Shemed January Starters - Thread 3

[FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden]

Wow thread 3! I just went to post on the other thread and realised we'd got to the end. I hope everyone finds us - I wasn't able to post a link!

This thread is a support thread aimed at those who started with the Shemed 1 year plan in January (or there abouts).

How is everyone?

I am not nauseous today and seeing light at the end of the tunnel- but so glad I have stuck on 5mg for the next one. I am definitely eating less too - I'm hoping that lasts!
@OneAzureMaker - ah we can be second 5mg pens together! I really want to do some exercise but similarly will have to wait until I have some energy. @tinyemmy Yay hope you are still going okay too - will be a few of us on our second 5 pens!

@Reginaphalangeeeee

Wow - fantastic results! And great the side effects have remained calm. I've had side effects each weekend of the 3 5mg jabs I've taken but they've decreased. This weekend was much more manageable for me. I think the suppression is more constant now too. I will stay on this dose if it carries on like this for a while.

@JBJ Yay for more loss - and good luck with 5mg

@BruhWhy Is the nausea easing?

@Needtomust96 I think some people in the facebook group have - you can use the section at the end of the form to request it and do say why. From reading randomly online it does seem some people need the higher doses to respond although a 1kg a week is what I'm aiming for. You might find that 5mg does it for you in a way 2.5 doesn't.

@Monmonss I did my questionnaire early Friday morning and the pen is supposed to be arriving Tuesday (tomorrow) . I think they issued it Sunday. Hope it settles for you - have you tried taking anything and all that?

@YouWillFindMeUnderCats I was the same - 13lbs and not quite the stone! I am now though - slow and steady does keep adding up. Hope the 5mg goes okay for you.

@Mazd323 How has today been? I think I'm eating less on 5mg but it still wears off towards the end of the week

@Lostatsea10 and @MrsMidgeMaisel and @Follydear I am sorry you are both still struggling. :( It's a hard thing to weigh up isn't it. It does seem Shemed do let people out of the contract if they're struggling or give them the option of Wegovy, and definitely seem to let them stay at 2.5 for longer if needed. Good luck whatever you both decide.

@Humptyandhambel Yay for a steady weight loss and hope 5mg is treating you okay.

Tagging people as I couldn't put a link onto the other page - hope that's okay and please do tag anyone I've missed out (probably quite a few!)
@afromom @kittykarate @floweryjones @Earthgirl3971 @Bananaramram @ForPeachSake @SnowieBear @bluesmartie83 @bertieallsort @Brighton2019 @TLMoo @Newshoesnewname @Bigknickers56

Weigh in this morning and that brings my stats to:

Pen 1 2.5mg 10.6lbs (including skiing holiday)
Pen 2 5mg 9.8lbs
Pen 3 5mg 8.8lbs

I jabbed my first dose of my 4th pen today, also 5mg at my request. I don't foresee myself going above 5mg.

My BMI is 24.6 (I'd like to get to 22). Everything is green on renpho except body fat (I need to lose 2.3%), subcutaneous fat (I need to lose 3.4%), skeletal muscle (I need to gain 1.8%), metabolic age is still 2 years above real age.

I am exceptionally happy. I haven't been this weight since 2021 and not too far to go to get to 2020s weight before I started gaining.
I imagine needing to stay on a low dose long term. I hope that Shemed are able to support maintenance when I get there. I think I might need to reduce to 2.5 and/or extend the time between jabs.

I hope everyone else is doing ok.

Well done @tinyemmyso pleased for you although a little jealous.
i still have. Long way to go but like you, in the 11 weeks I have got back to the pandemic weight 2020’s.
i’ve worked out it’s 12% weight loss which is fantastic.
I am in another group which others wanting to loose weight 5stone or more as I know my journey is a long way off maintenance yet.
Does anyone know SheMeds maintenance policy?
Also, I haven’t looked but assume it is still a good deal?

Checked in this morning wk11 and completed the questionnaire. I’ve (touch wood) had a smooth journey so far. A little less of a loss this week but with Mother’s Day cake and my wedding anniversary meal it’s not to be expected. I am so tired this afternoon though. Send matchsticks! I walked between sites and generally thought I could have closed my eyes and nodded off standing up! Enjoying the sunnier weather and looking forward to be able to shop for a summer wardrobe for my hols in July.

After a couple of weeks of good suppression on 5mg, I’m bloody starving today and have gone over my calories for the first time since starting this. Very frustrating to say the least!

