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

Really thinking about giving up today. The side effects are just too much. It’s at a point where I’m ill all night 4-5 nights a week. The only night I get off is the night before I inject (when it’s running out) and the night I inject (when it hasn’t started working yet). I’m due to go away for the weekend next week and I just keep thinking it won’t work if I’m getting up 5-6 times a night and have horrendous stomach ache in between. I don’t know what to do

Well, the upside of the awful stomach all weekend is I'm down on the scales and fractionally under 16 stone!
NSV I tried on my work tunic (been hiding in scrubs for over a year) and I can not only comfortably zip it up, but actually sit down in it! Not quite ready to wear it yet, I think the shock of wearing something fitted after so long freaked me out a bit, but another few weeks maybe.

@GlueNoGlue in sorry, that's rubbish. How long have you been on it? This is my 8th week and the first time I've felt really bad on it, I usually have mild nausea that I can ignore but I've had the stomach pains, bloating and toilet trips several times this week. I tried to blame the HelloFresh chicken, but everyone else was fine!

@GlueNoGlue that sounds horrible, what dose are you on? I don't think I'd be able to continue feeling like that either.

@GlueNoGlue that sounds terrible. What dose are you on and for how long?

Maybe go down to 2.5mg if you tolerate that?

Week 10 here and I'm 1.5kg down. Puts me into the next stone barrier now if I convert. I've been able to start running again and I'm upping my exercise generally so also swimming. I was finding running so hard previously because of my knees and my calves being tight. But the weight loss has definitely helped with that.

@GlueNoGlue that sounds dreadful for you. I think you should consult someone about the effect it’s having on you.

Thanks everyone. I’m on week 8 and losing well but since I moved up to 5mg I’ve been ill. I stupidly ordered a second 5mg pen but think I’ll try and reduce to 3.75?
@Mounjarojourney i contacted them. They sent me a generic info copy and paste listing all the common side effects (including diarrhoea). If it hadn’t taken them four weeks to respond I’d have guessed it was an AI answer

@GlueNoGlue I struggled moving up to 5 but it has calmed down now. Took me nearly to the end of the pen to get used to it. I would give having a lower dose a go and see if it helps.

@GlueNoGlue that's interesting as I'm at a similar stage, though only on 3.75mg and had my 9th dose (4th 3.75mg) Saturday. Seems we're having similar issues. I'd been okay until this week though, but if it doesn't settle I'll drop back to 2.5mg next weekend. I guess it's building up every week so won't necessarily be worst as soon as the dose increases.

This is what I’ve done. I did my bonus dose at the end of my 2.5mg pen and OMG it was AWFUL. Way, way too much.

I’m now on injection 10 (this Friday coming) & I am going to go up to 4.5mg. I would just go really slowly.

I’ve just been to Tescos and bought all the types of Imodium (and avoided the Krispy Kreme!) and feeling a bit better to know I’m not alone. Hopefully reducing the dose will help, it sounds like that’s what a few of you have done. Thank you!

Feel like giving up but not sure where that would leave me. Official weigh in is tomorrow for the end of week 4 but it’s looking like 2 weeks of no progress, in fact a 1lb gain. I’ve had a lot of side effects & it’s feeling v much a lot of pain for no gain.
I lost the first 2 weeks but my calorie deficit was huge. Now I still have a deficit but gaining. It’s all feeling a bit pointless.

@GingerLemonTea I felt like this in week two as I only lost 1/8 of a lb then the following week I lost 2lb. I'm still slow and have lost approx 10lb in 5 and a half weeks.

I’m also feeling absolutely dreadful today after my 3.7g dose yesterday. Really glad I didn’t go straight up to 5! It’s just a constant nausea that I can only compare with my first 16 weeks of pregnancy.

I even contemplated calling in sick to work and going back to bed but I checked my diary and there’s a few meetings I can’t miss. It will most definitely be a camera off day!

I’m setting myself a mini goal today. I want to lose two stone by the beginning of September. That’s 2lb a week so perfectly doable. My eldest starts school then and I don’t want to be the the fat Mum in the playground. I live in a pretty affluent area and most Mums are tiny and glamorous. I would never forgive myself if my daughter was made fun of because of my size 😔

It’s also my brother’s wedding late August so I would love to show off a new figure in a lovely new outfit by then too.

Sharing it here as I believe goals are
more likely to achieved if they are written down and shared! 🌟

Anyone else have any summer goals? ☀️

What dose are you on? Remember you’re not on a therapeutic dose until 7.5mg.

I want to come off my BP medication. I’m not sure it’s achieves or as I have a strong family history of hypertension, but I’d like to try.

