Mounjaro - side effects too much?

[Globelover]

I started mounjaro back in May and generally find it great in reducing my appetite and helping me to gradually lose weight. I found 2.5mg ok, some extra stomach acid so GP prescribed omeprazole.

Moving from 5mg to 7.5mg was the hardest as I would inject on the Friday and then have sickness and diarrhea for a few days, which I initially thought was a stomach bug but realised it was the injections when it happened a few times. I got incredibly bloated and uncomfortable as well.

I moved back to 5mg which was better at first but it has just happened again today.
It is so unpleasant, it doesn't feel worth it. I just wanted to seek some advice on whether this has happened to anyone on here and whether you found anything that helped

I'm sorry to hear about your side effects. I've experienced this too, but find it has improved with careful food choices. Around injection day I eat extremely bland food. Vegetables, spicy foods and eggs seem to be my main triggers so I just avoid them around injection day.

Thank you, I gave up fizzy drinks thinking it could be that but it's not. I could try eating very bland food on injection day

@Globeloveri’m sorry you are experiencing this. I switched from oz to mounjaro 6 months ago, and while the side effects are less, i get the same as you, swelling, and diarrhoea. Fasting around rhe time of the injection helps but I’m seriously thinking about coming of all injections and trying another medicine (type 2)🤢

Fatty greasy food is known to affect people with GI issues, and also heavy carbs. I've been on these jabs 11 months from tomorrow and 3 times was ill from eating pizza twice and a greasy frozen beef burger cooked in pan, won't have them now though im fine with macds or burger king burgers! I've seen posts about pasta making someone ill and my friend who has only been ill twice in 10 months, was from fish and chips and then last weekend from a Chinese takeaway, so she's vowed to stay off takeaways!
It usually is due to the type of food or volume, little and often is best. If you were fine on 5mg before and have dropped back down to it, it should settle with healthy food options.
You might find probiotics help, try kefir.

I have found psyllium husk and probiotics with digestive enzymes have helped. Also being careful with food around injection day.

Yes this happened to me, I was so sick moving up to the 7.5mg dose. I actually ended up in hospital as I didn't eat a single thing for 2 days and even water wouldn't stay down. Doctor said it's becoming more common to see in a&e.

I stopped completely for 6 months, then tried Wegovy last month and just 1 dose made me sick. So I'm off the jabs now and going to maintain the weight loss on my own.

If you can tolerate the lower doses then stay at that level, good luck!

Try and avoid onions, broccoli and legumes as these ferment in your stomach and can cause an upset tummy. Also anything too spicy or greasy as others have said. I have found Rennie Deflatine (yellow box) to be the best at settling my stomach. Cheapest place to get them is Amazon.

Same with a family member of mine. 6 mo ths on it and did lose a decent amount of weight. Very sensible diet . No fatty foods at all . Couldn't eat spicy beforehand also.
But got so sick ended up in hospital as it triggered gallbladder probelms.
So now they have stopped the injections and just sticking to the diet .

Thank you everyone for the advice, very helpful. I will definitely try all of these suggestions. I will probably have to move to wegovy due to prices but noted that I might have the same issues

I will be moving to Wegovy after the pen I’m using. My current provider will be charging £279 for MJ (up to 10mg)/£319 (over 10mg)and £159 for all strengths of Wegovy. No brainer as I was just about to move to 12.5mg of MJ. Just cannot afford higher prices.

I have issues with sickness as well. My day is Friday and feel awful for 2-3 days during such time I cannot bear more than a plain slice of toast. I will be coming off MJ in any event now prices have increased and will give W a go which will hopefully be a bit easier. I had a few colleagues at work who have done very well on W which gives me courage but have still not ordered any and not really in a rush to do so if I’m honest. The plan is to go on the lowest dose and hopefully stay on that until I reach my goal (1.5 ideally 2 stone).

Is that per month or per year?

That's the price per pen which lasts for 4 weeks, so monthly. Yep, it's expensive but in my opinion sooooooo worth it. I have been on Mounjaro since January and have lost 3.5st. Another 1.5 to go.

I always used to inject in the evening and slept through most of the side effects. I’ve found making sure I have plenty of protein and water on injection day and then being careful over the weekend (Friday evening jab) helped. Also taking windeze capsules or peppermint capsules helped too. I’ve been on for 12 months and get no symptoms at all now.

Thanks for that - wow, that’s very expensive, but glad it’s working so well for you.

Good tips thank you. I also inject on Friday so I think I just need to be more thoughtful about what I eat fri-sunday

Yes I am thinking similar about wegovy. I would rather go to the gym and stay on a lower dose to minimise the side effects

I was fine on 2.5 MJ. Only a bit of nausea occasionally but the private clinic I got the meds from were keen to move up the dose for better suppression. That’s where it went wrong for me I think. The sickness got pretty awful and as soon as that subsides the food suppression vanishes too. Looking back maybe it would have been better staying on the low dose that just takes the edge of the hunger and leave at that. I also lost more weight on the low dose so think I will see how I get on on the low W dose and if that doesn’t work than call WI a day.

I feel like this is becoming my soap box subject over several threads, so apologies for another essay🤣 . But there is no need to move up the doses if you already have a good level of suppression. There seems to be a lot of misinformation, but it isn’t better for you to race up the doses. If anything, most people should be looking to lose weight steadily at 1-2 Lb a week whilst eating a range of foods within their calorie window for good nutrition.

Once you are on a therapeutic dose and experiencing suppression, you don’t need more suppression unless and until it drops off. Some providers are putting profit ahead of patient welfare, unfortunately.

But suppression was not great which is probably why they suggested moving up. Mind you it isn’t great now either on the days I’m not feeling to green to eat. I hindsight looks like it was as good as it was going to get. The advice to move up was given by a GP at a private clinic so had no reason to question it at that time.

Oh sorry - I didn’t realise you weren’t experiencing suppression. For most people it’s a case of balancing the SE with suppression. Could you talk to your provider about splitting your dose? The licence allows an injection every 4 days, so it’s possible that a lower dose more often might suit you better.

I have thought about splitting a dose to even out the side effects. Need to get extra needles, I could try that for the remaining mj I have got (few shots)

I agree, I think that making sure you have a decent probiotic to help with your gut biomes really helps. I was really worried before I went on MJ incase I had any GI issues.

I make Kefir at home ... with the grains. It is really simple and incredibly healthy if you are able to take / digest dairy or not a vegan.

If ur a vegan then Kefir water is good or Kombucha.

Shop bought Yakults etc are good but making your own kefir is a thousand times better.

This is just my OP on it and just wanted to posit something that was a little off piste! :-)

Thank you, I am taking probiotic tablets but will look in to kefir

You don't have to buy Kefir grains. If you go on your local Facebook marketplace, there will be people who are willing to share / give grains away.

Also the Kefir UK page or just the Kefir group. If you post asking for grains, people will happily share if you cover postage, or there might be someone close to you, and you can pick up.

DM me if you have any questions