So seems I’m feeling very similar to others on here. Just been prescribed my 3rd 5mg pen. Said on the questionnaire that as I am having no side effects and my weight loss is very slow (lucky if it’s even 1lb per week) I’d be happy to move up to the 7.5mg. Clearly this was ignored. Whilst I know I’m still losing and my body shape is changing I really hope they move me up soon. If I was purchasing it through another provider I would definitely have decided to move up this month. Worried now they’ll keep me on 5mg for another month! For those slightly ahead of me in their journey what dose have you been prescribed for your 5th pen?

On a river cruise this week, so if I'm not doubled in size by the end it's a miracle.

Oooh lots of news to catch up on :)

@tinyemmy That is AMAZING🤩 You are absolutely the postergirl for this!!! So excited for you. @Reginaphalangeeeee Wahooo for 12%. I think I'm at 10% but like you I'm expecting this to be a long haul ! I'm not sure about maintenance - they've said htey support it but I have no idea what that looks like in practice. Hopefully TinyEmmy will tell us!

Yay for all the losses whatever the size! And great to see blood pressure coming down @Bananaramram - let us know how the lipids profile goes. I've just done my shemed blood test (never got results of first one) but I think I went over 5 mins as I didn't time properly and was determined to get enough blood... so google suggests it may have affected the blood and they might not be able to get a result. Grrr. I have another Dr one in 2 months so hoping for better results (and have to go for an ultrasound for likely fatty liver disease. Google also suggests 90% of morbidly obese people have it so it wont be a surprise but its got to me more than I thought. I keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be on MJ for this year as this will be the best thing for it (as well as wndering how much the NHS would save in all these side illnesses if they fully funded this)

@FeverDreamer and @Mazd323 I am surprised in your case they didn't move you up. It does seem a bit of a mystery. I was happy to stay on 5 but I'm losing on average 1kg a week (I am very heavy though) although having said that I've had a few weeks where I've almost STS then a sudden drop . It seems a dark art. I do get when they don't move people who are losing up the doses (you want least effective dose/ need somewhere to go long term etc) but not so much when people aren't losing at least 1lb a week on average...

have a fab cruise @kittykarate !

I just looked at trust advisor reviews and someone who queried the dose was told that their standard plan is to keep people on 5mg until week 16, then 7.5mg for 1-2months and after that try to keep to 10mg as they don’t think there’s a benefit to the larger doses. It does seem mis sold if they are doing a one size fits all treatment when their whole advertising campaign was that you keep the lower price as you go up the doses - they just don’t let you go up like normal companies do.

I can definitely see the point of keeping people on the low dose if they are losing 2lb or a kilo a week - some people have incredible success and never ho past 5mg - but given that people on mountjaro all have different things stopping their weight loss (insulin resistance, leptin levels, inflammation, pcos etc) so one size fits all is never going to work for everyone. I think if my weight loss is non existent again this week I will contact them ahead of filling in the questionnaire. It does seem the fact it is a study that there is an inflexibility there.

Although that's their standard plan it does seem from fb group lurking that it is tailored to individuals - that there are some who have gone up every 4 weeks until they find one they're losing at and some that are sticking with 5 for now (like me). I think there's a few outliers where it doesn't make sense - I can only assume that's differences between clinicians.

The fact it's a study should make no difference on dosing. Both on ethical grounds and practical grounds. They're collecting evidence about it's effect on women's health and the whole thing will likely just be used to publicise their wares.

Their whole usp is that it's medically managed and clinically driven which is in contrast to those providers just selling people whatever they order. I suspect long term they will be in a good position either for an NHS contract due to this or just marketplace wise if they continue to cut down on pharmacies just basically selling them.

I personally like this which is why I was happy to go along with them but I do agree there do seem to be some people where they have made odd decisions.

My graph pretty much stays the same for 3 weeks twice before a drop, but on average still averages out overall fine so I'm glad I didn't have a reflex reaction and go up a dose which tbh if it was me choosing/paying I might have.

I do think it's worth contacting them and querying their decisions if they don't make sense though and it also maybe that if a stall is sustained they put you up the next month.

It is quite different being with Shemed than just buying the doses.

This is their info from the app about the doses and also maintenance although I don't know exactly how maintenance works longer term...

