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:

I would be seriously ill if I ate even one part of that on MJ. Were you not sick as a dog? 😳

@Slimstar13 the 1915 was calculated including the activity so I don't think it would be much different! But either way it doesn't matter too much as I'm hoping to average no more than 1600-1800 when I'm off MJ. I also don't want to count calories daily as I can become obsessed and am focusing on how much I cook / plate up so as my portions don't grow.

@Melty weight loss shows more the smaller you are. Annoyingly. At the beginning each pound lost has been spread over a bigger area as you are bigger so it shows less when you lose it. As you get smaller each pound is a bigger proportion of your weight and is more visible. It's the paper towel analogy:

www.instagram.com/reels/CzcB5q3paZD/

So just watch the scales go down and look for the little things - trousers digging in less, activities getting easier until it really starts to show in your dress size.

I am short af and have gone from obese to a normal weight yet I feel barely any smaller!

Def have lost a dress size but I would have thought it would have been 2!

@AgathaMystery i feel your swimsuit pain! I carry around G’s (not sure they are that anymore but I cba to go get measured again yet!) and found that halterneck tankinis were the better option for me, coupled with shorts rather than the teeny weeny bits of string 😂 might be something to consider.

Talking about considering, I’ve been looking ahead to maintenance. At 47 I’m 4 or 5 years post menopausal and it’s incredibly hard to find anything on the internet about calorie needs that isn’t the usual crap about CICO. It’s not that simple when you are a lady of a certain age! I spent years on 1200 cals and getting absolutely nowhere. Turns out, to lose weight I need to be on about 1000 cals. Maintenance cals for me would be somewhere between 1200-1500. The thought of existing on that many cals a day for the rest of my life is scary. Pre MJ I could easily do that in one meal!

Yes absolutely! I'm 57 and also post menopausal, no HRT, (and, thankfully, no underlying health issues) and agree about the paucity of good info for women like us. I was looking at local exercise classes and found they seemed to be for either young, fit gym bunnies (or wannabes) or older people looking to prevent falls! The former would probably kill me, the latter make me wish I was dead.
The more I think about it, the more I think I'll need expert, tailored advice - does anyone know what I need to be looking for? I realise this would need to be accessed privately as I've never even been checked for cholesterol by my own GP. Pilates is my other thought for exercise?

Sorry meant to quote @guestusername and can't see how to change it!

I think the habits we are forming now are so important for maintenance. I’ve learnt that I don’t need Diet Coke, I don’t need multiple coffees per day, I don’t need a croissant when I’m getting on the train, I don’t need a snack to eat coming home from the supermarket. I don’t need car snacks 😃

@AgathaMystery I wear a regular bra under my swimsuit most times. I’ve got a racer back standard costume so a running bra sits hidden under it. I swim most days in sea or pool so can’t spend £££s on costumes. I’m a F-G cup so definitely need the support.

I’m post-menopausal and find this fitness coach Karen Weir really interesting. It’s from the run pod series, I used to love running but have had a lot of injuries so tried to find other ways. It’s a while since I listened to this one but from it I took a message on leaning to high protein, high fat, and importance of weight training with heavy weights. She is also pro HIT I think which I can’t stand but I have managed some circuits at the gym. I don’t always follow her advice but I think she’s pretty solid.

Optimistically, I also think building the right habits now while on MJ in terms of diet should give us a good framework to fall back on - if we’ve had several months without eating crappy snacks, or are used to having chicken salad for lunch, it’s got to help. I do think that things like weight training etc are helpful though to help the metabolism.

I’ve weaned myself off calorie counting as I don’t think it’s best for me, but I also think there are complexities beyond CICO, as the body will always mess about with metabolism etc to get back to its set point. But from what I’ve read I think high protein/muscle strength are really helpful ways to counter that.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/runpod/id1457721095?i=1000595556716

I also liked the book How to Eat (and still lose weight) by Andrew Jenkinson and one he wrote before that, both on set points etc which has a lot on ditching processed foods

over 24hrs from my 1st order with Zava to start Mj , submitted photos as requested but still showing as processing , is this the norm over the weekend?

