Continuing Mounjaro...part 15

[ObsidianTree]

Please note: Mounjaro will only be be prescribed initially if your BMI is above 30. If you have additional health conditions you can get the medication with a BMI 27. (Prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart problems)

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 - Some people find that they don't need to go up a pen dose each month if the current pen dosage is working well for them. If you are unsure when to go up, speak to your prescriber.

8 - The move up from 2.5mg to 5mg can be quite a shock to the system. Some people chose to take 3.75mg dosage for a few weeks to ease the transition.

9 - If you are having bad side effects after titrating up or you are struggling to eat your calories each day, your dose may be too high so should consider lowering your dose. Speak to your prescriber if unsure.

10 - 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

11 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.

12 - 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

13 - Protein is important as eating less protein can cause muscle wastage and hair loss.
Some natural sources of protein:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522#high-protein-foods

14 - 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.

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

16 - 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.

17 - 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
further reading about injection sites and the effects: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618

18 - 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.

19 - 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.

20 - Some of the places you can order from are:
MedExpress:
2.5mg and 5mg. £149.99. 7.5mg £169.99, 10mg £189.99. 12.5mg £209.99. 15mg £209.99 Coupon codes no longer working!
The Family Chemist:
2.5mg and 5mg £149. 7.5mg £169, 10mg £169, 12.5mg £194, 15mg £199
Zava medical:
2.5mg £139, 5mg £139, 7.5mg £169, 10mg £189. 12.5mg £204. 15mg £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, 15mg £199
Asda:
2.5mg and 5mg £179. 7.5mg £189, 10mg £189, 12.5mg £204 15mg £204
There are others not listed.

21- You will still be prescribed Mounjaro when your BMI falls below 30. However, it may be harder to move suppliers once you BMI is below 30 if you wanted to move.

22 - Worried about your supply being cut off when you get to a healthy BMI? Below is some info on some places maintenance plans.
The Family chemist :Would consult you as approached healthy BMI to discuss maintenance under close supervision(if you started with family chemist)
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 and does offer maintenance
Zava:Once healthy BMI will stop prescribing this treatment
Med Express: BMI 25 and cut off.

23 - 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
14th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5102149-continuing-mounjaropart-14?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out in July:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5101435-mounjaro-july-2024

Video on how to inject:

Alternatively if your current dose is too strong why not reduce it slightly to 25 clicks which will work out at slightly over 2mg. (Sorry on phone so can't do the maths)

Thank you so much for replying. As it was due last Saturday, would you do tomorrow as within 4 days of this or wait until next week? X

Hi here is my ZAVA code if anyone wants it

There’s no better gift than the gift of good health. Use my code and you’ll get 15% off your first order at ZAVA: REFMUKDB
www.zavamed.com/uk/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=refer_a_friend
Maximum discount value: £30

I would do it today or tomorrow yes. I think it's probably better to to a lower dose more frequently then a higher dose with a larger gap, it's less of a shock on the body.

Is there a pattern to your sickness e.g. on day three? You might benefit from splitting the dose over the week so 1.75mg twice a week, it might help the side effects.

.

Week 15 here, took my second 7.5mg dose this evening. It worked really well last week with good suppression and fullness lasting through to today, but after struggling with constipation for most of last week it's now gone the other way and I've had a bubbly tummy and loose stools for the last 3 days. Not so pleasant, but better for the scales!

I'm hoping 7.5 will be a dose I can stay on for a while. I've got a stockpile of pens and can order my first 15mg in a week or two. If I stay on 7.5 for a while that might be enough to see me through but then obviously won't be able to order more for maintenance if needed. Also I could find 7.5 stops working and I end up on 15 in a few months! I'm hoping not, because that will get expensive, but we shall see.

@MelissaLouRocks I know you've heard it from everyone by now, but huge congratulations and I'm proud of you too. As a nurse, I know how hard it is to do what you've done and you can't let Mounjaro take all the credit. It may have helped with the symptoms but it took a lot of courage too and that can't be bottled.

My Zava code if anyone needs one.

REFK2B8W

That means so much, thank you. As I said, I don't have many people in real life (not supportive ones anyway 😕), and you wonderful bunch have all kept me going. I'm speaking to my pain consultant tomorrow, so will be interested to hear his view on it! I know I may be down on and off for a while as I'd been on it so long, but I can deal with that. Frankly it will just feel incredible to live life in the moment again, rather than feeling semi comatose every day!

@MelissaLouRocks Another one here with a big cheesy grin on their face after reading about your NSV! I’m thrilled for you. Well done for doing all that you needed to do to have this result. I hope you’re as proud of yourself as this big bunch of internet strangers / friends are!

