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

Morning everyone!

Sorry to hear you're back in hospital @MelissaLouRocks hope you're again soon.

I've weighed this morning and I'm now 94.3kg/ 14st 12lbs!

I was 98.7kg/15st 6lbs when I started MJ three weeks ago so I'm really pleased. My goal for May is to get down to 90kg. I feel so much better in myself but I really need to be better at firing exercise in and drinking more water.

@Stickthatupyourdojo similar situation here… I’ve not lost anything in a week. It’s not a calorie issue. I think I’m not drinking enough. I also need some protein-y snacks.

I'm frustrated though. Even 100g off would be awesome!

Hi All,

So I just did my 5th extra dose from my 2.5mg pen using the insulin needle method and although a bit freaked out making sure no air bubbles before injecting it was easy enough. According to the needle it was 0.8ml ish but struggling to figure out what that is in mg? I think it is more than 2.5 but less than 5 is that correct?

Weigh in day this morning as well and I am bang on 82kg which I think is a very slight loss from last week but I had a bad weekend with OH treating us to a nice lunch on Sat (he doesn't know about MJ) and then a 70th party in the evening where the "buffet" was ordered in pizza and pakora!! Then had lunch with a friend on the Sunday! However I think I did not too bad considering.

I have my 5mg pen in fridge for next week so hoping side effects aren't too bad. Have had some bouts of nausea\over full and exhaustion on the 2.5mg so far.

@OlympeMax

A full dose is 0.6ml, so 0.8ml is 33% more, so 3.3mg.

@OlympeMax about 3.3mg. A whole dose is 2.5mg in 0.6ml, so 2.5/0.6*0.8

March 2022 I was 221 lb😳
Somehow by March 23 I was 204lb.......don't know how as I wasn't consciously dieting other than dabbling

At that point, I started on Ozempic and think I used maybe 4 pens before I couldn't get my hands on any more. I stopped weighing in Sept 23, at 174lb, so had a 25lb loss on Ozempic.

Ate very badly all winter but was exercising a lot. Next weighed myself in march 24.....had gone to 182lb, so not too bad, only gained 8lb.

I started MJ on 15th March so Friday will be Jab7.
Currently 161lb......so 20lb down in 7 weeks.

BMI, 26.9. 11lb to go to hit 25bmi!
It looks like so little to lose compared to how far I have already come, but seems far away as well. Very impatient and really paranoid about a stall now! Desperate to get into the 150s!

I haven't had any side effects other than a bit constipated. But I haven't had the total apetite loss others report either.
Just mild suppression, which has been enough to keep me on track. I get hungry for meals, but get full before shifting the giant portions I would have previously.
Going to 7.5mg for the last lap!

@Stickthatupyourdojo I know that feeling well. The sod it all, everything feels likes it’s on the skids and you want to retreat to bed. Hormones are buggers for it. Keep your head up.

Just a note for anyone faffing about with extra needles to get the 'extra' dose out - I used a pair of pliers to twist the pen hard, and it worked a treat. Would try that before jabbing yourself with something else x

Hey everyone, just taken my 3rd dose of 2.5g. Next week I plan to go take my 4th dose & bonus dose together - so moving to 5mg a week early.

out of curiosity, do all strengths have the bonus dose? What do you do in that case, you wouldn’t want to double to 10mg at the end for example

Have to say I’m suprised how easy it is to inject, that put me off ozempic. I’m glad I didn’t try that as I don’t feel it would have worked for me and would put me off trying Mounjaro 😊

I actually find the MJ pen really clunky and stiff to use. The Ozempic pens were much easier I thought.

Yes so far the 5mg has the extra dose too.
I assume so for the 7.5mg, but will have to see once we get there. The 7.5mg have just come out so they might have reduced the liquid. But if will have to see!

Taking @ObsidianTree ’s warning I just ordered my next dose. I still have a back stock in the fridge. It was approved within 3 hours on Asda with my BMI of 25.8.

@montysma1 What great progress! I have just gone up to 7.5 for what I suspect will be the last whirl too. It’s what comes next, isn’t it? I would merrily pay the money each month and titrate back down and stay on 2.5 forever… not going to happen though.

