Continuing Mounjaro...part 18

[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)

Mumsnet does not allow promo codes. Please do not post any. If you want one, ask and someone will PM you a code or there are now threads on the promo page that have codes for Mounjaro.

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.
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 - 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.

10 - 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

11 - 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!

12 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.

13 - 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

14 - 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

15 - 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.

16 - Drink lots of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Try and drink at least 2ltrs a day.

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 your 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: Now saying they support maintenance upto 2 years.

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 to 9th thread, get link from thread 10

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

17th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5122095-continuing-mounjaropart-17?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:

2 weeks since the stall / up and down of the same 2 lbs began for me. I know the heat doesn’t help, but I’m feeling really down today. I have a holiday coming up end of August and had these goals and dreams of being in the 80s (kg) but for two weeks now I am STILL stuck up and down on 93.

It’s jab day today. I’ll do my last 3.75 mg and then I’ll move up to 5 mg, probably a day or two earlier next week.

They do. Currently has me at age 64. (I'm trying not to be offended as I'm 57!😅)
Clearly my metabolic health is pants! ....... for now!

Me too. I didn't know it would do this, it's amazing. Usually I'd be so dizzy and shaky and it's pretty much impossible to lose weight like that as you can't function and work/drive/look after kids etc. With MJ so far I'm not even remotely tired or lacking in energy, let alone faint. I hope this effect stays!

I just read that article this morning and it really annoyed me as the headline and much of the article presented it as semaglutide is dangerous when actually she got some dodgy stuff off a friend of a friend and it was all sorts of toxic rubbish not actual semaglutide. The warning should have actually been don't inject yourself with crap from a bloke down the pub. I'm sick of clickbait misleading journalism from the BBC.

3wDavid I’ve also the last two weeks totally stalled even though I’ve been really careful with my diet etc, drinking lots of water though especially because of the heat. Feeling bloated though! It’s really disappointing although hoping for a big drop at some time. Just need to keep motivated.

I’ve checked out various protein bars and agree with @Slimstar13 the Aldi protein bars are both high protein, low carb, sugar and taste yummy compared to many others. Helps that they’re also cheap. Thanks for the other suggestions.

Are we supposed to eat 100g protein a day as that’s a lot? Did I read that correctly from someone?

I was reading a thread on 30 days only where the op was buying their semiglutide in a vial from a nurse apparently. She ran out of needles and asked if she could drink it....

So of course the media are going to focus on people that do stupid things!

I’m 58 @Melty and my scales had my metabolic age at 65, reduced now to 64 thanks to MJ - win win!

looking back at my data my scale age has been +5 years for years now. I’m hoping to at least match my true age at some point in the next year.

I’m hoping more experienced MJ users can help me with this one - I’m on week 5 of 2.5mg (bonus dose this week) and I’ve been fairly hungry with definite food noise, but still keeping under 1400 cals easily enough. I’ve been losing at around 2 lbs a week. I was going to stay on 2.5 for another month but wondering if I should use my next 2.5 pen and inject it every 4 or 5 days instead and build up to 5mg that way. Has anyone else done similar?

Just read a very frustrating article on BBC News warning people about the dangers of taking slimming jabs when all the people referred to who suffered terrible effects bought the jabs on the black market! It looks like when the jabs were tested they didn’t even contain any semiglutide. Such terrible reporting and scare mongering.

Slimming jabs: 'I thought my body was shutting down' www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg33vw9939yo

Re BBC item this morning. I am personally a little concerned that unscrupulous prescribers are handing this stuff out so easily (and the fake stuff) - my beautician (I tried fillers and botox a few months ago as a one off) offered to ‘get some MJ for me cheaply from her prescriber’. I was frankly a bit shocked as I am no longer in the category that is eligible (BMI 27). Not overwhelmed by the botox/fillers so wasn’t planning on a second visit anyway, but def not if she is pimping meds.

I also think it’s odd that people with thyroid issues are not getting it - there was some research where rats had an increased incidence of thyroid tumours, but it has not been borne out in humans in the many years of use by diabetics. Thyroid tumours are also completely unrelated to hypothyroid issues (I am hypothyroid so read the research and discussed it with my clinician). My inference is that clinics that make an issue of it are being run by people who are not properly qualified - and this would make me nervous of using them?

Similarly re those clinics who are prescribing to patients without proper checks - I had to have an online interview to get my medication, so the prescriber could SEE I was overweight. I then had to send regular photographic evidence and have bi- monthly video consults. I gave permission to contact my GP, but TBH I think it should be compulsory that they DO notify the GP and confirm that the information received is full and correct.

My son is about to start these meds with the same clinic as me - he is nearly 17, and has to have fortnightly zoom check ins to keep track - the first one is directly with the endocrinologist that owns/runs the private clinic. Our GP is also in the link and will be doing regular blood tests etc. For some reason the lovely man is not charging us a private consult fee that he could be doing simply because my son is on the autism spectrum and planning to study medicine, so he is trying to support my son by accessing meds/clinical care he should have been able get via a GP referral to the local NHS paediatric obesity clinic, but he’s aged out! The Prof is angry that this drug is not more widely available in NHS settings given the wide-scale impact of obesity on both individual health/lives and society as a whole.