Congratulations from me too, @MelissaLouRocks. I remember back on an early thread you first saying that you were reducing your dose and thinking that that was amazing. I can't believe you're totally off it. Your pain consultant must be amazed.
I completely agree with people saying that we should be feeding back all of the positives. I'm now on week 11 or 12 and take the calm moods and focus for granted now whilst moaning about the fact that I am losing super slowly as I get complete appetite suppression and D&V if I increase my dose. That moaning itself overlooks the fact that I am actually losing, something I have failed to do for the last three years.
I've been bouncing around the same couple of pounds for three weeks now so am focussed on forcing a whoosh. July is always a really quiet time for me at work so, having let the exercise lapse, I am going to pick that up again. A BodyPump type class today and a cardio one.
@guestusername I read your post the first time and thought "pretty good" and then realised you were talking about inches of loss not centimetres. That's remarkable!

Here is my ZAVA code

There’s no better gift than the gift of good health. Use my code and you’ll get 15% off your first order at ZAVA: REFZYMA5
https://www.zavamed.com/uk/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=refer_a_friend
Maximum discount value: £30

Good morning! I think that I am going to try splitting my dose this week. 10mg is proving to be good for weightloss, but I have been on it since the end of May and it isn't suiting me any more - I have a sore tummy every day and have had two bouts of sickness this week, which isn't how I want to live!

I think I'll do 7.5mg today (a day late) and then see how I am feeling on that and have the remaining 2.5mg later in the week if needs be...

I remember a couple of you mentioned lower back pain, well I've woken up with that today. It feels as though it might be sciatic as the pain radiates down through my leg. Coincidence?

Hi! Yes I had lower back pain last week for a few days. Mine did ease after a while - I told Med Express and given I had 0 other symptoms they thought it was non MJ related. Hope it eases for you soon x

Morning!

So I’ve done 6 jabs of 2.5 mg and while the losses are steady, some hunger and cravings have sneaked back in the last few days and I feel like I’m going on discipline and willpower alone.
I think for my next jab on Thu, I’ll bump my dose up, but I’m petrified of the 5 mg side effects, so thinking of doing 3.75 mg instead.
For anyone who has done it this way - how dis you feel? Did you get any side effects? Did you feel a bigger suppression again?

I am doing two intermediate doses between ever dose up. It works quite nicely as it calculates as the whole bonus dose plus 10clicks of the new pen. Then the next dose is 50 clicks of the new pen so I have used exactly a whole dose of the next pen.

Ive done so far....
2.5 x 4
3.75 x 2
5x 3
6.75 x 1

Will do another 6.75 on Friday then on to 7.5.

Ive been lucky as I haven't really had bad side effects at all. Some trapped wind, soft stools, maybe bowl urgency once or twice but not much. I have definitely felt more side effects after going up so very glad I did it like this.

Random musings of the day. Anyone noticing a change in their face? I think my face is looking slimmer and it's making me look older. I don't like it.

Saw this earlier and had to share with the group in case it resonates with others. I have so little photos of me at my biggest, which was years and not months, because I hated the way I looked. I didn't really take progress photos when I started losing weight either as I didn't want to face reality. It's only the past few weeks I've been making an effort to take photos as it's how I can see there's such a difference (mirror doesn't do it). It really hit home when I made my husband a book of photos of him with our children for Father's Day I realised he'd not be able to do the same for me (not that he would, that's another topic!) as there just aren't many! So I've resolved to stop hiding from the camera so in years to come I'm not invisible but also to help with my weight management.

@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright don't mind the slimmer face but for me it's the shocking jowliness along the jaw bone. I keep looking at those microcurrent devices but don't want to throw good money away. If anyone has any suggestions of devices/face yoga/treatments I am all ears (or sadly jowls)

5mg is a funny one!
I've been on 2.5 plus bonus dose for 5 weeks. First 5 on Sunday. No side effects on 2.5 except a bit of tiredness (and possibly low moods but might be coincidental) and, so far, not that much in the way of suppression either. The one good effect was a complete lack of enjoyment of alcohol which meant sipping one glass of wine was enough at social events.
Was with friends last night though and thoroughly enjoying some good wine, ending up drinking probably 3 good glasses! Damn!

If you find something that works, don't keep it a secret!

Just had my 4th 2.5 jab. Had to do a day early as my work rota has changed and I can’t be injecting at work!
6.6lbs off so far. Not bad considering I’ve had a hen weekend and a wedding in the mix.

Everyone is doing so well.

@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright I’m definitely noticing a thinner face but more wrinkles. My fat face was obviously plumping out the wrinkles!
Getting more of a turkey neck too, although I’m 53 and will happily take the weight loss rather than any loose skin and wrinkles.
Off to order some Prai neck cream…..

I have a microcurrent device. I might have to dig it out and use it again. I think it does something subtle but I'm getting further away from needing subtle 😂It's the jowls that I'm most annoyed about. But yes, I'll take that over all the excess weight.