Baffled by Mounjaro dosage and pricing

[LabOwner95]

I'm considering starting Mounjaro but I wouldn't be eligible on the NHS so would have to pay. I could afford around £150 per month so whilst the starting dose wouldn't be an issue, I'm a bit taken about by the price hikes as the dosage increases! I don't know my weight (I darent stand on the scales) but I am obese so I know that I would need to go above the initial 2.5mg. I would hazard a guess that I need to lose about 4-5 stone to be in a healthy BMI.

So, my questions are please:

1. How much on average are we paying per month for higher doses?
2. Would I need to go up to the 15mg?

Ozempic seems a lot cheaper. Is this a good alternative?

Thanks so much everyone. I'm glad that people are having such great results so I think I will start with the lose dosage and see how I get on.

Are there any downsides to just stopping Mounjaro, aside from the possibility of weight gain? I'm hoping to achieve the losses I want up to 5mg but realistically if I can't afford to go any higher, is it something you can just stop using?

Oh - and does it hurt 😂

it doesnt hurt no. good luck!!!

@LabOwner95 everyone starts on the lowest dose, 2.5mg, for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Yes you can just stop taking it at any point, at any dose level. The medication will gradually reduce in your system until it's all gone after about 30 days.

No the injection doesn't hurt. Most of the time I can't even tell that I'm doing it, and need to visually check that the needle is correctly in.

Is there any news yet on the long term price drops? And the cost of the tablets? I was expecting them to be cheaper because there’s no cold storage issues.

I started in April 2025 and lost 3st. My BMI was still 27 but I was a size 10, looked great and didn’t look older facially which at 58 wad important to me. I went up the doses each month to 10mg - just because I was impatient but many people
on the thread I was on stayed at lower dose. I was then diagnosed with cancer so had to come off for treatment. I ate and drank for comfort and wasn’t allowed to exercise so managed to put it all back on in 6 months. I am true my treatment and have been sanctioned to start again - I have just injected 2nd dose of 2.5 … Will take it slow and don’t plan to go beyond 5 - need to put in lifestyle and recognise I will be on it for life in some sort of maintenance level. Accepting of that now and budgeting accordingly - if anyone wants to share codes with me please do via PM. Best of luck - it was sensational to be a size 10 …. and looking forward to being that again by Xmas. Go for it - but plan for the long term. I’ve been very depressed with the weight on again.

Well done?? Do you realise it’s pure luck how your body reacts to it? There’s no talent to it. This comment is quite insulting to those that have had to use higher doses.

You could also consider the new Mountjaro tablets, Foundayo which are considerably cheaper at the higher doses (cheaper at all levels, but its at the high end that its a lot).

Another thing to consider if you’re deciding between wegovy and monjaro - Wegovy does not interfere with oral contraception, but MJ does, so if you’re on the pill be aware of that difference!

@CMOTDibbler The new tablets from Eli Lilly, called Foundayo, are definitely not Mounjaro in tablet form. They are a completely different medication. Mounjaro is a peptide GLP1 and GIP synthetic hormone. Foundayo is a non-peptide synthetic GLP1 only. It is much less effective than Mounjaro, and a bit less effective than the Wegovy tablets.

@LabOwner95 Re your question about stopping. Many of us now have accepted obesity is a life long recurring chronic disease (as defined by WHO).

Weightloss medications are not a short term diet they are a treatment for that disease. When you stop the treatment, unless you have made significant sustainable lifestyle changes, it will be like a diet.

For me, I am expecting to be on the medication long term at as low a dose as possible to help support me to maintain my weight. I have been maintaining for 8 months now, down to 2mg and I will continue to reduce very slowly, maybe next spring I might test coming off, but will be open to restarting if necessary.

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Don't automatically assume you need to go higher in the doses if you go with mounjaro. I might be saying something you already know so sorry if I am but it's the calorie deficit that equals weight loss and not the dose. The medicine is a helper to assist you in keeping with the defecit.

I stayed in 2.5 for a year and lost 5 stone so it can be done it's just pot luck how you will react to it.

I've been on Mounjaro for 5 months. 1st month you can only have 2.5mg and I only lost 3 lbs. 2nd month 5mg and I lost 6 lbs. 3rd month 7.5mg and I lost 10lb. 4th month 10kg and I lost 12lb. 5th month 10kg and I lost 9lb. I've just moved up to 12.5kg. I'm lucky because I have not had any side effects except a few bumps on 125mg. I buy mine from Pharmacy2u and am happy with their service. I think I paid £560 for 2 x 12.5 pens.

Just a reminder that referral codes shouldn't be shared online - Mumsnet don't allow it as it is advertising of prescription medication which is illegal, and the T&Cs of the codes usually say they are only for genuine friends and family. Also they usually don't bring the cost down to lower than you can get using the new customer discounts, and even without any discounts there are cheaper providers. Monj.co.uk lists all the current providers and the total cost including postage, the cheapest for 2.5mg for a new customer is under £100 currently, so far cheaper than any of the codes that have been posted on this thread.

Thanks so much for all the advice everyone. I finally weighed myself today and it's a bit upsetting to say the least. I suppose deep down I knew I'd put on this much weight but to see it in black and white was a bit of a shock. I'm not eligible for Mounjaro (or even Wegovy) under NHS criteria so I'm going to get a private Mounjaro prescription, using a price comparison site to find the cheapest 2.5mg starting dose.

Yes I have lost 6.6kg in 7 weeks on wegovy tablets. My first month was £50. Now I’m paying £119 for 4mg.

Best of luck.