Sorry you've been having a rough time and that's clearly not sustainable if it were to continue.

I moved from 2.5mg to 3.75mg. I intended for it to be an intermediate dose for a week before moving to 5mg but have had moderately bad side effects (some diarrhoea, stomach aches, nausea, tiredness), ended up spending a day in bed last week, so I decided to stay on that 3.75mg dose for another week or two. I still had some of that for a day or so the second week but certainly better than the first week.

I understand if you want to give up (I would too!) but you could try dropping down for a couple of weeks to an intermediate dose. Were you ok on 2.5mg? If so, you could try a slightly higher dose (but not as high as 5mg) for a few weeks.

@AgathaMystery I’m only on 2.5 but it worked v well weeks 1&2. My appetite is suppressed, I’m in a calorie deficit. It’s just going nowhere. If the scales were even going a tiny bit in the right direction I could put up with it but it’s just making me sad that I’m doing all this & getting nowhere.
mum reluctant to go up in case I feel worse when I am still getting the suppression at a low dose.

@Rainbowl

I have 2 holidays booked this year, one end of August and one end of October.

The first one I went to the same country 2 years ago but now don't fit into the clothes I wore then so if I could get back into them I'd be happy (I think around a 2 stone loss, but might be a little more). Then I'd really like to have lost 3 stone by the second holiday which would put me back at literally just about a normal BMI.

At the rate I'm going though I'm not sure I'll make either, I'm a sloooow loser, have been since peri-menopause but it's at least easy to keep going! Would have given up by now attempting any other way.

I'm going to incorporate more walking, I live in a hilly area so it's actually a fairly good workout. I can't lift a lot of weight due to hypermobile joints and pelvic prolapse but going to add in a more bodyweight exercises too on a very gentle gradient to avoid injury (which always seems to happen when I exercise!) Even the walking has to be done on a gradient as I've a dodgy joint in my pelvis that causes nerve issues in one leg that means that one feels really tired and lacking oxygen a lot quicker than the other one. But I need to stop moaning about what I can't do, and get one with what I can!

I love the idea of sharing goals.

One of mine is similar to yours @Rainbowl i was at a birthday party with my DD yesterday and the cafe had a mirrored wall. I caught sight of myself sitting with all the other mums and I just felt huge compared to them. Sounds ridiculous but I don’t want to be the ‘fat mum’

I also have a big family event at the end of June. I don’t think I’ll have time too make a massive difference but if I could get under 200lbs by then I’d be happy (11lbs to go)

My longer term goal is for our big holiday in October. I really want to feel more confident than I did on holiday last year. I have a lot to lose (5 stone-ish) but if I could even get half way there I’d be delighted

In reply to the needle question, I was thinking of it from an infection point of view, I didn't realise the needles are too flimsy to use for an immediate second dose. Good to know.

I get it on not wanting to be the "fat mum". Most of my friends are tiny, I'm over 5'8" and 14 stone 9 (now, was over 15) and they're between 5' 0" and 5'4" and very slim.

They're all really lovely, we've been friends since our teens and brought up our kids together and they tell me I'm still beautiful and that they really don't give a s**t that I've put on a ton of weight in the last few years (I used to be the tall, slim, model like one!) and I know they really mean it but it still really bothers me.

I really also want to lose weight for health reasons but I can't pretend there aren't other reasons too!

Took my first 7.5mg last night via stomach.

I thought that I'd do stomach because others have reported little effect. Blooming heck! I feel like I did on first 2.5mg injection. I tried to have a breakfast of two poached eggs, spinach and mushrooms to get veg in but barely ate a third.

I know I will get used to it by 3rd week and won't get much affect again. I don't think I've lost anything this past week due to period and last couple of days eating a fairly normal diet with some booze. Hopefully I will start losing again now I have about 10lbs to go. I think I will feel like shit tonight though. My exercise has been pretty crap as I've been so busy.

Any ideas when 10mg is coming out anyone? I think I will order 10mg if price is same as 7.5mg. I can count clicks if 7.5mg has a high affect across the 4 weeks and discard any I don't use. My next pen is to taper down if I manage to lose another 7lbs in next 5 weeks.

My clothes are looser, but still can't say I've confidently dropped a dress size yet. Belly fat is stubborn, but lost more weight at sides, so have more of a waist. Definitely a difference for me, and at the moment glad I've done this.

@Soukmyfalafel

10mg is due to arrive this week, whether that’s been delayed I don’t know but 13th May was supposed to be the date. Certainly should be available by the time you need to order.