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Weight loss injections/treatments

Discuss weight-loss injections and treatments, including personal experiences. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any treatments.

Original poster

Tell me more about the golden dose

33 replies

AlicesMum2025 · 10/05/2025 12:39

I'm new to MN and MJ. I keep seeing people talking about the golden dose but I don't know how it works.

I have a 2.5mg pen and have been taking the full dose each week. I have one more full dose left in the pen.

If I want to get the golden dose what needles do I need to order? Where to get them from? How much is the golden dose? Do I dose it all or only some of it? Is there a golden dose in all pens or only 2.5mg?

Sorry if these are silly questions but I feel like the only person that doesn't know about it. Maybe this past could help some other newbies too.

Thank you

OP posts:
IReallyNeedThisToWork · 10/05/2025 13:30

Hello and welcome!!

First, it’s not ‘golden’ in any way, shape or form. It is purely enough medication in the pen to provide a 5th dose to take in the fifth week of each pen.

  1. You need something like this or these with the appropriate needles if you can’t cope with 8mm or want to change needles between dose.
  2. Links for where to buy above
  3. Each dose is 0.6ml. I have never had less than 0.8ml from a pen as the fifth dose but obvs you don’t need to use it all and can just take the 0.6ml.
  4. Answered above
  5. Yes, there is a fifth dose in every pen (until and unless EL redesign them to stop us taking it!!!)
User5274959 · 10/05/2025 13:31

When did it start being called the golden dose? It irrationally irritates me 😆
It's a bonus really as you haven't paid for it.

Definitely measure it as it could well be more than one dose.

Herewegoagainandagainandagain · 10/05/2025 14:37

@User5274959 you did pay for it, it is needed in the pen so it is part of the cost of your pen as a whole. It just isn't available to be used.

I prefer 5th/last dose or remaining liquid. "Bonus" I can tolerate, but share your irritation on "golden" dose. Sounds like a cringy twee buzzword, inappropriate for a prescription medication, some influencer made up on tiktok and has infected the easier influenced members of the Mounjaro user community.

Original poster
AlicesMum2025 · 10/05/2025 20:59

Didn't mean to offend with the golden term, it's just what I've seen over the past couple on days on MN. I didn't know it was so controversial.

Thanks everyone for responding, answered all my questions 👍

OP posts:
Kay2000 · 10/05/2025 21:21

@AlicesMum2025 thanks for directing me here. I’ve read about pens jamming so wanted to know how to get the dose out if that happens to me.

TootieFrooties · 10/05/2025 21:38

Apparently the design of the pens has changed so they do jam.

You extract 0.6 with your syringe.

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 10/05/2025 21:39

AlicesMum2025 · 10/05/2025 20:59

Didn't mean to offend with the golden term, it's just what I've seen over the past couple on days on MN. I didn't know it was so controversial.

Thanks everyone for responding, answered all my questions 👍

Lol you've started something now OP.
🤣

morbidcuriosity · 10/05/2025 21:44

Lol, golden, bonus, extra.. whatever its called.. its 5 weeks worth for the process of what should be 4.. so definatly use it..
Get syringes, I use UK medi website.. 8mm, 1ml 32g , they have purple caps..
Put syringe in the red bit and slowly pull the plunger and the liquid will flow in, sometimes there is resistance.. but it will work.. then inject as normal.
0.6ml or 60 on these I think will be a full dose, you will probably get a bit more liquid which will mean it's a bit stronger, good if your going up a dose next month..

holycow1 · 10/05/2025 21:49

No need to mess about with a syringe to extract the extra dose, just do a really hard twist to break the mechanism - I usually wet a flannel or towel for a firmer grip on the pen. Once you’ve done the hard twist you’ll be able to move it to the 1 position and inject yourself as normal. I’ve been doing this for months with no problems.

morbidcuriosity · 10/05/2025 22:03

@holycow1ah, your lucky , last time I tried this ages ago now, the plunger wouldn't move at all.. think I managed to do the hard twist on only my first 3 pens now I just do syringe method.. but yeah if hard twist still works on the lower pens then yes it's easier..

But from from what people are saying the newer pens now won't work for it..

Kay2000 · 10/05/2025 22:07

morbidcuriosity · 10/05/2025 21:44

Lol, golden, bonus, extra.. whatever its called.. its 5 weeks worth for the process of what should be 4.. so definatly use it..
Get syringes, I use UK medi website.. 8mm, 1ml 32g , they have purple caps..
Put syringe in the red bit and slowly pull the plunger and the liquid will flow in, sometimes there is resistance.. but it will work.. then inject as normal.
0.6ml or 60 on these I think will be a full dose, you will probably get a bit more liquid which will mean it's a bit stronger, good if your going up a dose next month..

Do you use the same needle to extract the 0.6ml and inject yourself?

morbidcuriosity · 10/05/2025 22:19

Yep..
People on insulin or who use the vials draw the liquid with the needle then use the same for the jab.. it may mean it's not 100% perfect sharp , but I've not had a problem and had no reactions from doing it.. think I've done it 3 times now, will be my 4th time Monday..

