Continuing Mounjaro...part 17

[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! Make sure the needle is twisted on tightly. Priming will help confirm if the needle is on securely and not faulty.
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.
https://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 - Taking Mounjaro can stop birth control from being effective. If you are on birth control, consider extra protection if you aren't planning on conceiving anytime soon!
11 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.
12 - 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
13 - 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
14 - 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.
15 - Drink lots of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Try and drink at least 2ltrs a day.
16 - 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.
17 - 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
further reading about injection sites and the effects: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618
18 - 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.
19 - 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.
20 - 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.
21- 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.
22 - 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.
23 - 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
16th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5115015-continuing-mounjaropart-16?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:

Sometimes a high calorie day can get things going again, a temporary gain in the scales then starts to drop again. I also recently had a 3 - 4 week stall and I had a weekend away so ate restaurant burger and chips (as much as I could manage) one day and a few slices of pizza the next day. I don't really have these foods now, especially carbs so I had a carb gain then started losing again.

Also, I found I lost inches in the stall. It's such a cliché but do check them.

A stall isn't a bad thing in the grand scheme of your journey. It can be your body resetting to accept your new lower weight and as explained upthread, can be a sign of true fat loss happening.

I’m a bit in shock! After gaining for nearly two weeks (I knew it was hormonal weight but still…) I’ve had two wooshy days and weighed in today a stone lighter than when I started just shy of six weeks ago.
A Stone.
In six weeks.
This is my lowest weight since before covid.
I’m 5’1 with 3 more stones to go but for the first time ever it feels possibly possible.

@montysma1
Just seen your post saying you are with medexpress and wondering what they did when you got to BMI 25? I’m with them and hoping to stay with them right through but the only worry was them cutting off at bmi25 but if they aren’t doing that then wahey!
Congratulations too 😊

Looking fab @BlackFriYay!

@DragonflyRuby I agree with @OnInstagramAsMounjaroJourneyUK - I was stuck for 12 days, actually went up a pound then stayed there for that period but I had a really greedy day on Sunday (pizza buffet with the children that started with salad but ended with 3 million slices of deep pan) and I'm now down 2 pounds, and I'm at the very end of my MJ time (currently titrating down, have lost 26% of my starting weight). I know it seems counterintuitive but it does seem to work when being behaved isn't cutting it in a stall.

Been reading all of the Zava troubles with a bit of a 😬 face on, as am with them so I was super nervous to reorder. But I went ahead anyway and it was fine, I ordered on Thursday, was approved on Friday and my pen arrived on Sunday morning and was cold. It’s concerning that there’s such a disparity between experiences with them though and I think I will change next time.

I do have a question about counting clicks on the pen though, I can’t quite get my head around the numbers involved. I’m on 10mg currently and coming to the end of my pen and I ordered the 12.5mg which is now in the fridge, but I think I jumped the gun a bit as I was worried about the 10mg effects wearing off, but it’s still working well. So, I’ve changed my mind and want to stick with 10mg for now as it’s working, but also because I’m going on holiday in a couple of weeks to New Orleans and the Caribbean, I really really want to be able to enjoy the food as I’ve been looking forward to it for a year, so I feel like I should play it safe and stay put at 10.
Am I right in thinking that 50 clicks of the 12.5mg pen would get me close enough to a 10mg dose, maybe just slightly over?

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! I’m a teacher and it’s the first week of the school holidays for me and historically my diet goes out off the rails without the structure of the working day to keep me in check, but so far it’s a breeze to stay on track 🥳

I weighed and measured today, do it once a week for recording and weigh in-between just to watch for any fluid fluctuations, etc
Weight is another kilo down so slow but steady and I am still just becoming less dense rather than shrinking. 2cm off my waist since starting but no other change - I truly am a very big kitchen roll!

@CloudStar1 it would be 48 clicks for 10mg out of a 12.5 as it's 80%. 10% of 60 clicks is 6, multipled by 8.

Hello all. I'm on week 2 of my Mounjaro journey. I've lost half a stone! Also, the first week I injected into my stomach and had horrible side effects for the first three days. This time I injected into my upper thigh and no side effects at all.

