What is the golden dose exactly?

[Catastrophe3456]

I've been taking Mounjaro for about 6 weeks and have seen reference to a 'golden dose'. What is it exactly and how can I take it?

I threw away the 2.5 pen after four injections. But have I understood right that I could just screw on a new needle as usual and get a full 5th dose out of the 5 pen I'm now using?

I'm so confused by the references to needing syringes..? Thanks!

You would need to use a sterile syringe and needle to withdraw the liquid rather than just using another mounjaro needle.
Have a look on you tube for videos by fat old climber. He is a bloke taking mounjaro and has the most helpful videos explaining exactly how to do this.

It’s just the leftover medication in the pen after doing the four normal doses. There is usually enough medication left for another dose, or a bit more for a larger dose.

The pen mechanism locks after doing the four normal doses, so although you could attach another needle for a fifth dose, you would then need to break the locked internal mechanism in order to use the pen as before. Sometimes you can twist the pen hard and break the internal locking mechanism. Sometimes the internal mechanism just completely breaks apart and the pen then can’t be used.

In order to avoid having to try to force the pen, you can get 1ml syringes with a fixed needle, and use them to extract the medication via the red seal where you normally attach the pen needle. If you do that, you have to be clear that you can do that safely, hygienically and also work out what dose you are giving yourself.

Thanks - that sounds a bit scary and not really worth the faff! I'm amazed so many people so that

I’ve always managed to break the mechanism just by turning hard. It’s not really surprising that people do it when higher doses retail for somewhere near £200 a syringe.

It's not scary at all, no more so than using the pen needles, and I don't find it a faff at all. I have been on Mounjaro for 20 months now, and by using the leftover medication, I save the cost of a whole pen every 4 months.

I thought about using the extra medication but I don’t want to jab myself with a regular needle. 🥴 The regular MJ pen can make me queasy and it’s tiny.

The syringes used for the extra dose are equally tiny. It really isn’t anywhere near as scary as people’s perceptions

It's not a faff. Get syringe, withdraw the liquid, inject into yourself. Done. It's the cost of 1/4 of a pen 'free' so I'm not throwing that away!

It's really easy and you get a full extra dose per month.

I use these, it is incredibly simple and no more painful than the usual injection. You clean the red dot and your skin the same as usual, draw out 0.6ml and inject. It is a subcutaneous injection so very easy to do the same as with the pen. The medication doesn’t change it isn’t less effective or any different.

Can't believe people throw £££ in the bin, wish I Iived near you, I'd go rooting in your bin for it😂it's really not a faff and done in seconds, there's actually more than a dose left usually so I injected more than once from it when I used pens.

When a pen is costing me nearly £200 - damn right I'm going to get my money's worth!

Ive stopped using the supplied needles for normal doses - I can't be bothered. I'd rather just draw it out with a diabetic needle and inject myself that way. And this is coming from a complete needle wuss.

As above, I've been doing the extra dose since I first started. Not scary or dangerous if you use proper syringes and needles from medical suppliers (not Amazon). I've had a couple of months extra for free by doing this.

I actually decided to taper down using a few 10mg pens as it's easier to count the clicks for differing dosages. It's not recommended as I'd have an opened pen for longer than the 4weeks. I'm happy with this choice as I keep it in the fridge and use fresh sterilised needles every time.

I used 5th dose on my first pen. It twisted very easily. Planning to try again for second pen.

The fifth dose is disappearing soon. Other countries have already received the new pens. I've used the extra dose for over 6 months.

I've also taken smaller doses from a larger pen saving even more money. I've only recently started my fifth pen when I should really be on my eighth pen.

I just keep twisting the pen to 1 (with my teeth lol) and use a new needle head (I bulk bought some)

Wow I'm surprised by the strong reaction!

I will try forcing the pen then when I get to the end of it, but syringes and needles are definitely not for me! It may be cheaper but if I'm not comfortable doing it safely I think that's the right choice personally. I've fainted from injections previously so don't want to risk anything like that happening - these pen ones are bad enough!

Thanks all

@Catastrophe3456 you can buy additional needle head things from pharmacies online, I don’t use syringes.

My pens have never forced for the GD, but using a syringe is no more complicated than using the pen

On the syringes i buy the needles are tiny, much like the ones on the pen. I didn't use the golden dose for months because I thought it would be a faff and raging with myself that I didn't because its so easy.

Not a faff at all. And as someone who detests injections and blood tests, I actually prefer the week I use the syringe! I bought super fine and small needled syringes, and I find it much easier pushing a syringe down than I do the pen. I've never tried forcing the pen round as that seemed too much like hard work, but I find using the syringe very easy.

Each to their own, but to me it's like throwing actual money in the bin not using the bonus dose!

Before you decide it's not for you, have a look at this video 👍

I just force the pen round - make sure you have a strong dry grip on it. It does take quite a bit of effort though and initially I thought I’d break the pen but all four pens so far have worked. You won’t get the same smooth clicking action as it moves round to twist out the plunger, and will have to keep twisting it round with a bit of effort. When you inject it should close down the plunger in the same smooth way. The downside of this way though is that you may not know the exact amount that the pen is dispensing. From my body’s reaction to the 5th dose, I think it might be a bit more liquid than the usual 60 clicks, but that could just be my imagination. It’s a more controlled amount with a separate needle where you can measure it, and the latter may be better if you are counting less than 60 clicks for specific amounts. I usually don’t do the priming with the fifth dose as I notice a small drop on the end of the needle after twisting that I can shake off before the injection.

@ReasonablyInefficient if you have forced the pen mechanism, but then turned the pen to the 1 position, you will have administered a normal 0.6ml dose.

Good to know, thanks.