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 10/05/2025 22:23

Kay2000 · 10/05/2025 22:07

Do you use the same needle to extract the 0.6ml and inject yourself?

Show quote history

Yes.

Nevertrustacop · 10/05/2025 22:30

holycow1 · 10/05/2025 21:49

No need to mess about with a syringe to extract the extra dose, just do a really hard twist to break the mechanism - I usually wet a flannel or towel for a firmer grip on the pen. Once you’ve done the hard twist you’ll be able to move it to the 1 position and inject yourself as normal. I’ve been doing this for months with no problems.

This is what I do. With pliers if I can't do it by hand.

SilenceInside · 10/05/2025 22:48

@holycow1 it doesn’t always work, the last two times I’ve tried I’ve managed to turn the mechanism but the plunger inside also broke and would no longer move at all. So, I just do it with a syringe now, it’s not tricky and I know it will always work. Glad that you’ve not experienced a totally broken mechanism to date though.

TragicMuse · 10/05/2025 22:54

I’ve tried the hard twist and it didn’t work! The plunger didn’t move and I couldn’t click it to 1.

Syringes and needles for me!

Smellslikeburnttoat · 10/05/2025 23:05

Why do they put the extra dose in the pen if it isn’t meant to be taken?

SilenceInside · 10/05/2025 23:13

@Smellslikeburnttoat because you need to prime the needle each time you use the pen. Priming uses up medication, so they need to provide enough to be able to prime possibly several times per dose, as you might have a dodgy needle and need to swap and try again.

TragicMuse · 10/05/2025 23:49

Here’s a question!

Does anyone know, is it that the pen mechanism locks after 4 goes or is it controlled by the level of the liquid?

If it’s the mechanism, it shouldn’t matter when you extract the extra dose, so in theory you could use it halfway through the pen. And then just click as normal to the end.

Thoughts??

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 11/05/2025 00:06

TragicMuse · 10/05/2025 23:49

Here’s a question!

Does anyone know, is it that the pen mechanism locks after 4 goes or is it controlled by the level of the liquid?

If it’s the mechanism, it shouldn’t matter when you extract the extra dose, so in theory you could use it halfway through the pen. And then just click as normal to the end.

Thoughts??

I've used a 10mg pen with syringes all the way through, when I wanted to use it for 15mg doses.

It was a new pen which someone gave me; I was already on 15mg.

Arglefraster · 11/05/2025 00:57

TragicMuse · 10/05/2025 23:49

Here’s a question!

Does anyone know, is it that the pen mechanism locks after 4 goes or is it controlled by the level of the liquid?

If it’s the mechanism, it shouldn’t matter when you extract the extra dose, so in theory you could use it halfway through the pen. And then just click as normal to the end.

Thoughts??

my understanding is that it's controlled by the number of clicks.
If you took say the 3rd dose with a syringe you would need to turn the end of the pen to get the plunger in the correct place for the 4th dose which would "use" clicks & therefore you would still need to use a syringe for the 5th dose.

AmythestBangle · 11/05/2025 01:11

It's the number of clicks. I got 5 doses out of a 5mg pen in the usual way, because I took only 2.5 each time for the first two (had been getting very high suppression and frightening fast weight loss which i wanted to slow down a bit).

TragicMuse · 11/05/2025 09:45

Thanks, that’s helpful to know! I’ll keep on as I was with the syringe for last dose then!

goingtokickthisweight · 11/05/2025 19:31

IReallyNeedThisToWork · 10/05/2025 13:30

Hello and welcome!!

First, it’s not ‘golden’ in any way, shape or form. It is purely enough medication in the pen to provide a 5th dose to take in the fifth week of each pen.

  1. You need something like this or these with the appropriate needles if you can’t cope with 8mm or want to change needles between dose.
  2. Links for where to buy above
  3. Each dose is 0.6ml. I have never had less than 0.8ml from a pen as the fifth dose but obvs you don’t need to use it all and can just take the 0.6ml.
  4. Answered above
  5. Yes, there is a fifth dose in every pen (until and unless EL redesign them to stop us taking it!!!)

Hi how do you know what needles to buy for the second lot. Because I’ve been using normal syringes but they feel blunt thanks

Reliablesource · 05/06/2025 07:42

SilenceInside · 10/05/2025 22:48

@holycow1 it doesn’t always work, the last two times I’ve tried I’ve managed to turn the mechanism but the plunger inside also broke and would no longer move at all. So, I just do it with a syringe now, it’s not tricky and I know it will always work. Glad that you’ve not experienced a totally broken mechanism to date though.

This is what happened to me last night! The hard twist broke the mechanism. When I tried to do the injection I could feel there was no resistance and when I pulled it out, there was clearly still a dose left in the pen. So am going to try to get a syringe from the pharmacy today.