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:

hey, for anyone who got D&V - did you find it was after you’d eaten particularly unhealthy food or it didn’t matter? I’m half way through my second week and D&V has come on, but wondering if it’s actually just a bug as suprised it’s come on now and not at the start!

@thisbetheverse I had diarrhoea set in at the beginning of week 3 and hadn’t eaten anything particularly different 🤷‍♀️ It has come and gone over the last 10 days for no apparent reason.

@thisbetheverse the d&v side effects does seem to hit like a bug, but pretty sure it's mainly from MJ. Some people feel they get the d&v side effects when they eat badly, but sometimes it's the strength of the dose that your body struggles with. For me, it was the strength of the dose when I attempted 10mg that gave me d&v.

The D&V for me seems to be anything dairy and any sugar free. The cleaner I eat the better my body likes it.

Interesting! Thank you - I was feeling quite smug about escaping the symptoms but fast forward to today I nearly had an accident on our newly cleaned sofa!! Have to admit it was a bad weekend food wise (visiting friends so only greasy foods were on offer!). Lesson learnt 🥲

I'm finding this with tea - I only drink a cup first thing but am struggling to get half way through it! Strange!

@Abigailandthefoxes I love my coffee and for about the first month I went totally off it. I switched to peppermint and fruit tea. All is well now though as back enjoying coffee again!

@thisbetheverse I got it one time and that was in the early days when I'd eaten too much and too much fat. I haven't attempted that meal again although now I think I'd be fine. I'm on my third pen which is still 2.5mg so I haven't experienced the side effects when going up a dose.

I've gone off coffee too, but only instant, coffee out seems to be OK.

Also gone off wine!

I'm on hrt but a new user this year, I'm not finding the mj is affecting anything, but only on week 4.

I'll be staying on 2.5 for at least the next pen as I've got very very very mild side effects (bit of tiredness the first two days, and extreme thirst on day 1) and getting fab suppression and happy with my losses so far so I see no need to go up yet.

I've gone off tea. I used to only normally enjoy one or two a day but now I just don't like the taste at all

@thisbetheverse I've had a few bouts of mild diarrhoea (TMI) but seemingly unconnected to what I've eaten. But the serious D&V hits like food poisoning and for me it was definitely connected to doesage (sames as @ObsidianTree mentions).

@BlackFriYay you'll be out of this stall/gain eventually, it absolutely sucks to be going through it though and it can be so hard to stay positive. I try and imagine it's my body taking time and readjusting to its new weight baseline. The loses will catch up again.

@ObsidianTree yeah i definitely had a double chin on the photos.

My dad rang me this morning to say they'd all been talking about how much weight I'd lost and he wanted to know what diet I was on so he could start as he's putting weight on 😄.
He's not big enough for MJ but I was surprised to learn he has the same issues around impulse control and overeating that I have - I've always know him as average weight and never overeating so didn't realise he was just fighting it. My stepmum is very thin so I guess he feels he has to try hard to stay in line (she's very critical of 'fat people').

Did my jab yesterday morning and as usual I am so cold and tired today and have backache. Nothing else to say really just wanted to have a moan as can't tell anyone else irl.

Does anyone find that they get suddenly teary for no reason and then when you eat it goes away? I'd say it may be blood sugar related. Only happened since MJ but I had to bail from work for an early lunch as I was teary at my desk. So embarrassing although no one saw. Worried someone will say something innocent to me and I will make a tit of myself 😭

If it helps I think the coldness wears off as I haven't felt like that for weeks now. The tiredness I still get on 10mg.

Hi,
I had a message this morning from Med express saying that my GP surgery have told them I am no longer registered with them ??
All previous letters from them have been recieved and I can see them scanned onto my NHS app.
Do you think there may have been some kind of data breech as I'm more inclined to think the fault is with Med express rather than my surgery randomly disowning me!!
Has anyone else had this?

I took first dose (2.5mg) of Wednesday last week (all good, no side effects, appetite mildly suppressed)

But, I will be away Wednesday of the next two weeks (both times leaving Tuesday and coming back following Monday), and really don't want to have to deal with the pen while away (one time is camping which would be very hard!). If I take it on Tuesday this week, and continue on Tuesdays, would that be OK do you think?

Absolutely. On or off MJ i get this.

That's absolutely fine. The paper leaflet in the box covers this and says the injection day can be moved but leave 4 days between injections.

@PissedOffNeighbour22 great that they all noticed!

You're right it is!! Over thinking it all - I really really don't want to take it to my mother in laws and deal with her and her competitive undereating / fad diets LOL

I've been following these posts for a little while as it seems the friendliest Mounjaro place on the internet. Reddit was helpful in the beginning with loads of info for newbies but it's enormous and pretty intense! So I thought I'd drop in to say hello.

Hello!

I'm on jab 5 of 2.5mg. Had a rough couple of weeks to start (nausea and fatigue and the weird cold feeling) but moved jab from belly to thigh and was stunned at the drop in side effects. I don't feel so "mounjaroed" but still finding it straightforward to eat as I would like to. I'm currently tracking food mostly to ensure I stay in a sensible range -not v v low but still in significant deficit, which for me is 1000-1400.

I had a whooshing start 11lb in four weeks but have gained a couple of lbs this week frustratingly. I can see absolutely no reason for it other than Sods Law.
I know that I'm doing what I need to and am sure in a few days the scales will move the other way but it's frustrating when I'm working hard to eat well and in a clear deficit, so sharing with folk I know will understand!

Any update to date cheapest prices for 12.5/15mg.

Maybe excluding Zava as people seem to be having delivery problems/ communication problems.

So for I recommend Bolt. £199. Comes with two ice packs when I ordered in March from them. Currently waiting for an order which was dispatched today. They emailed me on Saturday to ask about my proof of previous orders.

AND according to @ObsidianTree they do maintenance down to BMI of 23!

@Smokedsausagesupper That's a bit odd, maybe ring your surgery to confirm you are still registered? Or do they know you as a different name maybe?