Mounjaro cured an ADHD symptom that had plagued me for years

Grabbing the laundry basket, Chiara began to fold her clean clothes.

But after folding one T-shirt, her thoughts began to drift.

What else did she need to do that day? Clean the kitchen, change the bedding, prepare the dinner…

Paralysed by her to-do list, she realised she’d completely stopped folding laundry. 

‘I need to focus,’ she told herself. She reached for the bag of chips nearby, munched on a handful, then went back to her chores.

Chiara now recognises her need to snack to maintain concentration was a symptom of her ADHD.

‘It’s quite a common thing with ADHD, like having those like crutches or reward-seeking behaviours so you can engage in something that’s more strenuous mentally,’ the 27-year-old tells me.

‘It was a bit of a shame cycle as well, you know. I was self-conscious of how I needed to eat to maintain my attention. By having that dopamine hit and by eating, I could then focus. It helped having that little reward of eating.’

This ‘ADHD-snacking’ was just one aspect of the ‘food noise’ that had dogged Chiara for most of her life. 

Because of this, she had always struggled with her weight, tipping the scales at 103kg (227lbs or 16st 3lbs), or a size 16-18. 

‘I didn’t feel in control and was constantly overeating. My portion sizes were massive and I had no idea what balance looked like when it came to food,’ Chiara, from Brisbane, says.

‘My brain was consistently telling me I was a “little peckish” when, in reality, I wasn’t. I was always wondering what I’d eat next and never knew if I was truly full.

‘I was eating without thinking. It was like a rush of dopamine or a reward with every bite. I would eat to maintain attention on something and rely on it.’

It was after a holiday with friends in north Queensland that Chiara knew she needed to do something about her weight. 

After wearing a swimsuit under a sundress all day, the chafing on her inner thighs was so painful that she could barely walk. She ended up missing out on a walk around the tourist attractions because of it.

In November last year, Chiara had a consultation via the health app Juniper. It was decided she would start taking the popular weight loss injection Mounjaro.

In the first week alone, Chiara lost 2.4kg (5.3lbs) on a 2.5mg dosage, which she later increased to 5mg, which is standard.

‘When I started Mounjaro, the medication instantly reduced the food noise, allowing me to make better choices and be more mindful with my eating,’ she explains.

‘People say you should eat before going to the grocery store to avoid temptation. For me, thanks to the medication, it’s like I’ve done that. I don’t feel constantly “snackish”.’   

After the first month she had already shed 7.3kg (16lbs or 1st 2lbs) and was impressed with her progress. As of today – six months on from her first jab – she weighs 77.5kg (171lbs or 12st 3lbs) and fits into a size 10-12.

‘I can see my chin again,’ she laughs.

The side effects were minimal – just the odd headache and mild constipation. 

Along with the total silence of food noise, Chiara noticed another unexpected benefit.

She stopped needing the ‘reward’ snacks she would normally require in order to work or carry out chores. 

The jabs had effectively cured one of the most disruptive aspects of her ADHD and she could concentrate without needing a food ‘hit’.

While Chiara still takes dexamphetamine (or ‘dexies’) for her ADHD, she is certain that Mounjaro has quietened the symptoms that made her overeat.

And she isn’t alone. On forums like Mumsnet and Reddit, countless women with ADHD report their ‘impulsive cravings’ vanishing thanks to Mounjaro.

‘Mounjaro has made me a lot less impulsive and I haven’t binged since I started,’ one woman wrote online. Another added: ‘I have really noticed a drop in my dopamine-seeking food snacking, and [I’m] craving different, generally healthier food.’

A third said: ‘I have ADHD and am in week three [of using Mounjaro]… My focus has been amazing and impulsivity with food has stopped.’

One delighted Mumsnet user reported that a few days after her first injection, ‘My thoughts seem more ordered and focused [and] I’m not constantly being bombarded with “noise”… It’s not just the release from the temptation to eat, but that my brain can just get on with work.’

For now, Chiara will continue to take Mounjaro but on a 2.5mg dosage and hopes to one day ‘wean off it’. She does, however, worry about the food noise returning. 

‘It’s a big question for me at the moment – how will I feel? Will I need it again?’ she tells me.

Chiara acknowledges the possibility she may need to take the medication for life – but she still believes it was one of the best decisions she ever made.

For others considering weight loss jabs, her advice is simple: ‘Go for it.’