So, I’m a bit ambivalent about the news reports. The negative impact this creates in how they are perceived, and even in how clinicians who are not specialised in this area see them as a result of foolish women wanting to get to size zero for holidays. The drug manufacturers need to do their due diligence about which pharmacies they sell it to; and ‘clients’ need to do the same, by only using licensed practitioners. Otherwise, they are not far removed from buying illegal drugs in a club, where they have no idea what is in the medication.

Just to add, the end of the BBC news item was a woman saying ‘I’d never buy it from the black market again, and only use a doctor’…

And then she got upset when everyone told her she was insane for using vials from her friend "who is a trained nurse" or even asking if she could drink it instead "because she just wanted to check"... if I'm thinking of the same one. It is really scary what stupid does.

@CautiousLurker I met somebody at an event recently who told me she was taking a semaglutide brought from her botox lady, I tried to smile but I don't think I could hide my shock. They are out there in the wild.

@ThirdStorm horrifying, isn’t it? Obviously I wouldn’t be pursuing the medical route for my son if I was 100% reassured of the safety of these drugs when prescribed and monitored by trained, professional, expert clinicians. I find it hard to fathom how people will risk putting chemicals in their bodies without this reassurance - but I’ve never tried drugs and (as a AuDHD person) am rather risk averse about things I don’t fully understand!

I totally understand the desperation to lose weight but really the answer is better access under the NHS - and Eli Lilly/ Novo Nordisk et al need to up manufacturer, or licence others to make it - the fact that they aren’t is to do with keeping supply tight to maintain the higher price!

I've also had a beautician/aesthetics practitioner offer to source weight loss injections for me so it's clearly a common thing.

I get botox and went to a new lady about 8 months ago as my regular (and ethical, fully above board) lady was on maternity leave.

We got onto the subject of weight gain after pregnancy and she said she was taking ozempic which she got from a particular (and dodgy as fuck) man who also works in Aesthetics and if I was ever interested she could hook me up with some.

I already knew of this man because I've seen him on social media, he's completely messed his face up by having an insane amount of bad work done. He put out a video a couple of months ago of him working alongside another unscrupulous clinic performing LIPOSUCTION on clients in a clinic. None of them are board certified plastic surgeons.

https://www.tyla.com/news/crime/woman-sold-illegal-weight-loss-drug-ozempic-uk-news-750891-20231115

It's scary how these people operate.

Suffice to say I said I wasn't interested.

@BlackFriYay followed that link and … OMFG! 🤯

Shocking isn't it? 😩

Thanks Slimstar13. I’ll work my range out and check out the Lidl bars. I like protein however my daughters a veg so when she’s home I slightly struggle, however have topped up on whey powder and bars to bump this up. I need to lose 5 stone and only lost 1 so far, so still a long way to go however hearing that you’ve done it, I can hopefully achieve this to! 🤞🤞.

@ThirdStorm it's worrying how many beauticians seem to be involved in flogging any old shit to make a quick buck.

I saw someone I know who lives near me and she pressed me about my weightloss. I gave in and said I was on a weightloss injection and she said she'd heard about them, mentioned a name that is definitely not one of the known legal ones and asked if I get it from my beautician. Anyone with eyes can tell I do not have a beautician 😄. She did mention that it's taken daily, which is even more worrying.

I'm glad we are all being safe, using pharmacy's/prescription and have access to good advice.

That thread was terrifying. The more they posted the more concerned I became.

That poster is in real danger of harming themselves.

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be 😱

Hello
I disappeared off the threads mid way through thread 17 as I was away for a few days. I was staying with relatives and so had less control over my food choices. They are also feeders! We also spent a lot of time in boats or at the beach so little access to loos meaning I decreased my fluid intake. It didn't help that, whilst it took me ages to titrate up to 5mg, it seems to be having absolutely no impact on me now I'm here. I felt so bloated by the time we got home last night!
I had a massive bowl of cherries & strawberries for dinner last night and about three pints of water and basically spent the night deflating. This morning, I weighed in and I am the same weight as I was before I left ... which is the same weight as I have been for the last month! I have yo yo'd between 10st 12 and 10st 13 and for two exciting days was 10st11 but the most consistent was 10st 12. It was interesting to see other people commenting that they have been stuck on a set weight as I used to be 10st12 for quite a while. The frustrating thing is that I was 10st10 for even longer and, when I started, had it in my head that if I could just get to 10st10, I'd be happy. It seems I can't get to 10st10!
I was amused when I got home at my MedExpress delivery had arrived the day I left so I'd asked DH to unpack it and put the pen in the fridge. I came home to find the entire "inner" of the packaging (so the gel freeze pads, the wool insulation etc) in the fridge. I had been a bit worried DH might not have unpacked it soon enough but, as it was all still in its packaging, I'm not worried about that any more!

Does anybody use the Nutracheck app? I want to change my goal only by a few lb but it won’t let me. Instead of being able to enter the number it has a drop down menu only allowing me to increase it. Any ideas?