badly to Mounjaro.
I hope it is their concern for my well-being and not the monthly £230 that made the High Street pharmacy approve me so quickly, but that the first parcel of pens, needles and a sharps bin arrived with admirable speed.
The first month, with the lowest dose of 2.5 ml, my appetite definitely decreased. I stopped thinking about food all the time, cut out sugar completely and lost half a kilo after four weeks.
But by far the most important effect was on my pain level.
Within two weeks the sciatica pain was gone. I couldn’t believe it and waited for it to come back. That didn’t happen.
The pain in my lower back started to subside, which started to disappear in my fingers and my hands seemed less swollen. My ankles and feet returned to normal and were no longer painful.
I now only take a few paracetamol for occasional back pain. It’s really extraordinary.
For my second month, I increased my dose to 5 ml on my doctor’s recommendation. My appetite diminished a little more and some of the cravings for the chocolate brownies and fancy bread that used to be common fare started to disappear completely.
Only once did I give in to temptation. Five weeks after taking the drug, a friend recommended what he called “the best pizza place ever.” I ordered a margherita with garlic.
It arrived and smelled wonderful. I opened the box with anticipation and told myself that an occasional treat wouldn’t hurt me at all. I was able to consume a quarter of it. It was delicious, but my body refused to let me eat any more. What a waste.
My consumption of expensive cakes, delicious breads and Deliveroo takeaways is a thing of the past. I started cooking again. Chicken soup with carrots and celery is my favorite and the only expensive food I buy is a steak that I have fried once a week in butter and garlic with broccoli on the side.
I ate out twice in the two months I was on the diet and opted for small, healthy meals without chips and without pudding. I think my friends are worried that I’m becoming boring, but I have no doubt that the reduction in my food bill will more than offset the £230 I spend on the medicines every month.
Oh, and I’ve now lost half a stone, making me a whole stone lighter. However, it is not the weight loss that will convince me to continue using Mounjaro. It’s the pain relief.
I look forward to strengthening and straightening my hunched back and regaining the upright frame I was once so proud of. As the pain in my knees and hips begins to subside, I’m even tempted to leash my dogs and take them for walks, rather than depending on others to do it for me. Not yet, but soon I hope.
I already feel a bit like my old self. I can easily get up from my chair and walk around the house and garden. I can climb my own stairs without fear of the pain this would cause.
I didn’t expect Mounjaro to cheer me up so quickly, but it does. Next month’s dose arrives this week and will further reduce my pain and misery. Losing weight will be a bonus. It’s the relief from the pain that is the most welcome surprise.
Think for a moment about Margot’s mother-in-law
New parents Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley on a coffee run with his mother in California
This is Margot Robbie, neatly but beautifully dressed in practical clothes to take her new baby with her in the stroller. However, I wonder how her mother-in-law, Mrs. Ackerley, from Surrey, will cope with the care expected in California. It must be a bit difficult as a movie star having to look gorgeous for the paparazzi when you’re there to be the helpful, tuckered out, busy grandma.
A judge, backing Robert Ogden from Greater Manchester in his unfair dismissal claim for swearing at a colleague, suggested that people in the North swear more than those in the South. Not true. But I’m tired of hearing the F-word in every TV show or movie I see. The word loses its power when it is just chatter.
That’s my Sunday evening sorted!
Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in the new Wolf Hall
The new series of Wolf Hall, based on the late Hilary Mantel’s novel, The Mirror And The Light, starts this weekend, so that’s my Sunday evening sorted. I spoke to Hilary about the time it took her to complete the last part. Was it, I asked, because she had fallen in love with Thomas Cromwell and could not bear to lead him to execution? She paused for a moment, then said, “Mmm, you might be right.”
Proposals have been made for municipalities to ban fireworks at home and only allow public displays. It’s time for it to happen. It’s like the Blitz here in North London. Too many fireworks and too many terrified pets.
My Madge is back on her feet…
Jenni’s beloved companion, Madge the chihuahua, is recovering from cataract treatment
Madge, my ten-year-old Chihuahua, and I still spend morning, noon and night putting drops in her eyes, which are now free of cataracts.
She moves effortlessly and on Sunday her plastic collar comes off. The veterinary ophthalmologist said she was making great progress. “She’ll just be farsighted,” he added. “If she were to get glasses, she would need high-powered lenses – 59 plus.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, “I don’t think it will bother her that she can’t read.”