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:

@CiderJabs ah My MJ twin! I’m sorry you’re struggling too. I am doing the exact same as you. I wanted to try and get to 9st 13 to just say I’ve done it. But it won’t happen.

I’m still taking MJ, but like Cider I’m on half rations to come off it. I started mid February and have lost 4 stone. I have just had my period and that always makes me gain 4lbs. I feel exactly as I did before MJ. Restrict. Lose before period. Weight goes up for hormones. Trying to resist thinking eff it. I’ve had a good few cycles and talking it through here helps to go it’s not real weight.

I have good habits in place. But the noise is real. I think for a while it will be white knuckling will power to think that, “no, this cheese won’t make me happy!”

Fighting your head is hard.

I could afford maintenance. But my experience of reducing so far is dropping to 2.5 long term would do Jack. We had to go up to adjust and have an effect and a low dose after being on higher for me does very little.

I am going to manage as this. Lowest weight 10.4. If I creep up to 10.7 fine. Then it will be the challenge and yoyo I suspect. I do know my body has reset a bit.

Sorry for the dose of realism, but I wanted to share and be honest.

I decided to stay on 7.5 for another 4 weeks and I’m regretting it a bit as my appetite is coming back more than I’d like. (I’m just at end of week one on this pen). Has anyone increased their dose by doing a jab and a bit? How do you calculate how much extra to give yourself? Do you need to switch needles for the extra bit?

And uh, I’ve read that back and it sounds a bit demanding of answers- sorry! Thanks to everyone on this thread for all the advice and info.

If you want to go to 10mg from a 7.5 pen you'd do one full dose then another of 20 clicks. Or you could go to 8.75mg by doing 10 clicks on top of your full dose. You'd need to change needles and site.

@FlappyFish yep, yet again it sounds like we are going through the same thing. I'm just a few inches shorter I believe!

I could also afford to stay on 2.5 for a while (but would have to use each pen for a much longer period than 30 days), I'm just not sure it will actually do much. My current plan is to do 3.75 for one more week and then 3 doses of 2.5 followed by a 2 week all inclusive holiday for which I'm not taking the jab with me. Then I'll have a fresh 7.5 pen waiting for me at home to help me get rid of the holiday weight. At the moment I plan for it to be my last pen - however health express have said they will prescribe when below 25 so I could get one more. I don't know.

It is very scary thinking of doing this cold turkey!

After me being all happy about managing 3.75mg at last, I ended up vomiting this morning! So strange as I’ve never had that on day 4 before, it has always started exactly 24 hours after my jab.

it wasn’t violent vomiting like the other times, I just woke up at 6am with the cold sweats. Threw up a couple of times (but very tame) and then immediately took an anti sickness tablet and I’ve been fine the rest of the day.

Im wondering if it was something I ate because it was very different from the other times - but maybe that was the cyclizine tablet! We had friends over last night and I didn’t drink but I was eating Pringles at 1am which can’t be a good idea 😂

On a more positive note, I’ve broken my month long stall and lost 1.5lbs - finally!

SW 223.8
CW 197

Chipping away slowly!

Had a very funny time at the pub tonight with my brother. I thanked him for getting me on to GLP1s and it turned out that he isn't on one! He is T2 diabetic and I thought he was put on Ozempic and lost weight, but it turns it was actually metformin combined with A.N
Other substance.

Anyway...he now knows that I am on Mounjaro and how well it's going. I wouldn't have looked into it without him "being on it", so it was a good misunderstanding😁

I think I bought the wrong dose of psyllium husk. I got them from Amazon and they're 700mg per tablet and you're supposed to take two, but now I've been reading that you need 3g plus! They don't seem to be doing much. What have other people bought, please?

@Forevafatty I bought Fybogel from the chemist, which is ispaghula husk 3.5g per sachet. It is vile to take though like drinking slightly thickened, gritty orangey water. I also have some Dulcosoft which is a stool softener.
I take both at the first sign of bunging up and so far so good.

I've had a dreadful day food-wise as we were at a wedding with lots of lovely Indian food. I ate a lot less than I would normally but am sure it was more than I should have. Oh well, onward and downward tomorrow...

