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:

This is genius! I'm getting one for my trip! Great spot, thank you @diian

@Happycyclist @NewLifter thank you. In the hand luggage it is and fingers crossed.

Finally!!!!!!!
After two months of no weight loss, and after my 4th 10mg jab, I lost 4lbs this week! 🎉🎉🎉

Currently relapsing into my old greedy pig ways 😞. Sat in bed eating a grab bag of crisps and a sharing pack of m&ms.

It's a shitty week this week. I think I have the virus that hospitalised my toddler. Haven't felt this ill for a long time - feels like I've been battered with a housebrick. I can barely function. Toddler is still keeping me up most of the night anyway and DP is on shift at the riots near us so am a bit worried about him.

And now I feel sick from eating chocolate as it's the most I've had since starting MJ in February. I've eaten about half what I'd have eaten pre-MJ so I suppose that's a plus 😄.

Good morning!

Well, I survived the weekend’s double party for my DD! I enjoyed and had a glass of wine, a slice of pizza and tried the cake! Felt like I enjoyed myself and indulged, but very sensibly. Then had a healthy/normal dinner, and lots of water too! And I’m even half a pound down from Friday, so feeling quite pleased and proud of myself!

In other news, after 4-5 weeks on 3.75, I think today is the day I move up to 5 mg.

I didn’t have any bad effects on 2.5, or 3.75, so hoping it will be the same on 5!

For anyone who’s done a few stepping doses between 2.5 and 5 - did that take the edge off from the transition up? I don’t know why I’m scared of 5, and just need some reassurance

Have been on 2.5 for nearly a month and have lost just under a stone , I’m going to continue on 2.5 for another month as it’s currently working well . If at the end of this period I wanted to increase to say 3 how are people doing it , are people injecting 2.5 then keeping the needle in , clicking the extra dose then plunging again or carrying out 2 separate injections , the 2.5 then the .5 ?

Morning! I'm another 2lbs down this morning, and feeling bloody fabulous!

@ihatecoffee Brilliant! Especially after a stall. Bet you feel great!

@PissedOffNeighbour22 Please don't beat yourself up. You're sick, stressed and human. It's a normal human thing to occasionally eat junk food in these circumstances. I very much doubt you're going to make it a daily thing (especially as the mounjaro might make you feel crappy for it!). Go easy on yourself. Hope you feel better soon and your DH gets home safely. These riots are awful.

I've hit 40lbs loss today. It seems like a big number! Forty pounds! My goal was to lose 3 stone by the time I go on holiday at the end of next week - so I've got another week and a half to lose 2lbs. Should be doable I hope!

Then I'll have to set another goal. I have a lot to lose so need to break them up!

It was the last night at our festival last night and I had an alcoholic liquid diet to say the least.

I am having some regrets as it was mostly ales that are high carb and sugar, but thankfully not got a hangover (yet).

I've not weighed myself all weekend and it's going home day today so I'll be on the scales I'm sure at some point. Feeling a bit scared.

@PissedOffNeighbour22
Dont be hard on yourself as remember this is long term and it sounds as though you’ve hard a hard week. Hopefully you feel better soon and your toddler is better. We are all human and will have ups and downs, I’m sure most of us have been battling for years. I know I comfort eat, so I’m trying not to turn to chocolate or wine when I have a bad day but even any of us do, today is a new day so just go back to the plan, small steps at the time as this is retraining us all, long term. Hope hubby is home and safe. The riots are just horrific! Let’s hope it stops soon.

@Js448 buy a 5mg pen but count clicks to get the 3.75mg dose. There’s a click chart on the first post of the thread as different pens have different doses. If you re-inject you risk infection using the same neddle. But if your losing steadily on 2.5mg and good appetite control I’d stay on it. I have as I felt too ill going up.

NSV: I’ve been a slow loser compared to some of you in here but going in right direction.

Today, I got into a non-stretch dress that hasn’t fitted for a couple of years! Fitted zip up side now goes up. Yay!
And my engagement ring fits again. Wedding ring is still a bit tight but not long now. I haven’t worn them for ages.

Just wondering whether anyone else struggles with repeated constipation 🫢 using mounjaro?

Everything ticks along fine for weeks, then all of a sudden my weight goes up by about 3lbs, I notice I have low back discomfort (pain isn’t the right word) and I feel a bit off. Nothing major, but then I don't go for days. I’ve bought some senacot to use today and have been trying to drink more water and make sure there is a bit of fibre in my diet (salad/avocados/bananas) but it’s clearly not working to prevent it… also feel a bit down over the scales, even though I now it’s not a true weight gain. I also dropped down to 10mg after being on 15 in case that was a factor. On balance, I prefer the diarrhoea I used to get occasionally from Wegovy. :(

@PissedOffNeighbour22 as others have said, please don’t berate yourself. This is a journey that is about changing habits and our relationship with food for life. We all have blips and, frankly, after the week you’ve had it’s no wonder you are fed up/pissed off/feeling low. If you are coming down with something too, then it a double whammy.

Park your little chocfest in the ‘I needed it at the time, but it’s done now’ bay and a) focus on making sure you are well and b) remember it’s Monday, a new week, and just start a fresh if you are feeling up to it.

