Can me, a newbie, bore you with my confusion over microdosing mounjaro with a 2.5mg kwikpen?

[metrobonk]

I got mine though the doctor after shooting up 20kg during peri menopause. I am quite sensitive digestively and had gastroparesis (due to another condition) in the past and so wanted to start slow and low. The first time I did 12 clicks and it seemed to go in well. I immediately felt a control of my appetite, no cravings, a little bit gassy but nothing unusual.

The week later because I had tolerated it well I decided to go to 20 clicks. When I jabbed myself the plunger was really hard to push down to the point I had to physically force it (my thumb was not enough, I ended up pushing my whole palm on it and even then it wasn;t enough.). Even then I felt like not much of the mounjaro had been injected, and unlike with the first injection, there was no small drop of blood and i could not see the injection site and it didn't hurt. I didn't experience many satiety effects (in fact I ate a lot that week) and concluded that maybe it didn't work.

After research I decided maybe the first pen had busted or the dial had busted after me forcing it. I got a new pen yesterday.

Today I did the priming with the new pen, and took 20 clicks. While the dial was easy to push down into my skin, unlike last week, there was no drop of blood, no visibility of injection site.

With all of the injections I feel that the needle collapses a bit into my skin (if that makes sense.)

I'll wait to see if there are any effects today - but any clues about what i might be doing wrong?

I cannot comment on the pen issue, but I don't bleed most times and I cannot see the injection point either, that is completely normal. I also normally do not feel the injection.

You shouldn't expect to see a drop of blood. That should be the exception not the norm and would only happen if you happened to pierce a tiny capillary which usually doesn't happen. It also normally doesn't hurt, and again you shouldn't expect it to. You also shouldn't expect to be able to see the injection site afterwards.

You may have damaged the first pen due to continuing to force the mechanism. If you prime correctly each injection then that should reduce the risk of the needle not being attached correctly and causing pressure to build up which is what jams and then damages the pen.

Can I ask why you would not try to use the remaining medication in the first pen? You hadn't even injected one full dose.

Also you say "I felt like not much of the mounjaro had been injected" - you should be able to tell by whether the dial rotated back to 0 or not and also by how far along the clear glass part the grey plunger has moved.

If any dose doesn’t work it’s usually a faulty needle not pen. So just try a new needle.
Prime every time by turning a couple of clicks and pushing the plunger, before you insert the needle into your skin, and you should see a drop come out of the needle. If no drop appears try again and then change needle if it still doesn’t work.

This is a bit odd,

firstly are you priming the pen each time? If so , the dial basically goes back to zero once its injected, I’ve been on nearly 2 years and think I’ve seen a drop of blood or the injection site once, it is not a sign to look out for.

where are you injecting that you’re finding it so hard to depress the pen. They can be a bit stiff but not to the extent you mention

lastly if you’re feeling no effects it’s likely because you’re hardly taking any. 2.5mg is to initiate treatment, the first therapeutic dose in 5mg, so if you’re taking a third of the 2.5mg half dose, which is just to get your body used to it, it’s so so small many people would have no impact.

when you say you got it from a doctor, do you mean your gp and they advised this, or did you go with a private doctor who is maybe just making money out you.

Agree.

I think what you’re doing wrong is you’re not using enough, and not priming properly,

you are taking a third of 2,5mg, so 0,83 mg, if at 20 clicks, as said first therapeutic dose is 5mg, its a sixth of a therapeutic dose, or 16 percent,

I’d assume the first week when you thought you’d suppression on 12 clicks, it was purely pshycosomatic.

the key question here is who are you getting these pens from. A gp wouldn’t advise this and if you said the pen was faulty they’d rightly tell you try new needles and prime, the pen would have been fine.

which makes me think you’ve went to some private doctor who is cashing in.

Also op, it’s really not advised to take this med if you’ve had gastroparesis in the past, so again I guess it comes back to who is supplying you with this and could they be telling you to go so slow, because they know you shouldn’t be taking it?

i only ask this question as I once did it myself several times (fortunately only when trying to prime, not actually doing the jab, so I didn’t lose much!). You ARE taking both covers off the needle aren’t you?

And yes, also wondering re the gastroparesis - I thought that was an absolute contraindication?

Oh, I must have skimmed over the gastroparesis part. I am also amazed that a doctor has risked prescribing a WLI to you if you have a history of gastroparesis.

thank you so much for this, it makes a lot of sense. I think I didn't "prime" that second dose.

Can I just check that from your replies it seems normal that you don't really feel the needle going in? Nor see the hole the needle has made?

On the gastroparesis point I was given a proper risk assessment for it. I had gastroparesis in relation to POTS in pregnancy and my last pregnancy was now a decade ago.

I hardly ever feel the injection nor can I tell afterwards where the injection site is. The needle is 4mm long and is only 0.2 millimetres wide, super fine. I don't think I could spot a puncture mark by eye that was only 0.2mm wide!

Because I usually don't feel the needle, I make sure that I inject in a position where I can see the needle entering my skin whilst also being able to see the dose window on the pen. Then I can see the dose go from 1 to 0 as I inject. Or if you are doing a partial dose by counting clicks, from the line that's showing back to 0.

Can I strongly suggest that you read through the paper leaflet instructions that came with the pen again, and follow them step by step next time you inject. Priming each time is important to check that the needle is attached properly and working. If it isn't, then pressing the plunger down just causes pressure inside the pen mechanism, which can break the mechanism and/or damage the seal at the end of the pen.

I feel it more now I’m at goal,I didn’t feel it when I started and was heavier, blood means you hit a capillary, that’s all,

I also thought gastroparesis was a no, and I’m thinking you’ve went to a private doctor. Did you try the online pharmacies, did they reject you? Are you now paying over the top for this?

did this “doctor” advice you take so little? They may have done that as they shouldn’t be prescribing, and know you’re taking so little it won’t have any effect so can just take your money.

I have primed only a couple of times. It's always worked.

This is luck, because you have not yet had a needle attached incorrectly nor one that was damaged/substandard.

If you attach a needle correctly and carefully, and it isn't broken, then it will work. Priming checks that for you, so you know that you aren't going to damage the pen by continuing to inject.

Yup I'm capable of attaching a needle correctly it seems.