I've seen people mention the solgar ones but they aren't high either. I've been looking at some on Amazon 4000mg with probiotic

Saw this on a FB group and thought it may interest the newly skinny-minnies among us

Is anyone counting clicks to take less than the full dose? I’m currently using a 10mg pen and decided not to go up having had good suppression at 5.

I used 4 weeks at 5mg and was going to go up to 7.5 this week - but I’ve read they must be discarded after 30 days use, no matter the expiry date.

is anyone else using a higher mg pen for a lower dose?

Just further to this - I know lots are using the ‘bonus dose’ would make the pen over 30 days - has the dose still worked?

The bonus dose does not make the pen over 30 days.

If the first dose is taken on the 1st, second will be the 8th etc, means fifth dose will be the 29th.

Girls girls girls girls girls.

(edit - just browsing my weight app and realised)

My BMI is 30. THIRTY. 4 months ago this was unfathomable. I cannot believe it. It’s 30.9 so just barely. But it’s there.

SW 90kg / 14st 2lb
BMI 36.5

CW 76kg / 11st 13lb
BMI 30.9

I literally spend about 45 mins a day marvelling that this drug works. Anyone else??

Has anyone had a 'late woosh'? It seems like lots of people have good losses initially, then start slowing down. I lost 2 pounds in my first week, 3 in my second week, 2 in my third week. Zero this week. Then I'll go up to 5mg. So just hoping that I'll get a woosh at some point...I've had good suppression since day 1, so a little disappointed that it's going so slowly...

@Alwaysdarkestjustbeforedawn The bonus dose does not take you over the 30 days as the injection days would be 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
I can't answer your other question as I have never gone over the 30 days. The pens were tested by the manufacturer to be punctured and used 4 times within 30 days so it's all taking a chance outside that. I think for most people the extra risk from puncturing the seal once more but within the time limit is seen as negligible but some prefer to not even take that chance and use it as directed (i.e. 4 doses then discard)

Thanks - I know a couple of people mentioned titrating downwards with a higher mg pen - so using it more than the intended 30 days but with a smaller dose each.

Does anyone have any experience of how that has gone at all? I have a 10mg pen and think i would be unwell if I was to take that high a dose, so wanted to still use it but over more weeks - just wanted to see if anyone has done something similar, either up or down

I've been taking these ones. Two doses (4 capsules / 2 days) ended a week of constipation.

@QueenOfHiraeth that's great news re Pharmulous and maintenance. Hopefully more start to follow suit. Just wondering if anyone here has actually used Pharmulous? I don't see them being mentioned much on FB/tiktok but then again with all the dramas in recent weeks I only see the names Curate Oushk and Cloud thrown around usually

I would be very wary of new unknown suppliers popping up… quite honestly this is the Wild West right now, there is high growth and lots of money to be made. We all need to do our due diligence (speaking to myself here as it’s tempting to jump to a supplier offering maintenance … but I must do my own research first and not rely on social media recommendations)

I've seen a couple of people mention being on other weight loss drugs and then putting all of the weight back on once they stop taking it, not just on here but on Facebook etc too.

What I'm eager to know is whether the rebound weight gain a direct result of going back to old eating habits most of the time or does quitting the meds actually do something to your metabolism (IE mess it up) and the weight goes back on regardless of whether you continue to eat well or not?

I'm hoping it's the former because it really scares me to think of rebound weight gain as being purely inevitable after i've worked so hard to get to where I am. I can't stay on this forever nor would I want to 😕

Any ideas?

Completely normal and to be welcomed!

Here is why

Ok this worries me about the providers and maintenance/getting cut off …

Post on the maintenance MJ thread “I’ve been getting my MJ from Pharmacy2U but this month for the first time they have asked for a photo with the warning they will only prescribe for those with a BMI of 27 or greater”

I’m almost at 27 BMI now… I’m not with pharmacy2U but this is so wrong and not what any of us signed up for. The lack of consistency and transparency is awful- they’ve prescribed us medication without a proper plan in place for maintenance. We are at the whim of suppliers and they can change the goalposts at any time.