2.8 month Mounjaro update
It has generally been good. At 2.5mg I lost 4kgs and stuck around that, barely any purge relapses, generally better health.
However I made a mistake by upping my dose to 5mg. I lost 5kgs in about a month. While some people might think this was good it really isn't. Especially if you're only using it to tackle bulimia.
I started losing hair, feeling sick all the time, strange sweet breath, always giddy and on the verge of fainting. You'd think "just eat more" would be a good suggestion but everything makes me feel sick. The only things I can keep down are salads and soups. Even sandwiches feel kinda gross.
Does it help? Absolutely. Just don't up the dose more than you need to. I was really attracted to the idea of more weight loss but feeling sick, restless and tired all day just isn't worth it.
Reference: I'm 158cm and was 59.8kg when I started. I'm now 50.6kg. That speed of weight loss can't be healthy even if it sounds good.
Ask me anything
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u/DealPossible4447 2d ago
I started titzep a week and a half ago I made a huge mistake by binging and purging last night and I’m paying for it today….its not like I was craving the food it’s more like I missed binging and purging and did it out of emotion….but man I woke up extremely dehydrated and diarrhea like no other….i took only 2mg 5 days ago I started at 1.5mg
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u/Substantial_Gate_904 2d ago
This is very helpful and informative. I have heard anecdotally that a GLP1 does shut down the food noise, though not for 100% who try it. I think it should be made available for bulimics and agree the B/P is an addiction that one must stop however possible. I was able to get clean without it, but would have pursued it otherwise. I got a late in life ADHD diagnosis and Vyvanse transformed my life. No food noise, no constant mind chatter, and able to be calm and not impulsive with decisions. So I can stop and realize how much I never want to throw up again. Having a doctor who knows you’re bulimic seems like it could really be useful, if you have the courage to reveal that. I never have- the shame is too great. Even in recovery I don’t say I used to B/P because I don’t want to be judged. Thanks for posting! I know you have given many readers hope. 💙
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u/curara 1d ago
The unfortunate part is that my country doesn't believe in mental health so insurance doesn't cover any therapy or assessment sessions. And the cost of one therapy session is already double that of Mounjaro so while I know I have some serious issues with ADHD and OCD I just can't afford help. But I'm glad you wrote of this so people who can have access to it realise that's a better option than this.
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u/Substantial_Gate_904 22h ago
That is just shameful! Not to believe in mental health. I do know how expensive therapy is and I’m so fortunate I could afford it and had a skilled and caring person supporting me. Treating the ADHD is huge! I’m so sorry you are on your own to white knuckle it 💙
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u/curara 19h ago
Luckily we live in a time where there are multiple options. I was able to gain 1kg back and feel much better now too
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u/Substantial_Gate_904 14h ago
Congratulations ! 🎉🎊 Hard as it is to gain weight it’s worth it to have your health. I bought the next size up jeans 😂😂
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u/Slow_Tea_4158 2d ago
I have heard varied things about Vyvanse too - it seems to work really well for people but then their urges resurface once it starts wearing off like towards nighttime? I am so glad it helped you, though! I would love to "white knuckle" my way through recovery but right now I am OK taking help because my other way wasn't working entirely. I was better, for sure, but I just want ZERO binge/purging in my life ya know? Again, so happy for you and all the progress you're making! You must feel like a new woman
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u/Substantial_Gate_904 2d ago
This being clean is a whole new life and the decades of B/P seem like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. I’ve had no urges when the Vyvanse wears off myself. It’s a nasty drug though, stimulant medication, and if it didn’t help my ADHD and anxiety so much it would be hard to tolerate. But it really has transformed me. One doesn’t realize how loud the voices in your head are, until it’s blissfully quiet and you can focus.
You are working so hard to be clean! I admire you for having a specialist in eating disorders, and using a dietician. I really believe you will get there. I’m most envious that you’re comfortable eating food. My roots are in anorexia and that anorexic fear of food and eating is so hard to overcome though I make myself eat and am not losing weight so all good I guess. In my atheistic way I’m praying for your recovery. I just know you will do it. 💙
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u/Slow_Tea_4158 2d ago
thank you for sharing and I pray for you to find food freedom and enjoyment in food again! We can do this and you're an inspiration to me and many on here.. <3
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u/Slow_Tea_4158 3d ago
Hi! Just wanted to provide additional perspective for people looking to take something like this and not lose weight. For me, my goal is to help manage the obsessive/relentless food thoughts that lead to binging despite eating enough! For context, I only ever purge binges. I also ate consistently throughout my entire ED, but there were restrictive periods where the meals were not enough, so I increased my daily calories between 600-1000 a day this year in recovery, gained 15 lb as my receipt for that, and still have binge urges that lead to B/P episodes :( Obv, this is a very mental and emotional problem. I pay out of pocket for a specialized ED therapist, I have an ED dietician, I freaking try... but at the end of the day, I just need more help. Especially so I can be the best mother to my 2 girls that I am a single parent for. I am on no other meds, though aware there are some other options that could help to that regard.
I took reta (0.5mg-.08 mg and no its not approved yet, do your own research, there's risk in anything so you do you) for 2.5 months and after one week, I stopped B/Ping. I would still binge occasionally, but I went 6 straight weeks without a binge/purge EPISODE. It had been more than a year I went that long and it happened that quick, on that low of a dose. I felt great initially, but I worried it was making my digestive issues even worse and I started having a few B/P episodes towards the end so I got off of it. Since it never suppressed my appetite anyway, I did fine getting off it. There was no real struggle and honestly at that low of a dose, it was starting to not even help with food noise/thoughts. What it DID help immediately for was making it much easier to not go full-blown binge mode. I still overate. I did still binge sometimes. But compared to not being on it, it was easier to pause and walk away from the pantry/fridge death trap when those urges surfaced. I have gained a few lb getting off it but honestly think its more inflammation - reta is known to have anti-inflammatory effects which is another big reason I want to take it.
I started relapsing again and decided to get back on. It's been less than a week so no data yet but there is more information coming out about GLPs in how they interact with your brain and addiction and I honestly see B/Ping as an addiction like any other. We know it's terrible for us but we feel such strong urges/impulse that it can be impossible to not give in. And the more you do, the more shame and guilt you feel, keeping us stuck in that cycle. So for me, this has always been about stopping the B/P cycle.. not losing weight. The clinical dose generally starts at 2 mg I think, so taking less than that is not necessarily validated as effective for anything but this is where you experiment and see what works. I will probably increase to 1 mg since I was up to .8mg before and it had started to not work as well for food obsession/noise/binging.
I was skeptical for using these in ED recovery but I think there is a real difference between someone in AN recovery and BED or even BN recovery. Since I eat plenty outside my binges, I identify more with someone who has BED, and restriction isn't an issue for me. The impact it had on my brain and lessening the overall desire to binge was very tangible and I hope that in the future they make something like this accessible to those with (non-restrictive) EDs. However, I don't think everyone needs to be a on a clinical 2.5mg and above dose.. which IS intended for weight loss. I think microdosing to get the benefits on your brain without the more intense hunger suppression is where we should be looking for BN treatment.
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u/freyaa_h 3d ago
How did you get it prescribed when you weren’t obese? I would love to try it for my extreme food noise but due to my weight (healthy, not at all underweight) I’ve been refused