Continuing Mounjaro...part 8

[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

Also there is a 5th dose in each pen. To extract it you can either try a hard twist or use an insulin needle.
https://medbasic.co.uk/bd-micro-fine-30g-1ml-syringes-needles

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
furthet 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

Thread for newbies just starting out:

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

I'm short, so have an ideal weight of 9.7.

It meant I started 4.7 stone overweight. I'm now 12 stone (started 13.12) and back as my pre covid level of fatness.

Still a way to go with potentially 2.7 stone still to lose.

I'll have to see it to believe it, to be honest. Assume it will happen, as why not? I am still in denial that it's a possibility. Not the most positive frame of mind, I am afraid.

20 years of failed dieting has done that I guess!!

I won't be starting my 7.5mg pen until Friday although I did go to 7.5mg last week with bonus dose. All good.

Has anybody found the "new" 7.5mg , ie, with the long expiry date to be more potent?

Also, thinking ahead, has any supplier said when 10mg will be out and is anybody going to go up to it?

Hi Everyone!
Just wanted to share my little progress picture, I hadn't noticed any difference in myself until I compared the photos, first one was 24th March when ordering first pen and 2nd one was this morning! I had a baby 8 months ago and piled on the weight afterwards so I'm happy to finally see some progress. I love mounjaro, had barely any side effects apart from a little constipation 🙄
There's been some great losses on here which is very inspiring and love reading the threads every night when baby is asleep 😁
(Wanted to cover my face but I can see the change there the most)

Thanks @MountKilimounjaro - I do think the mindset is thanks to MJ. Not sure I could do any of this without it and I truly believe I will be on some kind of medication for the long term. My sister lost over 90 pounds ( she is a super responder if I've ever seen one) and is on maintenance, and is still losing. She was prediabetic, so never developed the issues I have over the last 20 years.

I do wonder about my ring - maybe water retention, or maybe age? I am 54, so my fingers are older, and I have watched my husband have trouble with his knuckles as he gets older. We finally had to buy him a silicone ring.

@ObsidianTree - thank you! Supply is patchy, but I have found a pharmacy that is very supportive and responsive at a Walmart about 15 miles away. I was told to try Walmart because of their buying power, and it works so far. But they are also so kind and supportive there, so I am much happier with their service than my usual pharmacy 5 mins up the road. But each month, it feels like a gamble.

@montysma1 - sorry, I should probably include that info each time. I lived in the UK for a long time, before I moved to the US, and I was on MN from 2004-2005 when I had my son. I have been a member of the wider community since then - sometimes posting very little, sometimes more, so it felt natural to come here when I was looking for support. It was a sheer coincidence that MJ was released in the Uk around that time.

We’re lucky to have you on our chat @spamm as you have access to information that is potentially valuable to us regarding maintenance regimes etc

Also, thinking ahead, has any supplier said when 10mg will be out and is anybody going to go up to it?

Bolt says mid May date tbc. The Virtual Slimming Clinic is expecting it to be 13th May. I probably will keep going on up. I am not a super responder, have had minimal side effects and my first week loss on 7.5mg has been 1.75 lb which is fine but not dramatic. Now 9.5 lb after 7 weeks - again I am pleased I am losing but think I could tolerate and benefit from a higher dose. I will decide after my third 7.5 mg dose I think and order then.

Good afternoon everyone!
Well done on the losses, commiserations for the plateaus.
I'm quite surprised with a small loss over the weekend, as I was away. Food was ok as self catering, so could take my usual food with me, no temptation from eating out.
Drink was another matter - some very nice micro pubs with great beers. I can't drink as much as I could pre MJ - a pint seems to take forever to drink (and my OH has noticed, as he often has another pint when I'm only 1/3 through mine). And wine when we got back to the apartment.
I had some snacks too, which I've been mostly avoiding. My lovely OH knows that I'm focussing on protein, so bought some high protein salami snacks rather than the crisps/savoury biscuit type snacks that he'd usually have. They were wonderful, but higher fat/calorie than I'd have normally gone for.

We did a long walk on Sunday, my legs are still sore from a very steep up and down hill (1300ft ascent over the day!) so that will have burned off some of the wine and snacks.