Anyway - I have a question about Voy if anyone can help?

I used a Referral Code and got my first pen with an £85 discount. I've shared my referral code too and looking at my Voy account it appears someone has used it. The First Friend 50% off box is ticked.

However, my plan amount is unchanged. It says my next order is in August and will be £229. Does anyone know if this changes or if it will always say that amount but they'll apply the 50% off discount anyhow?

Many thanks.

Hi all, so I’m now in the 10s!! Ok only just (10.13.8) but I haven’t seen this number since 2019. At 5ft 1.5 (the .5 matters lol) I carry all extra weight so obviously!

started at 12st 5.6 on 3rd May. Weightloss isn’t very fast but I’m the right direction still. I’m on my last week of 7.5mg pen and the 10mg pen is with my Post Man hubby for delivery today.

I am nervous about going up to 10 but hope all will be well.

Just received an email from medexpress. I think maybe they've changed their stance on maintenance cut offs? Sorry if this has been repeated

Our comprehensive maintenance plan

You’ve done the hard work and reached your goal weight - so what happens next?

We understand you might feel anxious at the thought of stopping weight loss medications once you achieve your target weight or a healthy BMI.

We do not stop your injectable weight loss medication once you reach your weight loss goals.

To ensure you can maintain your weight loss and the healthy habits you’ve developed, our prescribers can continue to provide your weight loss medications for a period of two years after your initial order, even if your BMI is within a healthy range.

We conduct thorough check-ins to monitor your progress, adjust your treatment if necessary, and address any concerns you may have, ensuring you continue to enjoy the results you have worked hard to achieve.

Don't know if anyone else has mentioned, but just got an email from med express saying they don't stop medication once you reach your goal weight.

Text if the important info:

We understand you might feel anxious at the thought of stopping weight loss medications once you achieve your target weight or a healthy BMI.

We do not stop your injectable weight loss medication once you reach your weight loss goals.

To ensure you can maintain your weight loss and the healthy habits you’ve developed, our prescribers can continue to provide your weight loss medications for a period of two years after your initial order, even if your BMI is within a healthy range.

We conduct thorough check-ins to monitor your progress, adjust your treatment if necessary, and address any concerns you may have, ensuring you continue to enjoy the results you have worked hard to achieve.

@QueenGoo snap!

@ObsidianTree 😂😂 as soon as I saw the email my mind screamed "MNMOUNJARO!"

I hope Zava follow suit and offer for 2 years! I have updated the starter info with his info. Hope they stick to this now that they backed up for an email.

Week 21 for me and 3lb down.

Total of 53lb.

5lb to lose until a healthy bmi and 7lb until target. Yikes feels like I might actually do it!

I just started a 12.5mg pen to get to target, then I’ve got two 10mg which I’ll use and then go down the doses.

Still no side effects other than feeling cold and being tired.

I’m with cloud pharmacy and they said the same as Med Expresss so going to stay with them.

@ObsidianTree - I've also received the email from MedExpress - so glad that I'll be able to maintain with them, especially if my cholesterol and anxiety also improve.

I've just moved to Bolt due to their stance on maintenance. Really pleased with the service. Registered late on Sunday. Email on Monday asking for a body pic and proof of existing prescription. Dispatched same day. Arrived this morning with a completely solid ice block. As a wee bonus it said Royal Mail would need a signature but they didn't. Really pleased.

Upset that I've not had the email from MedExpress! No point stock piling now! ha!

It might depend on where your name is in the alphabet😀

@DappledOliveGroves do not panic 😁 The amount seems to stay the same until they actually charge you for your next pen! Confusing I know but that's how it's set up😂

Just received from Med Express re maintenance 👍🏻

It's weird as I didn't get any emails offering me £40 off or whatever. Also never got the emails from Asda or Zava about dosage etc when they came out.
So random selection!

Sorry @ObsidianTree, just saw that my news is old news but I can't delete...

Great news. I am exactly the same height and only a pound above you. I seem to be stuck at 11 stone 0 😬 Can't wait to join you in the tens!