MJ over 6 - 7 weeks?

[Ciccici]

I've been on MJ for a year now, always done it by the book. I briefly switched to Wegovy - complete waste of money, might as well have been injecting water, as another poster said - and now back on MJ.

I've just read a poster's comments that they keep one pen going for 8 weeks, in the fridge. Apparently pharmacists have approved this?

I'm virtually at maintenance and would really like to try this, safely. Since you can inject a few days late each week - according to my provider, Voy - that naturally extends the life of the pen anyway. So there is seemingly a tacit acceptance that this at least is safe.

Storing the pen in the fridge, using sterile wipes and disposable needles for the Golden Dose, all seem to be a sensible way to do this?

I know this has come up a hundred times, and some people are dead against that kind of thing, but ideally I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this, and also any advice you got from your provider/pharmacist on doing it.

MJ is so bloody expensive now, anything I can do to eke out its value would be great!

Edit to add that the reason I want to do this is that I've got a 5mg pen arriving this week, and can get by at maintenance with 2.5.

I have done this the problem comes with the gap in ordering that's what most prescriber won't allow, I built up a stash of 10s and used 5 from 10, but I doubt whether any provider would legit let you go 8 weeks between orders, otherwise most people would do it to save money.

Ask anyone who says their pharmacist has approved it for evidence of that approval, or even the name of the provider so you can ask them yourself, and they will then go very quiet.

If you are doing it you will need to do it based on your own attitude to risk when the risk factors are essentially unknown.

You will also need to work out how to deal with ordering less frequently or a big gap so you don't cut off your access to higher dose pens, and/or when BMI < 30.

Ah, yes fair point - I guess that depends on the provider. Voy let you shift the date - I can move the date of my next pen and extend the period between pens.

Op i really dont mean this in a bad way but there is a reason why its so effective. Ive not used it, but have watched friends do it and said from the start there has to be a catch. And now we are seeing it. .... you need a pen to maintain. When the prices went up and MJ bleeted it wasnt their doing. Of course it was, supply and demand. Its basic business sense.

My friend is desperately trying to make her pens last longer but the weight is.creepimg back on.

I dont know the solution, id be intrigued to hear from anyone who has maintained through gym/diet alone.

I've made a pen last 50 days before, kept in fridge and I didn't notice any efficacy issues. I will be using a 5mg pen to take 3mg every 7 days so that will leave the pen open 60+ days. I've no concerns.

No pharmacist at all is officially going to tell you to do this.
1- the manufacturers have said 30 days is safe. If they tell you longer is safe, and something happens, it's them who will be liable.
2- they make a profit on every pen they sell. They would rather you ordered every 4 weeks.

The only time I can imagine a pharmacist ever saying this is one who is talking to a friend, who is giving their personal, not professional opinion.

That being said, having read anecdotal evidence, I would do it (I'm currently making my 5mg last about 6 weeks)

I don’t understand how that’s a catch? No drug works when you don’t take it. Some people can maintain with some can’t, that’s a decision you need to make as an individual, but at no point has this been put forward as a drug that once you take it works for ever more. And like any diet, if you revert back to old ways when you stop, you will regain.

i simply can’t comprehend how that’s a catch?

I'm planning to do this - currently taking 3.75mg from a 2.5mg pen but my next pen is 5mg and I don't feel the need to increase my dose yet. I'm keeping my order frequency the same though, so I'll build up a stash in the fridge. Eventually I will either use that stash for mainly, or need to stop for a while for financial reasons, or increase the dose without ordering higher dose pens and use it up that way. I'll just have to accept the risk of keeping the pen longer than 30days, and also be mindful that I'll only be able to restart on 2.5mg.

I have used up my pens apart from one emergency pen, I would have preferred to stay on, but I haven't put weight on in fact I've lost, it was a bit difficult but I titrated and I'm significantly under goal to give wiggle room, so it's not a given you'll regain if you stop.

Should also mention, once you are on maintenance some providers will allow longer gaps between pen orders.

Someone posted that once you buy a pen from pharmalous and dr swift they will allow you to reorder when maintaining as long as it is within 12 months. Worth discussing with them when you are ready (and let us know what they say!)

Oushk also allow you to have ordering gaps on maintenance, but they charge £15/month to "stay as a patient" if not ordering regularly.

