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:

@Lastchancefatty I use MyProtein clear protein and I know they sell a sample pack on their site although that might incur heavy delivery charges. The same pack I've actually seen be sold in tiktok shop of all places!
When I was looking round in boots yesterday I noticed they had some sachets of various brands and types including clear proteins so maybe try there first if you have one close by x

Plus you cannot buy a 5mg pen unless you can show proof of a 2.5mg purchase a few weeks earlier from a supplier so even if you registered with two suppliers you would only be able to get 2.5mg pens from each unless you are here for months.

Feeling a bit deflated now after another stall.

Week1 -4lb
Week2 -4lb
Week3 0
Week4 0
Week5 0
Week6 -3lb
Week7 0

I've been injecting in my stomach, is it worth trying a different site? I just don't want to gain if I try another site. That might just bring on the "f*ck it, this is another failure" mindset. I've been walking a lot as my car is out of action and also been to the gym. It's so frustrating 😫

Weigh in Wednesday for me!

SW: 13st 10
CW: 11st 2
GW: 9st 7

After 1 week: Feb 28th 13st 2 (- 8 pounds)
After 2 weeks: March 6th 12st 12 (- 4 pounds)
After 3 weeks: March 13th 12st 9 (-3 pounds)

Moved to 5mg
After 4 weeks: March 20th 12st 9 (-0 pounds)
After 5 weeks: March 28th 12st 8 (-1 pound)
After 6 weeks April 3rd 12st 4 (-4 pounds)
After 7 weeks April 10th 12st 3 (-1 pound)
After 8.5 weeks April 22nd 12st 2 (-1 pound)
After 9 weeks April 23rd 12st 0 (-2 pounds)

Moved to 7.5
After 10 weeks May 1st 11st 12 (-2 pounds)
After 11 weeks May 8th 12 St (+2)
After 12 weeks May 15th 11st 12(-2)

Moved to 10mg
After 13 weeks May 23nd 11st 10 (-2)
After 14 weeks May 29th 11st 9 (-1)
After 15 weeks June 5th 11st 8 (-1)
After 16 weeks June 12th 11st 7 (-1)
After 17 weeks June 19th 11st 5 (-2)
After 18 weeks June 27th 11st 3 (-2
After 19 weeks July 4rd 11st 2 (-1)

36 pounds total loss (2st 8Ib)
BMI down from 35.7 to 29.1
HbA1c down from top of prediabetic to normal
Waist down from 40 inches to 34

I support doing this as prescribed, unless side effects etc mean you need to stay on one dose for longer etc. I do not support all the tweaking and random doses, double injections in one week instead of 1, faking BMi’s etc. None of these have been tested or recommended by any professional or MJ themselves so it should not be promoted.

@Slimstar13 some people have gone back to their supplier after experiencing side effects and been told to do dosing such as 3.75mg instead of 5 or 2 x 2.5mg over the week instead of 5mg! These posters have reported it here. Some of the suppliers are hard to get hold of and slow to reply so as a community looking out for each other we have helped by repeating the experience of others. If you don't want to do that without speaking to the prescriber then fine but why is that wrong?

I have never seen anyone give advice to move up through the doses faster than the official guidelines. The fact so many people use the bonus dose means many people including me are titrating up SLOWER then official guidelines. Medicine is not a rigid 'this schedule works and no nothing else does'. Everyone's body is different and their reactions to the drug are different. This is a responsible group of dieters who are being sensible about how they use this medication. If it's not for you I am sorry but for me it's been a godsend and a mine of information and support. Take care ❤️

Did you feel an improvement on 7.5mg?

Morning!

Jab day is usually Thu, but I felt the effects of my last 2.5 (jab number 6) wear off much quicker.

So I did my 7th jab today instead, and also did a dose and a half. At least I think I did - can someone do a quick sanity check for me please? 1 2.5 mg jab + a second jab where I counted 30 clicks. So that should be 3.75 mg dose altogether. Correct?

Really hoping and praying for no nasty side effects but for a good suppression. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hi - have you looked at your diet? Are you eating the right number of calories? What do you think was different about week 6 when you did lose weight?

