Should I stay on 2.5 or go up to 5mg?

[purpledaze24]

It’s the beginning of my third week on 2.5mg Mounjaro. I’ve had moderate side effects I’d say - some days I feel very tired (slept for 12 hours last night!) and I’ve had some mild nausea. I’ve lost 8lbs so far and suppression has been pretty good, but I feel like my appetite’s starting to come back a bit. Just unsure whether to go up to 5mg or stay on 2.5 another month. Does it start to wear off in the second month if you stay on 2.5? Have people found side effects are a lot worse after going up to 5? Is suppression a lot better? Any advice appreciated thanks :)

My approach is stay on the lowest dose that gives me the effects I need to stay in calorie deficit (with some willpower thrown in). I have been on MJ for 1 year and have not increased beyond 3.75mg.

I would buy the 5mg next if it is similar £££s at your provider and take 2.5mg from it, this gives you flexibility to move up mid month if you need to.

It’s really hard to advise as everyone is so different in how they react.

If it was me with what I know now I think I’d stay on 2.5 and deal with the appetite issue. Because you will always need to deal with it. Eat lots of protein and fibre and drink lots of water. And remember you are not supposed to never be hungry in the medication. You will get hungry and that is good and normal and healthy. Part of this whole process is learning about hunger and how and what to eat. Especially if you ever want to come off the medication.

Based on my experience, I would say move up to 5mg.
I found that I was getting hungry on day 6 and 7 on the lower doses, ie 2.5mg and 5 mg. Also, it was taking a good 24 hours for the effects to kick in so I had 3 days were I was back to fighting the impulse to eat.
So I moved up at the end of each month and it got better each time. I then spent a couple of months on 7.5mg, 3 months on 10mg and have just moved up to 12.5 as the effects were again wearing off over day 6/7.
Ive lost nearly 5 stone.

During that time I have taken full advantage of not having the urge to eat, nor getting hungry between meals. I have totally re-learnt portion sizes and addressed my emotional eating responses.
I am hungry at meal times, but that is all.
So, IMO, It is worth taking full advantage of MJ and learning all the new habits while it is working well.
The whole point of Mj is that it reduces our appetites, I don't think it's worth taking if you are staying on the lower doses and fighting hunger in-between meals.

Finally, as pp said, you can order the 5mg but decide to take less by counting clicks.
https://monj.co.uk/monj-mounjaro-click-chart/

Thank you for the replies. Hasn’t thought of ordering 5 then having the option to just take 2.5, that’s a good idea. Would I just turn the pen halfway between “zero” and the 1 to get 2.5 from the 5mg pen then?

There are 60 clicks in a dose, (ie to get to the number 1), so with a 5mg pen you would rotate it 30 clicks to get 2.5mg.
The link I posted has a chart for all the pen sizes and a wide variety of possible doses from each pen.
monj.co.uk/monj-mounjaro-click-chart/

@purpledaze24 you count 30 clicks to get 2.5mg out of the 5mg pen.

I went up to 5mg on my second month and had horrendous side effects, so much so I gave up for a week and then took 2.5mg out of the 5mg pen by doing 30 clicks.

I stayed on 2.5mg for 4 months and then ordered a 5mg and have been taking 45 clicks out to get 3.75mg I am in my 6th month and have lost 4 stone so far, I am happy losing slowly with as few side effects as possible.

Hi. Great advice and useful link thanks.
I've had no appetite suppression and minor side effects, but I've been walking every day and eating sensibly, and have lost 7lbs in 2.5 weeks.
Does that mean that if you are thinking of staying on 2.5mg, but you order a 5mg pen (just in case you need to move up), you could actually get 8 doses out of a 5mg pen?
Thanks

I am wondering this too. I’ve ordered a 5mg pen but now thinking about staying on 2.5 for at least another 2 weeks by just taking 2.5 out of the 5mg pen. Although it seems to say everywhere that the pen only lasts 30 days after being opened. I wonder if this is actually true though?? Or just something they say to stop people doing just what we’re talking about…

@purpledaze24 I ordered a 5 before realising I’m actually wanting to stay on 2.5 and planning to use it this way!

I’m on my third 2.5 one, part way through my second one I ordered a 5 as I thought suppression was waning during the second pen but then it was ok again so I haven’t used the 5 (but it was the same price as 2.5 so I can use it later if I need to).

I feel now that my suppression is almost as strong as during the first few weeks, which is weird but welcome. I’ve had zero side effects so far.