Mounjaro seems to be getting less and less effective…

[Spookygoose]

This is my 4th month on MJ. I had good suppression on 2.5 for the first month and lost quite a lot so I ordered another 2.5 for the second month. However towards the end of that my appetite was coming back so I went up to 5. I didn’t notice much difference so for this 4th month I’ve gone up to 7.5 but it doesn’t seem to be making any difference. My appetite isn’t anymore suppressed, in fact it’s coming back even more strongly. Has it just stopped working?! I feel no difference on 7.5 than I did at 2.5. Anyone else found this? Did going up to 10 make any difference? I only had mild side effects in the first month, don’t have any now

I haven't had noticeable "suppression" since the first month or so and have chosen not to increase, its effects are more subtle, I need to work with it but it is enough to keep me going in a calorie deficit.

To work with it are you managing to do the basics - enough protein and at every meal, reduced but quality carbs, minimal sugar/sweeteners/UPF, fiber, good hydration/water, eating mindfully and stopping before you are full, making sure you are getting all your nutrients.

It is the cliche, everyone is different, not everyone gets suppression again after those first months. If you are not getting any benefits from taking it you may need to increase dose.

I found suppression went off after time too. I had high suppression for quite a few months then I could eat more. I went up the doses and am currently on 12.5mg but I still don't have the high suppression I had in the beginning. I considered going up to 15mg but with all that's going on, I decided against it.

Going up doesn't seem to be changing anything for me at the moment.
I've decided to count calories more carefully and do more exercise. So focusing on other things I can do to lose weight rather than chasing suppression. I still eat a lot less than I used to before MJ.

Are you making these changes in dosage under a physician's guidance? Please, if you are not, stop. While these medications have been around for some time to help diabetic patients, they have only been used off-label for weight loss for a relatively short time. There is much that is unknown at this stage and there are several temporary and permanent side effects that you should be aware of. Muscle and bone loss are side effects of prolonged use and you can only combat this with weight-training exercise, protein intake, etc.

If you fail to do this, you will end up looking worse . . . like those old ladies that are too frail and thin looking.

@anitarielleliphe what on earth are you on about?? Each time the OP asks for a new prescription for a specific dose it is reviewed along with her medical history before being approved. It's totally inappropriate to advise her to stop taking it!

Mounjaro is not used "off-label" for weight loss, it is fully approved for weight loss by the MHRA and has been for a good long while.

Muscle loss and issues with bone density are related to any weight loss programme, and are easily mitigated by exercise and good nutrition. This is not new information for someone who has been legitimately prescribed Mounjaro for weight loss.

I am NOT advising her to stop taking it. I just wanted to make sure that the increased dosages were prescribed by her physician. People can get these medications through various routes and various physicians, and have been privy to people taking these matters in their own hands and doing so.

The problem is that a lot of people do not exercise enough and do not increase their protein intake enough. This must also be monitored as well.

" I just wanted to make sure that the increased dosages were prescribed by her physician. People can get these medications through various routes and various physicians, and have been privy to people taking these matters in their own hands and doing so."

Yes, lots of us, millions in fact, have taken matters into our own hands and got legitimate private prescriptions from online pharmacies. Did you worry that the OP had acquired this medication from an illegal source? What made you think that might the case?

It was the wording of her email . . . the quick succession of upping the dosage each month. That is typically not done so quickly. I just wanted to make sure that she was not self-medicating her own dosage because it has become increasingly easier to get these meds from multiple sources that are not always in communication with each other.

@anitarielleliphe huh? The normal dosing schedule is to move up doses each month, that’s what the manufacturer recommends and all the pharmacies that supply Mounjaro. The OP has done 2 months on 2.5mg, one on 5mg and now has started 7.5mg, that’s a very very normal dosing schedule.

The recommended prescribed route is to increase your dosage each month unless you’re having bad side effects or are getting enough positive impact to stay on the existing dose. Check any pharmacy website that is offering it - they lay it out, first month = 2.5mg / second month = 5mg etc. A lot of people do move up more slowly but that’s actually more against the pharmaceutical recommendation than going more quickly! Just FYI.

OP, I had exactly this. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever experienced the same suppression I first got, but have moved my way up to 10, about to start 12.5 and I still get good impact from it - I think perhaps it’s psychological - because it’s less new you notice it less? But overall, over the last 6 months I have eaten way less, even when I’ve not been feeling like it was working that strongly.

What on earth are you talking about, it’s not off label, the drugs are approved for weight loss and been around for decades, you’d have to live under a rock to not know.

How to say 'I know this because I read it online/ my hairdresser told me' without actually saying it.

I think you are conflating timelines. They were approved for diabetes management in 2019, which is NOT decades ago. And they were NOT approved for weight loss until 2023.

