Continuing Mounjaro...part 7

[ObsidianTree]

Please note: Mounjaro can only be taken if your BMI is above 30.

Pointers for newbies:

1 - For taking your first dose you need to twist the pen a lot to get to 1! The instructions say prime each time you take a dose, but actually Eli Lilly have confirmed you only need to prime for the first ever use of a pen. (The video posted says every use, but this isn't true!)

2 - When injecting, hold down the button until the number goes back to 0. Once at 0, keep holding down the button and count to 5 with the needle still in so no medication is lost!

3 - 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. Also below you can plot the effect of your doses.
https://glp1plotter.com/

4 - 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.

5 - 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.

6 - 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.

7 - 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/product/15481/pil#about-medicine

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

9 - 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. https://www.chemist-4-u.com/carepoint-pen-needles-31g-4mm-pack-of-100?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYOxBhC5ARIsAIvdH51rLZBVFQxuvS7mDJooegtK8BMiyT0PwREMRHhH_1atfQIo8TEbsmkaAkA0EALw_wcB

10 - Protein is important as eating less protein can cause muscle wastage and hair loss. Try to have at least 100g a day.

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

12 - 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.

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

14 - 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.

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: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618

16 - Abdominal side-effects are much easier to control with smaller meals. For example, having 4 small meals in the day vs 2 big meals can have an improvement in nausea and burps.

17 - 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.

18 - Some of the places you can order from are:

• MedExpress 2.5mg and 5mg. £149.99. 7.5mg £169. Use code STARTNOW. Ask for other codes if that doesn't work.
• The Family Chemist 2.5mg and 5mg -£149. 7.5mg £169.
• Simple online pharmacy - £159 2.5mg £179 5mg
• Bolt pharmacy 2.5mg £125, 5mg £179. 7.5mg £189
• Asda 2.5mg and 5mg £184. 7.5mg £189
• Boots £219 +
• Chemist4U £179 +
• Superdrugs

19 - 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-mounjaropart-3?page=1

4th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5044316-continuing-mounjaropart-4?page=1

5th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5048290-continuing-mounjaropart-5?page=1

6th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5057916-continuing-mounjaropart-6?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/5057475-mounjaro-and-wegovy-newbies-april-2024

First day working away from home and I cracked immediately 😄. I was at home for lunch so it's only been one meal so far, so not the end of the world, but I'm away all week and it's only going to get worse!

I did manage to behave at the theatre though and had no snacks/ice creams and only had Diet Coke to drink.

Not being able to do any exercise will really have an effect though. 4 days with no exercise is a huge amount of extra calories

Welcome on board @GloriaBunniford. I was calorie counting for months barely lost anything but am a stone down on mj.
I’m eating 3 smaller protein based meals a day. Lots of water. Nothing greasy or fatty.

Just read this whole thread more or less straight through and used the MED20P discount code to order my first pen via MedExpress. Thank you all for sharing your stories, knowledge and insights! The idea of finally cracking my lifelong weight problems has been fizzing in the back of my mind ever since January but it's taken this thread to get the confidence up to start.

I'm 56, and my weight's just hit 80kg in a depressing milestone - at 5'2" that gives me a BMI of about 32. I'm another one who just gains weight incrementally year in, year out, ever since menopause, whether I'm on a diet or not. I eat really well but much too much and even reading about restricting triggers binge behaviours. I'm hoping so much that switching off the food noise will happen for me and I'll be able to reset my eating norms to maintain afterwards. If my prescription is approved I'm hoping to start on Monday.

There's a lady that I mentioned earlier, she was on Ozempic (not Wegovy, as I previously thought) for 4-5 months but had to come off it due to gallbladder issues but still had weight to lose, she has managed to lose more since and partially credits that to resistance training.

My younger sister does CrossFit, nearly every day, including a lot of weights and does iron man runs. I can't unfortunately lift very heavy weights due to pelvic prolapse but have started trying to do as much resistance exercise as can. Until she started that she had struggled with her weight for many years (had thyroid issues as a child). Now she doesn't and is trying to put a few more pounds of muscle on currently! She says it's addictive and doesn't like to go without exercise now, she misses it. She's probably nearly as heavy as she was (was never hugely overweight but struggled to not be) but a very different shape. She's not skinny but strong and toned with a much smaller waist.

Try CONSULT-BUNNY, only 15% but worked for someone the other day.
Read on and realised you'd found done that worked!

You could do some body weight exercises in your room? Like squats, push ups, crunches, mountain climbers, see if there's anything you can use as a weight etc. (don't break the telly though).

@MelissaLouRocks

Sorry to hear you're in the clanger again. I know it can be really boring. Is there anything you've always wanted to study up on or a language you want to learn you could do whenever you have to be there?

@lurkylurk thanks but I have a slipped disc and some spinal damage so basically can't do anything that requires bending or lifting. I'm already risking it by dragging my case around with me every day (not staying in same place so have no choice but to have it with me at all times 🙄).