@PissedOffNeighbour22 oh I’m so sorry you’re going through a stressful and rough time! You’ve reverted to what you know and how you have always coped, that’s so normal, please don’t beat yourself up.

I was thinking just recently how counterproductive it is (talking for me in particular), that in a moment of crisis, stress, uncertainty, anxiety, I revert to a glass of wine and junk food for comfort. When alcohol is a mood depressant (it doesn’t really lift up your spirits); and comfort food is only ever comforting in the moment, but I end up feeling sluggish/bloated after. When really, what I should be doing in those moments is nourish my body with healthful foods. So that I can give myself that little extra boost to feel as strong and as grounded as possible during those times! I just figured this out for myself recently, and had this lightbulb moment about how counter productive my old patterns and behaviors are in such moments in life.

@MelissaLouRocks Actually now I think of it, my beard is much less as well! And actually, haven't done my eyebrows much.
No change to legs though!

@3wDavid Hi and good morning to you! I seem to remember from my silent lurking days that we’re pretty much on the same timeline. I took my first 5mg last Thursday having done five 2.5s and I have to say I thought more than twice before banging it in. You’re right, a lot of people have seemed to find it hard. There were two reasons why I went for it: I’m pretty cack handed and titrating and self injecting from syringes scared me a bit, having just done it for my fifth 2.5 (bought some insulin needles after that 😆); but secondly, I had absolutely no side effects from the 2.5mg so decided it was worth a shot (sorry) and I could always titrate if I suffered from the first 5mg. I had no side effects at all. So I guess it might be worth thinking back to your first 2.5mg. Did you suffer? My suspicion is that if you didn’t then, you won’t this time either (and vice versa). I’d be really interested to know if anyone didn’t suffer from their first 2.5mg but did from their first 5mg, if only to stop me getting wrongly complacent as 10mg approaches in a few weeks! Have a good week, everyone. PS 11.13 has been and gone, teetering on double elevens this morning 😅!

Does anyone have any suggestions on medication for bloating/water retention please? Want to deal with that before starting on Mounjaro. Thank you!

I just accept that water retention happens sometimes. Mounjaro actually helps with water retention. I definitely get bloated and retain water the week before my period, but it always goes as soon as my period starts. I also retain water when it's really hot and I'm very active. Again, it eventually just all goes and the scale drops.
I try and drink 2-3 litres of water a day, that helps a lot too.

Yesssssss, baby! 3 week stall over, 2kg off at weigh day this morning!

Drastic slowdown, even with my slow losses anyway, on 7.5mg. My first 5 weeks on 2.5mg lost 6kg, the 5 weeks on 5mg lost 5.5kg; and with just the bonus dose to go, I've lost the 2kg on 7.5mg.

Probably less to do with the actual doses and more to do with rapid water loss at the start and getting to a very fixed set point for the stall, but suggests I need to buckle in for a long slow haul down to goal.

Can I get some opinions on my holiday schedule please. My usual jab day is Sunday, we’re going away on a Friday-Friday break. I could take the pen with me to use on the Sunday but there’s no private fridge and we’re going in a big group. So instead I’m thinking of doing it on Friday just before we leave, as I’m sure I’ve read you can move it around within a 2-3 day window with no real issues?

Ughhh. I AM FUMING.

Quick recap: placed a MedExpress order last Sunday. Only dispatched Friday with Royal Mail. Didn’t arrive Saturday. I had to check this morning to see it has been delivered to the local depot yesterday (of course it’s closed on Sunday) and I didn’t even receive an email!

Went to collect this morning, ice packs not only melted, but actually warm to the touch! I am livid. It’s been sat warm since Sat probably, and I am not due to use it till 3-4 weeks from now (will be abroad for a while so ordered in advance).

I emailed them to complain that not only has it take NINE days for me to receive my medication, but it’s arrived in an unusable/unsafe state as per Eli Lilly’s own guidelines! I said they’re putting my health at risk, if they expect me to use the medication in this state and that I’m prepared to file a formal complaint with the appropriate regulatory body.

Can anyone give me any other good argument I can include to add credibility to my note and make a compelling case for them to send me a replacement pen. I am not injecting this into my body! And I don’t have another £170 lying around to spend.

@3wDavid I titrated up at a snails pace but that’s because when I tried to go from 2.5 to 3.75 it almost ended me! I think if you’ve done 3.75 with no issues then 5 will be fine!

I’m due my second 5mg tomorrow so hopefully it continues to be ok. I also switched to injecting into my thigh which also helped

PS
I was just at my GP’s for something else and mentioned being on MJ for weight loss. He had received NOTHING from Medexpress, had no idea! And kept saying that it’s not been approved for weightloss and how basically you can get anything prescribed privately and is essentially a money-making scheme. I felt so baffled. Not sure if he’s correct just has a super conservative view on it; or if he’s not kept up to date with what’s been approved/happening in regards to weight loss medication the last few months. He made it sound like I’m using a medication for a condition(diabetes) I do not have , and he would never prescribe a diabetes medication in this scenario, and how weight loss is a byproduct of the medication not it’s intended use. I felt so dumb and careless with my health. For a minute there. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their doctor?!

@CoffeeWithMyOxygen yup, you should be totally fine moving that day to Fri and save your pen the trip.