Restarting Mounjaro after a three week break while on 5mg

[Sunnyskiesa]

If I stop Mounjaro for 23 days in the summer (going abroad for a big holiday/expedition) and I am taking the 5mg at the moment, when I come back can I buy the 5 or will the pharmacy sell me only the 2.5 as I am a “new user”?

Why stop?

Depends on the pharmacy and how long they let you leave between orders. Most allow up to 6 weeks, some it’s longer than that. Would you want to go back on at 5mg anyway? After 3 weeks off there will be very little in your system at that point so it would be similar to starting again, I suppose.

if you have more than 2 weeks off reputable prescribers will say you have to go back to 2.5mg

I am going on a trip and being on a diet will be the last of my worries.

Good point about the medicine left in my body.

Good to know. Yes, I am going only with reputable pharmacies. Thanks!

I don’t know what the “more than two weeks off” comment refers to. You don’t have to order a new pen every 2 weeks, and pharmacies don’t monitor if you skip an injection or two.

If you ask a pharmacy about what to do if you have to miss two weeks then they might suggest moving down a dose when you start again, but I don’t think that they’d suggest moving to 2.5mg regardless of what dose you’d been on.

But then presumably all the food noise will start up again?

Why stop? Is the suppression on 5mg so strong that you can’t enjoy food or eat comfortably? You should be able to enjoy whatever food you want whilst on holiday, though likely in smaller portions. No need to severely restrict intake or count calories. If you are finding the suppression too strong, you could drop to 2.5 during your holiday, and step up again when you come back?

I agree with @Perianth but also if you definitely do not want to travel with your pen, you don't need to discuss this with your pharmacy.
Just make sure it's not going to be more than 6 weeks between your pen orders by the time you are back from your trip. If it will be more than 6 weeks, make an order before you go.
When back start at a lower dose, see how your body manages it and go from there. It's not really a massive deal.
Enjoy your holidays, sounds like it will be a great time😁.

@Sunnyskiesa is it some kind of trek or active holiday where you’re out in the wilds and food is provided?

Exactly this. It could be a very demanding event and I don’t want to faint in the middle of the wild for lack of sugars.

Can you not plan and structure your food intake during this physical event to meet your nutritional needs? I am on 5mg and don't find suppression so strong that I couldn't eat more if I needed to (it just makes it much easier to eat at a deficit). Plenty of people on GLP-1s do large amounts of exercise and eat the food necessary to fuel this.

If you are physically struggling to eat, and cannot take on board enough food for your needs, then perhaps consider reducing your dose, at least for the break?

Op just stop it and restart as soon as you get back. You'll be grand. Enjoy your trip.

I think for a long trip in those circumstances I would do as you’re doing and just not take any for the duration. You’ll be active and busy, it’s unlikely that you’ll overeat or put weight on. You should be fine it terms of ordering a pen if you make sure you’ve ordered one in the week or two before going. When you get back you could go back in at 5mg or you could try a lower dose if you’re concerned about the big jump back up.

Just re-order your 5mg pens as usual and keep them in the fridge.

In your shoes, I’d probably use click counting to start at 2.5mg for the first week back and then slowly increase each week by 0.5mg until I reach 5mg again. You might find after a short break that 2.5mg is pretty effective or it does zero for you.

With this, it makes sense why you would want to stop it for the duration you are out there.
So the later part of my post, Just be sure it's not going to be more than 6 weeks between your pen orders by the time you are back from your trip. If it will be more than 6 weeks, make an order before you go.
When back start at a lower dose, see how your body manages it and go from there. Enjoy your holidays, sounds like it will be a great time😁.

Surely you just make sure you eat like you would if not on mounjaro? There is no logical reason to stop taking it if your concern is lack of sugar. Just eat properly.

I took 6 weeks off. I ordered before I went and started back on 5mg when I got back.

So you adapt your diet accordingly.

Don’t tell the pharmacy about the break? And maybe take 2.5mg the first week or so back? My pharmacy allows 7 weeks between orders so wouldn’t be an issue.