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:

HUGE congratulations @Rainbowl I'm so delighted for you! I have twins (tip: don't have twins when you have a 2 year old!), although mine are 22 now.

Best of luck for what's to come, please get plenty of rest and know we're all thinking of you. 💐

@Rainbowl hello ❤️
I'd been wondering how you were doing! Omg twins!!! You'll need a bigger car if not a bigger house!

Massive congratulations x

Bit late for that @MelissaLouRocks our youngest is only 11 months old 🙈

Thank you to you and @CiderJabs for your well wishes. We are so excited for the chaos! Hope you are all well xx

Ahhh congratulations ❤️

Oh whoops! Hope you don't mind a bit of advice from a veteran... When one's hungry, wake the other to be fed. And if struggling to get them to nap, put them in bouncy chairs in front of dishwasher or washing machine, used to send mine straight off!

@NCfor24 similar issues here. DH is now drinking my share of the wine as well as his own! We used to share a bottle on Friday and Saturday night, now he drinks a whole one (sometimes one and a half) and then wonders why he so sleepy the next day
He has always had no off switch with alcohol (or any other substances, long story). If we go out, I get tipsy then switch to soft drink/water because I don't like to go to bed drunk, while he will just drink until he passes out. He did well for a while with only drinking at weekends, especially as he's working away, but he has started drinking in the week again as well though apparently this is fine as it's only one or two. He still doesn't drink as much as he used to, years ago, but it annoys me. I grew up with alcoholic parents who drank a LOT more than he does, and I don't think he's an alcoholic because he can actually not drink, he just doesn't want to!

I wish I could give him a shot of MJ!

@Stickthatupyourdojo your OH sounds so much like mine, he would also happily stay in drinking and playing CDs and we only ever do anything or go anywhere if I've organised it. Thankfully he is now working and earning more than me, but for many years he wasn't and that did cause a lot of resentment because I was still doing the majority of the 'wife-work' as well.
We are relocating next month and kids are teens now, so I'm hoping we can get into a different groove and start finding things we enjoy doing together, we got in such a rut over years of being stuck home with children and not being able to afford to go out. Now we can afford to, but have no idea what to do with our time!
I do worry I will 'leave him behind' in terms of making changes to myself and my habits, but that will be his choice not to join in.

@Rainbowl Congratulations! 👶👶

@Rainbowl congratulations! My MIL persuaded FIL (second marriage for both of them, both had 2 DC already) to have a baby shortly after they married and he agreed to the one. Lo and behold, twins! DH was one of them. Snip was arranged post-haste!
It will be chaos, but it will also be lovely.

Congratulations @Rainbowl , how exciting! We will look forward to updates and news x

DH knows I'm on MJ but hasn't really commented or asked about it all. I just mentioned I'd lost a stone. His replied was "I've lost about half a stone in the last couple of weeks. Might try and lose another half before we go on holiday". I didn't bother to reply although may have sort of growled at him!
Why do (some) men find it so easy to lose weight?
Well done, @ObsidianTree. You really are motoring down now
Sorry to hear that you're back in @MelissaLouRocks and that they've put you in such a crappy room. It must get so dull.
@Timeturnerplease thanks for reaching out. It is so tedious, isn't it? We'll get there!

you- a goal twin !😀

That's really good progress..think you will definitely get there before me. It will be so nice to see something starting both an 8..haven't been there since before covid!

@Rainbowl I was only thinking about you a couple of days ago! That's such exciting news 😄

@RagzRebooted soooo similar!

NSV for me today....I've been clothes 'shopping' in the loft...got so many summer clothes I can fit in to, a black bag for charity shop, one for my sister, and one for the jumble.
What's interesting is how colourful my smaller clothes are! I've got lots to wash and iron and then I'll be a happier, brighter me.
I need to clear the wardrobe now to make room for them.

So many posts I would like to respond to, but I will be here for ages tagging.

@Rainbowl I have been wondering how you were getting on, but was reticent to PM as you never know. Thanks for coming back and updating and my, what news!

@MelissaLouRocks i hope it’s a short stay and not as crazy as the first you reported here with bananas and craziness.

@Stickthatupyourdojo and @RagzRebooted Sounds really hard. I’ve been sober a long time and my OH didn’t really drink anyway. Only you can decide what you can live with, but it sounds miserable. I hope you have the strength to make some choices that work for you in other areas of your life.

@thehousewiththesagegreensofa he jjst sounds smug to me 😅 the idea he can do it without a jab. But I don’t know him.

@CiderJabs just because you’re my MJ twin lol

@ObsidianTree Whoot to 4!!

and I’m sorry anyone else I’ve not tagged. This is almost like work 😛

@NCfor24 love that you’ve shopped in the loft. I’m similar, it’s so fabulous fitting into old clothes!

@Rainbowl Wow that is amazing news! Congratulations!

@Stickthatupyourdojo and @RagzRebooted I can relate to a lot of what you've said. When I lost 4 stone 10 years ago and started running, DH and I almost split up. It highlighted to me how much he drank and how lazy he is. We did get through it and he cut down a lot and got his arse in gear. Since I've been on MJ it's obviously coincided with the Euros so he's binned the gym again and has been drunk a LOT. He has however not gone back to smoking which was another bone of contention. I'm going to be interested to see how my weight loss plays out this time. I'm really hoping from Monday he's going to be back in the gym and having a bit of a detox

@Rainbowl my eldest was 17 months when my surprise pregnancy twins arrived...it was busy but fun and I wouldn't change any of it!

Love this group so much ❤️ thanks ladies for your replies and sorry to those that are also in our rocky (but quite buoyant and light these days) boat re: the men in our lives.

@Rainbowl congratulations on your twin news, how exciting!!

@MelissaLouRocks I'm sorry you're back in hospital, I hope they can move you to a room that's better so you can watch tv or use the internet more easily. Even more importantly I hope they work out some new meds to give you to get you out of there 🤞🏼

Hello, newbie here!

So many questions, but I'll start with.... what's an NSV?

This possibly? "Losing weight is like..."

Non scale victory - so any 'wins' that aren't just about the number on the scale, such as being able to fit into a particular item of clothing 😊

Non Scale Victory
Meaning something positive about your weight loss journey but not the numbers.

Jumping back in. I lost track of threads before going on hols. I did tell dh after a few months and he was shocked I hadn’t told him but other than that not bothered.
Managed well on holiday abroad, shared some meals with teen daughter, still had ice cream but generally pretty sensible and I’ve maintained.
Going to go back to tracking cals and hopefully get losing again.