In drug lifecycles, 6 and 2 years is really nothing. Drugs sometimes are on the market for many, many years before enough evidence is gathered to show their true negative consequences. Do some research on "Vioxx" to understand what I am talking about. These drugs were approved and used in the USA and around the world for a decade before enough patients died that they were pulled.

I am not saying that the semaglutides are bad drugs, but I am saying that being used for weight loss when you do not have other health issues may tip the scales when it comes to "risk versus reward" in an unfavorable way.

This is all about risks versus rewards. For diabetic patients, this drug has been a lifesaver, absolutely, as their comorbidities place them in peril, so the risk of their use was worth the reward.

I just always advocate for a cautious approach to drugs when their off-label usage has only recently been approved.

These peptides were originally created in the early 70s. They have been in testing for 15 years each for different usages. I am not the one confused, and moving up monthly is the normal schedule.

Mounjaro is not semaglutide, it’s tirzepatide. Both are glp-1 agonists, but not the same compound. Mounjaro is not being used off label for weight loss, and neither is Wegovy. Both have been approved for weight loss. Precisely because the benefits of these medications for obese people outweigh the possible risks.

Are you a doctor? Are you overweight and using MJ? If not then bog off.

I Have been using a drug- lithium- off label for 16 years!

I will continue to take the advice of my provider prescribing doctor and not some pearl clutcher on the internet

OP, I’m only up to 5mg, but yes this week and last I e had zero side effects for first time and less suppression. But that’s ok, I need to experience being hungry as that is normal. I still find I can eat well and resist eating between meals.

But do go up if you need to. I know their seems to be some weird martyrdom about it higher doses, but everyone’s body is different and some need the higher doses.

Suppression was good for me on 5 until it wasn’t. 7.5 did nothing then 10 was wow, back to being like week one.

My first few days on 7.5 didn't seem any different but now on my second week I have noticed a big difference. Stick with it.

I felt so good the first 10 weeks but since going up to 5mg I'm much hungrier. General consensus on here is that initial suppression passes.

@anitarielleliphe “being used for weight loss when you do not have other health issues may tip the scales when it comes to "risk versus reward" in an unfavorable way.”

The scales are being tipped in a very favourable way thank you very much 🤣🤣

@anitarielleliphe thanks for your “concern” but you’re assuming a lot about my situation considering I’m a complete stranger who you can’t even see. Don’t think I’m going to end up looking like an “old lady” at 37 with 3 stone to lose 🤣 I’ve already lost 1.5 stone and I’m looking great! And I’m getting it from a perfectly reputable source- private online pharmacy just like 95% of the rest of people taking it. I’m also an ex professional athlete so I’d be willing to bet I know a lot more than you about muscle loss and the importance of strength training and a high protein diet. Please don’t come on these threads for people looking for advice that are already on MJ (so are therefore already very clued-up about it) and lecture them on all the “dangers”. It makes you look like one of those bitter anti-WLIs people who are jealous because they feel threatened for some bizarre reason, or because they can’t get it themselves lol

This morning I’ve read that Serena Williams has used WLI. She’s been really positive about them. Appreciate that’s not related to the original post, but to the shitty responses!

The first GLP-1 for T2 diabetes was licensed by the FDA in 2005 and in Europe in 2006.

We have hundreds of years of patient data on this class of drugs.

Most of the women who inject for weight loss are incredibly grateful to have been able to take their health into their own hands. And have done plenty of research.

I did not mean to offend, and certainly did not mean to sound like I was lecturing you.

I have had a very personal experience with these meds that hurt someone I love. Like with most medications, many people have no issues, but a select few do, so all-in-all, it feels like they have been good for most people. And when it comes to diabetic patients, or those with heart disease, obviously any risk is outweighed by the help in managing those diseases, and lessening the risks associated with them.

It's just for the select few that do not have a good experience with the medication it can be devastating. If you need them, great, but as I've read often on this site there are many people who do not qualify in the obese category so they are fudging numbers to get them (again, not saying this is you), and there is a blanket acceptance that there are no issues with doing that since people see immediate results. Again, anyone with connections to the pharmaceutical industry, which I have, knows that drug trials are often flawed, and not thorough, and sample a very small population, for a specific use. It is later that more data comes to light and revisions to risks are made.

Examples of what I mean by this are Vioxx and Ciprofloxin.

My personal feelings, and I believe I am entitled to my opinion without being attacked, are that the off-label usage of weight-loss only got approved two years ago, and that in the lifecycle of drug development, testing and approval, this is a short-span of time, so anyone willing to use just needs to be hyper-aware of potential risks.

I'm truly happy for you!