Losing less on higher dose?

[LittleNoosh]

I know that I could be adding 2 plus 2 and getting 5, but has anyone had the situation that they go up a dose level for Mounjaro but feel like they’re getting less suppression rather than more?

In case the context helps, I’ve gone from 5mg to 7.5mg and taken two doses now. I’m trying to decide whether to order my next pen in the same dose and give it a longer try, or to up the dose again.

Side effects have been similar on all levels of the jabs so I’m pushing that consideration to one side for now.

You could order a 10mg pen, and then if you feel that the 7.5mg is working well and you don't want to do 10mg, you could count clicks and do a 7.5mg dose from the 10mg pen. It would be 45 clicks to get 7.5mg from a 10mg pen.

Not everyone continues to get "suppression" beyond the first couple of months, some do as they work up the doses others don't.

What suppression means, and expectation, or need, from the medication varies greatly too and there is no wrong of right.

My experience is suppression, which I personally define as no hunger signal or interest in food at all, mostly stopped after the first couple of pens - I get it occasionally but never more than a day a week now. What did continue was food noise and obsessive cravings volume lowered, and portion sizes, if I ate mindfully, controlled. If I worked with that, staying protein focussed, reducing carbs, avoided falling back into bad habits (failed at that over Christmas when food noise ramped right back up!), making sure I was drinking enough water, I could stay within my weekly calorie deficit which lead to weight loss.

Weight loss is mostly dictated by your calorie deficit not Mounjaro dose I try to think beyond just the dose and the weight loss.

How are you getting on with staying within calorie deficit with the effects you currently get from 7.5mg? If you have lost significant weight have you recalculated your calorie deficit? If you are struggling to keep to calorie deficit what is the issue - snacking, portion sizes, food choices? If you are keeping to calorie deficit perhaps you are simply slow loser and need to be patient, what would increasing dose do for you?

As SilenceInside says you can order the next dose up but stay on same dose if you want to have the option to increase mid month.

I’ve never really had the kind of suppression others refer to - eg. having to force themselves to eat.

I agree with previous post of Wings, it’s probably better for some people to focus on calories or healthier food and take a lower WLI dosage. However it does seem to affect people differently, as for some it seems effortless.

(I am probably slightly biased though as MJ had limited impact on me and the side effects (recurring fatigue, rashes and congestion) were too negative for me to continue).

So the main thing I’m really getting this month is food noise. So. Much. Food. Noise.

I’ve never had that silenced but it was slightly reduced for parts of the week on 5mg.

But strangely enough not with 7.5mg.

I’ve actually considered reducing the next dose to 5mg. But that sounds ridiculous.

I’m losing weight very slowly but that’s from my sheer stubbornness which I know from past experience runs out and then I crash and burn. Mounjaro was meant to help me enough to try to avoid that crash and burn.

I’d had real hopes that the step up to 7.5 would reach a good equilibrium but it’s been like I’m injecting water this month.

I know that I could be adding 2 plus 2 and getting 5

I would word it more as you aren’t educated, knowledgeable or experienced enough with this medication.

There is no guaranteed level of side effects (such as appetite suppression) per dose. It’s not linear ie the higher the dose does not necessarily equate to higher side effects. Personally I had the worst side effects on 2.5mg and 5mg, and I went to 15mg.

Ultimately we all respond differently to medication and your body seems to tolerate the medication well. Therefore you aren’t feeling the side effects as much. Dropping back down to 5mg doesn’t mean your side effects will be the same as before, because your body has got used to the medication in your system now.

Contrary to some people’s opinions, Mounjaro isn’t supposed to completely suppress your appetite. You still need to be eating a normal amount of food per day for your weight whilst being in a slight deficit. That would still work out to eating multiple meals a day for example and eating all the right food groups. So having “food noise” is normal.

Don't reduce the dose. 5mg will work even less than 7.5 is now. Just be patient and trust the process, and go up to 10mg next month. This up and down is very common on the Mounjaro journey.

7.5mg didn't work great for me too compared to 5mg, I found 10mg was a much better dose for me so continue and up to 10mg when you can. Going back down will just make you even hungrier due to tolerance. I've just started on 15mg and it's mega strong but being prediabetic I needed the higher doses as they wore off within weeks for me and I needed the suppression and satiety and control of food noise with having a low deficit of 1200 to be able to stick to it otherwise I felt like it was wasting money. I had to use will power for many weeks throughout until I got to around 10mg which resolved my blood sugar symptoms and carb cravings.

@Histoscientist that’s really helpful thank you. Just hearing other people’s experiences is invaluable even if you know the theory.

I’ll order 10mg and muddle through until then.

Hope it makes a difference 😊