Continuing Mounjaro...part 16

[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.
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 - 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.

9 - 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

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

11 - 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

12 - 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

13 - 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.

14 - Drink lots of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Try and drink at least 2ltrs a day.

15 - 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.

16 - 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

17 - 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.

18 - 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.

19 - 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.

20- 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.

21 - 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.

22 - 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

15th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5107426-continuing-mounjaropart-15?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:

Ah I see😁

@Pinkbendyman happy birthday!

Happy birthday Pinkbendyman 😊

I'm back! Delighted with this week's weigh in.

2lbs off

SW 13.12
CW 10.13

1 lb off 3 stone! So pleased. I wanted to get to that for my holiday which is in a couple of weeks time.

BMI is still 27 so need to lose 13 more lb to get to 25, which feels like a good place for my TW too.

I truly believe I can do this!

Well done @NextPrimeMinister. Great achievement hitting the 10s 😊 never know, you might make it to 10.7 by your hol ☺️

Week 3 on 2.5mg (plus a bit extra from bonus dose cause I messed up 2 doses at the start with bent needles ffs) -3.5lbs

Sw 110.8
Cw 103.3
Lost 7.5kgs/16.5lbs

I haven't posted on a while but do keep reading all your successes. I've just moved up to 7.5mg this morning for my 12 dose, I'm down to 88kg from 102 when starting. This had sneaked my BMI just below 30 into overweight category.

I went away on holiday taking my own with me and not everywhere I stayed had a fridge, which was wiring me as outside temps were 27-28. I considered throwing pen away but haven't yet and took dose from it today. It's so working, I did have more sulphuric burps but think likely to be heat and few food treats than showing a problem with medicine. If that continues this week on home food I will dispose.

I'm not sure when to stop.... Heathly weight for me is below 77kg. But I do wonder if it's too much to quick to head to that straight away without maintaining.... Delightful problem to have though!

NSV I finally fit back into my size 14 suit trousers today. Not been able to do that since 2021! Very happy. I’m at the end of 10 weeks of MJ and I’m now on the final stone to go (well 11lbs as my GW has moved a couple of times but now aiming for BMI of 24.7!).

4th injection of 10mg today and I've felt much more suppression on this dose than any other. However, I'm just not losing much. I've put weight on overnight so only have 1 pound loss for the week, despite eating nothing bad and it being one of the only weeks I haven't had some sort of treat like a small takeaway. I've done extra exercise this week too, but according to my scales it's my fat level that has increased ☹️

Starting weight 15st 11lb 8oz
Current weight 11st 8lb 4oz

I have a christening to go to this week and I will at least fit into my dress.

I've only averaged a pound off a week but even that has slowed recently so I've really focussed in what I've been eating and still no movement on the scales (well, other than bouncing upwards today). I've got three meals with friends this weekend so was hoping to slack off a bit over the weekend but that can't happen now!
I know there are others who are slow losers, others with long stalls and I am still the lightest I have been for over two years but it's still very frustrating. I am delighted for all of those who are losing more quickly but so many of you started heavier than me, whizzed past my starting weight and are now lighter than me.
I have failed on so many diets and had got to a stage of wondering if it was psychological. Was I somehow self sabotaging and setting myself up to fail? Did I not actually want to be thinner? With this, the disappearance of food noise and some appetite suppression, I thought that that risk had gone away as I couldn't self sabotage. Yet I'm still beginning to wonder if I can actually do this as it is soooo slow.

Well blow me down with a feather, I've had a 3lb whoosh now my period has ended. That's the best whoosh to date. It comes after 2 weeks of no scale movement. I'm chuffed!

