7.5mg works less well than 5mg

[ICriedAllTheWayToTheChipShop]

Just as the title says! I moved up to 7.5mg a couple of weeks ago and I'm finding it doesn't work especially well for me. I've had a considerable increase in food noise, i.e., less suppression, and I can eat more without feeling full. My weight loss has subsequently stalled. I feel like going back down to 5mg on my next pen, but will that still work now that I've been on a higher dose? Am I stuck with increasing to 10mg and hoping that works better?

I'm really annoyed because I was in two minds about increasing to 7.5mg, but I went for it because the 5mg was wearing off by about day 4. Now I feel like I could have managed and saved a bit of money as well.

Do you still have much to lose? I’ve been on 5mg for 12 weeks because it was really working but I’ve not had good suppression, feeling of being full, and great loss in the last 3 weeks and also lots of food noise from day 2 after the jab so, I’m definitely used to it. If I had much left to lose, I would have moved up to 7.5 then 10 etc.
Just saying the fact that 5mg worked then does not mean it’ll keep working the same way, I think you should go up to 10 (obviously that’s if side effects is not a worry)

I've stayed on 5mg all the way through. Works so well for me.

I've still got 3st to go, ideally, to get me to the midpoint of a healthy BMI. 2st would be OK too (probably more realistic at my age and stage in life) but would leave me without much margin for error during maintenance.

Yes, I think I will have to move up again now that I've been on a higher dose, but how annoying that I didn't stick with 5mg while it was still having a reasonable effect.

I thought 7.5 didn't work very well for me. Then I went up to 10 and was fine on that for 5 pens. I've just started 12.5 and think it's not as drastic as I'd expected but I'm now losing again after about a 6-week stall.

I was exactly the same, posted on here and got a bit piled on with “you must be eating too much”, “if 7.5 doesn’t work you need to go to 10” etc etc. Ive stayed on 7.5 because after posting I had a little loss and I already had the next pen but Im still not sure what to do going forward.

I don't think I'm eating too much, although I feel like I could if I tried. I'm just having to work harder mentally to stick to my usual meals and not snack in between, which I have more or less never wanted to do since starting MJ. I also don't feel very full after eating my usual portion size. Maybe this would be a useful way of easing into maintenance if I was nearer to my goal weight, but I'm only halfway!

All of the proven weight loss research is on 15. It's great that you've lost a good amount of weight on under that but it's still a dose to get you used to the medication & so any responsible medical professional's preference would be to get you to 15 as fast as possible if you have a large amount of weight to lose.

This is so interesting.
I've stalled completely since being on 7.5mg.
I haven't been able to work out why.
Lost well on 5mg.
I've just bought another 7.5 pen, my 4th. In the hope I will start losing again. But I think I've been stupid and should've got the 10mg.
Reason is due to cost.
10mg is soooo expensive to keep buying each month!

@BubbleIceTea I really sympathise with that but I'm moving up to 10mg straight away - I don't want to stall at my current weight as I'm only just out of the obese category and I have a way to go yet.

@kaela100 this is simply not true! EL tested 5, 10 and 15mg doses (which is why they have been given the confusing name of ‘maintenance doses’) and all showed respectable levels of weight loss. Most ‘responsible medical professionals’ now aim to keep you on the lowest effective dose for as long as viable rather than racing you up to 15 ‘as fast as possible’!

That’s quite normal, your body is used to it, so you need to move back to ten.

it is highly unlikely you will find 5 mg stronger than 7,5mg. The mg is the quantity of the drug, they aren’t different drugs at each dose level. 5mg is just less of it. So logically moving back, which people do when they want to stop losing weight, or of the dose they are on is too strong and they can’t tolerate, isn’t going to suddenly be stronger for you. So you need to finish this pen and move up.

im on ten and its fantastic and I think my optimal dose,

That’s not right, they tested the three therapeutic doses and there is extensive information available. And the weight loss was higher at each level.

Could it be to do with the fact that when you move from 2.5mg to 5mg you are essentially doubling the dose, so your body reacts accordingly, then when you move from 5mg to 7.5mg it’s not so much of a jump up so you don’t feel the effects as strongly. Once you move to 10mg that feeling you had with 5mg will return. That’s how it felt for me, I’m on my 2nd 10mg pen.