I'm sorry I've been only reading every few days and I don't have time to catch up and RTT.

I hope everyone is doing really well. I'm finally at a point finally where although weight loss and fitness are still in the forefront, Mounjaro isn't!

I'm at the end of week 18 and I'm down 61lbs now. Just another 40 (minimum!) to go :)

Starting weight 301 weight now 240!

Should say I'm finally on week one of 7.5mg and the suppression is immense!!!

@Choux I think I am eating less. I have smaller portions and don't snack as much, however, I haven't really felt much suppression since the first two weeks on Mounjaro and still have cravings for junk food. Wondering if I've already become immune to it and won't feel suppression until the higher doses. I might sign up to Nutracheck but it's hard to measure portions when I batch cook a lot. When I batch cook it is usually healthy, slimming world type recipes.

Have you been alternating between the left/right/middle of your stomach? If not, do that. It's reccomended you switch it up a bit.

Other things that have helped people (including me) break a stall are;

Eat higher calories for a day or so. It sounds counter productive but there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that it gives your system a bit of a kick, so to speak.

Try injecting in your thigh. Lots of people on reddit have switched to the thigh for 1/more doses after a stall and found that it got things going again.

Yes, I've gone off coffee!

I just caught up on this thread and suddenly feel personally attacked by that post, as someone who has done 6 x 2.5 mg jabs (not the recommended 4), and just did her 7th to be 3.75!

I do not agree with that post at all. And yes, we are all entitled to our opinions but it came off preachy and judgy.

I echo what others have said - I feel that moving up slower or in lower doses doesn’t carry any risk, other than slower weight loss which I am yet to see btw. I learn so much from the posts here and people sharing so generously their experience and tips. This is way more support than what I have received from my GP and prescribing pharmacy combined.

@Gazelda Yes - I had to stick to really bland food initially, for the first couple of weeks. Previous favourites weren't so tasty or I just didn't enjoy them. I'm now 9 weeks in so pretty much can eat what I want but I did stay on 2.5!

@Slimstar13 I'm mostly on this thread because there isn't misuse. I can't stand the Facebook groups, its horrific some of the things I'm reading. But this thread is safe and I've found it very supportive whilst being on this journey.

@PomchiK Sorry to hear about your stall. Like others have said take a look at your diet/calories. I keto so for me I look at my fat to protein ratio and up my fluid (maybe try electrolytes if you haven't already). Keep going!

I took my first 7.5 yesterday morning, I'm really hungry today which is a bit disappointing.

I'm hoping once I've had a decent breakfast shortly I'll be well satiated.

I am on antibiotics at the minute and wondering if that makes some sort of difference because I was 0.5lb heavier this morning than I was yesterday dispite finishing the day with 10 cals spare from a 1200 cal limit!

Hopefully this isn't as good as it gets on 7.5 for me as I have an extra 7.5 pen to use after this one 😵‍💫

@PomchiK i echo the others. Plus exercise is not good for weight loss, but great for mental health and toning. But you do gain weight as muscles rip and heal etc). As I understand it anyway.

Me too.

I suspect I'm one of the people she says is misusing the meds and manipulating BMI.

I exaggerated my BMI by a miniscule amount (just under 1 point!) to ensure I could join a new perscriber to finish my MJ journey.

I still have over 1.6 stones to lose. I'm still overweight, and look it.

I have been completely responsible on this drug. I've stayed on lower doses for longer than necessary and I'm doing all the right things.

It's a far cry from somebody who is already at a healthy BMI lying to start on weight loss injections, but now I feel judged and wary about what I post.

@Scalessayeek that's fantastic, you're doing brilliantly!

