Continuing Mounjaro...part 9

[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.
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. 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.
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:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
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: 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:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5007744-mourjano-starting-soon?page=1

2nd thread:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5028495-continuing-murnjaropart-2?page=1

3rd thread:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5037623-continuing-mounjaropart-3?page=1

4th thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5044316-continuing-mounjaropart-4?page=1

5th thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5048290-continuing-mounjaropart-5?page=1

6th thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5057916-continuing-mounjaropart-6?page=1

7th thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5062935-continuing-mounjaropart-7?page=1

8th thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5068850-continuing-mounjaropart-8?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_ch
at/5057475-mounjaro-and-wegovy-newbies-april-2024

Great news @ObsidianTree

The slow loss continues here. Very much a pound a week if that. Glad in a way as it means I’m hovering around 25.4 BMI and can’t be cut off. 😂

@pixieslove
If you Google insulin needles you can buy packs on line. Amazon have them but I'm not convinced they are "medical grade" so I went with a UK medical supplies company. They aren't expensive.
You buy the 1ml size.
You put the needle through the rubber bit in the pen. If you extract 0.6ml, then that's a full dose. Flick it to get rid of bubbles etc. There are videos showing how to do it.

Or you can use brute force. Once you have had 4 doses, the pen locks with the extra liquid inside. People are able to force the clicker bit round and you get the dose. Sometimes it breaks though and they lose the dose. I prefer the needles as it lets me measure how much I have extracted .
I have found that I get about 1.75 extra doses with the insulin needle method .

With the extra dose you can either have an extra week, so 5 doses per pen , which helps affordability . Or some folk double up and use the extra to go to a higher dose a week early.

I do a combination.
I am on a 7.5mg pen. I recon there is a total of 43mg in there.
So I am doing

W1 7.5 (to see how I felt on the dose. Brilliant suppression no sickness)
W2 8.5
W3 8.5
W4 9.5
W5 9.5

So that's me set up nicely for my 10 mg pen!

Hi guys. I have 1 and a bonus left in my 2.5 pen. Just had the 5mg pen delivered today from MedExpress. Does anyone know how long you can leave it in the cold pack/wool before needing to refrigerate please?

Probably longer than you think! My cold pack was still frozen in the wool 2 days after arrival.

@montysma1
thank you for that info I will get some ordered and use the extra doses that’s amazing! I’m going to follow what you’re doing with this so I too am set up for larger doses.

so as the pharmacy will allow me to order a week earlier due to my mistake, will it have any bearing on weight loss timeline as I’ll be a week short on 2.5.
i don’t want to mess myself up, so if i can get extra dose out still i may just do that if that’s the best thing i can do?

although my journey didn't start the best with messing up and feeling so blumming poorly, I am super excited to start this journey with you all.

can I just ask what happens if/when getting to 25 bmi or even 26 bmi as that’s then under the suggested 27 bmi
will they cut us off?
im only 27bmi to start but horrific cholesterol hence why I have to lose weight and with having had a hysterectomy and having ms I am liable to continue down the path of weight gaining not losing and that led me to this prescription which I was advised should help me xx

@pixieslove As far as we know they stop supplying you at BMI 25 so folk are buying extra when they can.
People are hoping the rules will change to allow maintainance doses like they have in the US.

@pixieslove Being a week early won't affect weight loss. It's ongoing and builds up in your body as you go through the doses. They start you low so you don't feel sick etc .
I am lucky , never had any side effects ever and am up at 8.5mg. My friend who started the same day is sick as a dog for 2 days every week and still doesn't dare take a full 5mg.

That's the other thing, you can vary the dose but counting clicks.
On each pen, the full dose is 60 clicks.
So 2 5mg pen, 60 clicks gives 2.5mg dose
5mg pen, 60 clicks gives 5mg dose.

So if for example you wanted 1mg from the 5mg pen, it would be 12 clicks.

I’m on the 5mg and have been reading a few posts with people having hideous side effects going up from 2.5mg. Just to counter and say I’ve been fine, strong suppression with no side effects so it is possible. Don’t be scared, it might be fine!

@pixieslove I believe some pharmacies have confirmed they will prescribe until bmi 23. I'm fairly sure Asda is one of them, not sure on the others.

Me too! No problems whatsoever. Just a chilly feeling the day after injection but I had that after every dose on 2.5mg but only after the first at 5mg. Occasional waves of nausea but fleeting and I've so far failed to be totally unable to eat. For me it's just willpower in a jab, and has curbed cravings and snacks, and enabled me to stick to a calorie controlled diet.
I should be starting 7.5mg this Friday.
Currently debating what to order as need to do so in next week to be within 6 weeks of my last prescription. Hard to know if 7.5mg is enough or I should go to 10mg...

