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 had hardly any suppression on 7.5mg but 10mg has more than made up for it!

Hello all.

Interesting reading about the price matching. Hopefully that is going to happen soon with all the providers. In fact, hopefully we will soon see a drop in the price full stop!

I also noticed a lot of Tiktokers talking about Curate last night.....actually being really scathing. Must go back and have a look.

On my 3rd week of 5mg after 4 plus bonus week on 2.5mg. 2.5mg worked really well for me, 5mg not so much.
Can't really notice very much suppression.

I've been very fortunate not to have had any side effects as yet but I am definitely thinking about food and able to eat big portions when I do come to have my meals.

I'll see out next week as have a couple of social things but I am definitely looking forward to going up to 7.5!

@BlackFriYay @Madferitchick @MJqueen Thank you for responding. I am, however, still getting slight nausea on and off. No other side effects and no actual being sick. Doing my best not to overeat but the hunger pain is almost constant. Going to have to have chopped cucumber to snack on or I may just give in and overeat.

Hi all, long time lurker here - I have read ALL the threads which has taken me since beginning of April 😂 Started MJ the very end of April and just started my third pen (second 5mg) and I’ve lost 1st 5lbs so far and very happy with that. I know lots have lost quicker but I’m 5ft 1 (probably more like 5’ but I’ve put 5’2 for my height my entire adult life so can’t lose 2 inches!) and I’m also peri menopausal- I’m convinced I’m insulin resistant too.

I’d love to join in if ok, have picked up all my tips from here and the opening post has been a great source of information- thank you.

Hello team flab jab! Well done everyone on the losses and NSVs...

I'm week 11 (I think) and due to titrating up gently I just took my first 7.5mg dose on Friday. Pretty good for side-effects so far (touch wood!) and the suppression has been good. I'm 10kg down total in 11 weeks - PLENTY more to go before my goal but it's a decent, encouraging loss.

It's interesting to hear about Curate being a bit rubbish... @montysma1 I'm South-West too (rural? but maybe not remote!) and use Voy who are using Royal Mail carriers and have had EXEMPLARY dispatch and delivery...

The other thing that I like about Voy is that it updates in the app/website the moment someone uses your code... There's no waiting like some people have found with Zava for them to cross-reference the order, blah-blah-blah.

Just got my 3rd 100% free pen too! 😎So definitely feeling like Voy are the way to go...

A interesting message from med express today

Checking on companies house, considering Curate were running a landscape gardening business at the start of the year, I don't think I'd trust them with anything I'm injecting into my body!

Can you tell I'm bored....

I'm actually surprised and a bit disappointed that Oushk are agreeing to be their presribers. It's muddying their perfectly good reputation in my opinion.

@MelissaLouRocks Arent Curate the same company as Ousk? Or did I imagine that?

@Slimstar13
This is all very dodgy. Are the influencers obese or are they in turn, selling it on? I've just moved to Oushk and am really concerned that Hira, the prescriber for both, would be involved with a set up like this too. To my mind, it's pyramid selling but even worse, of potentially dangerous prescription meds.

Same prescriber

Curate and Oushk are one and the same, both owned and operated by pharmacist Hira Malik if you check the pharmacy register. I wouldn't buy from either as I don't think regulated medicine should be so easily promoted with kickbacks.

I read a FB post yesterday whereby a man had returned from holiday and took x2 doses of 10mg within 3 days after taking nothing for 2 weeks as he had put on weight during his holiday. Incredibly dangerous.

Code for Zava refq2ywsjs 15%

Oh no, I’ve only just moved to oushk! This might be my first and last pen with them then as even though I love the support group I am definitely not ok with those kinds of practices.

I’m already a bit annoyed with them anyway as what I thought was a one of the pluses of using them - they allow you to choose a delivery day - turns out not so great. I chose Friday as I’ll be at home all day but I had an email from DPD to say it’s being delivered this afternoon. I’m supposed to be out but I’ve had to change my plans as nobody else would be home.

There are strict rules on the promotion or advertising of prescription only medicines in the UK. I have not seen TT but I suspect the use of influencers by Curate is breaking most of them!

The whole debate about companies is interesting as, way back on the early threads, some people were going with Boots as they wanted to know they were buying from an established provider with a good reputation but then it seemed to be a right faff to get the meds and they were really expensive.
I did look at Curate/Oushk a few weeks back but, personally, was uncomfortable with going with what seemed to be a one man band for medication as, is something goes wrong, I want to know that there is support and processes in place.
Different people make decisions for different reasons though and, for many, price will inevitably be the key factor. They have been very good value and, whilst some have had issues, others haven't as otherwise they wouldn't have recommended them. Of course, it's always the risk with an online forum that the person recommending them isn't actually a member of the public but affiliated with the person/organisation they are recommending.
I have stuck with MedExpress throughout, partly as it seemed less hassle, partly because they have been efficient, partly because they did engage when I went back to a 5ml pen from a 7.5ml pen but primarily because they seem to be an established organisation with reasonable (although not recently the cheapest) prices.

No. I believe Oushk act as their prescriber.

Hmm, all this has put me off moving now. I've ordered from both Pharmacy2u and MedExpress and have been very happy with them. I'll probably eventually stick with P2U as they have a better maintenance policy.

I am shocked to read all this about Curate! I had heard that they were the same company as Oushk but didn't have an opinion of them other than a couple of people saying delivery was shite! If even half of what is floating around is true, it's an appalling way for a pharmacy to behave!

I’ve never ordered from Health Express before but for some reason they’ve sent me an email with a discount code (got excited for a minute when I thought it was MedExpress 🤣)

if anyone uses them and wants 10% off here is the code!

I am really tempted to just stay with Voy as I feel in safe hands but I don't like having to push a code on people to get a pen for a reasonable price. I put my code out in a couple of places and was lucky enough that someone used it so I got my second pen for half price. I then stopped as I don't like how the codes are pushed on every thread in every context, particularly when people sound like they are doing a huge favour by giving it!

I DO like the subscription part of Voy though and am kind of going in circles about staying with them 😩 I DON'T like pushing the code and suppose I only benefit from the discount if I do so but I don't want to pay Voy's full price as it is wildly excessive!

And there I go, off round in the same circle again...

I've just double checked. Hira Malik is registered as a director of Oushk, and also her own company called Hira Malik Ltd. I don't believe she has any connection to Curate other than being their named prescriber. If I were her, I'd distance myself as far away as possible in order not to lose my prescribing licence.

I’m another who has stayed with MedExpress throughout. They are slightly more expensive but they seem reputable, I’ve had no problems with ordering/delivery, they’ve responded quickly to queries and to be honest I can’t be bothered with the hassle of changing.