For Tanya Hall, stopping weight-loss injections has never been straightforward. Each time she has tried to come off the medication, the hunger has returned almost immediately.
“It feels like a switch flips,” she says. “Suddenly, you’re starving again.”
Drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, known collectively as GLP-1 medications, have transformed weight loss for many people. By suppressing appetite and reducing what users often describe as constant “food noise”, they have achieved what years of dieting failed to deliver. For some, the results have been life-changing.
But questions remain over what happens when the injections stop. These drugs are relatively new, and their long-term effects are still being studied. With around 1.5 million people in the UK reportedly paying for them privately, the cost of staying on treatment indefinitely is also a growing concern.
Tanya, a sales manager in the fitness industry, began taking Wegovy partly as an experiment. She felt her weight undermined her credibility at work and wondered whether losing it would change how she was treated. She believes it did.
After starting the injections, colleagues praised her transformation and she felt more respected professionally. The physical changes, however, came with side effects. In the early months she experienced nausea, insomnia, headaches and significant hair loss, which may have been linked to rapid weight reduction.
Despite this, the results were dramatic. Over 18 months, Tanya lost six stone (38kg). But every attempt to stop the medication ended the same way. Within days, she says, her appetite surged and she found herself eating far more than she expected.
Now she faces a difficult decision: continue the injections and manage the side effects, or stop and risk regaining the weight.
Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, says decisions about treatment should be made with healthcare professionals and that side effects must be considered as part of the process.
GP Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi says many patients underestimate how difficult stopping can be, particularly if they do so abruptly.
“People often stop at the highest dose once they reach their target weight,” he says. “What follows can feel overwhelming. Hunger can return within a day.”
Evidence so far suggests that within one to three years of stopping GLP-1 medication, many people regain a large proportion of the weight they lost — sometimes as much as 60 to 80%.
Ellen Ogley was determined to avoid that outcome. She began taking Mounjaro after reaching what she describes as a critical point in her life. Her weight had become such a serious health risk that she had to sign a waiver before undergoing surgery.
She describes herself as an emotional binge eater, eating regardless of mood. When she started the injections, that compulsion disappeared, giving her space to rethink her habits.
Over 16 weeks on the medication, followed by a gradual six-week tapering period, Ellen lost more than three stone (22kg). She used that time to learn about nutrition, develop healthier routines and increase her physical activity. When she stopped taking the drug, some weight returned — something she admits was psychologically challenging — but she has continued to lose weight overall and has now shed more than eight stone (51kg).
Experts stress that support is critical. The medicines regulator Nice recommends at least a year of follow-up guidance after treatment ends, including tailored plans to help patients maintain their weight loss. However, for those paying privately, such support is not always available.
For Tanya, the fear of regaining weight remains overwhelming. Although she feels the drug is now having less effect, she is not ready to stop.
“For most of my life, I was overweight,” she says. “Now I finally feel in control.”
Whether that control comes from her or the medication is something she still questions.
Dr Al-Zubaidi believes the wider issue goes beyond medication. “Obesity is not a GLP-1 deficiency,” he says. “Without changes to our food environment and better long-term support, very little will change.”
As the use of weight-loss injections continues to rise, many users find themselves navigating uncertain territory when it comes to stopping. Outcomes appear to depend on timing, support, lifestyle changes and individual circumstances.
For some, like Ellen, life after GLP-1s feels sustainable. For others, like Tanya, the exit strategy remains unclear.
Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, says patient safety is its highest priority and that it works closely with regulators to monitor outcomes.
