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:

Week 14 for me and exactly 14kg down (almost 31lbs). I was slightly lower at one point last week, but I had a bit of a hungry weekend!
Went up to 7.5mg on Monday night. Had a few bouts of nausea yesterday, exacerbated by being far too hot (my clinic room was over 27 degrees, has 2 south facing windows and 3 fridges!). Have attached my graph as I weigh daily, which shows just how up and down weight is. I could pick a week's worth of that and it looks like I didn't lose on some weeks if you don't look at the drops in between. Have faith, it's still going in the right direction!

@FlappyFish @Choux I agree we can easily become obsessed with chasing scales numbers.
@montysma1 I think you should stay where you are or maybe lose a couple of pounds and start focusing on maintaining. I'm just behind you and have decided this is what I'll do. From next week I will go back down to 5 for 2 weeks and then 3.75. If I don't lose any weight and stay at around 10st I'll be happy.
I've been exercising daily and focusing on toning up. I'm still doing cardio but not as much.

@RagzRebooted what app is that? I like it. Good results too - I am in week 15?16? And have only lost 20-23lb.

I am also waiting for my whoosh. I hit 165lb about 10 days ago but now it's 167lb. I should definitely be sub 165 now. I walked 14+ miles last weekend and whilst I did eat some extra calories not enough to put two pounds on. I think there's some water weight from eating more carbs and a slice of cake plus salty halloumi and ham over the weekend. Plus I have been a little bunged up which is hopefully easing now. Today I am focusing on drinking water and eating salad and less salty foods. Come get me whoosh!

@Choux it's this one "Weight Diary" app link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.selantoapps.weightdiary

Dont compare yourself to anyone else. Just focus on you. Make sure your fluid and protein intake is good and keep going. Lots of people don't loose much on the lower two doses. And it also depends on how much you have to loose, your age, your lifestyle. A loss is a loss.

@GeorgiePorge thanks, I didn't think of that. I guess it's just cost dependent if I choose a few of the nicer items to save.

I know lots of us are thinking ahead to maintenance and there's been recent chat about Medexpress, etc, not supporting beyond 25bmi and some difficulties with moving between suppliers when below 30bmi.
Just thought I'd share this - I've just listened to a recording of a live Q&A session with the prescriber at Oushk pharmacy and was really impressed. She was very clear that they will accept transfers from other prescribers (with the usual evidence of current use), will continue to prescribe to 22-23bmi if requested and prescribe a maintenance dose for up to the 2 year current limit. She's very patient focused, available for 1-1consultations if required, very pragmatic, all round 'good person' I'd say. I think I'm going to jump now before ordering 3rd pen. Price is £170 for 7.5 with a permanent 10% discount for FB group members (so you do get a lot of 'noise' from the FB group page but small price to pay!). Delivery had just been moved to DPD from post office to speed things up, but they're willing to use Royal Mail instead if that's preferred by individual customers.

• £10 discount, not 10%.

Hi all, can anyone advise if this is normal from MedExpress- I'm taking my 4th dose of 2.5 today and yesterday I went on to MedExpress to order my 5mg pen. I ordered at 2pm yesterday and it's still just showing as 'order received' at 2pm today. I'm sure it didn't take this long when I placed my first 2.5 order with them?

I've checked my last order with them. Ordered on 2nd June, delivered on 4th June so might be worth chasing with them if you don't hear further today? I was advised to order after taking 3rd dose to avoid panicking about delays.

My last one took a bit longer than previous, I think they were quite busy at the time

This happened to me on my last order ....placed on a Tuesday evening, and was stuck on "awaiting prescription" till Thursday, when it changed to waiting for dispatch then dispatched,.arrived Friday morning.

Interestingly Royal mail app showed it having been scanned into their system on Tuesday evening so I think it was just a delay in med express updating stuff.

Looks like prescription was likely approved and boxed for dispatch on the Tuesday then sent to Royal mail on the Thursday

Day 5 here of 2.5 1st jab

No side effects really to speak of aside from first 3 days yawning my head off by 3pm, and really bad thirst on day 1.

Suppression is very good I left dinner on my plate last night!

Photo of my lunch out today, ham and tomato sandwich.. bit of a waste of money!

Managing 2 small meals a day, making myself have an extra piece of fruit in between for poop purposes!

Woken up to a noisy tummy today, I hope it's not indicating imminent diarrhoea or anything!

Q - I have an all day event the day I'm supposed to do Jab 2, I know I should do it at roughly the same time but I simply cannot. Am I better to do it first thing before I leave or late at night when I get back do you reckon? Will it make much difference?

Took my 4th jab of 5mg yesterday - with a 7.5mg pen sitting in the fridge waiting for me to go up a dose next week. I've woken up today and feel like I've been hit by a bloody truck! Wiped out, nauseous and stronger food suppression than I've had for the last 3 weeks on 5mg.
I feel I've made a terrible mistake buying a 7.5 😂

.

Think it's fine to do it a different time of day, I've done three jabs all on Sunday's but all at different times of day depending on what we have had on.

One mid afternoon, one mid morning and one early evening!

Has anyone given blood since starting Mounjaro? I was turned away yesterday at my local Blood Donor Centre on the basis that my the treatment was not prescribed by a medical doctor (Voy). Although it is a little annoying to be declined I do understand and appreciate that this needs to be checked out, but I'm surprised there does not seem to be a precedent or advice in place.

@30not13 I have no set injection time and moving the day back a day is also possible. The info leaflet in with then says it can be moved. I reckon my suppression doesn't really start till 24 hours post injection although if you were going to get side effects they could occur within that 24 hour window. Just inject once the event is over.

@FastGoose each week you inject the new dose before the previous dose is fully out of your system so you Mounjaro is gradually building up inside your body. Who knows why the suppression is sometimes stronger than the previous week. You can always do 5 or 6 or 6.5 next week and build up to 7.

@KrankyKumquat

Thanks for sharing that, I have screenshotted for later. Sounds promising and sensible.

Surely they have a medical doctor on their team who is doing the prescribing?
I'm sure someone here has given blood since starting.

I’m not with Voy - I’m with Zava (previously Asda) and my Mounjaro is definitely prescribed by a GMC registered Doctor . This is worrying if true!

I've given blood. Our prescriptions are from medical professionals, so you can answer yes to that question. The pharmacies have doctors behind them who are ultimately responsible for the prescription.

Thanks @KeepingUndercover ; my donation decline decision could well have been the way I had answered the question or a lack of understanding at the consultation review; I'll wait to hear back from them as the nurse had referred to the Blood Service doctor for review.

This is really good to know. I will investigate them for my next pen.

MedExpress have just sent my next pen out. I ordered Monday evening.

Hope you get it sorted @Spann, it is an awkward question and the medications are so new that I think it's really open to misunderstanding from staff at the clinics. I knew that someone on here had already donated so I had that in my arsenal. I know the nurse who double checked my form hadn't even heard of the drug.