Continuing Mounjaro...part 14

[ObsidianTree]

Please note: Mounjaro will only be be prescribed initially if your BMI is above 30 until you get to a healthy BMI of 23 to BMI 25

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 that 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, vomiting, headaches, aches, are side effects. There may 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.

Some natural sources of protein:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522#high-protein-foods

11 - 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), psylum husks(fibre for constipation), electrolytes.

12 - Drink lots of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Drink at least 2ltrs a day. Preferably 3ltrs.

13 - 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.

14 - 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

15 - 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.

16 - 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.

17 - Some of the places you can order from are:

Zava medical:
2.5mg £139, 5mg £139, 7.5mg £169, 10mg £189. 12.5mg £204. Zava offer refer a friend discount of 15% off. Ask for a code on here.

Simple online pharmacy:
£149 2.5mg, £149 5mg, £169 7.5mg £189 10mg

Bolt pharmacy:
2.5mg £149, 5mg £149. 7.5mg £169, 10mg £179, 12.5mg £199

MedExpress:
2.5mg and 5mg. £149.99. 7.5mg £169, 10mg £189. Coupon codes no longer working!

The Family Chemist:
2.5mg and 5mg £149. 7.5mg £169, 10mg £169, 12.5mg £194

Asda:
2.5mg and 5mg £179. 7.5mg £189, 10mg £189

There are others not listed.

18 - Worried about your supply being cut off when you get to a healthy BMI? Below is some info on some places maintenance plans.

MedExpress: Once at healthy BMI continue on maintenance dose for 6 months and then step down medication and monitor loss
The Family chemist :Would consult you as approached healthy BMI to discuss maintenance under close supervision
Curate: up to 2 years
Cloud: up to 2 years
Boots: Cut off at BMI 23
Asda: Cut off at a healthy BMI
Pharmacy2u: Will supply for maintenance
Bolt:Individual assessment once BMI 22
Zava:Once healthy BMI will stop prescribing this treatment

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

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

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

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

8th thread:
https://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?page=1

10th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5080755-continuing-mounjaro-thread-10?page=1

11th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5085436-continuing-mounjaro-thread-11?page=1

12th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5090788-continuing-mounjaro-thread-12?page=1

13th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5096704-continuing-mounjaropart-13?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out in June:

https://www.mumsnet.co
m/talk/weightlosschat/5082791-mounjaro-june-24-starters

Video on how to inject:

Well done for the losses today 😊

@Scalessayeek the 12.5mg expires in November.

@montysma1 great work! What BMI would 9st put you at? What is your height? How do you feel in yourself? Do you look slim?

Maybe aim for BMI 21/22? See what weight that would be. Suppose it gives you room to play with when you come off MJ and might gain a bit back.

Hi I'm a bit of lurker don't post often. I started on 12th march and have lost 3 stone. I'm on the 2nd dose of my 3rd 5mg pen. I need to do an order today as it's been a month since my last one. The dilemma is what dose to order?

Weight loss is still happening but slowed to 1lb a week. I still have some appetite suppression and not snacking but that last 10 days I've noticed I'm skipping breakfast and maybe only crackers or something snacky for lunch (read.not nutrient dense food) and then a healthy meal. It was also my daughter's birthday and I just kept thinking about the cake being in the house - didn't binge on it but the thought was there - which didn't happen when it's my son's birthday as I started mj. Im unsure if this is 5mg just becoming less effective or a plateau starting. I know I need to get back into the routine of 3 meals but I'm just really unsure on the dose. I still have another 3st 12lb to goal so conscious of not rushing up the doses too quickly but also wasting a month on the wrong dose. 🤔
Has anyone been in a similar situation and what did you decide?

@ObsidianTree 9st would put me at 21bmi. Which is probably a bit low now I am not a young thing!
I am just terrified to start reintroducing calories. I have got used to pretty low calorie and have a routine of sparse meals, thanks to MJ, so there is less motivation to start eating more.

@ShyUser awesome..thanks😀

Just uploaded my.photos for Zava..theybwanted pic of scales with date, and full body side pic of me with date. Could have cried at the photo...in my head I carried my weight 'proportionally' the reality is I am just a dumpy little barrell😫

Hopefully onwards and downwards from here!

Hi. I had this too yesterday funnily. Almost blacked out at least once. I checked my blood pressure last night and it was lower but not dangerously low so like you am making a big effort with the juice today!

@Scalessayeek my 12.5mg pen says Nov 24 expiry. I ordered another last night so let's see if that has a different expiry when it comes.

@montysma1 as @ObsidianTree says now you are sub 25 BMI I think you should be focussing on how you look and feel and not thinking about your scale weight as much. Do you need to tone up which will probably make you shrink but not lose any weight as you will convert fat to muscle?

@rainbowsandinfinitesparkles if you got a 7.5mg pen you've got the option to try going up and see how it goes, and if it's too much doing a lower dose.

You've just got to think that the worse you look in those photos the easier getting approved by ZAVA will be. And then you start improving things.

@montysma1 I'd concentrate on maintaining now, it sounds a little like you're slipping into a potentially dangerous mindset. I can only imagine it must be scary to contemplate stopping as we all worry about whether we can maintain it. Why not give yourself the goal of maintenance for a month and see how that goes?

Sorry, I didn't realise as I was in hospital when I ordered mine. Is that the norm for them?

I drank a lot last night and I do think it may have already helped a bit. I'm currently having some electrolytes too. I've got a pint glass out today rather than just grabbing our little glasses and telling myself I've drunk a lot!

