Continuing Mounjaro...part 4

[ObsidianTree]

Welcome to thread 4!

Pointers for newbies:
1 - For taking your first dose you need to twist the pen a lot to get to 1!

2 - Your first dose may not have an immediate effect. For some people the effects build slowly. It could take 3 or 4 days to notice anything, it could take a few weeks. Some people don't feel the meds working until they get to 5mg. See titration chart which shows how the medication builds up in your system.

3 - 2.5mg isn't a therapeutic dose, meaning you aren’t meant to lose on 2.5mg. You need to start on 2.5mg to get your body used to the drug and gradually introduce it into your system and get used to any side effects.

4 - Not everyone loses a lot in the first few weeks. Don't feel discouraged if you don't lose a lot initially. Again, you might need a higher dose to start losing. Also, inches can be lost without anything showing on the scales. Start your journey by taking measurements and check them as you go along.

5 - If you do lose a lot in the first few weeks, please don't assume you will continue losing at this rate. The first few weeks it is usually water weight that is lost, after than a good weight loss is about 2lbs a week. Some weeks you might not lose anything, but this is ok too…again, taking measurements might show inches lost instead.

6 - Constipation, coldness, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, aches, are side effects. There may be be other side effects also. Read info here :
www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.14201.pdf

7 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.

8 - Don't reuse any needles as this could risk infection. If you damage a needle or one isn't working, you can buy a pack of about 100 spares. Ask for suggestions of sites /types to buy.

9 - Protein is important as eating less protein can cause muscle wastage and hair loss. Try to have at least 100g a day. There are protein supplements you can take. Myprotein have a good range. Ask for a referral code if you want to buy some.

10 - Some natural sources of protein:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522#high-protein-foods

11 - You can use supplements, some that people use are magnesium(for sleep and constipation), protein(to reduce muscle wastage), collagen (skin elasticity), aloe vera(for constipation), electrolytes.

12 - Drink lota of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Drink at least 2ltrs a day. Preferably 3ltrs.

13 - Don't be afraid to feel hungry. It is entirely normal and healthy to feel hungry. Just eat something. Treat it as an opportunity to start good habits around hunger. Eat a nice balanced snack or a meal if it's a meal time. It's ok.

14 - Some of the places you can order from are:
MedExpress £149.99 - Sometimes there are codes that can be used for a discount. Ask for a code on here or do a Google search to try and find one.
Voy - £114.99 for first month then £229 after. Need a referral code (ask on here for one if needed)
The Family Chemist -£149
Simple online pharmacy - £159 2.5mg £179 for 5mg
Asda £184
Boots £219

15 - Does it makes any difference where you inject? yes it does! Drugs get absorbed at different rates depending on injection site

In order of fastest absorption, it goes:
• Tummy
• Arms
• Thighs
further reading about injection sites and the effects: www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618

16 - You can track your calories / protein on apps such as My fitnessPal, Carb Manager or Nutracheck. Nutracheck is quite useful and easy to find foods /build recipes.

17 - If you want to switch suppliers, make sure you have pics of your Mounjaro box with your name and dose. This will come in useful when other suppliers ask for evidence.

1st thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5007744-mourjano-starting-soon?page=1

2nd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5028495-continuing-murnjaropart-2?page=1

3rd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5037623-continuing-mounjarop
art-3?page=1

Good luck all :)

So my first batch is arriving today. I'm not going to be in so have bribed my teenagers to get out of bed and answer the door to the postman!
I'm planning to do my first injection tomorrow evening. I'm really worried about side effects so thought I'd at least have the weekend to adjust a bit. So nervous though!

You’ll be right @RipePeach I found it’s fairly gradual. I can have a bit of health anxiety but the changes from Mounjaro didn’t set me off.

Oh no. That's terrible. Really hope it's not banned because of some people that are stupid with it

Thanks @User2460132! That is very reassuring. I think it's the fear of the unknown.
We've got friends coming over for lunch on Sunday - stupid question but will I be able to eat lunch and have a couple of glasses of wine? I am planning on cutting out wine most of the time and sticking to a healthy diet but social occasions are different.

Yay, my prescription has been approved. I went with Boots. Probably £££ but I wanted to go with a trusted name. Planning to start next Thursday evening.

I reckon so. We had people over last weekend. I had a lot of veg, a couple of roast potatoes (I knew I'd only have one but didn't want my plate to be noticeably empty compared to everyone else's). I had made a cake (side note, for the first time in my entire life I made my favourite cake and didn't snaffle any "broken" bits of chocolate or cake or lick the melted chocolate off! Blew my mind I could resist so easily) so I just offered it and said I'd have mine later (I didn't). I had a couple of wines with lunch easily.

Tried a thigh injection this week as the indigestion I get with this is quite severe. It's much better after that, could be fluke or location.
I'm not having tons of restriction on 5 though, I was able to 'binge' at the end of last week and I'm only losing 1 or 2 pounds a week after the first week which seems expensive. I am nearly 50 though and so maybe it would get harder and harder?
I'll keep going for now, see how it goes. It's expensive for a pound a week though.

Jeez, the groups on FB are a cesspit !!

