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

@ObsidianTree That is my exact goal, for me I have another 8lb to shift by 5 June. I just want to feel comfy in my holiday clothes. Still have a way to go to meet my overall goal.

@Cerialkiller I hope you get accepted my MedExpress, I'm with them too. My approach is similar to yours - this is a diet so normal principles apply but I know the MJ is helping my self control. I've previously had very successful diets but only when my focus is right, I always fail when I'm not in the the right place to try and then that demotivates me - vicious cycle.

Thanks @AgathaMystery I know you are absolutely right and if I read a post like mine I’d have said the same. Why is it so hard to take your own advice!!?

there’s definitely nothing left in my pen so can’t take anymore from it. I guess I could take a small dose from my 5 as I’m able to order a new pen from tomorrow so could use my first 5 to titrate up. Will need to sit down and work it all out. I’m easily confused!

in the mean time I’m drawing a line under yesterday. Trying to drink lots more water today too. Onwards and downwards!

Quick question. I don’t count calories at the moment. I’m finding that the combination of the appetite suppression and my aversion to most ‘unhealthy’ foods and alcohol means I’m losing weight without doing it. I’m totally open to starting if and when weight loss stalls or once I stop, but am I the only one not counting?

@PissedOffNeighbour22 I think if you are going to be away & have little control over food, the most realistic goal is to stay the same.Its hard enough when you are home, choosing food, shopping & cooking. With that out of your control, you won’t be able to plan or estimate calories in food. Just re-calculate your goals on that basis& don’t beat yourself up. Use it as an opportunity to make the best choices under the circumstances.

@Wonkypictureframe I rarely count them. I did for a bit to see how much protein I was getting. But once I had an idea I stopped again. I'm just too lazy!

NSV, for Christmas I got a swimming poncho that you're meant to be able to change under. It only just went over my hips and I've never been able to actually change under it. Today I took it to the pool and for the first time I could use it as intended!

I’m not counting. I (try) to stick to the Why We Eat (Too Much) way of eating with varying success. My loss is pretty slow though so maybe I am not a good example. As long as you are losing at a rate you are happy with it’s fine. The Weight Watchers plan for medication involves minimum goals for protein, vegetables and water with no limits on total calories.

An update for anyone interested in my debacle with Boots dispensing the wrong dose (5mg instead of 7.5mg).

The Online Pharmacy folk told me to back into branch. I did. They took the 5mg off me and told me to go away and wait for them to text and say the 7.5mg has arrived. Barely an apology and no indication they are taking it seriously whatsoever even though I spoke to the Pharmacist who admitted he made the mistake when he "checked" the prescription.

So all the following now done:

• complaint to the General Pharmaceutical Council
• complaint to Boots Chief Pharmacist's Office
• Shit google review for the Boots branch

Perhaps they will be more careful next time when it could be a vulnerable person and/or a dangerous medication.

Meantime here I sit, £200 down with no medication (albeit I do have an extra supply) and a huge waste of my time.

Fuck you Boots!

For anyone thinking I'm a vindictive nasty cow, I'm particularly enraged by the whole thing because I had to stay on 5mg for an extra month due to their supply issues.

And tbh, an apology and indication they were taking it seriously would have gone a long way.

I was counting a lot for a while but haven't been recently. I do need to start counting again. I think because I know what I'm eating and generally losing weight, so I have got a bit lax. I suppose if I was in a deep stall I would start counting properly to look for reasons why etc.

Good luck! I have about 6 lbs to lose to get to 13st 13lb! But by the 21st! So don't think I'll do it!

Think I was too ambition. Last week 1lb loss put me back!

Great work! It's great when that happens 😊

I read you as over-dramatic and unnecessarily sweary rather than a vindictive cow 😁

But, on a serious note, are you okay? You seem really up a height and - maddening/unprofessional though Boots may be - it's not good for you.

I am not against reporting pharmacists, who are meant to adhere to the highest standards (I've seen It's A Wonderful Life many times), but I think it's fair to give them a chance face-to-face first. It's very poor that they didn't take the error seriously.

I have reported an online pharmacy after it was recommended on another forum as the one to go to if you can't pass for BMI 30+ in photographs. So open to abuse if true and I thought it was worth the time it took to complete the form.

I hope you get sorted soon🙏

The good news, however, is that I'm only 7lbs off being back to a healthy weight.

@GloriaBunniford if you haven’t already, might be worth getting your HbA1C checked- GPs get paid to do them, so will be very willing to test! You can also ask for thryroid and other suite of bloods if you’re finding it difficult to lose weight. This is standard NHS health checkup stuff. But you’ve probably done this already

Go for it!!

I don’t count. I simply CBA!

This is pretty much my main reason for not doing it! Also my personal chef (DH) makes lovely food but loves things with many ingredients made up from his head, so it’s not remotely easy to work out how many calories I’m eating anyway. When I’ve done MFP in the past I end up spending hours adding in ‘0.25 spring onion’, ‘2 tsp tomato puree’ etc. Whereas if I just go by ‘are most of the things I’m eating falling into the generally healthy bracket?’ approach, life is simpler.

It's so encouraging reading how well everyone is doing - well done everyone!

It's day 3 today and while I'm not really feeling any effect I've also not got any negative side effects.

Can I ask what time of day people inject and why? Does it have an impact on side effects?

Thanks 😊

I am counting as I want to make sure I’m taking in enough so I can cut further when I plateau. Nutracheck says 1779 cals for me to lose 2 lb a week so I’m trying to have 1600 ish which hopefully gives wiggle room if underestimating anything

I understand how you feel. About three years ago I collected my meds from local Boots (one of only 2 pharmacies in our small town), and a litre of liquid morphine was missing. They sword blind up hill n down dale I'd personally collected it, even though that would've been impossible as I was bed bound at the time. I ended up in hospital for pain relief as the GP wouldn't reissue the script, as Boots said I had it.

I had a visit from the police about 6 weeks later. They'd given it to some poor old chap who was meant to have something for digestion which he used to just chug out of the bottle, assuming it was correct. His wife found him in bed.

Sadly they didn't press criminal charges in the end, they "didn't think it would achieve anything". How about act as a warning to others to do their job properly?!

I know it wasn't my fault, but it badly affected me for a long time. I still speak to his widow occasionally and she's doing OK, but I'm still angry she was robbed of that extra time with the man she loved.

That's half a pound a day. Come on@ObsidianTree you can do it!! I'd chase you round the block if it helped, but I'd just fall over. 😂

Bloody hell! That is terrible and deserving of reporting to all and sundry!

I'm sorry it effected you so badly. That is a horrible thing to happen. Wasn't anything done about the mistake in the boots branch? Surely if the police were involved something must have got back to the pharmacy? Some reviews etc?

😂 thanks! I should probably do some exercise! To be fair, I could probably do it if I decide to go no carb until the holiday. But then there will definitely be a big gain when I yet back! 😂