I still haven't got my first blood test. I've given up now and not sure it's worthwhile given I'm now in a healthy BMI so I might as well wait for the 6 months one. I have some results from about 9 months ago when I wasn't obese but the top end of overweight so I will be able to compare to those at least!

I did keep pestering and pestering and then I had to have one at my gps just as they agreed to actually send one! I know my bloods are awful but I think I did it wrong so not sure if they will even give me results!

I guess we get the 6month one in a few months so you'll hopefully have a good before/after

Hi all, I signed up at the weekend and still haven't had notification that my blood test kit has arrived. How long does it usually take?

Thanks for this - it's helpful.

It's the "Our clinical team will work closely with you..." that I don't feel I am getting. It may well be that it is clinically appropriate to keep me on 5mg, despite minimal weight loss, but they take payment & organise the prescription without giving you a chance to review &/or discuss if necessary. Even a couple of sentences with their prescription would be helpful to help me understand their view point.

In my prescription report I have this'

New dose: Remain on Mounjaro 5mg due to optimal amount of weight loss

So I guess they'd say you get the option to put your opinion on the form on the 3rd week (box at the end) and they put an explanation on their prescription. And anything else you can contact them?

I agree it's not a literal chat with a clinician unless you contact them but I'm also aware we're less than most providers and I think our review is still more than providers that just ask you what you want and you order it...

Its tricky being part of the study as we're tied in for a year - whereas those who joined since could leave at 28days notice.

You could try contacting them and saying it isn't working for you and see if they'd let you out the contract? On the first instance though I'd be tempted to get in touch to ask about going up next time or to see if they can offer support?

But yes all that aside @FeverDreamer I see till think it odd you and @Mazd323 weren't moved up if you are not losing as that is still the point.

Maybe it would be worth contacting them?

Check in this morning and 2 stone lost now! First jab of 3rd 5mg pen. I am still morbidly obese but I think it's about 2 stone til I can drop the "morbid" which I'm hoping will be for the summer...

A long long way to go for me but this is further than I've got before. My pattern was losing a stone or stone and a half then regaining and then some over the next year... Rinse and repeat

Im a bit nervous about my blood test as I know it isn't good. I shouldn't be really as it won't be unsuspectsd but also concerned I messed it up!

Hope people are okay. It's a strange journey isn't it.

@Dobbysdad I don't remember but you'd hope within the week wouldn't you. Maybe drop them a call or email?

Yay!! Congrats @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden on hitting that milestone!

Has anyone gone above a 5mg dose yet? Or are we all being kept on the same dosage pattern for comparison?

The latter would make sense if it was a true study, but I personally don’t feel like we are in a clinical study as there are too many variables. For example, we are not all being asked to eat the same menu plan or exercise in the same way.

A loss of less than 1% of your original weight in 4 weeks before moving up seems a little low (would be 860g or 1.9lbs for me).

I am losing weight, which I was not able to do alone, so I shouldn’t complain. It just seems as if communication has been put to one side and I was expecting to receive a lot more information from SheMed.

Jab 11 // 5mg dose // 8.3kg loss so far

It's a study not a trial so they are just collecting data and not manipulating us/keeping us on certain doses to compare. We're being given clinically appropriate doses the same as they would if we weren't on a study. (Well same as they would prescribe)

I agree there are other variables (I started adhd meds!) but I am guessing with a large enough cohort they are just looking to see if there's an improvement in areas other than weight loss. I think. I did look the study up but my brain is fuzzy!

I keep being drawn to the fb group and there are people on 7.5 (and 10) as well as people frustrated they're not going up (even people losing regularly!)

If you click on "discover" in the app the article about their prescribing approach is in there.

Well done on your loss ❤️. I'm still amazed it works.

So I finished my third pen. The time has flown!

According to my app (I have Renpho scales), my visceral fat has dropped from 23 to 18, BMI from 41.9 to 36.5, body fat from 44.2 to 41.5 😮and I’ve dropped 14.09 kg.

This is genuinely the best decision I have ever made!

Wow that's amazing @Bananaramram 🥳🥳🥳.

So today is log in day with pen 4. Pen 4 doesn't work!!!

So, they have 'raised a case' to see what will happen, I can turn the dial, but it makes no clicking noise and the plunger cannot be depressed.

But another 1.2kg off this week taking it to a loss of 18.5kg in 12 weeks. BMI now 37.8, so moving in the right direction.

Noooo! Have you tried a different needle? I've heard it can be that...

Fantastic weight loss and very definitely not "morbid" now!