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

Do any of you old hands have any good constipation tips? Am taking lepicol fibre supplements and trying to drink lots of water, but it is getting me down a bit. Trying to limit carbs so can't add whole grains ...

Thanks everyone. 😊
Am just hoping I can find something that isn't too carb heavy, and of course my infection behaves!

Think I may take my portable blender and protein just in case. It's the first time I've been away in 8 years, so don't want to leave anything to chance.

Psyllium husk, it passes straight through.

I was there in January and there was lots of different types of restaurants and good available. I didn't feel like I ate particularly unhealthily despite trying lots of different places.
I absolutely loved the city and am jealous of you going. Have a fab time.

Hello - I haven’t posted for ages (but have been reading in the background). I’m on my 2nd month of 5mg and have stalled after exactly 2 stone loss (being stuck at 12 stone 2 give or take a pound for a fortnight). So frustrating - I blame being peri menopausal as I can’t think what else it is!
I wanted to ask if anyone else or menopausal type age (I’m 49) has found that since taking Mounjaro all their meno type symptoms have gone? I haven’t had a hot flush, sweaty morning face, terrible sleep etc since I started on this…. Just wondering if it’s me, or if this might be a bit of a wonder drug!

Also - someone (can’t remember who) had posted a really interesting graph showing the weight loss on each dose of MJ - I’ve scrolled through a load of the threads (not all, I’m not patient enough)! And can’t find the same one on Google….. if anyone has it would you mind posting it again as I want to show it to my daughter (who is also now on MJ!)…..

Also to the person asking about constipation I’ve been taking aloe Vera tablets from Holland and Barrett every day and eating loads of plums and cherry tomatoes - seems to help a lot.

Here you are @WobbleTime

I am peri and hearing this gives me so much hope! HRT hasn't been the miracle cure I'd hoped for but if I were to get these positive effects from MJ (along with some weight loss 🤞🏻) that would be amazing 🤩🤩

Def find losing weight so much harder since hitting peri. If I can lose 2 stone that will put me at 12st 6 and although ideally I'd lose another two stone after that, I could live with it if I don't.

Are you on HRT? I wonder if that affects how the MJ works? 🤔

@WobbleTime I’m fully menopausal and have zero symptoms since I started on MJ. It sounds cliche but I feel like a new woman!

Hi all

I posted a few pages back about whether to go back on Wegovy or move to Mounjaro, decided to give MJ a try and ordered from Medexpress with one of the discount codes from here, did my first injection on Monday.

So far so good 😊 no food noise or desire to snack but still able to eat at mealtimes and feeling satisfied with smaller portions. Really hope I don’t jinx myself!! but up to now no side effects. The acid reflux I had on Wegovy was horrendous especially at night so hoping that doesn’t come back.

I have a question though for experienced users - on the first/introductory post of this thread it says the pen only needs to be primed on the very first use, I’ve googled and not seen that mentioned anywhere else, is it still current advice? I’d like to take full advantage of the bonus dose but don’t want to mess up my next (second) injection by not priming the pen.

@MassiveSaladDodger I've always primed every time. I've still ended up with enough for a fifth dose.

@MassiveSaladDodger prime each time, you need to check the needle/ pen is working correctly and remove any air bubbles.

Bit late to the party on this one but oh my goodness @MelissaLouRocks that story is absolutely horrific. That poor man and his poor, poor widow. What a horrible thing to have happened.

Hey,

Glad you are getting on well so far on MJ.

I believe someone asked Eli lilly and they said you only need to prime the first time.

But as people say, you can prime to check the needle is working etc

Hey everyone I've been quietly reading in the background. Great to hear everyone's success stories and also go get a bit of advice on side effects etc.

I've just done my 3rd 2.5 mg injection of MJ.

I am also doing Zoe.

It's just incredible, I'm so much less hungry !

I've lost around 3 kg, which is around 6 pounds.

Unbelievable! I've been holding on to weight forever and unable to lose any.

I've also completely changed my diet to be fair. But wow !

I feel like I'm doing really well on 2.5 and I don't know if I should move up. I'm worried to move up, as I tried wegovy last year and gave up when I went up to the next dose, as I got so ill.

