Continuing Mounjaro Thread 11

[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

10th thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5080755-continuing-mounjaro-thread-10

Thread for newbies just starting out:

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

Courtesy of Flappy, deputising for the wonderful Obsidian.

Hey all I've come to join in. Like virtually everyone else, Mounjaro has silenced the "food noise" for me, and the weight is coming off steadily.

I was 118kg when I started at the beginning of April, and yesterday I was 104kg. Realistically, i need to lose another 29kg to get to my first target weight of 75kg. Even thats really overweight as i am very short, but i needed an achievable target to keep me motivated. Im getting married next spring, and i want to enjoy looking at my photos!

i really liked the kitchen roll analogy upthread. I know my clothes are getting looser (including my bra 😒) but I'm still in the same size clothes at the moment. I'm hoping to see some real size changes in the next month or so. This feels like a really lovely supportive thread, I'm glad to be here.

Has anyone tried the collagen powder from my protein? I've somehow ended up with 4 in my basket after various discounts applied and I'm now worried they will taste vile. I got the unflavoured bovine ones and 4 cans came to under 50 quid. Someone pls reassure me I've not made a mistake!

I packed my scales on holiday (never did I think I would be that person) - but the floor was uneven so I didn’t trust it 100%. Despite some rich meals (none of which I finished) and moving not one foot from my sun lounger, I am down half a kilo which I am really pleased with.

My BMI has gone from 36.3 to 32.3 - unbelievable!!

Just had a NSV. I've been sorting out footwear for summer, and 2 pairs of shoes which were on the tight side fit! My feet have lost weight!!! I also have a pair of pumps which I bought online in the sale and could barely get my feet into, I never got round to returning them and have been meaning to give away, I can now put them on, but they're still a little snug. I'm going to keep hold of them.
It's been a much needed plus as my weight loss has stalled, I'm 9 weeks in and 1 stone down. I've had a few days of realising I am still fat, but reminding myself I am 1 stone closer to not being fat!

well done!! I remember someone posting on about thread 2 that they realised they didn’t have ‘wide feet’ simply ‘fat feet’ - I’ve had to get rid of a few pairs of shoes myself!

I went to the cinema with my friend today and usually would go to town for lunch after. However, the thought didn't even cross my mind and I didn't realise until I was on the bus home. I can't believe how little I think about food now.

Come to mention it I noticed a pair of boots I have that used to fit perfectly are now too loose on my feet. I had to abort my school run walk and get the bus instead as they were practically flapping about on my feet. Who'd have thought weight would come off feet 😂

Last day before my next injection and I have felt a bit more peckish but that isn't bad going! Next week I might move my injection to Saturday night though as I think Saturday is the day I'd prefer to relax a bit as opposed to the Sunday.

@ViolaPlains I also don't have the alcohol suppressant yet. I'm a slow loser on MJ but steady so it's really helping on the food front. Alcohol wise I don't feel any suppressant at all. I have had a few moments of reaching for a soft drink rather than a G&T but not enough to make a difference. What I am finding is that the food suppressant continues while I am drinking and the morning after.

One of my previous downfalls was the snacking with the booze and the hungover food the next day. That isn't happening, which I think is a reason for slightly worse hangovers. Which in themselves are naturally reducing what I am drinking a bit.

I am due to increase to 10mg soon and am still hopeful for alcohol suppression. I think it would do me good and would speed up the weight loss.

Although the above makes me sound like a raging alcoholic. I'm not, just being a bit honest with myself.

Day 3 for me and my appetite is slowly increasing. Felt myself thinking more about food and properly hungry. Still only managed about 1200 cals but was defo more conscious of food. Still tired but not as bad as yesterday and other than that, no side effects

Agree with @LifeisHard73 that nothing worse than spending money on a meal that isn't good and wasted all your calories. Let a friend for coffee today and she had travelled long distance, said she was hungry and could we go Wagamamas. I ordered fresh fruit juice and two starters only- bang bang cauliflower and veggie gyozas plus shared a few edamame beans. Nutracheck put that at 899 calories and I need to be around 1200 a day so for first time felt deprived.

@MsClittirati I've developed a bit of a gym habit. Started off going just to improve fitness, now use it to fill time too. Teething to develop full on active habits while sun is out and I want to be outside

Thank you for that

Hey lovely this sounds really bad.
You said you are on 5mg and don’t want to go back to 2.5mg because you had no appetite suppression at that dose but you could go down to 3.75 so that you feel better and still have some suppression.

@greencrab love bang bang cauliflower but nearly 900 cals for what are essentially snacks is a lot isn’t it! But it does sound lovely so I hope you enjoyed x

Wow - it has taken me about three days to catch up on the thread as it is moving so quickly. So great to have so many new joiners and such great stories of losses and NSVs.

Unfortunately I cannot get hold of the 10mg, so I will have to stay on 7.5 for now. It's going to be my 4th month on 7.5, but until the situation stabilizes here in the US on supply, I have no choice. But I am still losing at a slow steady pace. Am down 30.6 lbs since January, which is still bang on 1.5lbs a week on average, despite a couple of mini stalls or gains.

