Has anyone not increased their dose?

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I’m into my second week of Munjaro and already lost 3lbs. I don’t have a lot to lose and plan to be on it short term. I’m thinking it will be easier to wean myself off if I stick with the 2.5 dose. Has anyone tried this?

What’s your bmi OP?

If you don’t have much weight to lose, you’ll probably find that 2.5mg is adequate if you’re actively calorie counting and cutting carbs.

Been on 2.5 since end of March and have lost 5.5 stone. If you can stay in a deficit then you will lose weight.

IMO it’s more about individual response to the medication and expectations of it. Starting weight, or how much you have to lose, doesn’t change how the drug works physiologically.

Some people get little or no response until they reach higher doses. Others respond strongly even without major diet changes. For many, though, effectiveness is influenced by dietary habits and how they use the support the medication gives them.

Expectations also vary greatly. People wanting full appetite suppression may escalate doses sooner. Those who are comfortable with improved control alongside diet changes may stay on lower doses.

Dose requirements are highly individual, and having more weight to lose doesn’t automatically mean higher doses are a foregone conclusion. I’ve lost over 9.5 stone in 20 months and never went above 3.75 mg (and in hindsight, I could likely have stayed at 2.5 mg, but at the time I thought I had to increase).

My friend started in October 2024 and gas never gone above 2.5mg. She wanted to still have to use a little willpower and not have too much suppression. She's lost over 5 stone. I wish I'd done the same now but I followed the move up each month guidance at the time.

I dont think it really works in that way though. I know people with around 7/8 stone to lose and they have been fine on 2.5/5mg. I wish I understood more about why it works so well for some. My theory is that those (regardless of weight) who have a insulin issue (they may not know about) react well to it and lose on the low doses. I have no scientific evidence to support that but I was pondering more than anything.

I was insulin resistant and I needed higher doses, anecdotally so do diabetics, I think it’s the opposite to be honest.

My mum isnt diabetic but had gone into that territory during to cancer meds. They put her on MJ and within a week her levels were normal and she has lost nearly 3 stone in the last 3 months, although she wasnt that much overweight really. She was also told that for diabetes only they would only prescribe 5mg at the most. Obviously for weight loss they would prescrbe higher but not for free.

It must just be really random then.

Sorry to jump on this. How much approx is 2.5 per month? I have 2.5 stone to lose and am contemplating MJ. I have high bp, slightly high colesterol and I think I’m insulin resistant, so I think MJ might help me health wise too.

@seven201 you can get it for just over £100, see here for all the up to date discounts https://monj.co.uk/discount-mounjaro-price-list/

@PearlsTeapot thank you very much for this. That’s not as bad as I thought it might be!

Yes, that's my theory too. I think people with insulin resistance need higher doses as it is harder to stabilise their blood sugars. I don't have insulin resistance (HbA1C has always been normal and hasn't shifted even slightly after 7 months on MJ) and I have responded very well to low doses.

They didn’t do trials at 2.5mg. In the trials, they moved participants up to the maximum dose as soon as possible. This is because they want the highest % body weight loss of all the WLIs. This is the headline that gets their sales up and their share price up.

The MJ patient leaflet actually says move up to 5mg after a month but then only increase beyond that as directed by your prescriber.

Yes, that would be my assumption too. I'm the same as you, no issues with blood sugar etc, and I've lost well on 2.5mg too. I've been on MJ for 7 months, and never increased the dose. I am close to goal now (another half stone to go), and it's slowed down now, but I'm fine with that. I've lost nearly 3 stone.

I get very hungry these days, and feel like I could eat larger portions again than I could in the early days, but I'm not finding it difficult to stick to smaller portion sizes, so it's still working its magic in the background!

To be honest, I'm glad I feel hunger. The suppression was great in the early days to kick off the weight loss with a bang. But I'm hoping the fact that I now do get very hungry again etc, and am managing that, will help me when I come off the meds. I don't plan to stay on long term. And that's one of the reasons I never wanted to go any higher than 2.5.

I only lost 6lb first month but have opted to stick with 2.5mg, also don’t have a lot to lose. I have found it’s doing what I need it to do to curb the cravings, still hungry and enjoying meals so it’s essentially empowering me to make more rational decisions! If I completely stall I will go up. I figure dealing with hunger still will help me ease off (or reduce, may do once a fortnight only to maintain).