I'm now 10 stone 1 with 12.8lbs left to lose until goal 😊

Fantastic work, well done! The 10's feel good don't they 😊

Well done everyone on your losses and NSV's 😃

Well done for losses today big and small. Also well done for all the NSVs ☺️

@thehousewiththesagegreensofa I know what you mean when people start later and heavier than you then take over and have lost more than you. I felt like I started out with quite slow losses but as I've increased doses I feel like I have caught up with the rest. However, there are negatives to losing fast also. As we have seen, people worrying about being cut off mounjaro because they reached a healthy BMI. So I think it will help being on the drugs longer so that hopefully more prescribers catch up and start offering maintenance doses by the time you get there. When I think of it sensibly I think it's best to lose really slowly so I can stay on the meds longer, but at the same time feel sad when the losses are slow! So get where you're coming from!

What dose are you on? In the US some people need to get to 15mg to start getting better losses. How much have you lost and in what space of time?

Also, re your plans and feeling like you need to be good, I think you should still go enjoy yourself. If you're in this for the long haul, then you still have to live your life.

All this amazing progress is giving me hope, well done everyone. I seem to have hit a bit of a stall for a couple of weeks but this thread is stopping me from getting upset about it. I just need to push through. Despite being well within my calories yesterday I have woken up heavier. I did have some potato with my dinner so maybe it's carbs and water weight. Frustrating, but I'm not going to let it get to me too much.

I have a question about sulphur burps. How do you know? I do seem to be very burpy but don't know if sulphur is involved.

@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright I think sulphur burps smell eggy. I've not had them so can't say for sure

You so can, MJ Twin!

I am not too far behind you on 28.7 BMI. I also 100% believe that we'll get there. Isn't it an amazing feeling? 😃

What is the code you used for health express please?x

Everyone seems to be doing so well!
I am genuinely not bothered that my losses aren't as fast as others. I will admit to sometimes seeing people's SW and CW and being a bit put out they're losing so much faster but like @ObsidianTree says maybe maintenance will be sorted by time I get there. I'm also thinking slower means I have longer to retrain how I eat and embed my new good habits.
And also because this works and suppression and absence of food noise make it so easy, it really doesn't matter if it takes a long time because I'm not feeling deprived at all. I'm just plodding along heading towards my healthy BMI and I absolutely know that I will get there. I wanted it to be by September but Christmas is fine too. The only issue is the cost but even that seems to not be an issue .... I think I really underestimated what I spent on takeaways, snacks and alcohol!
So anyway, in it for the long haul. Proud of all of you who are losing so well, proud of all of you who are losing more steadily and sticking with it. We've all got this!

@NCfor24 I have also seen a massive saving from food/takeaways/alcohol! It is more than paying for the prescriptions. I dread to think how much I've wasted on all that crap over the years.

@Thebaldprimadonna yes Twinnie, we can do it!!

I do finally feel slim. (Not thin). It's been over 15 years since I've felt like this.

@NCfor24 totally agree about the cost. When I started I didn't plan to be on MJ long term, but since I've been on and felt it's benefits, I don't want to come off it! So the longer it takes to lose the longer I can stay on it. The cost seems irrelevant to me now as I am happy to pay for pens for life if I can. Also as I don't eat or drink like I used to I'm saving money that way.

Also good point about more time to re-train eating habits etc. As I go on I feel like my tastes are changing and I no longer am interested in junk food etc. So hoping the longer I feel that way, the more permanent the changes will be. I want my 2 years on MJ really!

Hi all, I've been reading the thread, it's so interesting seeing how the journey is going for people that have been on MJ for much longer, I only started at the beginning of July so have been on the July thread. Congratulations to you all, it's heartening to see all those losses!

I'm one of the slow losers it seems, but it's good to know I'm not alone, and will keep plugging away

Are there threads for different months? X

I totally agree with the sentiment of "slim" not "thin". I'm aiming for slim which given my tall height and athletic build suits far better than thin.

Last jab of my 2.5, managed a hard click to get some of the bonus dose, not sure how much but probably took it to 3 and a bit.

Had a stall this week, weight going up and down daily but weighed today and 80.9, down from 84.7 when I started 4 weeks ago. Really blooming chuffed. Had nothing back from Zava re the late delivery of the 5mg pen, it's in the fridge so I think I'll just use it from next week and then go back to Simple Online as I know there won't be any delivery issues