@GloriaBunniford - I only lost 1.8 lbs in my first two weeks, but MJ has kept me honest and on track, unlike previous experiences. I am 54, diabetic and post menopausal, so weight loss is harder than ever. But I am now "only" overweight. In addition, my blood sugar levels are amazingly good, and my blood pressure is near normal. I am the lowest weight I have been in close to 20 years, and am staying on track.

@FlappyFish - thank you for deputizing so well. @ObsidianTree - safe travels home!

Has anybody used their week 4 dose and the “5th bonus” dose at the same time?

im on 2.5 and planned to do this to move up to 5 a week early but DH thinks I’m mad

@sweetpickle2 Some of the suppliers offer support as part of the package, does yours? I had an appointment with a health coach who advised me to make sure I ate 3 regular meals a day no matter how small and each must contain protein. I find if my stomach is empty I am more likely to be nauseous so eating regularly helps
It sounds miserable to continue as you are so, maybe you could try small regular eating (treat it like morning sickness!) or reduce your dose

Hi @Sassenach85 I did with my first pen which was 2.5mg. I didn't experience anything untowards side effects wise but I've never had really bad ones at any point (currently 3 jabs into my 7.5mg pen). I felt the effects were wearing off when still on 2.5mg; I was originally planning on eeking it out to five weeks which I've done with my following pens.

Thanks for letting me know, I had thought the 5th dose would be a good wee extra week but as you say, the effects are wearing off and I’m keen to move up to 5.

did u inject 1 dose as normal then change needle and turn the dial again for the next dose?

Yes exactly that, and changed the side of stomach I jabbed for the second one.

🤣 yes sure.

Landed in UK now! In taxi home and will take my next jab straight away!

Got an email from Zava saying my order has now been approved. So they have accepted my pics that I submitted plus the screenshot of an invoice form asda. So good to know!

I did just last week as I felt that 2.5mg strength hadn't given me any adverse side effects and felt confident enough to get going onto 5.
I did both shots with clean separate needles on the same leg but obviously a space apart. I got a really strong bout of suppression/nausea (but not unlike that first wave that I got at the beginning) and quite a bad headache for a couple of days but I just kept my fluids and calories/protein up with some clear whey shakes and as of today the headaches gone and nausea has eased x

Thanks so much for your posts @AgathaMystery and @spamm 😊
Very encouraging, thank you.
Yes, I do have a fear of the scales. I understand why some people weigh daily but I could never do it, it wouldn't good for me.
I will check out that weight app though, great idea!
NSV are something I've learnt about on here! I have a few so far.
Firstly, a total 100% remission of my severely life impacting IBS symptoms - they have vanished. I cannot tell you how transformative this has been. It's actually incredible, it has rapidly changed my quality of life.
Secondly, I'm so.......calm. I have slowly started to become aware over the past 10 days that I'm just calm all of the time. It's a new feeling. I'm usually anxious and worried about things. But since starting MJ two weeks ago I feel like I've been given a shot of mental relaxation medicine. I'm not stressing about things anymore. I'm completely chilled. My anxiety has been significantly turned right down.
Thirdly, my mind has become so quiet. My mind is usually so busy and noisy that I always describe my mind to DH as being like helicopter blades noisily whirring round and round and round with non stop busy thoughts. TBH I've got so used to my busy brain that I thought every busy person must feel like that. But now my mind is so incredibly quiet. Peaceful. Serene even. I feel like everything is OK, instead of feeling like everything is worrying. I have more space in my mind now, because all those noisy busy thoughts have dissipated.
Fourthly, my God I'm enjoying not having that deep, intense, gnawing hunger in me, that all consuming, domineering, physical demand to eat when I know logically I don't need to because I've already eaten. I hated that feeling so much, a powerful, controlling urge to eat more when I'd actually already had a meal so logically couldn't understand why I felt ravenous. It's so difficult to supress that feeling and fight against it by not eating. I found the feeling just got stronger if I resisted it. All those diet tips I used to get from WW and SW telling me to distract myself if I felt hungry by going for a walk, taking a bath, reading.....it's actually really hard to do that when your dominant feeling is hunger. Well now I don't need to try to distract myself because that insistent feeling of hunger all the time has gone.
It's all very liberating.
If anyone has any knowledge about how MJ creates these effects, I'd love to hear. I'm actually fascinated by how it's working on all these things!

@candleholde @GloriaBunniford

There is some truth in the idea that different bodies respond differently to a calorie deficit. There is a metabolic adaptation by the body to try to slow weight loss (as, in times past, a alack of food was far more of an issue than too much), whereby your metabolism slows. For many people this means their calorie needs might drop around 50-100 calories a day, but for some people it can be as much as a drop of 700 calories a day. An article about the studies is here:

https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/12593-weight-loss-may-take-longer-than-expected-due-to-metabolic-adaptation

However, this doesn't mean this won't work for you, but it may take a bit longer. The time will pass anyway, but at least you'd be moving in the right direction while it does, although I understand financial constraints play a part too.