I need to spell it out?? I think alot of people thought once they'd lost, it would be maintained by diet. I dont know many people that has a spare £££ a month to maintain. As we are now seeing by posts exactly like this.

The NHS has already said when you get into healthy BMI it wont prescribe. At least our local trust is.

@RenegadeKeeblerElf many suppliers will allow up to 6 weeks between orders especially on lower doses. Although they may ask why - I have told mine I was on holiday/ill/missed a dose/forgot to order/been at a wedding or other event etc each time and they have been fine with that.

It will help you not build up a stock pile of pens, as you never know if/when you need the move up doses, or even need to stop due to medical issues which will totally negate your cost saving.

I get what you're saying, but I like the security of having a stash in the fridge, to safeguard against price increases/supply issues/financial difficulties. That said, I will probably skip a month in my ordering next month to free up the money for Christmas spending, I can justify this to my supplier as I ordered from two suppliers in August when supply went mad so have a 'legitimate' surplus.

If you have a stash you can take a photo and email it or add it to your account. Oushk have said this and they will take it into account when ordering less often. They have also changed ordering expectations in maintenance plans, they have allowed for 3 pens in 6 months period so that means one pen every 2 months, this is because some use it less often or do one month on and one off, and they would rather keep the business than cut off patients.
Not all prescribers are the same though so you would have to switch to one that supports maintenance and find out their rules around ordering.
I've extended my last pen to 8 doses, this is because it was a 15mg pen and it was too strong, so I wasn't going to carry on doing 15mg doses and be a zombie and barely eating. Oushk advised taking it every 10 days but that would mean massive highs so i did smaller doses against guidance. They all worked fine over the 8 doses but I did keep it in the fridge and i take care to minimise infections. I'm now taking smaller doses from my 10mg pen that i ordered in mid august, 7.5mg doses due to higher suppression, no issues.

But many can maintain through diet. I can’t understand what you’re on about. If you can’t ie you go back to old ways, then you will regain weight it doesn’t matter what it is, slimming world, keto, anything, if you start eating more you gain weight, that’s not related to the drugs?

Also plenty do have the spare money for pens, it’s all over online.

One poster on here gets their pens from their local pharmacy face to face. They recently went to buy their 5mg pen and they had none. They sold them a 10mg pen and told them how to count clicks to get a half dose, and were not remotely concerned about the time the pen would be in use. Now, the pharmacist would probably not put that in writing, but that was their verbal advice.

Hmmm and if there was a survey im fairly confident the majority would be from "normal working class" households. You know, the households who are existing instead of living these days.

I don’t understand what you mean? You think it’s mainly working class people who buy these pens?

Mainly yes..... how many people on this board have been asking how to stretch the maintenance dose because it's unaffordable.

Oh no wait, sorry mumsnet is for the upper class. Doh!!! How very silly of me.

Hmm, it's really interesting reading some of these replies, it seems like pharmacies are indeed willing to let you stretch doses if you give an 'excuse', I think they are just interested in your money in all honesty, I think they probably would be willing at the lower doses, maybe not a the higher ones because of the obvious way that people would order to split it and save £££. My pharmacy is indeed badgering me to reorder and I haven't had a prescription since August, wonder whether if I reordered at 10 they'd let me have it?. Not going to because I'm managing OK without it at the min, but it's interesting that they seem to be willing to bend the rules a bit according to people on here, in order to get your cash. It's risky for them because they risk failing inspections with that type of rogue prescribing,must be worth it for the ££££.

Always like it when people come on threads like this and give out their pearls of wisdom. Despite not having personal experience of the injections. But having a friend who has. Quite familiar.

@CombatBarbie 😂think the folk who can afford it are definitely on them, in fact I know so, but a, they don't admit to it and b, they aren't coming on here asking how to stretch the doses.
You think that a magic bullet pen that immediately elevates your status amongst your skinny friends is not going to be used by the middle classes? Of course it is, they lie to get it and don't admit to anyone that their newly reformed size 8 body is anything other than a rigorous pilates regime. 😜

I don’t think that’s the case, and I’m surprised you think it’s mainly working class people who can and do afford these, I don’t think it’s remotely class related, simply about being able to afford it.