I started Thursday 23rd May and I was so afraid of that needle for my first injection. It was nothing ! I have been on holiday for 2 weeks with girl friends just back last night. I took my pen with me to have the last dose plus the bonus dose. I move to the 5 pen tomorrow.
I was careful on holiday, I made the drinks and often I had sparkling water not gin and tonic. I ate sparingly of the bread and did not have feel hungry at all. I did eat three meals a day. To my amazement on having a try on the scales today I actually lost weight on holiday. I was not super hungry and I ate similarly to my friends. I remember thinking yes this is how slim people must eat and not even think about it. I’m not the faster loser but today I am 16 lb lighter than I was. I feel so much better in my self. This long running thread has been like a bible to me. I am so glad I plucked up the courage to do this.

You could aim for nine and a half stone

I’m feeling so deflated this morning. I’m only on my second 2.5 week, but I lost 4lbs in the first couple of days of my first week and now NOTHING for a week. Literally to the .8 of a pound. I know that it’s not quick for everyone, but I don’t understand how I’m not loosing when I’m eating so much less. I’m properly grumpy now…

It looks like it is. I queried it because on the delivery page it said 'Estimated delivery:* * 2.–8. 7.' I was confused and thought it meant 2 days – whatever 8.7 meant, and they said it's the date! I guess they're not actually in the UK. I could cancel but I really liked the look of the sprays, and do like the idea of only stevia rather than aspartame or sucralose, so I'll wait.

On another note, I'm loving your positive updates, your morphine reduction is inspiring. I don't post often but feel like I know you all from your posts. Love this thread.

@montysma1 wow - well done. I wouldn’t try to go below BMI 23 as so many places won’t prescribe lower than that and you don’t want to overshoot to an unhealthily low weight. Personally I would reduce the dose until I was maintaining.

I'm on my third week and that also happened to me! However this week I dropped 2lb overnight so don't get to disheartened just carry on.

Remember lots of things effect weight and this heat often makes our bodies hold onto water so we appear heavier!

I'm in week 4 and had a few days where it was nothing and then a gain. I'm back down to my lowest now so I put it down to the heat. Hang in there.

On the subject of dopamine & ADHD behaviours, I'm finding that keeping an eye on this thread is really helping me. The constant supply of new posts to read seems to be ticking the dopamine box and keeping me motivated. Anyone else?

In regards to maintenance I'm hoping by then I'll be used to eating much smaller portions and not actually getting as hungry maybe. Isn't that what slim people with smaller stomachs have. So a smaller stomach will result in not needing to eat as much, blood sugar issues should be resolved so I'll just carry on eating similar to I am now with a few more calories thrown in.

I've still three stone to lose so nowhere near testing this yet.

That's what I am hoping too. That maintenance will come from having learnt over the Mounjaro journey:

1 how much food my body actually needs with a goal of not overeating at any meal so my stomach doesn't stretch.
2 which types of food I can eat freely and which types are to be consumed in moderation so I feel satisfied through the day but am not consuming too many calories
3 that I need an increased focus on exercise levels and trying to build muscle
4 that I don't want to undo all this hard work by going back to old ways. I will be logging food, checking calories burnt, saving up calories for meals out etc and making it a way of life

Or maybe I am just naive and the food noise will be really really hard to ignore...

congrats on the milestone! Can't wait to get back into my 14s.
perhaps look for a local tailor and see if you can get some altered as you go down..fairly straight forward for dresses or nice tops and keeps them being used.

@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright i read every post. I also feel like I know people from this.

@Choux Food noise is hard to ignore and I dread having it back. What’s the old phrase? Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels? Pah. I will not go back to self loathing.

@montysma1 my lovely, I get it. I am now BMI 23. I have started thinking well, maybe I should try for… but! Being 10 something hasn’t made my life magical. It’s just as much an addiction chasing the numbers and I think we can all be guilty of that.

Hello everyone! I’ve been off the thread for a while, busy work, busy with other stuff. My MJ journey continues I have one dose left in my 5mg pen. I did 3 doses at 3.75, 1 at 5mg so I have 3.75 left. No side effects at 5mg but I have complete suppression and it’s a struggle to eat a sensible amount.

Im a slow loser and I wanted to lose a stone before the end of June for a wedding but I’ve got to 11 pounds which I’m happy with. I will continue as I have another stone to lose. I started losing very quickly but then stalled and then started losing again but really really slowly!

Observations:

1. if you’re a slow loser like me then expect to still be a slow loser
2. it is possible to overeat but you’ll feel terrible and uncomfortable after
3. same with alcohol. My tolerance is poor anyway because of menopause but I’ve pretty much been teetotal apart from maybe a couple of glasses when at a few events I’ve had. Plus I don’t see the point in drinking my calories when this an expensive option to lose weight.
4. might just be me but my taste buds have changed. Especially if I eat processed crap. I just don’t like it!
5. I’ve noticed a loss in muscle tone (not that I had much anyway 🤣). I’ve started to do some light weights at home and I’m rejoining the gym next week
6. now I’m a couple of months in I have a day off. Saturday, I don’t go mad but it’s a treat day. Eg last Saturday I did a 5k walk and then had a fry up, later I had an M&S curry (however I only ate half of each of these as I get full v quickly). I then inject on Sunday and begin again.
7. I drink a ton of water or weak squash and when I don’t I’m dehydrated and puffy!

Hi everyone

I've just taking my 4th 2.5mg dose and wondered when everyone took their extra 5th dose ? I was thinking maybe try it Sunday as that's when start feeling it wearing off and then start my 5mg on my normal Wednesday ?

Also where is best to order the 5mg from at the minute ?

Thank you ☺️