Mounjaro stopped working ?

[cattywat]

I've been on 2.5mg for 4 weeks now, I've lost just over 1 stone. I have ordered 5mg to start next week but I was wondering if anyone found their weight loss kind of stopped ? Is this a sign I need to move up a dose ? I haven't put any weight on the last week, but also haven't lost any.
I'm not snacking and don't have a major appetite but I am still eating which I'm glad about as I do enjoy food. I haven't started any "proper" exercise yet but I am a busy mum of 2 under 2 and always on the go, walk into town and back most days etc.

Would love to hear of others experience as this is all new to me !
Thanks

Well you are on the lowest dose which is generally considered to just get your system used to it really. Some people don’t have any effects at that dose or any loss at all. Some people lose and continue to lose on it. But the medication is designed to have the doses increased. It doesn’t mean it’s stopped working.

From my experience, it sounds like you need to move up to 5mg.

The 2.5mg is basically a non-therapeutic strength designed to get your body accustomed to the drug and possible side effects.

Good luck!

Ahh I see. So does this mean I'll most likely experience side effects with the 5mg? I've had none with the 2.5mg apart from obviously some appetite suppression

You’ve lost just over a stone in 4 weeks - it’s totally normal for weight loss to slow down/plateau.

You are on the lowest dose which isn’t really expected to do anything.

It could be a sign that you need to move up. Or it could be that you lost fat but retaining water. Or some inflammation, or at a point in your period that it appears you haven’t lost weight.

I would say go on how you feel. I am moving up this week. As the suppression isn’t really there anymore. I am not wanting complete suppression as, at first on 2.5 I was barely eating.

Have you had side effects? Sometimes you can get side effects when you go up, sometimes side effects get worse sometimes it’s all good.

It’s really a personal choice. But I wouldn’t just base it on whether you lost weight one week. I would go on how I feel and how much I am eating.

I took my first dose of 5mg on Thursday and no symptoms other than the ones we want ie appetite suppression and slow digestion. I am also deliberately eating low carb due to Diabetes so slow digestion is part of that too.

Do you mind me asking what your starting weight was? 1 stone in a month seems quite a lot.

Not at all, it means that you are adjusting to the medication and are ready to move up on schedule. I was similar, few side effects and lost well on 2.5, did the bonus dose in week five then moved up to 5.0mg. No bad effects, a bit of heartburn a couple of times a dehydration headache if I didn't drink enough but all fine.

Everyone is different. What one person experiences can be totally different to what someone else experiences.

How can you think it's stopped working if you've lost a stone in a month? What were your expectations when you started?

My starting weight was 13.10, I am 5foot 4 and all the weight is on my stomach. Very much apple shaped as is my mum. I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy which I made the online doctor prescribing aware of as this puts me at an increased risk of diabetes.

I think as I lost quite abit in the beginning I guess I was thinking that's what it would carry on like, as I said, I'm new to this !
My appetite still isn't massive so I guess it is still doing the job I just was surprised I hadn't lost another 1lb

Oh and I also have pcos which probably contributes to weight gain

@WorriedRelative I was thinking of doing the bonus dose, there looks like there is still quite a lot of medication left in the pen. Do I just keep turning it ??

A stone in a month is a lot of weight to lose, @cattywat .

The first weeks of any weight loss program are often disproportionately quick because your body hasn’t got used to a lower calorie intake and there’s usually water weight.

The therapeutic dose starts at 5; you’re on the dose to get your body used to the drug.

It's one week, I wouldn't knee jerk react and move up based on one week! You have had rapid loss in the previous 4 weeks so it might just be your body is adjusting. It might just be you need a 💩, it might be you are retaining water because you had a carby meal yesterday, it might be your monthly cycle (if you still have them), or many other things.

I don't move up doses based on weight loss I move up if the appetite suppression is not making it easy for me to stick to my calorie deficit as I still need to eat and nourish my body, but as long as the calorie deficit is enough the weight will come off.

My approach is to stay on the lowest doses possible (and hopefully the least unpleasant side effect) until they are no longer keeping me within my calorie deficit. Currently I have done 5 x 2.5mg, and 10 x 3.75mg. I get days in a row where I am hungry (I think it might be related to strong suppression and eating very little the day before) I am ok with calorie cycling, as long as I keep to my weekly calorie deficit I am happy.

Be aware of rushing up the doses or rushing the weightloss through impatience or concern over cost of the medication, it is not healthy for your body and rapid weight lost can have horrible side effects.

I think then I'll be right to go up if it's the dose getting my body used to the medication that I've been on, hopefully I won't get any side effects. I haven't had any on the 2.5mg luckily.
Ideally I'd like to be able to lose another stone so I'm definitely not finished yet.

I ordered the 5mg this time as I had an email stating that how the medication works is by moving up and that 2.5mg is to get your body used to it, as pps have stated. The appetite suppression definitely starts to wear off by the end of the week for me but it does still work if that makes sense ?
Also does anyone else wee loads the first two days after injecting ??

The prescribers usually suggest moving up to 5mg after one month and it is the first 'clinically effective' dose so I wouldn't worry about that. Just do what is right for you, maybe thinking of it as a bit of a longer term thing might help. It sounds like it is going well! I am the similar height to you and have also just lost a stone in the first month. Going up to 5mg next week.

It's normal to wee a lot I think, water weight is lost especially to start with.

This. You've lost a stone in the first 4 weeks. That's a lot. 2.5mg is just to get your system used to the drug, the fact you've also lost weight is great. It hasn't stopped working, and 1 stand alone week isn't enough to say it's stopped working. It's likely just your body catching up with fast loss. Could be you're menstrual, could be you've fluid retention, eaten too much salt, overdone on some exercise so your body is holding on to it to fit inflammation. Lots of possibilities. Don't let one weeks results be the sole reason for moving up.

Oh no it isn't just that, I was going to do it anyways as I knew that's how the medicine works, but also have read a lot of threads on here about people saying the same sort of thing, weight loss has plateaued and moving up. So I thought that was the done thing ?

Oh thank you ! Yes you've lost the same sort of weight as me then, that's great well done. I feel great to be honest , how do you feel ? It seems like we've started the same sort of times as in due to go up next week, just not sure if I should get the bonus dose out.
I managed to wear a slip dress last night that is figure hugging around the tummy and didn't feel awful in it so this is also working wonders for my self esteem which has been at rock bottom.

It’s designed for you to go up the doses as your body gets used to each one.

i am on 10 mg now and have had no adverse effects at all.

Yes I'd take it all and not throw it away. Just keep it in the fridge.

It's not a plateau after 1 week of the scales not showing a change. It's quite worrying how lacking in knowledge people are about weight loss. You cannot count it week to week - you have to look at the trajectory. You lost 14 lbs in 3 weeks - likely some of that was water so in the past 7 days you have probably lost a bit more fat but retained water so your weight showed the same. A plateau is weeks of staying the same, not a few days.