It was good to be able to balance holiday and diet, and not feel that I was missing out on anything.
I have a meal out booked later this month, and then 10 days holiday driving/self catering/camping which may be a bit more of a challenge. I'm trying to remember that it's ok to have some higher calorie days when on holiday, and to balance that with lower days. And that I may well not lose that week - and that's ok. It's a journey, I have to learn to balance life with food choices.
Fingers crossed that I keep the small loss until my official weigh in day and injection day on Thursday.

There was someone on the US Zepbound thread on Reddit who travels a lot for work and managed to get Bolt pharmacy here in the UK to prescribe them 3 months worth of Mounjaro and flew over to the UK to pick it up and take it back.

Because it costs so much less here, even including the flight, taxi, hotel for night etc. it was still about a third of what they were paying there. Now there's lots of people on the same thread planning on doing the same.

It's ridiculously expensive in the US if you can't get your health insurance to cover it and a lot of peoples insurance that they get through work won't cover it, or only half the cost (so still costing them $550 a month), so I am happy for them that they can save so much money, but hope there don't end up being so many that we end up with a shortage because of it!

I would be interested to see if the 7.5mg pens are more potent than the doses from the 5mg pens. Not started an actual pen yet tho.

Currently have taken 2 x doses of 7.5mg from the 5mg pen and not feeling much difference. So will see how the 7.5mg dose pens are before deciding whether to go up to 10mg, will probably get another 7.5mg and give it 2 more months then decide. Will give time for the 10mg pens to come out.

Can I ask a random question… now, I know I’m going to sound bonkers but we are going on holiday in 2 weeks… and I weigh daily. It helps me stay accountable and takes the pressure off for me of having one particular day (I used to self sabotage after a weekly loss on weigh day).

Anyway, would it be crazy to take my scales with me? I’ve no luggage restrictions and have plenty of space. It would otherwise be 10 days without weighing and I don’t want to have to go to the gym each day to weigh on other scales, if that makes sense?

@montysma1 think I heard end of month for 10mg

Anyone got any suggestions for constipation? I usually have infrequent movements but a bidcodyl capsule or 2 usually helps.

I've taken them 7 days running now and nothing! Scales have gone up 2lb despite calorie deficit.

Any suggestions? Drinking lots of water too

I saw that thread too.

If it does end up being cheaper for them than what they have to pay, then I guess more will decide to travel to get it!

I do think a lot have most of the cost covered by insurance though. It's just the supply they struggle with, even if most of the cost is covered. Also, I think a lot are going with the compound version. If it's the exact same thing but a fraction of the cost, that might work out cheaper for them than coming here!

I use psylum husks (fibre tablets) and they keep me regular. Some on here use aloe vera tablets

A lot of people on here use aloe vera tablets, they seem to help a lot.

@ObsidianTree
Just had a look, even the compound version is $450 a month. I'd have thought for most though that the hassle and time involved in flying over would be such that they'd just go with that, I think we're safe!

A lot of people seem to have switched to Wegovy also, mostly due to Zepbound shortage but sometimes as there's more insurance coverage.

@naughty40me like @ObsidianTree I'm taking psyllium husks (2 a day) and I've not suffered with constipation so far. I keto too and that can be a side effect so I thought I was at double risk! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005P0WGNE

Yes that's what I'm hoping! Paying for compound would be a bit easier for the US than flying over here 😜

Can I join in with you all - was on another thread but not a lot of chat.

I took my first dose on Sunday 2.5mg in my thigh. Haven’t noticed a single difference yet. Is it not going to work on me?

I have two stone to lose.

I've just accidentally found MedExpresses policy on what BMI they will prescribe to, it says:

"Injectable weight loss treatment can be continued until you are in a healthy weight range (BMI equivalent of 25 or 23.5 if minority ethnic groups)"

You can find it here:
https://support.medexpress.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18449019056541-What-BMI-do-I-need-to-be-to-start-treatment

You look amazing! Well done 😊

I've just started too...took my first dose last night and so far feel normal today also.

How much are you planning to try and shift?

Hey, yes it should settle down. The 2.5mg dose is to get your body used to the medication. Some people react worse than others. Give it a few more days and hopefully it will settle. If it doesn't, maybe hold off taking your next dose. Maybe wait an extra day or two.