Weight loss injections near Hadleigh: what to expect and how to begin

Step 1, Understanding what these injections actually do in your body

Both licensed weight loss injections work by mimicking gut hormones that regulate appetite and how quickly food leaves your stomach. Wegovy contains semaglutide, which activates GLP-1 receptors, slowing gastric emptying and reducing hunger signals in the brain. Mounjaro contains tirzepatide and goes a step further, activating both GLP-1 and GIP receptors simultaneously, making it the only dual-agonist weight-loss medicine with a UK licence. The practical effect for most people is that meals feel satisfying sooner, the urge to snack eases, and overall calorie intake falls without constant effort to restrict it. Neither medicine is a shortcut. They work best alongside dietary changes and regular movement, and your prescriber will talk through that balance with you.

Trial evidence gives a sense of what's achievable. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, adults taking tirzepatide at the highest dose lost around 20–21% of body weight on average over 72 weeks. Semaglutide 2.4mg produced around 15% average weight loss in the STEP 1 trial over 68 weeks. Those are averages from thousands of participants, not guarantees, individual results vary with starting weight, lifestyle and how well the medicine is tolerated. NHS guidance on tirzepatide and NHS guidance on semaglutide both explain the medicines in plain terms and are worth reading before you start.

Step 2, The consultation and prescription process

Because Mounjaro and Wegovy are prescription-only medicines, the route always begins with a clinical consultation. At nume, that consultation is free and fully online, no waiting room, no referral letter needed. You complete a structured health questionnaire, and a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reads your answers the same day. It's a real clinician, not software. As part of the process you'll verify your identity with a photo ID and confirm your current weight on video, steps that exist to protect you and to satisfy the clinical standards the GPhC requires of registered pharmacies.

The prescriber looks at your BMI, any existing health conditions, your medicines (including the oral contraceptive pill, where specific guidance applies), and your history. If you're clinically suitable, a prescription is issued. If you order by midday Monday to Friday, your medicine is dispatched the same day and delivered free the next working day by DPD, tracked, in plain packaging that gives nothing away about what's inside. The pen itself is a pre-filled KwikPen for Mounjaro or a pre-filled device for Wegovy; both are designed to be straightforward to use at home.

People who already take an oral contraceptive should be aware that tirzepatide can reduce how quickly the stomach empties, which may affect pill absorption. NHS England's guidance on weight management injections recommends adding a non-oral contraceptive method for the first four weeks of tirzepatide treatment and for four weeks after each dose increase. Semaglutide does not carry the same guidance. Discuss your contraception with your prescriber at consultation if this applies to you.

Step 3, Dose titration and what to expect in the first weeks

Neither medicine starts at its full therapeutic dose. Mounjaro begins at 2.5mg, a period your system uses to adjust rather than a dose that produces significant weight loss in itself. Wegovy follows a similar pattern, starting at 0.25mg. Doses are increased gradually by your prescriber, typically in monthly steps, based on how you're tolerating the medicine. This titration schedule is one reason clinical oversight matters throughout treatment, not just at the start. If you want to understand the range of licensed weight loss injections before deciding, that page covers both medicines side by side.

The most common side effects across both medicines are gastrointestinal: nausea, constipation, loose stools, indigestion, and sometimes fatigue or headache. These are typically most pronounced after starting or moving to a higher dose, and they often ease within a week or two as your body adapts. Staying hydrated and eating smaller, lower-fat meals can help. Severe or persistent abdominal pain that extends to your back warrants urgent medical attention, this is a symptom associated with pancreatitis, which the MHRA flagged in a Drug Safety Update in January 2026. Report any side effects you're concerned about via the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme, which is open to patients as well as clinicians.

If you're still weighing up how treatment costs compare across different providers, a look at what affects the price of weight loss injections may help you understand what a legitimate quote should include.

Am I likely to be eligible for treatment?

Licensed eligibility for both medicines covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI from 27 upwards where at least one weight-related condition is present, such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds can apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. BMI alone is not the whole picture; the prescriber considers your overall health, current medications and medical history before issuing any prescription. People who are pregnant, breastfeeding or actively trying to conceive are not candidates for these medicines, and neither are those under 18. If you are based in South Yorkshire, you can read more about accessing a weight loss injection service in Barnsley and what local provision looks like. Some people also ask about whether HGH injections have a role in weight loss, and that page explains where the evidence currently stands. When comparing options it can help to look at how three weight loss injections differ from one another before settling on the medicine that suits you best, and our guide to how a weight loss injection works in practice is a good place to start if you are new to this type of treatment.

If you'd like to explore whether you're a good candidate before committing any time, the free consultation at nume is the right starting point. There's no obligation and no fee for the consultation itself. Our clinical team is available to answer questions through aftercare seven days a week, so support doesn't end once the prescription is written. That kind of ongoing clinical relationship is, frankly, part of what makes the difference between a prescription and a treatment.