@Stickthatupyourdojo thanks - I'd love to be able to resist cake easily! Even when I've had my strongest willpower, this is something I find very very difficult! I'm looking forward to hopefully not thinking about food all the time. I'm so exhausted from it all.

@RipePeach I am usually the same. It was so weird, it just felt natural. Like I'm sure if I really tried without being on MJ I could have resisted, but I just know I'd be obsessing about it the whole time. Food lived rent free in my head nearly 24/7, even when for the period of time a few years ago I was a healthy weight and doing well eating sensibly and being in control, I still thought about it all of the time. This is different, it's not a battle, I just decide and that's that.

I used to make a point of watching thin (women, not men with gigantor metabolisms!) people eat. They don’t overfilll their plates, they eat slowly, they leave food, they decline food offerings. So imagine you are a thin person hosting a dinner party. Just a thought…

@RipePeach
Don't put too much food on your plate (that way if you only eat some it's not so noticeable if you're concerned about that) and just eat and drink slowly so you can gauge when you're full without feeling uncomfortable later.

Same goes for wine, a glass or two should be fine but don't overdo it or you may regret it later.

I find my appetite is very variable, I couldn't eat much yesterday but had buttered toast with 2 scrambled eggs and most of an apple this morning.

@RipePeach have a starter sized potion and a glass of wine. 1 medium glass lasted me a while meal at the weekend. Unheard of!

@Pigriver
We had spaghetti bolognese and I always like to have a little bit of red wine with (and in) it. I poured less than a half glass and half of that was still left after dinner.

Other times I find I can drink more, which I almost wish wasn't the case, was hoping Mounjaro might suppress that a bit more too! Have cut down a good deal though.

Second time lucky injecting my 2nd 2.5mg. Followed the video from page 14. So helpful. Thank you @ObsidianTree and @JanetSnakeholeMacklin for the tips and reassurance.
I think most of my 1st shot on Monday was sprayed everywhere as had no symptoms.

Good luck and fingers crossed you get minimal symptoms! (If you get really bad symptoms, bear in mind you might have injected more than you think on Monday)

I might inject a bit earlier today so I can see if I get any symptoms day of while I'm still off work.

Thanks @JanetSnakeholeMacklin.
I hope you have minimal symptoms.
A quiet day for me here with no plans so thought I would go for it. I have just been in self destruct and getting worse.

Someone posted this video earlier (sorry can't remember who it was!) and I found it really useful and interesting.

He says that after taking a dose it peaks in your system anywhere between 8 and 72 hours later, which is why we see such variability in how soon after an injection people experience effects good or bad! That variability in how soon it peaks may also have to do with injection site.

But he also says, which someone else posted earlier too, that after starting any given dose it's not until the 3rd injection that it reaches maximal effect so that's when you should decide whether to move up or not.

Yes, that's the one I watched @lurkylurk, but I tried looking and couldn't find it again to post the link! Thank you. 😊

Ok
For those that have changed suppliers.
I am currently week one (from voy) and put in my new request for a 5mg to medexpress with all the info last week (Friday)

They have got back me and have rejected it as they said I can't apply until I have been on it three weeks and refunded me.

I am wondering how others have managed to stock pile it? I am a bit anxious about not being able to get it when needed!

Of course - welcome to the club! And well done on taking your first step to changing your life… it’s so exciting to actually see the scales going in the right direction for a change with healthy dietary choices… I’ve tried and failed so many times but this is different.

Newbie here. Thanks everyone for this thread, I spent hours reading over everything before taking my first injection yesterday.! Really encouraging hearing everyone's stories. I'm just shy of 16 stone and only 5ft 4, I'd be happy being my wedding weight of 12 st 9.

I took the injection on my stomach yesterday but did manage to scratch myself when pulling the needle out, so will need to do it with a steadier hand next week. Yesterday I felt terrible like I had the flu, achy, skin sensitive, freezing cold, and very hungry! I was also really burpy.

Husband put our daughter to bed so I could lie down, ended up sleeping for an hour (7pm) wrapped in a duvet with a hot water bottle and then when I woke I felt 100 per cent better. It was almost like I had to warm myself up. Still achy, and I wouldn't say my appetite is gone but I'm definitely finding it easier to make smarter choices, had an apple yesterday rather than a biscuit, although not sure if this is more a placebo effect rather than anything else!

One strange thing I've found today is normally I struggle to do the exercise bike for more than half an hour, today I did it for an hour and at a much faster speed. I just seemed to be able to last much longer without feeling like I had no energy. Did a quick google and this seems to be due to steadier blood sugar levels. Wondering if anyone else has found exercise much easier since taking Mounjaro?

That's weird I reckon they may have had an influx of switchers I was able to order my 5mg pen from them 7days after starting my 2.5mg pen I got from somewhere else. But I can't order my 3rd pen until the 19th of April.
I think some people will be getting a stock by ordering as early as possible mixed in with using the 5th dose aswell making it last longer.

I'm thinking it may also be connected to expiry dates. If someone has only just started, and will be waiting at least 3 weeks to start the next pen, with all stock currently having expiry at either end of May or June, then it may have expired before they finish it. I hope that makes sense! 🤔

Has anyone bought extra screw on needles they can recommend? I only got 4 with mine and don’t want to draw out the extra with a long needle.