Has anyone had problems using a Mounjaro pen beyond four weeks?

[TheGreyBee]

Four weeks to use Mounjaro pen. However I can read here many of you use it for much longer by micro dosing. Has anyone had any problems with doing this?

No. I’ve used them for more than four weeks. I do keep in the fridge though

Watching with interest I’d like to do this too!

It’s not micro-dosing, that term is madly misused….. it’s just doing a partial or smaller dose than the strength of the pen.

You can do 5 weekly injections within the 30 days. Whether you want to go beyond that should depend on your understanding of what the risks are and your attitude to those risks, not whether anyone else has actually had an issue.

The issues are contamination and resulting bacterial growth, and degradation of the medication. Scrupulous hygiene and keeping the pen in the fridge will minimise but not remove those risks.

You should never use the pen if the liquid is cloudy or has particulates in it.

I was thinking that if we are sanitising the red tip before injecting a sterile needle to withdraw some medication, it must be difficult to contaminate the liquid. Have I got this wrong?

If you only use the pen via extracting with a separate sterile syringe then the risks of contamination are very small (assuming you are competently hygienic!) and less than if you use the pen with the pen needles to inject. When you use the pen with the pen needles there is an open channel between your body and the vial, and the very small risk of back flow.

Following with interest.

This is true and I initially did it this way but stopped due to the volume of plastic waste (and needing more sharps bins) I also found that I’m more efficient with priming with clicks, reducing wasted fluid - as when priming a syringe/getting air out you need to pull a little extra to then remove and push out as pushing any liquid back into the pen would not be sterile. I just use syringes for the last few now.

I limit the already small chance of back flow even further is by injecting as soon as the pen needle is in me and keeping the pen plunger depressed until the pen needle is out of my body.

To answer OP - I’ve used a pen as long as 4 months (using up 10mg stockpile now in maintenance) and never once had cloudy liquid or any issues. I’m now using 5mg pens to take 2.5mg so for 10 weeks which I’m very comfortable with with meticulous hygiene and storage.

I dose 5mg from a 15mg pen so it lasts three months.

I clean the pen every time and keep it in the fridge. No problem at all.

Don't the pharmacies stop you from doing this?

I once took 6 weeks to use a 4 dose pen and I got a strongly worded message from the online pharmacy telling me I have to use it within the time frame stated.

I don't know if they would stop me ordering more though - I'm guessing not if you regularly take 10/15 weeks to use yours @perimenopoppet@Zempy ? Do you get these messages telling you you are taking too long to reorder?

Thank you @SilenceInside Now I have some understanding. Are you a nurse?

i have had no problems, but I do keep my pen in the fridge. I inject every 10 days so I don’t order monthly. I do this to keep the costs down. I get reminders about ordering g my next one but when I do order, I just add the note that I was delaying until payday. Which is true!

@TheGreyBee no, not a nurse nor any kind of HCP! So just a randomer on the internet, who reads a lot.

@onesinglepringle yes, pharmacies expect you to order regularly, but many will allow 7 to 8 weeks and people just tend to order and build up a stockpile.

Nope. I use anti bacterial wipes and sealed needles from my chemist to do half doses so they last 8 weeks and have been doing this for the last 4 months with no issues.

I’m using a pen which has been open for more than four months (kept refrigerated) with no issues so far.

I wasn't keeping mine in the fridge and still did this when I decided to use less at a time with no problems.

I've been doing this for over a year now with no problems (currently taking a 5mg dose from a 10 pen, so using it for 8 weeks plus 1 or 2 with golden dose). I order with Medicine Marketplace, who allow 7 weeks between orders.