Continuing Mounjaro Thread 10

[FlappyFish]

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

9th thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5074054-continuing-mounjaropart-9

Thread for newbies just starting out:

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

Courtesy of Flappy, deputising for the wonderful Obsidian.

@chesterlestreet I've had some insomnia, yup. I'm only 5 weeks in but am easing over the jumps by tweaking doses (3 weeks at 2.5, 2 weeks at 3.75, only then onto 5) because I don't think my system would handle the big jumps well...

You could try magnesium in the evening, it helps with sleep and is good for regular BMs too. Hope you can get a nap today!

@GingerNugget I only look on here to see how people are doing, so I'm not seeing misuse, but sure it happens. I started on 12th March and have lost almost 2st, which seems very fast. Unless you exercise very rigorously all day on no calories you can't lose 10lbs a week after the water weight has gone. It's very hard to lose more than 2lb a week.

I do have anxiety about stopping and gaining. I have a 10mg pen, but two weeks left of my 7.5mg pen with bonus, and 5lb to lose to hit goal. I don't think I'm going to need the next pen (or at least dont want to start a new one if i only need to lose a couple of lbs) so might have it as a spare pen. Obviously I can't use all of it and will need to start in 2.5mg again if I need it later down the line and I will be throwing much of it away, but when I ordered it I thought I would need it. Has anyone used a pen for more than 5 dosages because of unexpected side effects of a higher dose? I wouldn't want to make a pen last months obviously, but is a few more weeks ok? Obviously it has been in the fridge and will remain there. In hindsight I should have just waited a while before ordering this pen or ordered a lower dose, but too late now.

I only joined the biggest one, but I unfollowed it quickly. I found it too much pressure to read about people eating so little and losing weight so rapidly. I really need to be encouraged to welcome a weight gain of 2lb a week instead of seeing it as a failure, because that way madness lies. Even all the talk about stockpiling panics me.

Really the best way to use this would be prescribed by the NHS alongside weekly peer support groups headed by a nutritionist or a nurse. These drugs have been unleashed on a society that isn't psychologically prepared for it.

I used it yesterday (repeat customer) and it gave 20% off. I did notice today that it's now missing from the website that shows discount codes that it was on so perhaps they changed something since yesterday?

I ordered my first pen from MedExpress and the Expiry date is May! Do you think it will be safe to use or should I contact them?

Yes its not working today, I have emailed them and they said its not working on weigh loss injection, what a shame! Really don’t want to pay full price!

The little buggers!

The med express code worked for me this morning, just before 9am, as a returning customer.

Hi @FlappyFish please could I have the FB link also. I am in a two groups one of which I thought was set up from here but not sure it’s the right one.

Can I have the link as well pls?

Oh could I have the fb link too please

@RagzRebooted

If you find it too sweet, add some more water., I did and that worked well.

I could have written your post myself. I've just completed my first 2.5mg pen and lost around 5lb and I've read about others losing over a stone the first month.

I'm 16 stone as well so it's not like I only have a few pounds to lose.

I've found Reddit most helpful because I fancy the Americans have more experience with Mounjaro than us and there's lots of people who've been in the same boat as us and all of a sudden it kicks in for them and they start losing more quickly.

Fingers crossed for both of us 🤞

Eurgh. Haven't heard anything from family chemist since my order yesterday.

@Whatsyourstory

Some batches of the 2.5mg had an expiry of May but have been tested and had the expiry dates lengthened, I think until September? See if there is a note in with it explaining that.

Here's a link to a page that gives the batch numbers and their new lengthened expiry dates, check teh batch number on yours. If it's not one of the 3 numbers shown here then you need to contact MedExpress as it's not in the batches they tested and so will be expiring the end of the month.

https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/mounjaro%E2%96%BC-tirzepatide-2-5-mg-kwikpen-shelf-life-extension/

Just caught up and it’s great reading everyone’s posts.

Another slow loss week for me. However in total I’ve lost 6.2lb over the 4 weeks. Much slower than some, but I’m now just into the next stone bracket and as long as my weight is going down I’m sticking with it.

So far I’ve done 3 weeks at 2.5mg and 1 week at approx 3.75 using the extra dose left after my last injection with a new needle. I’m hoping this may ease my transition to 5mg which I move to tomorrow.

@FlappyFish Could I have the Facebook group link as well please. I’m on my first week of 2.5mg

@RagzRebooted I wonder if it went so frothy due to the blending as it should settle quickly. It mixes much better in a shaker (the ones with the metal balls in them), although I do sometimes just stir quickly with a spoon and mush any excess against the sides until it fully dissolves.
It should have a light froth on top which should almost disappear once it's been left to settle for a couple of mins. Water it down more if it's too sweet/strong. I usually have 500ml of water in it rather than the suggested 400ml.

My scales have registered that my protein levels are increasing since I started having the protein drinks - when I first started them I did wonder if it would actually make any difference.

I noticed that MedExpress haven't processed my order with the 20% discount yet, still says awaiting prescription. Now they've removed that discount code I'm wondering if they'll back track on it and refund my order!

I'll be moving up to 5mg on Friday! I'm really hoping I don't have any awful symptoms.

Thank you very much for responding. You're quite right, MedExpress just emailed me to confirm this is the case.

I have not experienced any side effects (3rd week of 5mg atm) apart from feeling a little bit cold after the 2 first 2.5mg injections.
I was terrified of the jump from 2.5 to 5 but nothing happened.

@Rulay I totally agree it would be ideal it it were done though the NHS with a lot more support, I think it might be a few years yet before that happens but hopefully that will happen for people in future.

Losing a lot of weight too quickly is almost certainly resulting in things like muscle mass loss, bone mineral density loss and collagen loss which isn't ideal and may lead to problems later and make it more difficult to keep the weight off so slow and steady is probably better for most of us. As I said before sometimes drastic weight loss can be a medical necessity but that should be done under the supervision of a doctor.

If you are eating a healthy balanced diet and getting in some exercise then you will get there!

@KeepingUndercover

They haven't processed mine either! It was only yesterday though so here's hoping.