Why isn’t it working the second time?

[ClimbingMountKilimounjaro]

For context, when menopause hit I put on four and a half stone in a year, and no matter what diet or exercise I tried I just couldn’t shift the weight.

I opted to try Mounjaro. I took it for 16 weeks, starting with 2.5, working up through 5, 7.5, 10. Had no negative side effects, but completely lost all food cravings and food noise and had very little appetite. This was great because with no cravings I ate a wonderfully healthy balanced diet. The weight started dropping off in the first week and over 16 weeks I lost 2 and a half stone.

Through combination of reasons - holiday, work trips, other life factors - I wasn’t at home to continue ordering, so I was off the jabs for two months. I managed to maintain the new weight.

All great and I was very happy!

I wanted to continue mounjaro to lose an extra two stone, but having been off it for a while I had to restart at 2.5 again. I did four weeks on that and then four weeks on 5. But this time, I have lost absolutely no weight at all and I’m hungry all the time!

What is different? Does it stop working if you have a gap? I’m eating healthy (though permanently hungry!), drinking plenty of fluids, exercising as much as before, but not even lost a kg. Will the weight loss only kick in again when I get back up to 10mg where I left off?

I did similar with Saxanda then a gap then o to mounjaro. My weight loss over the last 13 months thw has been slow but not hit my 6 stone loss mark. But it didn’t really kick in until 7.5 then 10 which I put down to slower metabolism due to menopause. I’ve only just gone up to 12.5 as my weight loss barely moved in the last two months. I’d say stick in and be patient

I restarted a while ago after a break due to a hospital stay and I’m finding the same. I’ve had 3 doses of 5mg now and the food noise is just lessening now but weight loss is very very slow this time. Whereas the first time I responded really well from the first dose.
I can’t wait to get to higher doses when I hope I’ll get back on track.

I don’t have any articles to link so can’t confirm if it’s based on any evidence but I have seen other people say that Mounjaro isn’t as effective the second time around.

Hopefully you’ll start losing/ have the suppression once you’re back on the higher doses.

I've seen similar posts over the 9 months that I've been on WLI. So it's mainly to do with tolerance and your body already used to the medication and possibly an increase in receptors needing a higher concentration to feel that affect. Especially if you got up to a higher dose, assuming because the lower ones didn't give you the same suppression etc then you most likely will have to get up to a higher strength.
Also this time round you are also a lot slimmer than when you started it the first time round and it is more difficult to lose weight with a smaller body due to less fat and a smaller calorie daily allowance needed to maintain so you may need to be strict with your calories and calculate your deficit.
I started at 13st 1lbs and calorie tracked most of the way through but my deficit is 1200 but I usually have to go lesser than that to lose weight. I usually have to go low carb and higher protein and drink lots of water. I'm now 10st 3lbs and last month I lost 4.6lbs, this is due to strict healthier eating, I don't have takeaways or drink alcohol or have treats which is a shame but it will be worth it when I hit my goal.

Ok, thanks folks. Good to know it’s not just me, although still frustrating. I will persevere and see how it goes when I get to the higher dose. At least I have been able to maintain the first weight loss, which was my big fear - that I would instantly put on what I lost.

I was on Mounjaro for the best part of last year, went from 12st to lightest 9.13. My goal is around 9 which I was pre-Covid (I’m only 5’1 and petite).

Due to trips away, micro dosing etc I had a break and now have started again at the start at just over 10st. 2.5mg hasn’t done much for me, haven’t been starving but food noise definitely there, and I’m due to move up to 5mg today. I’m worried that it’ll take for me to go way up for the suppression to properly kick in again. I’ve hovered around 10 for ages. This time though I’m low-carbing and cutting way down on alcohol as wine and takeaways featured far more than they should’ve whilst taking WLI! Even if it were the only thing I ate that day.

Does anyone think changing the injection site changes things up? I usually inject into my stomach as that’s the fattest part but I read somewhere that people have seen a kick start changing where they inject?

Dropping back in to update that when I got on to the 7.5 injections it finally kicked in and things are progressing how I hoped. No food noise, no cravings, hugely reduced appetite, weight is reducing again.
So I think like pp’s have said, when you have previously taken it to a certain level your body has a tolerance that you need to get back to before it will work again.

I’m noticing too that it’s working better now I am on 7.5 again.

I've found the same. On weygovy, not MJ though.

Lost weight easily and quite quickly 2 years ago, going from 14st 10 down to 11st 7 on a max dose of 1mg.

Had a few months on. Hunger back with a vengeance!

Going back on it and only a limited effect of the doses that I'd previously had good results on. Then, when I went up a dose I had the most hideous pain in my side that it has scared me into stopping full-stop!