Do you automatically move up to the next dose?

[JustPickleRick]

Hi, I've just ordered my first pen of Mounjaro. Waiting to be approved at the minute so just doing some reading online.
I saw a picture of a chart that shows 4 weeks on one dose, then the next 4 weeks on the next dose and so on. Jumping up every 4 weeks basically. But from what ive read on here, some people are many months in and only on 5mg still. Does it not work like the diagram I saw and you have to move up? Or is it more like you can feel when you need to up the dose? Thanks in advance for answering :)

You move up when it’s the right time for you (when it’s no longer effective and you’re not experiencing any nasty side effects).

The chart you saw is the suggested dosing schedule. The reason for it is it’s the quickest way to the 15mg highest dose which in the clinical trials showed the greatest weight loss. However, on the clinical trials plenty of people couldn’t tolerate 15mg, so went back down to 10mg. Some couldn’t tolerate 10mg and went back down to 5mg. Some couldn’t tolerate 5mg or even 2.5mg and dropped out of the clinical trials.

If you have done 4 weeks on a dose then you can move up, but you don’t have to if the dose you’re on is working well for you. You can also go back down a dose if the effects are too strong and/or the side effects aren’t settling down.

Do it at your own pace though check that whichever pharmacy you use supports that. Some (weirdly!) don’t.

I’m about to start my third month on 5mg. I still get the odd bit of food noise but it’s really easy to just swot it away. In a way I like that because I want to use willpower a bit if I can. I also don’t like the feeling of being so full that I just don’t want to eat at all (I was like this on my first week of 5mg). This feels like a happy medium to me.

I’ll stay on 5mg unless it stops working.

Really helpful answers, thank you! When you say food noise, is it the urge to eat things /thinking about food or the awful symptoms/feeling you get from not eating (weakness, headaches etc)?

I’m on 3rd pen and asked to stay on 5mg as I wasn’t getting many side effects and am still losing on average 2lb a week which im happy with
Hoping if I can stick with it that it will make it easier to come off it
Lost nearly 1.5 stone so far

“Food noise” for me is the mental side of over eating, so the constant internal debate and focus on eating. The constant urge to snack, or to eat beyond feeling full and all the negative and obsessive self talk about that.

As above, also food noise for me is the obsessive thinking. I now find I don’t really think about food anymore except a vague ‘oh, it’s lunchtime, I should probably eat’.

The physical hunger, the sickly dizzy headaches I used to get is totally gone.

My provider talks about being on the lowest effective dose. There's no need to move up if the dose you're on is effective.

I think there was some confusion when the charts first circulated. They usually say that you are on each dose as a minimum of 4 weeks. But that doesn't mean you have to move up after 4 weeks.

I've chosen to move up only when I need to and it means I've lost 5 stone over 9 months and I still have some doses left (I have a lot to lose!).

If it works there's no need to take more.

I’m 11 months in and still haven’t progressed to 5. I’m on about 3.25 and I’ve lost 20kg and am now 55kg (about 8.7 stone at 5ft 3). I had great suppression and weight loss and didnt need to move up. When this started to wear off I went up to 3.75 and felt really awful, very queasy.

So went back down and now I’m happy where I am for now. I use the 5mg pen and do 39 clicks. When this no longer works I’ll just add a few more clicks.

To be fair, my Dr says I am the only one of her patients who has had this level of loss on this low a dose so I must be sensitive to it. But she says it’s fine to just find the right dose that works for me.

my nurse says stay on the minimum dose that works for you . The initial criteria for dose increases was set out for diabetic and Insulin resistant patients . I have been on 2.5mg for 8 wks still losing no bad se . Last week I had minimum suppression and felt I should increase this week it’s back to strong suppression and I’m struggling to eat enough. So don’t panic give it time and give yourself time to adjust. It’s a marathon not a sprint ! I’m hoping to stay on 2.5mg for the whole process 🤞. Good luck with your journey .

Very interesting, I imagine it will all become clear once I start it. Feeling nervous but excited, fingers crossed I get approved!

Unlike the pps I've gone up each time.

But I haven't had any massive losses - just slow and steady. (No side effects either.). So my thinking has been to ensure the weight keeps coming off. (Have averaged at just over 1 ib / week).

I'm probably in the minority but 19 weeks in and am still on 2.5. I've lost 45lb so just over 3 stone in that time.

I'm losing 1.5-2lb a week which is a steady rate and what is mentioned as being ideal. I have very few side effects, feel fantastic and eat really well. Haven't cut out carbs, just eat less of them than I did before.

I want to be able to go alone when I come off the injections and feel I'm sorting my life/ diet/ portion size out as I go. Don't get me wrong I do fancy stuff like a piece of cake or a bit of chocolate but I'm happy walking away.

Good luck!

I did 10 weeks on 2.5mg and I'm on week 5 of 3.75mg, it's working well and I have no plans to increase yet.

As others have said, you move up a dose when you feel it's no longer working effectively. I've just ordered my 4th 10mg pen.

Very interesting, really hope i get approved, will be gutted if I don't! 😔