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 don't think that's true about there being rules about how often it can be prescribed, someone on here was prescribed 3 months worth as they were going to be away, and Bolt sell a starter package of 2.5mg+5mg.

P.S., I totally get what you're saying about it being a very dangerous error to give someone the wrong prescription and could indeed be life-endangering and needs to be taken seriously by Boots, but be nice to the OP and the people here while explaining that, we're a nice, friendly bunch and have a very supportive thread.

If they will insist on taking it off you when you get your new one then you might as well use the one you have been given in the mean time to do a 7.5 dose. Are they going to check that you haven't used any? The cover hides the vial anyway? might mean a free dose or two depending on when they resolve it. Its shit but perhaps there is some good that can come out of it.

That makes sense, thank you. Was what I was thinking but so nice to have some reassurance.
To make it worse we are camping after the meal and last thing I want is to feel ill in our tiny tiny caravan 🤣

@Cerialkiller

Could always say used it before realising it was the wrong one anyway!

Yes, I double triple checked it. I tried a dummy order this evening to see if it did it again but it won’t let me try so I’ll just have to wait and see if it happens again when out my next order in

exactly. what are you supposed to do, youv'e been given the wrong one and are making the best of it by taking a smaller dose then was prescribed. what can they do about it?

@Cerialkiller or extract the whole lot with the needles I use to get the final dose out. And store them for the coming weeks.

I'm afraid I'm much smarter than Boots!

How do you check your BMI on med express?

It already had my height from previous orders and when it asked for my new weight it came up below. I specifically remember it being purple 🤔

@FreakInTheSheets maybe they will refund you the extra you paid for the 7.5 and you can just use the 5 to extract 7.5 doses while you organise a new supplier

Oh ok. I'll try and pay attention next time I order!

I just tried putting in lower weight on my med express and when I got to 158lbs it said my bmi was too low for the treatment and to speak to a gp. When I put my weight any higher it let me proceed with the order. So that would give me a bmi of 23. So looks like you can order until bmi 23 at med express.

Only 3 stone to go until I get there

Ohh I figured it out on MedExpress. It's letting me go as low as 11st 1lb to be prescribed. So probably 23.5 BMI. Lower than I thought but happy with that!

Hi all - I’ve been reading for a while so decided to take the plunge & say hi.

Life changing meds, I still think I’m reeling from not craving sugary foods for the first time in my life. It’s so freeing. I’m on my 4th 2.5mg and decided to go for another month of 2.5mg. I figured it was a marathon not a sprint (5 stone to lose) plus I was following an American on Reddit who is now in maintenance but spent 6 months on 2.5mg & 6 months on 5mg, lost loads and looks amazing. Regretting it now as for the first time in 3 weeks I’m hungry but I’ll see how I get on 😂

I’m so glad the sun is out. Everything feels better with warmth in the air.

I have never to add, I just wanted to say hello and check in with you. 😊

Amen to that!

@ineedmoresleepnow the manufacturer says you can move your day as long as at least 3 days between the doses. I've moved mine around a few times.
@Carelesswispalover yes I felt very similar about how drastic it seemed, guilt for spending that much on it and also hiding it from my teens but trying to set a good example with meals. I like eating normally, I just need less of it! I'm mostly doing intermittent fasting, so eating between midday and 7pm. No picking at the biscuits at work and no bedtime peanut butter sandwich which had started to become a very bad habit! It's so nice not thinking about food all day.

I'll be 40 next year and I know weight loss is only going to get harder, I want to hit 40 at a healthy weight and my ultimate goal of being able to do a push up and a pull-up as I've never been able to do either!

I'd definitely be doing this if they asked for it back!

@Casino11 I think staying on a dose until it stops being effective is the best plan. In the trials they didn't really study the lower doses much, so a lot of people are making their own way, rightly or wrongly. Generally drugs wise, we always say use the lowest effective dose, so...
I went up to 3.75mg after 5 weeks of 2.5mg as it had definitely stopped doing much at all. But 3.75mg is working well 3 weeks in. I'm able to eat normally (as in, normal reasonable portions) and get hungry at normal times, but it's definitely working.
Don't worry about a bit of hunger, it's okay to be hungry and you won't be on this drug forever so may as well get used to dealing with the hunger in a sensible way. I bet you're not constantly craving sugar and thinking about food all day, are you? Hungry is ok and not everyone gets serious appetite suppression at all.

This is great news! Right, I’m switching to MedExpress

Asda service has been ok but they take 3 days to reply to messages and they’re more expensive. MedExpress don’t seem much different so I will switch over and take advantage of the cheaper prices and longer prescribing.

Don't worry about a bit of hunger, it's okay to be hungry and you won't be on this drug forever so may as well get used to dealing with the hunger in a sensible way. I bet you're not constantly craving sugar and thinking about food all day, are you? Hungry is ok and not everyone gets serious appetite suppression at all.

I think this is a really important point isn't it? We shouldn't be taking it to completely eliminate all hunger cues, we don't want to starve ourselves. I had to give my head a wobble earlier when I started to feel peckish, then reminded myself that I'd only had a protein yoghurt and protein shake all day so of course I need to have a reasonable meal now (which I then did, chicken and rice).

@FreakInTheSheets I had the pharmacist assistant hand me someone else’s prescription last week- completely different name to my son. She was mortified and called me back to swap it. I’ve had errors before too, but a tiny percentage overall.

With the volume of prescriptions issued , these errors do happen and they must self report. My pharmacy had to follow a set process (heard them talking about it - she didn’t try to hide her mistake).

We should all be checking our prescription before taking anyway. An error was made, it will be recorded as an incident and monitored along with other incidents. Action will be taken when it hits a trigger point so don’t think you will have any say in that ….it will be whatever the regulator has put in place). You did the right thing reporting and you have the right to complain to Boots but would advise you do it calmly, ask for compensation etc but be polite about it.

Strongly agree with you on this. It’s unrealistic and unhealthy to eliminate hunger cues. This is a tool to support us to eat fewer calories- not to stifle appetite and stop us from eating and enjoying food.

Evening all… what a weird day. I have eaten a weirdly carb heavy day - my first since starting MJ. I Don’t feel great.

jacket pot and salad
crab for tea with salad and a few chips.

it was all too much.

Sorry to hear of the prescribing error. Wherever there are humans and medicine there will be drug errors. I have made them myself. The good news is the potential for causing serious harm was 0. That’s the most important thing. No harm done, thank god.

To put a positive spin on it, I've read atleast a dozen accounts (on reddit) of people who've found that having the odd higher calorie day actually helps with their weight loss 🙂