I’m 5 weeks into my Mounjaro health journey trying to lose 5 stone and on the 5mg pen. Think I’m going to stay on 5mg for a while through fear of increasing too early and getting even more side effects.
My side effects have already been vomiting, nausea, sulphur burps, constipation and upset stomach.
I’ve got to admit I’ve thought about quitting because of the side effects but absolutely determined to get this 5 stone off and down to a weight i can work at staying at.
Has anyone else suffered really bad side effects that have made them question if its worth it?
I was really lucky and didn’t have any side effects but I did more so at the beginning drink huge amounts of water, I did stay on 2.5mg for 2 months and going to the 5mg is the biggest leap in the journey as its double, so maybe if you are feeling that rough go back to the 2.5mg for another month or two…I have lost 6 stone in total want to loose a bit more but I dont really mind if I dont…good luck and try and get as much advise as you can before quitting as it has been totally life changing for me
Well done on the 6 stone weight loss, that’s great news.
I take on board what you say about the water, I struggle to reach 2 litres of fluids a day but get to reach around that figure, i really try but if I drink much more thatn that and after 5pm I’m going to the toilet a couple of times through the night which affects my energy levels the next day at work.
I think I’m still adjusting after 5 weeks to what I can and cant eat etc.
Our symptoms have worsened when we moved up to 7.5. on 2.5 and 5 it was a bit of constipation and heartburn. Now we’re both getting diarrhoea and sickness. We are receiving the meds via a private GP who is really supportive, so we’re going to discuss the symptoms with him at the end of this week. I confess it’s the first time I‘ve thought about quitting, but the weight loss and benefits have been so great that I don’t really want to do that. We’re going to ask if we could drop back down to 5.
I think im going to stick with 5mg for a few months or as long as food suppression continues on the 5mg because I guess it only makes sense if I keep increasing dose the symptoms could become more extreme.
Most side effects I’ve found personally have been self inficted unfortunately.
If i eat or drink something that isn’t particularly good for me i’ll get some of these side effects.
Headaches and constipation for me comes from not drinking enough including extra electrolytes and not eating enough fruit and fibre.
Diarrhoea,heartburn/indigestion comes from eating any high saturated fat , fizzy drinks. Also if i jab a day early i’ll get these .
You have to learn quickly and adjust your habits. if you want to limit the chances of side effects you have to do these things. It’s no good saying I can’t drink enough or I don’t like this or that you have to get on with it otherwise there’s no point taking weight-loss jabs because you definitely won’t enjoy it.
While I realise we all react diffeently I do agree with Xbakerbob. One of the best things about Mounjaro for me is that it has made me cange my whole approach to what I eat and vastly increase my water intake. I now hardly eat any fats (apart from a ittle olive oil which I seem OK on), eat more fruit and vegetables and no sweet things or snacks. This avoids most side effects for me but has really helped my weight loss. I drink far more now and yes it does mean getting up 3 or 4 times a night but it is worth to avoid side effects. I also drop off staright to sleep again now which I never used to. So my message woudl be stick with it and use side efects to change your lifestyle and see them as a positive.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience — though I think this highlights how differently people respond to the medication.
Just to clarify, I haven’t said I’m eating poorly or not drinking enough, so I’m not quite sure where those assumptions came from. Side effects can and do happen even when people are following the guidance properly, which is why I asked the question in the first place.
I was under the impression this space was for sharing experiences and offering support, rather than suggesting that anyone struggling must simply be doing something wrong or “not getting on with it.”
Thanks for sharing your experience — it’s really helpful to hear what’s worked for you. I completely agree that Mounjaro encourages lifestyle changes, and I’ve already made significant adjustments to what and how I eat since starting.
That said, I think it’s also important to recognise that side effects don’t always disappear simply by “doing everything right,” and that increasing fluids to the point of waking multiple times a night isn’t a realistic or healthy trade-off for everyone, especially when working full time.
I’m definitely sticking with it and learning as I go, but I think it’s okay to acknowledge that the process looks different for different people — particularly in the early weeks.
I think I have been fortunate and had no side effects whilst going up from 2.5 to 7.5 ( briefly ). Lots of burping and a bit of nausea but I take it at 10pm on a Sunday and then go straight to bed so wake up feeling good. Persevere!
I’m just coming to the end of week 9 and it has definitely been the worst week so far. I have had nausea and sulphur burps right from the start, it’s a shock to the system and learning what I can eat and when has been really difficult.
