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

Thoughts and prayers!

I have also been trying to drink some prosecco. It's not working very well. Its just giving me a headache!

@Nooneknowsbutme It must be organic skincare, to stop it going off before you use it. 😁

@Nooneknowsbutme why don't you say it's a wellbeing gift box and the "must keep chilled" is ironic?

Thanks @ObsidianTree and @TheOverweightFortySomething for confirming that the next order is smoother with Med Ex.

I started the injections on Sunday and then had 48 hours of severe D&V - bed bound etc it was grim - is this normal?

Hello, just started Mounjaro 2.5 on Friday morning. I'm having no side effects so far and don't feel hungry at all and I haven't drunk any wine, which is a miracle for me, especially at the weekend. Just posting to say hello 😁

I’m sorry that sounds rotten. Based on the experiences here, I’d say it’s more unusual for Mounjaro but common with weight loss medication in general. It sounds like a severe reaction but the good news is that many people see the side effects come and go fairly quickly. So it is likely it will pass.

You are advised to eat a fairly bland, low fat diet. I eat fairly normally but avoid eg. Fast food, fried food and rich sauces… but others don’t. People have reported D&V when eating high fat foods.

It could also be a coincidence eg. a stomach bug.

Don’t give up yet!

@knackeredmu it doesn’t sound normal based on what most of us experienced. MJ has essentially clamped my bum shut. 😝 I hope you feel better soon.

hi @bert3400 and welcome!

@MelissaLouRocks that story is classic. I’m glad you’re home and recovering though.

Happy Saturday night to all the familiar (or not so familiar as our cheekbones emerge!) faces.

😂😂😂😂😂

The chaos!

@MelissaLouRocks

I think you should write comedy sketches for TV, very descriptive!

Has anyone moved from wegovy to mounjaro for improved weight loss? I've been on ozempic then wegovy since January 2023. I've lost 4 stone and have about another 4 to lose. My weight has only come down by 3kg in the last 6 months. I find I have cravings for sugar, trying to deal with that as well.

I don't know whether to keep going or to try a switch to mounjaro? Any thoughts very welcome, thanks

@SwimmingFree I moved from one to the other but had come off Wegovy anyway for two months after a plateau and because I wondered if it was making me anxious I gained quite a bit in the two months. I have lost weight steadily on both - it’s too early to say if MJ is better really for me but I do think the side effects are better and my anxiety is better than when on Wegovy and also it’s better than when I had my break.

4 stone is amazing and all the studies show a plateau once people lose 15-20% of their starting weight. It isn’t a linear downward trend forever. I think the prescribers like you to have a break between the two and you then start at the lowest dose so a change may set you back a bit but it may be worth it as MJ has been shown to cause a bit more weight loss than Wegovy.

This is what Bolt Pharmacy say about making the switch: ‘Generally speaking, there is a 1 month washout period for switching between GLP-1s, however depending on the dose that you are taking and how long you have been on it, we can tailor our advice to your individual needs. Please get in touch with us to discuss the best option for you.’

Have a read up on how they both work. MJ does seem to have better results with weight loss as it works in a slightly different way.

You're doing a Mumsnet product review for a vitamin drink that's supposed to help peri menopause/pms symptoms. That's my go-to story 😁

I'm the same by day 4 on 2.5mg my appetite is returning and I'm struggling to stay on track. Just took my 4th jab of 2.5 on day 6 rather than day 7. I've got another 2.5mg pen to use up first then will move to the 5mg pen. I decided to stay on the lowest dose for 2 months to give myself more time to adjust to it as I suffer from migraines and am menopausal which is hard enough to deal with as it is. I also can't take much time off work sick as I already had a little of time off last year with illness. So I'm trying to think long term.

Morning. I know MJ means it can take medications longer to work due to the slowed gastric emptying.... Does anyone know how long? I've woken up with the worst neck/shoulder/back spasm ever and can barely move. DH had to help me sit up in bed! I've heated it, done some stretches I found online and now I'm icing it, but I took Ibuprofen and paracetamol at 3.30am and I still don't think they're working yet.
Does anyone have experience of taking painkillers on MJ yet?

So I didn't know this, I'd wondered why I'd been able to get mounjaro when my bmi isn't 30. Its becuase bmi ranges differ according to ethnicity. So I'm obese (not for long baby!) With a bmi of 27.5

Try taking Magnesium supplements. I started these pre MJ when I was waking up with leg cramps. These have now ceased. Also hydrate!

I find they take about twice as long as normal to work, and full effects take maybe 2 to 3 hours. It seems to vary a bit, probably on how empty my stomach was. 4 hours seems excessive though, maybe you're in a LOT of pain and it just isn't really touching it. Spasm pain is harder to treat with painkillers.
You can try alternating heat and cold? Hope it improves soon.

Good morning fellow MJ’ers.

I’ve posted a fair bit about how weight loss has stalled in the last month or being much slower. Psychologically it has been hard. To barely lose a pound a week. Thanks to everyone here and on FB I began to accept this is NORMAL. I also took the advice of not tracking the up and down. Only logging the down on MFP.

I have just kept at it through awful constipation and I have finally had a whoosh.

This morning I went straight below the stumbling block of 12 stone. Thanks to the constipation going too lol.

SW: 14.1 mid Feb
CW: 11.11 end of August.

I am 6 lbs above a healthy BMI of 11.5 at 5.7. 😳

However you are doing, just keep going. Keep the faith. Eat for health and remember this won’t be an overnight thing as it’s a tool.

Thanks to you all, wonderful MJ friends on my phone.

And of course I made a mistype. End of April not August lol

Numbers time. Messy post, sorry.
Did dose 7 this morning, 3.75mg. I'm 103.6kg (16 stone 4.4lbs) today so really hoping to get under 100kg by the end of May. I'll still be obese, I need to get under 94.8kg (14 stone 13lbs) before I'm just overweight.
Started at 110.8kg/17 stone 6lbs.
The problem with being tall is everything like BMI points and dress sizes takes more weight to move down. Roughly half a stone/3kg per BMI point for me.
Top of normal BMI at 5'10" is 79kg or 12 stone 5.5lbs.
BMI of 23 is 72.8kg or 11 stone 7lbs
I'd be happy if I get below 12 stone.

@FlappyFish yay! So pleased for you and wow you're so close to a normal BMI that's amazing. Losing over 2 stone in just over 2 months is brilliant.