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

Sorry double post

I’m on day five of jab one and it’s the weirdest sensation I’m hungry but veggies and protein is satisfying me. I don’t want crisps or sweets normally I’m like well one won’t hurt.

Enjoy your holiday @Scalessayeek and great loss so far 😊

Here's the article
In the Times.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6b91c58f-5e17-489f-a7ff-4bfe87317a94?shareToken=97a0ae14d0eb4f631942c15c044aa509

You're right. I'm sure at one point they will realise that expecting people to just get to their goal weight and stay there off the drug is probably unrealistic for a majority. Just not sure if we have to wait until they see evidence of people regaining first. But a maintenance pill sounds good hope that happens soon!

Second 2.5mg on Sunday. Full appetite suppression but the exhaustion! Oh my word, I fell asleep last night at 7pm and slept until 7am this morning. Feel fine today but it hit me like a brick. Otherwise, I generally feel good.

For those who have been using the weight loss drugs for a while - is excess skin a problem? Can you see any fat loss (as I hear that it's mostly lean body mass you lose). Also has anyone stopped it and if so how long were you able to keep the weight off?
Thanks in advance!

I think you'll have to look to America for some of this as its still so new in the UK, I think about 3-4 months in so most will still be actively losing weight here.

Personally I've started some weight bearing exercise to try and help with this and I know I was heavier when pregnant and didn't get loose skin so hoping that's still the case! I imagine it's very personal though.

Lack of collagen maybe or possibly unrelated?

My 11 year old C-section scar has got very thin..it almost looks like it could split. It's a bit itchy. My apron belly has reduced a tiny bit but still a long way to go. I'd have expected the loss to help the scar but it seems aggravated. Do I need to think about moisturising, supplements or something else? I don't really do body skincare and hadn't thought I'd need to but is this a loose skin type issue? Maybe the belly skin is less plumped out with fat or something and is causing more friction. I don't know.....it's a weird one!!

I’ve definitely seen fat loss on myself not lean body mass. Many of us on here are very careful about keep up protein intake and also quite a few of us do weight training or resistance exercise to build muscle. I wonder if you’ve heard some of the scare stories about people using these jabs inappropriately?

Thank you for that, have always used my legs as people seemed to report greater side effects with the stomach. I'll try stomach with next lab at weekend bye let you know how I get on.

Congrats, and hope you have a fabulous holiday. 🍹🎉

Well going up to 7.5mg is working a bit too well. Not hungry at all. Very much like first starting out again. My arms really ache but my kids have colds, so could be that. Also didn't sleep well due to my son being up most of the night.

I injected into my stomach as people were reporting not much effect. Probably should have done thigh.

@Scalessayeek well done! That's a great milestone. Have a great holiday. 🏝

From what I've read it's very individual as to what side effects different areas have. I guess it's worth experimenting. I didn't seem to have any issues, although it was my fourth 5mg injection.

I believe the act of changing sites is what can give you a boost out of a stall. Certainly seems to ring true for me.

My stretch marks were really itchy and irritated, especially the ones above my pubic area but under the belly. It seems to have settled now, 9 weeks in, but they were really sore. I have no idea why, like you I'd expected them to shrink!

Morning all. I’m after some advice from those you have gone up the dosed successfully. I posted yesterday that I went up to 3.75 from my 5mg pen. Thought I’d ease in gradually! I had terrible nausea all day yesterday, then the sulphur burps started - awful but manageable. Then around 8pm I had the worst runs which finally progressed to vomiting at the same time. It was horrendous. I thought I was on my way out it was that bad. Has anyone else had this and been ok with their next jab? I’ve had such a positive MJ journey so far and I feel gutted that this might be the end as I can’t cope with that again. I’ve had to call in sick to work.

Can someone please tell me it gets better? Should I go back to 2.5 even though it had mostly stopped having much effect, I was still losing slowly.

sorry this is so garbled. I’m still in bed feeling shocking.

Anecdotally (so not data) it’s unlikely to happen again. Many of us have had at least one reaction like that.

take care of yourself today - you will definitely feel better tomorrow x

@NCfor24 I have a large abdominal scar and I haven't felt any difference but it's not as old as yours. Why don't you try bio oil or bio gel? I swear by this stuff and apply it on (all!) my scars whenever I remember it.

With scars it doesn’t matter what you put on them it’s the massaging that encourages collagen production. I remember doing a research project on this many many yrs ago. When Bio Oil became a ‘thing’!

NSV today - my neighbour told me I was looking ‘trim’ AND my leggings needed another pull on the draw string today to keep them up in my Pilates class (which was BRUTAL BTW).

Scale Victory - minuscule movement but I feel good. I’m currently:

SW 89.5kg (14 st 2lb)
CW 81.2kg (12st 11lb)

(3st 4lb) to go! Aggggghhhhh

I’m 28% of my way to my goal, which seems a lot and not a lot all at once.

Just to report that today, 6.5 weeks in, I have now lost 1 stone. That’s slightly over 2lbs a week. I now have 1st5lbs to my goal, which will still put me only on a BMI of 27.5. At that point I will review. My lowest adult weight post children just got me out of the overweight category - not a huge believer in BMI anyway, just another measuring tool.
I am sticking with 2.5 as side effects are manageable. I tried both Saxenda & Ozempic & fatigue was a real problem. I could barely get out of bed. On Ozempic especially I felt v depressed. I gave up after 2 doses, looking at the expensive, wasted pen, but thinking “I’d rather be fat than feel like this”. MJ has been wonderful in comparison, and I do get fatigue, but it is minor. I am concerned any dosage increase would bring on fatigue/depression as I seem to have a propensity for this.
I do have occasional, brief moments of hunger, but I find that it only takes a little food to feel sated.

I haven't caught up on the threads as I've had such a busy week or so, so much going on. I've been far from perfect with my calorie tracking etc but I haven't binged or anything so that's been good. I didn't weigh last week so not sure where I am, I don't expect I've lost much if at all. I've started my 5mg dose today and back on it with calorie counting and drinking lots of water so hopefully this week is a result.

That's interesting. When patients ask me about wound scarring I always advise to massage the scar gently daily with whatever moisturiser they have. I must have picked up that from somewhere, but it's good to know it's evidence based!

I don't think any amount of massage or oils will help my ridiculous stretch marks, 3 big babies and pale, Celtic skin. Also hyper mobile which I think effects skin.

You sound like me! Except 2 big babies (not massive but 9 pounds and 9 pounds 1oz).

Have the pale Celtic skin, am hypermobile (only in some joints but definitely affects my skin, also helped cause pelvic prolapse, yay!) and have ridiculous stretch marks, some are quite wide too. They actually get worse looking the slimmer I am as they crinkle up like crepe paper!

Back from my weekend in Genoa, which was fabulous.

Didn't feel I ate and drank much more than previous mounjaro, but I've had quite an increase. Disappointing. My brothers commented how I wasnt eating and drinking as much as usual.

Wondering if it could be all the walking, as we walked all day every day, which is not usual for me haha

Onwards and downwards, back to it today!

Thanks for new thread and well done to all ❤️