Thanks all I will keep priming as sounds like I’ll still get a bonus dose 😊

It’s early days yet and I don’t want to tempt fate but I’m really happy with MJ so far, life on Wegovy (for me) was a pretty miserable existence but this feels like it will be sustainable for the long haul. I want to lose at least 3 stone and I’m menopausal and not able to exercise or even walk very far (disability) so expect it’s going to take me a while…

@MJer sounds like you didn’t get on with Wegovy either, good to hear things are going so well for you on MJ 😊

Which dose of MJ are you on now ?

Which dose did you get up to with Wegovy ?

Unfortunately when I moved up to Wegovy 0.5, I just couldn't back it. It was like I was constantly hungover and I had migraines that flattened me. The first couple of days after injecting. After the first couple of days, I would just feel hungry again ! I also had to eat a lot of carbs for energy to get me through the migraines and nausea. It just didn't work for me.

Hoping this will continue to work.

What were your side effects compared to MJ ? Glad to hear it's working out for you!

@MJer it depends how you feel on 2.5mg. if you feel like you can't eat at all and are feeling bad on it, then stay on 2.5mg. If you feel it's just right, there is a chance that by dose 4/5 you might feel the effects reduce as your body gets used to the drug. I have seen quite a few people reporting that the have felt it hasn't worked by 4th /5th dose and wanting to go up to 5mg. If this happens to you and you already have bought a 2.5mg pens, then you are stuck for another month.

Some have got the 5mg pen and split doses to gradually build up to 5mg by counting clicks. I think this is a better option to be safe.

@MrsLeavemealone amazing - thanks so much for posting that for me

@MassiveSaladDodger MJ is a great drug. I feel like the benefits of it are massive. Not just weight loss etc. Soon I wonder if Wegovy will even sell that well in the future! From what I have heard it just gives you terrible side effects and the weight loss is slow!

@Madferitchick and @guestusername
re:menopause symptoms - it’s so interesting. No I’m not on HRT but had been considering it (until I started MJ and suddenly don’t need to). My symptoms weren’t terrible but were annoying me - and now just gone! The only thing I’ve noticed is that my periods have been a bit weird - currently 2 wks late (def NOT pregnant) / maybe why I haven’t lost any more weight for the past 2 wks……
I think I might ‘report’ if that’s the right word my disappearing meno symptoms - I’d be interested to hear if lots of other people are benefiting as well!!!! So interesting.

I did see something on social media from a longer term Mounjaro user who said you might have random really hungry days, and to just go with it.

I tried on some clothes out of curiosity while buying school uniform earlier and I fit easily into a 16. I was 18 heading into 20 before! And this was a silk dress so no room for stretch. I’ve also realised that although my current clothes aren’t falling off me, when I catch sight of my reflection I no longer immediately pull my stomach in out of shock.

That poor man swigging morphine. So sad.

I’ve stopped using my oestrogen for the last week I’ve realised and have noticed no difference at all. That’s pretty cool.

Another post menopausal, disabled wreck here! 😂

It's made an enormous difference to me. I reduced my morphine by a third last week, and have been given go ahead to reduce to half the original amount this weekend, as long as I feel that's doable.

My autoimmune issues have eased to varying degrees, and even though I couldn't budge an ounce for years and years, I've lost a stone since 1 April and am now only overweight! Just 3 more to go...

As I've said before here, it's been so brilliant for me the weight loss is just a bonus.

Good luck. 💐

I’m sorry if this is the third iteration of this post you’ve seen but I’ve tried posting about this twice already this evening and I don’t think it’s working!

My head’s a shed at the moment. Despite previously being a daily weigher I am now avoiding the scales entirely. I am not trying to eat healthy foods - I am eating whatever I want and too much of the wrong stuff. I am eating less than before but it’s still too much.

On the other hand, I am feeling really positive and confident at the moment. I bought some summer clothes in size 18 worried they’d be too small, but they are actually a bit too big! I am also consciously styling my outfits rather than just wearing any old thing that fits, and I got a cut and colour today for the first time in over a year.

Also, from about a million threads ago, a lot of us had ring goals. Well, my wedding ring is back on! Still can’t get engagement or eternity rings back on but I’m so so happy with the progress.

@WobbleTime I'm peri menopausal. It's hit the spots HRT hasn't managed to hit. Reduced bloating/inflammation and no awful PMT. Sleep is slightly better. It's what I originally hoped I'd get from HRT. I'm still quite a ragey person though so I'm not out of the woods yet.