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:

Apologies, cannot remember the username

There was a poster a few weeks back who inadvertently injected nearly three doses of 2.5mg for her first injection. Just want to know if she’s fine and how are things

@GoodLuckBabe Yep just a super hard twist. I've managed to do it by hand every time but some people have used pliers!
I get what you say about being keen to move up and some people have used the fact there is extra in the pen to take an interim dose.
I can't advise as I've been very to-the-letter about it but you can assume after 2 doses you have 3x 2.5 doses left = 7.5mg so you could do 2x 3.75mg doses before moving to 5mg if you wanted. Or do another 2.5mg and then move to 5mg a week early....
Don't forget it builds in your system so each week you have a slightly more residual MJ in your system as the time of injecting so you can feel more effect/benefit week on week without necessarily increasing the dose.

Technically, you are not expected to get an effect on 2.5mg. The manufacturers say it is a subclinical dose, so not effective, but it gets your body used to the medication so side-effects are not as severe as if you go straight in at 5mg.
I know a lot of people do get an effect but not sure how many may have a placebo effect

I did three doses of 2.5 mg and then moved up to 5.

@NCfor24 thank you. I wonder why they over fill them? In case a dose is spilled or something maybe? Not that I’m complaining…
@QueenOfHiraeth yes I read about it being subtherapeutic but so many people seem to have great losses straight away - I am jealous! But I won’t worry. I also haven’t really had any side effects other than a fuller feeling than normal in the morning, and a funny taste in my mouth. So that is good I suppose.
@BeautyPageantDropout did you do that as you weren’t getting much suppression? How did it go moving up to 5?

This thread is so amazing - I am with Voy so do have a coaching session coming up, but other than it is a lonely old journey. So thanks all!

What are Voy's prices like as they increase? Seen that 5mg is £229 but if it goes way beyond that it may be a struggle!

@NeedSomeAnswersPlease i actually don’t know! I paid about £140 for the first one with a code (I probably have a referral code if you want to pm me and need one!). I think I will change supplier for the next one unless I get a referral discount. I just wanted to start with them for the coaching really. The app isn’t very exciting, so I won’t mind leaving them…

I had a discount code for the first one, I think how it works is that you need to share discount codes each month to get money off?

Happy to share and use each other's!

@NeedSomeAnswersPlease that would be fab if that works! I just tried to look for prices but can’t find them - so presumably are high!

My next 5mg one is showing in my account as £229!!! I know it'll be worth it but wow

I think that’s so expensive! Though tbf at least it’s a continuous service so you don’t have to worry about ordering your next pen.

I have just paid £122 for my first 5mg pen from ZAVA. Used someone’s referral code but cannot remember if it was on here or off the FB group.

I have lost 9lb in two weeks! I’ll take that. It’s weird I start a meal and enjoy it but then when I feel like I’m done I’m suddenly repulsed by it!? Never happened before!

I also went in to home bargains and didn’t go down the sweets aisle. Absolute first for me 😂

I think for me the thing that does it is the inclusion of a coach. That's the type of thing I thrive on

@NeedSomeAnswersPlease shall I pm you my code and you can try it out? I kind of assumed it would just be for new people though?

Yeah I can imagine that is really helpful! If I had the extra I probably would too!

Yes, I skipped the fourth 2.5 injection as I hadn't had any appetite suppression (or any negative side effects either) so was impatient to move to 5mg. I decided my body had enough time in the three weeks to acclimatise to it. 5mg has been great for me, Have decided to stay on 5 for another 4 weeks as it's still working well. And still no negative side effects.

Oh it could well be, I've got a discount for my first one

Was waiting delivery from Royal mail ...was supposed to be this morning all good was going to be in all morning....got rescheduled to before 730pm ...of course they attempt delivery when I'm picking up from holiday club 😭...they will redeliver tomorrow 🤞🏻 so hopefully the cooler weather means will be ok

@GoodLuckBabe the extra is to allow for priming. But priming uses literally a tiny droplet so it becomes a bonus dose!

@NeedSomeAnswersPlease and @GoodLuckBabe - Voy prices are flat, £229 per month for all pens up to 10mg.

I've been with them since I started (4 pens ago!) and rate them SO much - but I don't think you can use someone else's code to get a discount. Your discounts now are from other people using YOUR code to join them...

1 or 2 people use your code and you get 50% off your next pen. 3 or more and you get 100% off - free MJ!

I've been posting my code periodically on the discounts threads and haven't paid more than £114 for any pen yet. When you think about getting the coaching and medical support too, vs the prescribers who just ship you a pen and then "you're on your own" - it's incredible value.

If anyone needs a code please DM me! I have asked about maintenance too and been told they will assess case-by-case but are happy to prescribe for 2 years maintenance as long as it's approved by their in-house GPs!

Ah £229 is doable so that's cool! Thank you!

I've nothing constructive to add today, except to tell you all that these are delicious and you get a great protein hit for the calories.

If you join the main reddit Mounjaro sub you will find many people who stayed on 2.5 for their entire weightloss journey, losing consistently week after week.

I would advise against moving up before 4 weeks. I personally had only mildly reduced food noise for a couple of days after the first 2 injections and then, on weeks 3 & 4 it kicked in like a switch had been thrown, lasting the whole week between injections.

The 4 weeks is to acclimatize your body to a very potent drug, and 2.5 can be very, very effective indeed. I think a LOT of the problem is that people think that the drug is meant to completely suppress appetite. This is the message I see again and again from those idiotic airheads on Tiktok etc. Mounjaro is NOT meant to do that, and if it does, the dose is too high.

The aim is to feel hunger when it is meal time, to eat and enjoy a small meal and and to appreciate that the hunger has been sated and that you are full. The drug will help suppress CRAVINGS and the urge to overeat. It is not intended to stop hunger. Hunger is not the enemy.

Hit another milestone today, my BMI is under 40 for the first time in 10 years and I’ve lost 20% of my body weight! Never thought this would be possible for me without getting surgery so I’m ecstatic 🤩
Still a way to go, but I’m about halfway to my goal weight since I started in April. Hope this gives some motivation for those like me who started with having a lot of weight (5+ stone) to lose.
Going to see Taylor Swift and then my holiday next week and am really hoping to shift a couple of pounds this week 🤞🏼 got a jumpsuit I want to wear that fits but is slightly too snug so that will be my measurer!
Hope everyone is having a successful week!

I realistically have 6-10 stone to lose so this is amazing!

@CloudStar1 that's brilliant to hear, you must be so pleased. I'm similar to you in terms of amount I have to lose, and I am also creeping closer to getting under a BMI of 40.