Good morning all
I do not ever join groups … however I felt as I am not understood by some of my family members of my MJ journey I thought I would join a group I don’t have fakebook so come here … I am pleased I have
i work at a hospital part of physio team on a ward I have struggled with my weight since perimenopause 3 years ago. Noticed my weight creeping up on me and decided to eventually go for MJ route. I have lost 1 and a half stone don’t feel like I have but I think the mind takes a while to catch up. I was really shocked looking at the comment made earlier … why can people just mind their own? For goodness sake us women battle enough in life daily ! Yes promote safe usage but I have not seen anyone promote unsafe usage on here all I see here are women supporting women ❤️ thank you for letting me be an apart of this . Don’t let anyone bring you down ladies we all need each others support xx

@PomchiK Nutracheck is perfect for batch cooking! It has a “Meals” section where you input the recipe ingredients, then add in number of servings per recipe & you get calories, macros etc. I have a number of recipes on repeat and this is a great help, & makes it so easy!
@Slimstar13 I do think you have a point. The first port of call for issues should really be the prescriber, not the internet, no matter how well-meaning. My supplier has an advice function & I have been messaged several times by my doctor, whose name I know. There could be a scenario where someone mis-interprets the advice on this thread & gets in medical difficulty. So everyone needs to be thoughtful, which mostly, they are.

@Slimstar13 you make some very good points and really honed in on things that have been worrying me for weeks about these threads.

It’s okay to be on these threads and not agree with everything everyone does, but there absolutely have been posts where people suggest and, yea, advocate moving up the doses early and splitting doses. We have all read them.

This is fine if it’s coming from your prescriber, but our prescribers know our underlying medical conditions and make these dose tweaks in full knowledge of that. What works for one person isn’t necessarily suitable for the next.

I admit I’ve taken a step back as I hate all the chat about faking BMI and stockpiling. It’s horrible to read (for me).

I find these threads super supportive and motivating but I also find that sometimes, if you call out something which is potentially unsafe or off license, you’re gently steered to find ‘a more supportive community’.

We are the first to use these drugs and if we dick about with them we will literally ruin it for ourselves and future users. Forever.

I can absolutely see this becoming an in-person drug at pharmacies and honestly…. I think it’s a good idea.

I have lifted the following advice from an article about stalls and plateau in dieting that may be of use.

"So we all know that in order to lose weight you have to eat less than your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) this is the amount of calories your body requires to sustain life (breathing, pumping blood, digestion etc) taking into account your activity levels). If you eat 3500 calories less than this over a week, you should lose 1lb of fat. When your body is used to consuming high amounts of calories your body's metabolism increases in order to process those calories to use for essential bodily functions and convert the rest of them into fat stores.
When you start to eat significantly less calories, your metabolism is still high so requires more calories, it converts stored fat into energy for this purpose, and you lose weight. When you eat healthier you often also lose water weight which is often retained in the body if you eat too much ultra processed and salty foods. This explains the rapid weight loss most people experience at the beginning of your weight loss journey.
If you continue to eat approximately 500 calories a day below your TDEE this is when metabolic adaptation occurs. Your body thinks food is scarce and therefore tries to preserve your fat stores by slowing your metabolic functions down. This is an evolutionary adaptation which allowed early man to survive in times of food shortages.

So how can you overcome this plateau?
It's quite simple. You need to trick your body! If your body does not know how many calories it will be getting it will continue to burn calories at a normal metabolic rate. Varying your daily calorific intake is the best way to do this, whilst still maintaining a weekly deficit of 3500 calories. This means some days you need to eat enough to support your TDEE and others will be much less (like a fasting day (this is why fasting diets are quite successful)

Most people naturally find that they are hungrier towards the end of the week after taking MJ and less so at the beginning, this is because the drug is being metabolised and at 5 days there is only half the dose left in your system. So if you follow that rhythm, you could eat less those first few days and eat more towards the end of the week when you are hungrier.

@Slimstar13 sorry you feel that way. However, it is unlikely that you will find somewhere where everyone follows the instructions guidance word for word.

Others have given reasons why so I won't add to that. As far as most of us are concerned, this is a safe place where you can talk about what you are doing with no judgement and we are on Mounjaro sensibly. If you don't like that, feel free to create your own post to find like minded people.

I don't think anyone on here is being reckless with it. Unfortunately due to the way healthcare is handled in the UK (where I believe most of us are) it is rarely possible to have in depth conversations with a medical professional. Naturally, people are going to seek support elsewhere when they can't get it from the professionals. I'm very glad to have found this intelligent, supportive community. Facebook however...