Pen tricks: worth it?

G

GeneProgress

Active member
Hi everyone,

I'm still using 0.25 mg, and my first pen is almost empty. I've been reading about people counting clicks to save money, and I'm thinking of asking my doctor for a higher dose prescription. I'm paying for the medication myself, and the larger doses cost about the same as the smaller ones. If I count clicks, I could potentially save a lot.

However, the pens would be sitting around for much longer after I start using them.

I expect my doctor to increase my dose to 0.5 mg when I finish this pen. If that happens, I'd like to get the 1 mg pen and only take half the dose. But 1 mg pens are usually for 4 weeks, so with half doses, it would need to last for 8 weeks. Would it still be effective after that long? The instructions say to use a pen within 4 weeks of starting it.

What has been your experience?

Also, I think there'll be a little bit of medicine left in my pen after the fourth dose. Do you all use the leftovers using the click method as well?
 
The packaging says to only use them for about 8 weeks after using them. But I've heard of people on Reddit using them for longer than that without any issues. 16 weeks sounds like it might be pushing it, though. Maybe keeping it in the fridge might help, but who knows if it's still effective at that point.
 
Yep, I do the same thing. As far as I know, the pens last way longer than the suggested time frame. I measure out 30 clicks for a half dose and can get about two months out of one pen. Plus, I use a syringe to get out any extra at the end.
 
The packaging might be different in different areas. My 1mg pen only has 4 doses. I didn't even know they packaged it with 8 needles. The most I've ever seen was the starter pack with only 6.
 
My spouse became pregnant and stopped using a pen that had 3 doses left. It was in the refrigerator for 3 months before I tossed it. Before I threw it away, I tried to empty it by putting a needle on it and counting out a dose, but the button wouldn't work, and the dial wouldn't turn on.
 
I tried explaining my money-saving plan to my doctor, but either they were not understanding, or there's some unknown reason they couldn't prescribe a larger dose.
 
The 1mg pen contains 4mg of the drug, so it has enough for 8 doses of 0.5mg if you're counting clicks. The 2mg pens have 8mg of the drug inside. But you probably won't stay on 0.5mg for very long since it's just an introductory dose. Typically, 1mg and higher doses are used for weight loss. If you can get a 2mg pen, it should last up to 8 weeks. Some people continue to lose weight on the 1mg dose for a while. But once your weight loss slows down to less than a pound each week, it's probably time to increase the dose. You can try 1.4mg for a little while longer.
 
Thanks for all the input, everyone! It sounds like the pens *might* last longer than the official recommendation, but it's still a bit risky. I think I'll talk to my doctor and see if they have any insights. Maybe they can prescribe the 2mg pen and I can just adjust the dose myself... worth a shot!
 
I've heard from others that sometimes increasing the dose isn't always the answer. I saw a post on Reddit where someone went back to a lower dose and found it more effective. Maybe your body responds better to a smaller amount. It's definitely something to discuss with your doctor, though.
 
Wow, that's interesting Shot_Goals! So if you stopped losing weight at, say, 7.5mg, you could go back to a dose that *did* work for you? I thought you just had to keep upping it.
 
AntAF said:
Wow, that's interesting Shot_Goals! So if you stopped losing weight at, say, 7.5mg, you could go back to a dose that *did* work for you? I thought you just had to keep upping it.
Click to expand...

That's the impression I got! Apparently, some doctors increase the dose too quickly. The Reddit post I saw said that you should stay at a dose that's working until you plateau, and *then* increase it. Some people even go back to the dose where they were losing weight.
 
I've heard about people splitting doses too. Like, instead of taking 1mg once a week, they take 0.5mg twice a week. Supposedly it helps with side effects and keeps the medication more consistent in your system. Has anyone here tried that?
 
I tried splitting my dose when weight loss stopped. Didn't do anything for me. I was just hungry all the time instead of only being hungry the last couple days before my next shot.
 
This is all great info. I appreciate everyone sharing experiences! I'm going to write all this down before talking to my doc.
 
started october at 260. holidays went well. hit a bump at 30 lbs lost in january, lost 10 more by february. almost under 220 two weeks ago, then stopped. been 222-225 all week, up 3-5. on 2mg weekly. tried intermittent fasting, walk 1-2 miles daily, drink tons of water. was the 40 lbs lost enough to get me to gym more?
 
Down 33 lbs, 31 inches total, and bloodwork is solid now. Started at 275, got to 235 on willpower alone, then plateaued for months. This medication is incredible - I'm on a low dose with no side effects. Hope it becomes cheaper and easier to get; could save millions of lives.
 
got uncontrollable itch started on my back then all over limbs. crazy. doc gave steroids and antihistamine, 60 percent better but on double dose. rash moves around mostly limbs. healing super slow too, itchy bite took eight weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top