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

Day 2 of 2.5 mg

made a coffee this afternoon and had a chocolate coated rice cake with it.

had 2 bites and the texture of the chocolate is just rank

without my “hit” I just don’t want to eat it

I didn’t. Just picked the next dose and was dispatched the same day

I’ve found 3 small protein based meals suit me. Lots of water. Avoid greasy, very spicy , alcohol if possible.
So eg protein yoghurt & berries or protein shake, eggs or homemade soup or salad, normal healthy dinner but small portion of carbs.

@MelissaLouRocks

I was looking for something in the previous thread and realised you never explained to us about the 3am banana fight.!

@Sleepyquest

Avoid greasy food, nothing good happens!

I'm actually still ok with spicy so long as not late in the evening but some people find that causes trouble.

Other that it's a good idea to prioritise protein when losing weight so as not to lose muscle (or hair!) and veg because you still need the same amounts of vitamins and minerals, and you'll probably find that doing those things cuts carbs automatically just because something has to go if you're not eating as much and it's the least essential!

If you find you're not losing weight or stall then it can be a good idea to check your calories.

Yes! I'm a very anxious person and I have noticed this huge reduction in my anxiety levels

Sorry, I forgot about that... 😂

So I finally get to sleep, and am woken by several different ladies shrieking/screaming in the early hours. I was in a six bed bay, ages 30 to about 80, I believe one poor lady had dementia, I think one other was just a bit batshit!

Despite the rules, Batwoman's son had brought her a huge fuck off display of flowers in a vase, and the nurses let her keep it overnight as every time they went near it she cried.

So I wake up to find other patients and nurses screaming "NO", as BW removes her flowers and starts to drink from the vase. She then goes to her neighbour sleeping calmly in her bed, and starts stroking her cheek with the flowers. Perhaps understandably, she was slightly alarmed at what was going on, I believe she may have been there some time as she had a fully loaded fruit bowl on her table.

Well then the throwing started, apples and tangerines to start, and then the lady in the bed next to me (with dementia) narrowly avoided the very ripe peach that splattered the wall behind her. Throwing Lady ran out of round things, and then started to throw the bananas.

A couple of ladies had got out of bed by this point, cowering and trying to hide. Unfortunately I was pinned down by 2 drips, a catheter and my morphine pump.

So naturally, I get hit by 2 bananas. The next thing I know, Dementia Lady is standing at the end of my bed, using bed socks as goalie gloves, and waving her dressing gown shouting "Ole", trying to "save" the bananas.

They needed 7 staff to get everyone calmed down, and had to split BW and DL up as they started threatening each others families with their respective "my son's bigger than yours"!

It was probably the most bizarre night of my life in 55 years by far. 😂

Haha that’s very surreal and rather funny (if a little scary for the patients and staff at the time 😬)

@montysma1 and @RagzRebooted - it's funny isn't it, re: free food. I am learning to walk away from it at work all the time, or making sure I only take the stuff that works for me.

And even harder still, not emptying my plate at restaurants and ignoring the (perceived) judgement of others. I feel like I was taught to empty my plate, although the lesson I should have learned was to take smaller portions. But I am now learning that I do not have to eat it even if it is in front of me. What a big change - and it is still hard. But I am getting better at it.

Thank you! I've eaten about 1300 cals today. Assume that's the point and all is going to plan

I seriously wondered if I was hallucinating at one point, 😳

Evening all. Been a busy one today and I’ve not made great choices. I’ve tried to be careful of portion sizes though.

I am going to go up to 5 next jab and save my bonus dose. I’m also going on holiday towards the end of May but I really don’t know what to do MJ wise so I like Obsidian Tree’s plan then I’ll use the bonus as a maintenance dose while I’m away if needs be. Im sure I’ll change my mind again though 😂

This is absolutely magnificent.

Is it safe to save the bonus dose? I'm not sure whether to take mine or just move up to my next pen as I have been feeling the 2.5 wearing off by day three

I was really starting to worry what they were putting through my drips!

Evening ladies…. Cannot believe we are well into thread 7 already. I’ve had a really stalled week despite that i’ve got total food aversion and no real appetite.

I did dose 2 of 3.5mg last night & god today I felt ghastly. I was cooking lunch and had to walk away. Even the boiling water turned my stomach. You know that absolutely irrational aversion to foods when you’re pregnant? Like that.

Anyway - my small win is that this evening I called in to a friends party and my oldest friend took me to one side and said ‘you look great - and I hope you don’t mind me telling you but you’ve lost so much weight!’ I said TY so, so much. No one has noticed except you and I am trying very hard. He said but you’ve done this in the 3 months since I last saw you - you really look great 😊

So there we go. The first person to notice.

also - what’s this term I see mentioned on here - SWV or NSV or something ??

@AgathaMystery I believe it means Non Scale Victory.

It means non scale victory so moving down a dress size for example.

ohhhhhh

okay - well today’s NSV is my friend noticing and wearing another dress that hasn’t fit me for a year!

Jabbed 4th dose of 2.5mg today.
So far 15lb lost, only 2 more lb until my weight starts with '11'...
Been eating 2 meals a day, and feeling super full after a v small meal.
Bizarrely, the Husband has also lost just over a stone, due to me having this new found 'self control' and he has no idea about me being on MJ!!

Now panicking that he will be home when my 5mg pen is delivered next week!!
Any suggestions as to what I can say is in a 'must stay chilled' box???
Thinking of saying skincare, and putting a bottle of some random face cream in the fridge

I'm pretty sure my boxes haven't said anything on them about having to stay chilled. So I'd have him accept the delivery and then just deal with the hiding it in the fridge bit when you're home!

@NCfor24 my first delivery from Voy was covered in 'must stay chilled' stickers...
luckily he was out at the time!

@Nooneknowsbutme none on my MedExpress deliveries and I can't remember about Bolt! Face cream seems a decent idea. My DH would accept the explanation!

@NCfor24 yup, I think mine would too. I'm always buying new skincare

Just as long as he doesn't loiter when I'm trying to open!

So I have drank for the first time in 6 weeks. Probably a bottle of prosecco all in, but watered down heavily with soda water.
I'm dreading tomorrow. Pray for me.