For those feeling unable to eat, I have had strong appetite suppression but have found that I am surprisingly able to eat if I actually try. I have to get over my revulsion at the idea but eating something, even small, on those days does make me feel better. It often does feel like going back to the first trimester and having to eat something to get rid of nausea.

have a great holiday @ObsidianTree

I'm on day 3 after counting clicks to take a 3mg dose and I feel nothing. Yesterday I was exhausted but today I feel completely normal…and hungry. I find it mad that that extra 0.75 made me so incredibly ill!

weight wise, I seem to be going up this week. I did expect it because I lost 6.5lbs while I was being sick last week and some of that inevitably has to creep back on now I’m feeling better, but it is still quite demoralising seeing the scales creep back up

Following on from my weeks wait for Boots to have the pen in stock…..today I collected & they gave me no needles. Luckily I spotted it in the car before I drove home but not impressed especially as they are probably the most expensive.

Oh thank the lord, I’m quite worried now though that I may get to the 25 bmi much sooner and be cut off!
oh no, I thought there would be maintenance dosing going forward!
I wonder what my best bet would be going forward as I doubt I would be able to stock up enough doses unless I apply in my husbands name and set him an account lol

60 clicks is madness xx

@pixieslove there's not going to be a quick long term fix unfortunately. I'm using the weight loss period to help instil good habits that I can keep up long term once I come off Mounjaro. I think exercise, thinking about nutrition and dealing with any emotional issues around food are important to work on while the medication is providing a breathing space.

What she said!!

Yes that’s what my aim is as I have always been too fond of cake and sweet stuff.
I usually eat healthy until nighttime where I get snacky and it’s now gone, I’m so grateful.

I can’t exercise as I struggle to stand and walking is a no go as I tried to take the dogs out and had to be carried home when my legs gave up (multiple sclerosis) not the best, I invested in an old Wii to at least try! But how much can anyone really lose if they can’t stand for longer than a few minutes.

I don’t think Mounjaro is meant to be a long term solution but how come they do maintain doses in USA but not here?

I'm not sure if the maintenance difference is an NHS money thing or a more cautious medicine authority. Hopefully they will change it at some point.

Probably just a money thing, but aren’t we all paying for this? So why would money make a difference if it’s being paid for by us ourselves
or have I missed out and could’ve gone the nhs route and saved my pennies

It is very difficult to get prescribed M on the NHS.

@pixieslove hope the why protein helps. To answer your q I have just taken the extra dose in my first 5 one. Going to stay on 5 for another pen and I then have a 7.5 for next month. Although I have struggled to eat on day 3 it's just a feeling of full/overly fullness rather than nausea. I jumped straight from 2.5 to 5 and it was fine. Whilst this week must be a shock for your system it will be almost certainly be better once you go back to 2.5 and stay there for a couple of weeks.

I honestly didn’t even know it could be prescribed on the nhs! My doctor is a mare and wouldn’t help me even if she could get idea of helping you sleep is a mug of warm milk….

Absolutely, it’s my own mistake but the nausea is overruling me right now so I hope the next 2.5 (actual 2.5 and only 1 dose) goes well, it can’t be as bad as this week I’m sure!

I’m just waiting for my husband to get in so I can use his card (sneaky!) with his permission obviously I’m not that sneaky lol

I think between that vimto whey and teh slimfast shakes as a backup to keep in just incase, I should be ok going forward.

Does anyone know if the higher the dose matters or is it dependant on if you stay stuck and idling weight loss to then move up?
I should’ve asked prescriber but with my double dose mistake I feel like a numpty so darent ask xx

Posted this on the other thread somehow got mixed up not sure why I'm on there

Just to say myprotein have a sample pack of the clear whey so you can taste 10 of the flavours. It helped me narrow down which ones I liked and I've now ordered 3 of the larger tubs. I've gone for orange and mango, tropical dragonfruit as I know these two are my favourite and then also ordered vimto although this wasn't in the sample pack so hope I like it.

It's a great way to get in 20g of protein

I’m feeling I’m ready for 5 mg, albeit I’m going to delay so I don’t feel like shit on my birthday. Prowling the kitchen again! Still managing to not binge or eat crap but the food noise is back. Had strawberries and nuts since my lunch