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

@MelissaLouRocks really sorry to hear that you're feeling so down.

The fact you've reduced your morphine so much is a huge win.

Not losing weight is tough though, it really gets you down. All I can say is to just keep plodding on, hopefully the loses will come.

The work you'll be doing by eating less and eating more healthily is all doing you good.

Have you measured? Sometimes your body can physically be changing but the weight doesn't always go down on the scales.

It's hard to stay positive but if you can focus on the benefits hopefully that will help.

I don't think this sounds like just an MJ thing at all, @MelissaLouRocks.

Halving your morphine dose after years on it can have a massive impact on mood, and many other symptoms. Did you taper down?

Have done it in agreement with my pain management, not having any physical withdrawal issues at all, that's why I'm wondering what's going on. I sure as hell don't want to increase my dose again. 😢

That's good. But did you taper down? That's the advised way to minimise any unpleasant effects.

@MelissaLouRocks

Really sorry to hear you’re not feeling good, it’s good you haven’t had physical withdrawal symptoms but it’s possible there are still mood ones, I remember my neighbour having really low mood for a while after coming off strong painkillers she was given during covid as her knee replacement op was delayed for nearly a year, would any of this be of use?

https://www.anatreatmentcentres.com/vitamins-for-opiate-withdrawal/

https://www.recoverydelivered.com/addiction-blog/the-complete-list-of-supplements-and-vitamins-for-opiate-withdrawal/

Have been doing so in minute quantities daily, as advised by my pain consultant.

@MelissaLouRocks MJ can cause low blood sugar which can cause depression-like symptoms anxiety, tearfulness and feeling of dread are specifically mentioned so its very possible its the medication. i know i have had a couple of bouts of pretty bad anxiety, they passed after about 48hours for me. I don't know if you have any means of testing your blood sugar but perhaps it's worth trying to increase it slightly? Some fruit or a small amount of carbs perhaps? I don't know enough to know if that will be sufficient to overcome the effects of the MJ if that is the cause but might be worth a try for minimal effort. Hope you feel better soon.

That's good, but don't dismiss the effect the opiate reduction may be having. Anxiety, depression and irritability are all listed as possible symptoms. So give yourself permission to stay in bed and sob if you need to. Don't judge yourself for that, it's part of making a big change.

Thanks @lurkylurk I take all of them apart from lipoic acid. I suffer neuropathic pain anyway, so I'll pass it with doc and give it a go. It's just shit when you finally think something's going right, and something else shows it's ugly mug.

Thanks for the suggestion, have already tested as my daughter's diabetic.

Thank you. 💐

If it is due to the opiate reduction it will definitely pass as your body adjusts to the new dose, give it a bit of time.

I've got a cracking NSV that will make you all chuckle though...

I've gone down a size in incontinence pants. 🫣 🤣

Now that is a win!! 🎉 👏🎉

It most definitely is!

Did you ask your GP to arrange the test or how did you go about this? My last test I was just on cusp of pre diabetic and would like it repeated but I'm not sure if my gp would agree to do it.

I ordered a private one, which was around £40.

For those that aren't losing much, this might explain things

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeCNFjHb/

@ObsidianTree Thank you. 💐

This lady is great she has a wealth of knowledge on the medication. I watch a lot of her videos.

Same ☺️ it's nice that Americans are so far ahead! We can learn a lot😊

I have finally got to the 1 stone loss!

SW 12.6.6
CW 11.6.0

It's taken 6.5 weeks, but I got there. 😀
I'd lost a bit before starting mj, but always put it back on again, think my heaviest was around 12.12.

I'm only 5'2" so nearly 13st is a lot for my height.

Wow that's fantastic news

Just popping in as read through a few pages as I’ve always been overweight but menopause tipped me into obese despite doing exercise daily. I had an interesting experience last year taking some meds for ingestion which initially felt like someone had turned my appetite off and I dropped 7lbs quickly but then it was like my body adapted and I’m back unable to control my stressed induced eating. My question is does not having a gallbladder impact using MJ? I’ve looked online and the list of side effects scare me as I already struggle with excess stomach acid but I’m fed up of sore joints and my weight now impacting my mobility as I’m in my 50s but I had my children later in life so still very much in the care sandwich zone of life with teens & parents in 80s life demands. I’ve been on HRT for years too.

Morning all. I decided to stay on the 2.5 for a second month, but realise that was probably me being too cautious.

I'm a vegetarian and am having to relearn what a healthy protein heavy diet looks like as I have slid into carb heavy for years. Being post menopausal as well means that I carry my weight on my belly and I basically wear shapeless sacks to try and hide it. I have a black bin bag in the bedroom of clothes that I never want to see myself in again, which will head to the charity shop when full.

The problem I have is that I want to skip ahead to looking half way decent in a size 16, and get frustrated when I put a size 20 on which still very much fits. However, whereas I would normally self sabotage with binging, that hasn't happened on MJ. So maybe I am able to use it to play a long game this time around?