To have come up with my own, very gentle dosing schedule ?

[pwptrl]

I started MJ in May, had zero issues until I hit the second week of 5 mg and suddenly was quite ill. Had a break, had some investigations. It turned out I'm fine to continue and no underlying gallbladder or pancreas issues..

Then I started again in September and got very sick on 2.5. It may have been coupled with a stomach virus sweeping across my house but still.

Anyway I'm back on now. I had to have another break because I was starting a new job.

Now I've just been going slowly from 2.5 mg and I'm adding 0.4 mg each week and so far, so good.

I'm on 3.4mg now.

Is this ok do you think ? Has anyone else dosed it this way ? I think jumping firm 2.5 mg to 5mg is potentially too much for me. I know it will take longer this way, but I'm happy to do it if it means I don't get too many side effects.

Thoughts or experiences appreciated ?

I'm not against the idea of incremental increases in dose, but hopefully you have taken into account the fact that for the first four weeks on the same dose, the level of both peak and trough rises slightly each week anyway. You can visualise this using GLP-1 plotter or similar.

I have an app for that indeed.

I know it's going to take longer but I don't see why it should do any harm ? I'll speak to my prescribing doctor about it in any case.

I just really don't want to get ill. I can handle a bit of nausea but I really don't want to throw up.

No decent prescriber will agree to anyone using different doses. They're not allowed to prescribe anything other than the specified amounts.

I'm not saying you're wrong to do it, it works well for many who do this, but don't expect a doctor or prescriber to agree.

I mean if it works for you it works for you. But I’d likely come off before I did that. I think the only issue is as your body deals with effectively staying on such low doses you will struggle at some point.

and I guess as you recognise you’ve still not even had a starting dose, which is 5mg.

I think once I get to 5, I may stay for 4 weeks on 5 and then do the jump to 7.5 as normal.

I'll need to see how I get on..

My dosing has been as follows

1.75

2.5

2.9

3

3.4

Next week I'll do 3.8

Then after that 4.2

Then 4.6

Then 5

That's my plan, unless I get very sick again.

I started in July and am on 8.5mg now. I initially crept up from 2.5mg by varying amounts from 0.1mg to 1mg, depending on the pen, using the extra within 30 days etc.

I did find that I wanted to stay on 7.5mg for a few weeks, then worked my way up to 8.3mg where I stayed for 7 weeks, before moving on to 8.5mg for the last 3 weeks.

I have the Shotsy app, so can see my estimated levels. If following the standard schedule, I could easily be on 15mg by now and worrying about reduced suppression and effect from the drug, but am instead doing well on a lesser dose with room to move up as required.

(Before anyone asks if I'd take other prescription meds at less than the prescribed level, yes I do. It is in full knowledge and approval of my consultant to take the minimal effective dose to control symptoms while lessening the side effects, and tailor my dose as I see fit up to the maximum prescribed dose. I don't see this as much different, but is my choice for myself, not a recommendation to others.)

The drug doesn’t stop working this is a socla media nonsense. Once on the correct optimal dose for you it works as long as you take it. It stops working lower as you aren’t on the right dose. No one needs more than 15 and few get there,

im really astonished people actually believe it stops working. On a drug which is for diabetes, and about to be aapproved for cardio vascular and kidney disease. It’s aapproved for long term use for weight loss, unlike the others as it doesn’t stop working.

I guess that’s social media for you though. It doesn’t stop working any more than your blood pressure tablets, or any other drug taken correctly

I’m not surprised the pp poster thinks it will stop working at 15mg. People just can’t use their brains it seems.

Yeah, Mounjaro is the only drug that completely loses efficacy at a certain dose…. Come on.

I’ve been on fluoxetine for 15 years. I should be on 10390348023. Mg a day by now!

It’s common though, my hair dresser said to me don’t rush up the doses as you will get to 15 and have no where to go. So I researched, it is utter bullshit , but all over social media.

it lacks any form of logic, who would approve a drug for serious conditions for life it it stopped working.

factually it doesn’t stop working, you’re supposed to follow the dosing guidelines, and move up to your optimal dose, which is the one below the one you can’t tolerate, but you move up in 2.5mg increments and let’s face it, if you do it correctly you know before you even get there.

social media has a lot to answer for. I also think the lack of doctor supervision for some has them all listen to social media and come over all nurse cratchet with the dosing schedule, it is madness.

Laughing at above comment. There are some wonderfully wild and incorrect opinions out there.

When I started, at the beginning of this year, I was on Saxenda. I went up through the doses very slowly, giving myself half dose increases each time. Of course, I didn't tell my endocrinologist I was doing this, but it meant that my pens lasted a bit longer.