Me too, I'm exactly the same, only just out of obese, now top end of overweight.
I'm a bit choked really. I've only lost 2 stone since MAY!!!!
MAY!!!!!!!!!
But 3 months of that has been stalling since November till now on 7.5mg. No weight loss at all. Not even an ounce. I can't understand it.
Maybe if I pay the extra cost for 10mg it'd be worth it to see results, but I have to say I never expected to still be taking it 9 months later with only 2 stone loss and still another 2 stone to lose to get me just into the top end of healthy BMI. I'm really struggling to afford being on it for this long.
If it's taken 9 months to lose 2 stone, it's going to take me another 9 months to lose the next 2 stone.
Bit soul destroying and bankrupting really, the thought of 18 months of private MJ.
I thought I'd only need it for 6 months, based on threads here where people lose weight rapidly.

I didn't lose anything on 7.5, although I would have said I had the same suppression as the lower doses. I'm on 10 now and losing again. I had moved up the doses after 4 weeks on each, although with hindsight I could have stayed on 5 longer as I was losing. I've actually just put my next order in and am staying on 10 which I'll stick with as long as the scales keep going down.

This makes so much sense, thank you

I think there's been a bit of false economy there - you must have spent a lot on 7.5mg pens for little result, when moving up to 10mg might have been more expensive initially but could have given you better losses in a shorter time. I would definitely do it if I were you. You never know, it might not take another 9 months if you're on the correct dose for you.

I think you're right. I've made a mistake, for sure.

You've been on MJ for 9 months and still only at 7.5mg? I literally don't understand why people do this. You only stay on lower doses if you are particularly sensitive and they are working!

OP don't panic. This is just the MJ journey. The effects of the suppression do fluctuate. You may need to go all the way up to 15mg, lots do, that's why the maximum dose is 15mg. I've been at points where I felt it had stopped working, both at lower doses and at 15, but honestly it comes and goes. The best thing you can do to maximise suppression in my experience is eat really well. High protein lowish carb, and avoid sugar. This seems to maximise the effects. When you do the opposite and eat too much processed carbs or sugar the drug has to fight harder to keep your blood sugar under control and the effects on your hunger are reduced. basically trust the process and don't expect it to be a quick fix.

You've been on MJ for 9 months and still only at 7.5mg? I literally don't understand why people do this. You only stay on lower doses if you are particularly sensitive and they are working!

cost and social media, there are so many people spending a fortune as they stay on low doses so long when it doesn’t work, or getting unwell as they stay on then move up and can’t tolerate.

I don’t know any other prescription med, where people decide not to follow the dosing guidelines from the experts but just do stuff folks on social media say instead,

I find it's not linear at all and and is very strange how it goes in peaks and troughs.

I would stick on 7.5 as long as you are losing something overall. Remember it does accumulate in your body too.

So I think it's too early to say 7.5 isn't effective for you.

I've tended to stick at the same dose unless I haven't lost any weight at all for 2 weeks (unless I know it's because I've over eaten like at Christmas).

I move up slowly as I'm sensitive to the gastro effects so am only on 6mg now after 7 months on it.

@BubbleIceTea just to say I'm similar to you,
Started July and 30lbs lost so 2st and a bit. Just under 30 BMI now. Am on 6mg as have to titrate slowly otherwise burps and diarrhea are bad.

Sometimes I feel disheartened it's so much slower than others, but on the other hand I'm glad it hasn't been a very noticeable fast dramatic loss (don't like people commenting on my weight/weight loss) and hopefully less risk of things like gallstones and hair loss. Look on the bright side 😆

I agree cost is a pain but I've been lucky with zava and people using my code which really helps. Definitely going to be a long term treatment for me.

@Glorybox2025 I don't understand how you can not understand people staying on lower doses.
Surely it's always preferable to have less of a substance in your body?
Everyone's different in how sensitive they are to drugs.

My strategy to titrate up slowly seems to have worked for me, and does have a cost benefit too although that wasn't my main motivation. More the side effects and not seeing a reason to move up if it's still working.

But it's not working!! She's stayed the same for 3 months and not once thought hey maybe I should follow prescribing guidelines and increase my dose?

Some people lose stones on 2.5mg. Good for them! They obviously shouldn't increase. But if you aren't hyper sensitive to the drug chances are you'll have to go to the max dose to keep losing. Why resist that? It's such a waste of money and time!

I’m not getting your point, she’s not losing weight? What’s the point on staying on a low dose with no weight loss and hunger.

op, I’m not sure I’d move to 10 immediately, I’d do the full month on 7.5. 10 is a different animal, and you don’t want to block your own kick, by going too fast the other way,