At home I try to use an airwalker type thing so other than just walking around I'm not really sure what I can do to replicate that. My back has been much more painful since starting exercising - I'd been hoping to increase my exercise to include more things and some weights, but it's just too painful.

I used to be a sports therapist, so the nurses sometimes challenge me on anatomy, that can be quite amusing! I'd love to make good use of the time to study something, but my memory's poor now. If you've got any suggestions, throw them at me!

@MelissaLouRocks Thank you for your reply to me, that's very supportive.
I'm fascinated that it is helping people with inflammation. I've got fibromyalgia and long Covid, so it would be incredible if it were to help with those symptoms too.
I'm sorry you're in hospital.x

Heard disturbing news yesterday. My friend is a nurse at a boarding school and she had to oversee a student doing the jabs. The girl is under 18 and slim but her mother wants her to do them.

WTF? As a nurse I'd be refusing to do this, without a discussion with her doctor and potentially raising it as a safeguarding concern.
There's no way that was legitimately prescribed, surely.

That's very kind, thank you. I also have fibro and haven't had a flare since I started (1 April), so long may it continue!

That's crazy. The jabs can't be prescribed can they? Surely if they aren't prescribed medicine your friend can't oversee this?

I'd be reporting the mother, that's abuse surely?!

Bloody hell, that’s shocking.

Hope you slept ok, @MelissaLouRocks?

How is everyone this morning? Very odd. Period day 2 and no water weight gain at all this month. Last month’s was a bugger, this month is OK. Cramps, but nothing else.

Exactly. May be different as they are overseeing, not administering, but I'd be raising hell over this.

No sleep at all @FlappyFish, hoping to get some after ward rounds. I never sleep well in here, always need to catch up when I'm home. Very nice male nurse on the night shift though....

6 week weigh in, down 7.8kg/17lbs.
I've got 3kg to go until I hit 100kg. 4lbs to lose until I'm under 16 stone.
I'm definitely feeling slimmer when I pull my trousers up, the belly is reducing!

Found out why I was waking up around 3am almost every night (and waking around 6/6:30 even without an alarm). My blood sugar drops really low at these times (the monitor I'm wearing showed hypos at 3am and 6am). Not Mounjaro related, as it shouldn't work like that and I've had it before, probably more to do with the fasting as I don't tend to eat after 7pm. Discussed with a colleague who had the same thing and will try having a snack around 10pm. Hopefully I'll sleep better and not be as tired.

Well done Richard Madeley...on GMB they are going to talk about Ozempic (et al usually!). Melissa McCarthy has been offended by being asked if she was using Ozempic. Susan nah said there would be less controversy if she'd been asked if she was doing 'low carb and cardio'. Richard clarified 'with the implication that that's cheating?'. Susannah confirmed. Unfortunately I had to remind to check he hadn't said that it WAS cheating but it was good to hear that two people who are slim understand the basics that WL injections don't do all of the work alone while we sit eating everything in sight!

Looks like this segment will be on in next few mins, will be interesting!

I'm really hoping my period is on its way as I've woken up in a foul mood. Today is weigh day and I haven't lost f all in a week, I'm not a big loser anyway so I'm hoping that's hormonal, rubbish sleep yet again (thanks to dog and also baby), on my twelftyth cold of the month which is now on my chest, house is a tip, have work and tried to chat to husband this morning as I feel a bit down and he's the only one that knows about the MJ and he just sighed and muttered some platitude and walked out the room 🙄 really cannot be arsed today with anything. Want to go and hide in bed and not adult.

Sorry for the moan but I feel like I talk to a brick wall most of the time and have no where or no one to talk to. I hope you all have lovely days and I hope I'm in a better mood

This week's weigh in. Very happy to have moved down into the next stone bracket. 11 stone something is where I sat for years until perimenopause hit, so I feel much more myself.

My first 7.5 arrived yesterday. I'd love to be under the 30 BMI mark for a trip I am going on in three weeks, which would be two pounds a week 🤞🏻

SW: 13st 10
CW: 11st 12

After 1 week: Feb 28th 13st 2 (- 8 pounds)
After 2 weeks: March 6th 12st 12 (- 4 pounds)
After 3 weeks: March 13th 12st 9 (-3 pounds)

Moved to 5mg
After 4 weeks: March 20th 12st 9 (-0 pounds)
After 5 weeks: March 28th 12st 8 (-1 pound)
After 6 weeks April 3rd 12st 4 (-4 pounds)
After 7 weeks April 10th 12st 3 (-1 pound)
After 8.5 weeks April 22nd 12st 2 (-1 pound)
After 9 weeks April 23rd 12st 0 (-2 pounds)
After 10 weeks May 1st 11st 12 (-2 pounds)

26 pounds total loss (1st 12Ib)
BMI down from 35.7 to 30.9

@PissedOffNeighbour22

I get it, definitely makes thing trickier!

So sorry to see this when I've been all happy! Keep going - you'll get there.