I lost 5kg(11lbs) the first month and I decided to stay on 2.5 for an extra month because of the side effects, I didn’t want to be ill over Christmas. I’m so glad I made that decision because going up to 5mg this week has been rough, the nausea has been extreme and on one day I just started vomiting pure stomach acid because I have barely eaten. Ive been taking anti sickness medication but it hasn’t really helped.
One of the pharmacists told me I should stop taking mounjaro but I have a lot of experience of side effects from medication and I know that you have to power through and they should lessen over time, I have M.E. So this is my only chance now of getting the weight off. I’m going to stay on 5mg for a few months even if my weight loss slows to let my body adjust.
I think everyone is so different, I’m 48 but my 73 yr old friend has had no side effects at all. Just hope I can get some tips on how to lessen the effects.
Sorry to hear that you are also experiencing bad side effects.
Yes, the side effects when you get them can be enough to put you off the medication but I’m feeling like you. I am determined to power through this because I’m determined that this is my best shot at losing 5 stone in weight.
I actually had diarrhoea this week which lasted for 12 hours. I spoke to the doctor who recommended I stay on 5mg until my body has got used to the medication and the side effects have gone. I’m intending to stay on 5mg for 2-4 months until my body adjusts because I’m having bad side effects(no health conditions and 49 years old).
My doctor did say i could miss a dose if i needed to so i may do that in the future if im not feeling too good on my normal injection day.
I’m now stocked up with imodium, antacids, stool softners, laxatives and paracetamol just to be ready for any more side effects immediately.
My brother who is slightly older than myself and has high blood pressure has had no side effects whatsoever and has moved up the doses each month up to 10mg without any problems, it just shows you can never tell if you are going to get the side effects until you are on Mounjaro.
Ive been taking it for 6 weeks and two weeks ago increased my dosage to 5mg. I haven’t really had much in the way of digestive side effects other than some mild nausea in the mornings. The effect on my appetite has been quite significant and I have to really force myself to eat. I’m trying to make sure that what I do eat is nutritious, but sweet things are much easier for me to eat than savoury. Obviously being diabetic, I try to avoid sweet stuff, but sometimes I’ll eat something like a banana just to make sure I at least eat something. My tastes have changed and I dont really enjoy drinking anything. I certainly dont drink as much as I should. Inevitably I’m losing weight and my glucose levels are decreasing and are in the normal range for a diabetic now. However, my energy levels are very low and this is the worst side effect for me. I dont know if this is a side effect of the drug itself or whether it’s a result of the effect on my appetite. To be honest, I’m on the verge of giving up. There is no pleasure in food any more and the tiredness is hard to cope with. I might stick with it for the remaining two doses left in my current pen, but I wondered if anyone else is struggling with this as well?
I’ve been on mounjaro for six weeks and moved up to 5mg after 4. I am really struggling with committing and can’t face food at all. I’m trying to drink plenty of water but my headaches have been debilitating. Feel like giving up. I feel so lousy all the time. Can anyone give me any advice on how to get through this stage?
I’ve wondered if it’s worth it due to upset stomach which starts about 24 hours after the jab and then lasts about 18 hours. I’m keeping going as it’s working but it’s unpleasant. We are all different and have different tolerance levels.
I had bad vomiting and nausea after about a month on 5mg last year. I got Cyclizine from my GP which have been great. I went back down to 2.5mg for about a month, then increased gradually.
Sometimes when I get a lot of nausea, I’ll take a lower dose for 1 week (50 clicks of the 5mg instead of the full 60), and it normally sees me OK.
My side effects are diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, Sulphur burbs and farts, and extreme fatigue.
The first week was the worse. The second week not as bad. I take Imodium, it stops it straight away. No constipation. I weighed 13 stone and 8lb and now weigh 12 stone 13Ib in the first week of taking 5mg. It horrible but worth taking mounjaro.
To keep the weight off after mounjaro life style change needs to happen with lower carbs intake.
I’m not sure if you are still active on here but I would like to communicate about the side affects and how it’s going. I’ve been on Mon. about 8 months. Have increased from 2.5 to 5.0 to 7.5 then had terrible diarrhea and vomiting. Stopped all for 4 weeks and am now back on 5.0. Having strong uncontrollable diarrhea and am wondering if it is what I’m eating, or not eating. Is there something that you take before the side effects start – like Pepto Bismo or Psyllium tablets? I don’t want to stop but the diarrhea is awful and then I sleep for 8 - 10 hours. Thanks for any help, or just conversing about it.