It worked just fine for me and I never got sick or had severe side effects. I did this purely as I was so worried. (Am a primary teacher and had visions of the kids all commenting on sulphuric burps or having to run to the toilet every five mins).

Now I am on the top dose of Wegovy and again, am just fine.

Should say @KitsyWitsy 's comment, not the one directly above mine!

Why she’s right, and the discussion is on mounjaro, not Saxenda, or wegovy, the latter of which does lose effacy. You do realise these are different drugs right?

I'm not an expert, so please let us know where this factual data about optimal dose is, as most of us seem to have missed it. Without the clinical data to back it up, I otherwise have to consider this as social media "nonsense".

They are trialling larger doses currently, so apparently people might need more than 15mg.

Google it. Spend some time researching, and if you missed it, and others did, I would suggest this is due to you spending more time listening to fools on social media than actually spending time reading up on how the drug works and why it’s approved for life.

Not a single source?

I have read plenty thank you and not found what you are claiming but can't back up.

I know it's approved for life, to help with maintenance for those that need it, not for continuing weightloss indefinitely. I mentioned worrying about "reduced" suppression and effect, not that it stops working entirely, as for weightloss, I need effective suppression.

According to some of you, there is no such thing as tolerance of the drug, which would explain why we need to keep increasing the dose gradually. Instead we are increasing to search for our "optimal" dose that is either 5, 10 or 15mg - as these are the only approved maintenance doses.

How much longer did the pens last? Are they supposed to be used within 4 weeks like the Mounjaro?

I totally get staying on a dose if it’s working and not necessarily moving up every 4 weeks to a strict (possibly unnecessary) schedule but people are tinkering way too much with this stuff. It’s getting out of hand. Obtaining the injections doesn’t also give you a degree in pharmacology. Get some proper advice.

I am hopeful that the methods for obtaining this medicine become more stringent. I also think there should be better monitoring of people on it aside from just pictures and reporting of weight; both of which can be faked.

No, no I made it up, they have approved it for life when it stops working, you’re right, they didn’t even give a thought to the poor diabetics who may die, and as for the cardio vascular and kidney patients, it’s horrific to think about isn’t it.

they should have listened to social media.

or alternatively. I’m completely correct and you’re using my lack of desire to google and provide you with links as some sort of ridiculous gotcha moment, no matter how illogical

so continue to beleive it stops working. I genuinely do not care.

I know people who mocrodosing works really well for. I'm talking tiny amounts. And they haven't moved up at all. So there's no need to even move up if it's working for you at the lower doses. What's the rush? No side effects either at the lower doses.

How does that work with the pen supposed to be used within 4 weeks?

And people? You know multiple people who micro-dose successfully? How? Why? Nonsense.

I do it myself. And other friends recommended it. It's not nonsense, it works really well. And I haven't had any side effects.

You just chuck the pen with lots left in it. Works out the same price, if it's working no issues.

I haven't once said that it stops working. I don't know why you keep alleging that I said that.

The Weightloss effect seems to taper off at the top dose eventually - according to the flattening graphs from the studies. But this is different to the approval for life for Maintenance of the loss already achieved.

I still have weight to lose and am not ready for maintenance, so have a concern that the study graphs show it eventually has a reduced effect on weightloss if you don't continue to increase the dose. The current studies for higher doses seem to support this theory.

You obviously care enough to keep arguing, but have nothing credible to back up your "facts" about optimal dose for weightloss. I've tried googling, but can't find anything on this from Eli Lilly or any reputable source. I wouldn't even look at Social Media for facts, unless linking to a reputable source.

I assume that it will work the same way for other conditions, a period where you transition from unhealthy to healthier levels, where you increase the dose gradually and as necessary to achieve the desired results, then once at goal, stay on or rmore likely reduce to find an optimal dose for a balanced maintenance.

"Some medical professionals feel that that the starting doses for semaglutides can often start too high. Doses for Ozempic start at 0.25 milligrams weekly and could go up to 2mg. Instead, some argue that micro-dosing – which could be as little as one-10th of the standard dose – allows for a more tailored approach."

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/wellness/microdosing-ozempic-the-new-weight-loss-trend-b1192469.html#r3z-addoor

I’m working on the assumption that my optimal dose is the lowest which is allowing me to lose weight at the rate I wish, rather than the highest I can tolerate. Doesn’t this make sense?

How long are you keeping your pens, OP?

Only 4 weeks. This isn't about saving money. It's just about not throwing up.