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

I know where you are coming from completely. I know once I start approaching BMI 25 I'm going to start worrying about having to come off the drug. I still have a long way to go to sort out my eating habits and definitely feel like I need more time!

How old are you?

Your BMR (basal metabolism rate) does change with age. It's not supposed to really slow down until you're over 60 but I remember reading an interview with a UK rower, don't think it was Steve Redgrave, someone more recent but was in his forties and still competing and he said they'd tested the BMR of the whole team and his was about 1000 calories below the ones for the youngsters, and that's for an elite athlete!

So, what you thought was a deficit may actually be your maintenance calories, after all the laws of thermodynamics have not changed, so if you ate 1600 calories for 6 months and didn't lose anything then 1600 is not a deficit for you. So either 1600 calories was all your body needed (despite what any calculators were saying) or also your body could have lowered it's metabolism to match what it was getting (although it can only do so to a degree).

The best way to raise metabolism so you can eat more calories, if that is what you want, is by building more lean muscle, maybe weights would help?

My younger sister, she's 41, does CrossFit and weights pretty much every day and eats about 2700-3000 calories a day without gaining.

The rower was James Cracknell, I found the interview, link below. He was competing in a team at age 46, they tested the teams Resting Metabolic Rate, so what you burn if you're not doing anything, but includes normal daily activity like eating, going to the loo, walking for short periods, so it's a bit more than BMR.
They found his was 1270 calories a day. The rest of the team, in their early twenties was around 2380 a day. So, just shows how age makes a difference and TDEE calculators may not be fully taking that into account. Link to article here:

https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/1317562/james-cracknell-olympic-winner-health-tips

Sorry for taking up half the thread today! 😂

Yes I’m 50. I’ve worked with a few PTs. I do 10,000 steps, weights program to try and build muscle, 120g protein target. Nothing was working until mj. I’m tall so 1600/1700 is what tdee put me on to lose as light active.
I’ve an autoimmune condition and strongly suspect insulin resistance so think that’s a factor.
I have been losing on mj on 1100/1200 cals/100g protein- 1-2lb a week.

Interesting about James Cracknell. Thats a big difference.

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

I think so - all the pens so far are 0.6 ml per dose and the same casing. I did the same as you for 2.5 and then stayed on 5 mg for 5 weeks. I intend to do the that again with 7.5 mg. The bonus dose (if you extract it) is slightly over 0.6ml so it is a bit of a stepping stone towards the next dose up.

I remember now that you had been working with personal trainers. It does take time to build muscle, especially for women so do keep up the weights. Glad this is working for you now. I'm tall too and my maintenance is supposed to be around 2240, so 1740 for a deficit but I think it's lower than that, the age factor seems to be a big one, certainly for women.

If I put in my age on a TDEE calculator and then change it to twenty years younger it only adjusts the calories by 140 but I know that I definitely need to eat more than 140 calories less than I used to in my twenties not to gain and I think most women in their forties and fifties would say the same! It's certainly what James Cracknell found, his resting metabolic rate was nearly half his teammates while doing the same training!

Thank you for indulging my moan earlier I did indeed get outside and I feel much better for it.

RE: maintenance, medexpress lets me put a weight in up to the one that makes my bmi 23 until it says no. Obviously I sadly do not currently have a BMI of 23!

What ethnicity are you? Wondering as healthy BMI is different for some.

@lurkylurk I'm white British so subject to the 25 cut off for "healthy".

Ah, ok. Well I hope they haven't just put it in the form as the lowest possible value for any ethnicity then (i.e., they need to have it set to 23 so those whose ethnicity means a healthy BMI is 23 can fill it in, but will turn down others for whom it is 25 even though the form allows it), it'd be good if it's not just for that. I might ask them.

I'd like to think not @lurkylurk 🤞🏼

Has anyone had any trouble with their kidneys while being on MJ?
my husband ordered some sticks to test for blood in urine etc (after watching Dr Hilary). I did and it came back positive. Just had to take a sample down the doctors who called me in straight away saying there is traces of blood and I need an urgent blood test and urgent scan. I do have a bit of a lower back ache today.
I had kidney stones back in 2011 whilst pregnant with my daughter (didn’t know I had them)

I'm on day 3 in week 2 of being 5mg (using the back of my arm for the first time)

I was on here complaining about feeling ill 3 days after the bonus 2.5 (around 3mg) and questioning whether it was MJ side effects or illness.

Well bang on 3 days after this weeks injection I feel like I have noro, so thats cleared up any confusion!

Apparently MJ peaks after 3 days.

Send help in the form of a sick bucket and a nanny to wrangle my feral children 🤢 it'll be an early night for me.

I get tested regularly because the infections I have, plus I've had a previous AKI, but all good so far. Could you tell me what strips you use please, because I'd like to keep an eye on mine at home.

So sorry, that sounds like utter shit. Hope you feel better soon. 💐

They are called IcleTest

@TheOverweightFortySomething Thank you. 😊

Welcome to newbies.
I'm feeling very proud of myself. Usually when I have my period I eat all of the carbs and a massive bar of dairy milk. Most months I have good intentions to try and outwit these cravings and fail. Some months, I don't even bother trying. Today, I decided to see if, despite a lack of any appetite suppression, I'd use the power of MJ to manage my cravings. I started the day with a square of dark chocolate and two Brazil nuts and then had a fried egg and bacon on toast with some spinach, mushrooms and tomato on the side and I was fine. I can't believe it! The Dairy Milk is still on the side untouched. This pride outweighs my annoyance at having no appetite suppression despite it being day 2 which is the only day I had any appetite suppression last week.
I might be going mad but I seem to have got much more flexible in the last few days. I have always had very tight hamstrings and hip flexors and have never touched my toes for example. I've done Pilates regularly for the last two years and have been gradually getting more flexible but there has been a noticeable change in the last few days. I still can't touch them but am suddenly almost able to. Last night I did a move in Pilates that I have never done before. I am able to lift my knees much higher. It's peculiar. It was only when my instructor commented on it yesterday evening and joked "you must be on something" that I thought "well perhaps I am" and wondered if it was somehow linked to comments others of you have made about reduced inflammation,

That's really interesting, it could well be! I have EDS and am hypermobile, so can put my palms flat on the floor with my knees straight. In a few weeks I'll have to see if I can do my old party trick; used to put my legs round the back of my head and walk on my hands! Though not sure the arthritis would play ball with that. 😂

Well I hope that’s a thing as I’m going on a retreat to work on my splits tomorrow!

@BlackFriYay

Sorry to hear you're feeling rough, hope it doesn't last long and hope it doesn't repeat itself next time!

@MelissaLouRocks

I can put my palms flat on the floor with my knees locked straight too! Or at least I could until my massive belly got in the way, can't quite now, hopefully can again soon! My chiropractor says my spine (and various other bits!) are hypermobile. I've got one hand that bends back but the other one doesn't, and one hypermobile hip but not the other, so weird, it's like 50% of me is hypermobile but the other 50% isn't!

Definitely can't my legs round the back of my head though, or at least not both of them! 😂

Evening all. Might anyone have any new codes for Medexpress? I had a hectic week at work and missed out on ordering in April before the codes MelissaLouRocks and others so kindly shared expired out.

ta all!

@Stickthatupyourdojo
I'd like to think not too!