Should say that although it’s from the runpod series think it would be interesting for many non runners approaching menopause, more about the gym and what you eat

@FlappyFish I've converted several colleagues. There's now 5 of us at my workplace on MJ, we only have about 20 staff! I am basically a MJ champion at this point!
The only people I haven't told are my DCs.
@Slimstar13 excellent and encouraging spots regarding maintenance, thank you.
@Thebaldprimadonna I can't speak for @NCfor24 but I haven't found anything I can't eat on MJ. I've had all kinds of takeaways, no adverse effects but I just can't eat as much/don't want it as much as I used to. I had Chinese last weekend and woke up 3lbs heavier, despite eating much less than I would have before.

I am safely down a dress size now, but all that's really achieved is making me realise I really was a size 20 in denial. I'm now a comfortable 18 and a 16 in a few things. Wore some River Island skinny jeans today that are an 18 and I definitely wouldn't have got them on even a stone ago, never mind 2 and a half! I need new bras but am loathe to buy much while I'm still losing so quickly as it won't fit in a few months.

I have the same problem! Always found Freya and Fantasie do really supportive stuff, but with lovely styles. Not the cheapest, but then our bras aren't either! 😤

Oh and whoever mentioned Zava having delays, I just placed my next order and although they didn't mention delays, they gave me an estimated delivery of Thursday to Tuesday! Luckily am not in danger of running out as I'm ordering my first 15mg but I'm still on 7.5.

I'm also one who is able to eat anything on Mounjaro without adverse effects. The only one thing I did have was some black rice and I didn't have diarrhoea but had to go for a number two maybe four times a day for about 5 days and there was always black rice in there.

Everything else has been fine. I've had pizza, McDonald's, sausage and bacon, creamy sauces, spicy foods etc.

I don't want to be in a position at the end of this when my appetite comes back and I have a massive pile of foods I've not eaten for a long time that I get a craving for. Or to have foods that I think I can never eat again as that's no way to live. I'm hoping to be able to still eat them in moderation and within my calorie allowance.

@AgathaMystery I was going to ask the same question about swimwear today! I agree with Melissa Lou rocks that Freya and fantasie are good. They best value (more, still not cheap) I've ever got them is BNWT from eBay but there's nothing there I fancy at the moment.

I can eat anything on MJ, crisps, chocolate, burgers. Never felt sick, never had the burps, never had the shits. Am on 10mg. I wish I had more side effects to be honest.

@Thebaldprimadonna I can eat anything. But that was day 7 and jab was due. I couldn't have eaten it days 1-5 definitely.
But yeah I can eat, but I can also stop when I'm full and feel full far more quickly. And the lack of cravings means I eat healthy food 99% of the time. I haven't had horrific side effects at all, just fatigue, the feeling cold in the early days and a bit of an iffy tummy after my first 10mg dose. I'm losing steadily but quite slowly, MJ works for me but I'm not a super responder. I am mostly able to eat 'normally' enough that no-one would ever suspect I'm on it.

For the bra needing ladies ... www.brastop.co.uk usually last season but hardly matters when I wear a bra for years! Usually lots cheaper.

That's good to hear. Since I went up to 10mg, my tummy is very sensitive 😬

I simply don't fancy many fatty/sugary things any more on MJ. That must be hard!

I've had an awful 24 hours, did second 3.75mg on Friday morning. Started feeling like I needed to burp yesterday afternoon, then lots of trapped wind in my chest. Eventually got to sleep only to wake at 12.30am running to the toilet with horrific diarrhea. It's carried on all night and so far today. Didn't make it to the toilet quick enough once so that was nice. Can't see what I ate that triggered it either.
My youngest dd was sick Saturday morning so perhaps nothing to do with the jab.
Any tips? I need to eat something, I've had a banana and an apple and a protein bagel