That's good.

Is it worth asking Asda now what the plan will be for maintenance and you are basically approaching?

I was watching a UK person tiktok who's with family chemist and she said they will let you stay on for 2 years and support maintenance. I asked her a question about BMI and then she said they will stop you when you get to a BMI of 25! So not sure she know what she is talking about! So don't get how you can stay on for 2 years and be stopped when you get to BMI 25! Very confusing!

I will send them a message. If I stop now I will revert to old habits. Whilst MJ is a tool I don’t doubt I will have weight creep and hunger back and it will totally defeat doing this. Three months is not long enough to change habits and change. And 25 is literally the top of BMI.

@FlappyFish would you mind sharing your response from Asda when you get it please?

@FlappyFish @ObsidianTree

The guidelines for the UK say you can be on it for up to two years. The main pharmacies seem to be saying they have a policy that you have to stop once you hit BMI 25 with no maintenance.

A lot of the online pharmacies that sell Mounjaro will only allow prescriptions from their own prescribers for all medicines (not just Mounjaro) but one of them, I think it was Pharmacy2u, also take NHS and outside private prescriptions. In other words, any doctor could prescribe it, they're just providing the medication, the same as when you take a prescription to the pharmacy.

I wonder if it would be worth speaking to a private doctor about whether they would be willing to prescribe a maintenance dose? Or even your own doctor if they do private prescriptions as well as NHS ones (some do). Although it might be better to find a private doctor that's fully clued up on the matter.

I think if one could stay on a maintenance dose for some time it would be long enough to reset the bodies "set point" (apparently it takes about 2 years maintenance at a new weight to reset it).

The other solution to your bodies set point is to lose a bit, maintain for some time, then lose another bit, then maintain, and keep repeating that cycle but difficult to do and can't see how to do it with Mounjaro unless you were allowed to go up and down doses for a couple of years!

Maybe they'll figure that out as a solution to people just staying on it for life, I doubt it though as it's more lucrative for them for people to just stay on it like they do in the US.

@Stickthatupyourdojo hope you feel in a better mood soon. I’m out for a walk I find that helps, it’s actually sunny here though.
Whilst the pliers tip is good that would involve me asking DH where they are and what I was doing so I’ll do bonus dose next week with syringe again.
I’ve been stuck at 13 2 for 8 days. Injected stomach yesterday to see if that helps not thigh.
I’ve also been eating a biscuit 100 cals daily recently. Still only on 1200 cals max so in 1000 a day deficit but maybe need to accept me and sugar don’t work.

So looks like the easiest way to be able to stay on MJ for the 2 years is to keep your BMI above 25!

I think I am getting close to a BMI under 30, I suppose I will worry when I my BMI gets to around 27!

I do want to wait for this chance of weight reset! Hope I can get there! Or hope the UK changes it guide for maintenance!

I’m 20 lb off a healthy bmi. Ideally want to be a bit below. Watching cut off points with interest. For some ethnic backgrounds healthy is bmi 23 so I can’t see how they can cut at 25.
Realistically I’m resigned to always watching food intake. When I take eye off ball I gain. I was maintaining in 1600 a day with exercise (that was supposed to put me in 500 cal a day deficit to lose) I think I just need to mentally accept I need to eat in calorie deficit to maintain!

I don’t think I’ll ever get to 25!

I’d suggest that these drugs are designed for use by people who have a large amount of weight to lose, and for whom two years of use may not see them at 25, or may find that they maintain at a higher BMI than 25 but still substantially less overweight than they were. At the rate of loss that is recommended by medical professionals, using them for two years would see a loss of between 100–200lbs assuming a steady 1-2lbs a week, and it’s likely to be less given the inevitable plateaus.

It’s really frustrating for those of us who would love help staying under 25 (and I remain unconvinced I’ll ever get there!) but it’s a policy that reflects how the NHS sees them being used I suspect.

The above post may be bollocks!

It’s all a bit of a mess isn’t it. The studies show that most people do regain once they come off the meds. Lots of people will plateau at a BMI above 25 but what happens to everyone else. Yo-yo gains and losses are not supposed to be good for us either.