Mounjaro is an injectable remedy used to handle blood sugar ranges in individuals with kind 2 diabetes.
If that is your first time taking an injectable drug, you might have questions on the place and tips on how to give an injection.
This information will train you all the things it is advisable find out about injecting Mounjaro.
Get to know your Mounjaro pen, prescription, and dose
Earlier than you inject your remedy, you need to be acquainted with the pen and pen needle, your prescription, and your dose.
Mounjaro is available in a single-dose injectable pen, which many individuals refer to easily as a “pen.”
Mounjaro pens are about six inches lengthy with a hidden pen needle on one finish and a small plunger button on the opposite finish that may robotically inject the remedy.
There are six totally different pens accessible, relying on the dose your physician or different certified healthcare skilled prescribes.
Learn extra in: Mounjaro Dosing Information: How A lot Ought to You Take?
The producer designed every pen to ship just one dose, lowering the chances of somebody overdosing on the remedy.
The pen must be thrown away in a sharps container after a single use.
For those who’ve by no means used a pen, your physician’s workplace or pharmacist can provide you data on tips on how to safely use your Mounjaro pen.
The producer, Eli Lilly, additionally has an internet site describing tips on how to safely inject the remedy.
What does a dose appear like?
Your dose your healthcare supplier prescribes will range relying in your weight, top, way of life, and well being targets.
Mounjaro is run subcutaneously (beneath your pores and skin) as soon as per week.
The totally different dosing choices accessible are:
- 2.5 mg per week (for the primary 4 weeks as a beginning dose)
- 5 mg per week
- 7.5 mg per week
- 10 mg per week
- 15 mg per week
Please word: Every dose is available in a single-use pen designed to ship your complete dose in a liquid quantity of 0.5 mL.
Your physician will decide the suitable upkeep dose for you, which might vary anyplace from 5 mg to fifteen mg per week.
By no means take extra of the quantity of Mounjaro than your physician prescribed.
Learn extra: Mounjaro Dosing Information: How A lot Ought to You Take?
The place is the most effective place on my physique to inject Mounjaro?
At all times rotate (or change up) your injection websites to stop the buildup of scar tissue.
Mounjaro is greatest injected into fatty tissue, resembling areas across the stomach, higher arms, higher thighs, and hips.
It’s not beneficial to inject into lean or largely muscular elements of the physique.
Injections in these areas are usually painful, might bleed greater than regular, and might trigger the remedy to be much less efficient. (Injections into fatty tissue might trigger slight ache or discomfort.)
Mounjaro ought to by no means be injected right into a vein or artery.
Methods to inject Mounjaro
You must inject the quantity of medication your physician prescribed below the pores and skin into fatty tissue not more than as soon as per week, ideally on the identical day on the similar time.
The time of day to your injection normally doesn’t matter — select the time that works greatest so that you can be in keeping with the method.
The steps to comply with for injecting Mounjaro are outlined under.
Get your provides prepared
For greatest outcomes, use a 28- to 31-gauge needle greater than 2.1 millimeters (mm) lengthy that may ship the 0.5 mL dose of Mounjaro that your healthcare supplier prescribed.
Get your Mounjaro pen and an alcohol swab prepared.
Examine your dose to ensure you have the right pen.
Take away the cap from the entrance a part of your pen and look by the pen’s plastic window to ensure the liquid contained in the pen is evident.
If the liquid is discolored, cloudy, or frozen, or has particles floating in it, don’t use it.
Discover a great spot in your physique and put together the location for the shot
Select an space in your physique with fatty tissue, resembling your abdomen, hips, higher thighs, or higher arms.
Put together the location in your pores and skin by shortly rubbing it with an alcohol swab and letting it air dry.
Injecting whereas the alcohol continues to be moist might trigger stinging.
Injecting Mounjaro
Ensure your pen is locked and don’t unlock your pen till you place the bottom of the pen in your pores and skin and are able to inject.
To unlock your pen, take away the grey cap by pulling it away from the clear base. You’ll then throw away the grey cap. Observe: You don’t have to discard the cap in a particular container. It’s OK to discard the grey cap within the family trash.
Now, the needle might be uncovered. Don’t contact the needle or you’ll contaminate it.
Place the clear base towards your pores and skin, and unlock the pen by turning the lock ring.
Press the highest of the pen. This may launch the remedy.
The primary click on you’ll hear is when the injection is beginning, adopted by a second click on just a few seconds later. This allows you to know that the injection has completed.
Maintain the pen towards your pores and skin for as much as 10 seconds to ensure all the remedy has been dispersed.
You’ll know the injection is full when you possibly can see the grey plunger by the glass.
Take away the pen out of your pores and skin.
Wipe away any blood or remedy that has bubbled to the floor of your pores and skin with a clear alcohol swab.
Discard the Mounjaro pen safely
Since Mounjaro pens are solely good for a one-time use, you’ll then discard the pen in a sharps container.
Don’t throw the pen away with common trash. Don’t recycle your pen.
How do I do know if I injected Mounjaro accurately?
You’ll know for those who’ve injected your remedy accurately for those who hear two clicks (one firstly of your injection and one on the finish).
Don’t take away the pen till you hear the second click on. These clicks are loud and detectable to most individuals.
Some individuals might hear a comfortable click on proper earlier than the second loud click on. That’s regular.
Don’t take away the pen out of your pores and skin till you hear the second loud click on.
Additionally, you will see the grey plunger in case your dose was administered accurately.
If you don’t see the grey plunger, contact Eli Lilly at 1-800-Lilly-Rx (1-800-545-5979) for additional steerage.
What’s the greatest time of day to inject Mounjaro?
The most effective time of day to take Mounjaro is while you’ll bear in mind to take it.
There isn’t any official greatest time, however individuals normally pair their Mounjaro shot with different routine actions — resembling consuming breakfast or making their morning espresso.
You possibly can take your weekly dose at any time of day, however it’s best to plan to take it on the identical day every week.
What do I do if I miss a dose of Mounjaro?
Don’t panic — that is OK. Lacking one dose won’t drastically improve your insulin resistance or make you achieve weight.
Nonetheless, the remedy works greatest when it’s taken constantly.
It’s also possible to take your dose just a few days late. Simply be sure to then change the day of the week that you just routinely take your shot to repeat on the identical day every week.
Additionally, when altering the day you’re taking your subsequent dose, by no means take the following dose lower than three days (or 72 hours) from the time of the missed dose.
For instance, for those who at all times take your Mounjaro on Sundays however didn’t take your shot till Tuesday morning, it’s best to wait till the next Tuesday to take your subsequent dose.
Nonetheless, for those who missed your dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) in the past, simply skip that week’s dose and take your commonly scheduled dose on time.
How do I correctly retailer Mounjaro?
Retailer your pen within the fridge between 36 levels to 46 levels Fahrenheit (2 levels to eight levels Celsius).
You might also retailer your pen at room temperature as much as 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius) for as much as 21 days.
By no means freeze your pen. If the pen has been frozen, throw the pen away and use a brand new one.
Retailer your pen within the unique carton to guard it from mild publicity and warmth.
The pen has glass elements. Deal with it rigorously.
Closing ideas
Mounjaro affords a handy and efficient solution to management blood sugar ranges by a once-weekly injection. Its user-friendly pen design makes it simpler so that you can handle your blood sugar — even for those who’re new to injecting drugs.
The important thing to success when utilizing Mounjaro lies in following your physician’s directions as carefully as doable by taking the medication on the prescribed dosage and injecting it utilizing the right approach.
It’s important to grasp the assorted elements of the Mounjaro pen, choose the suitable injection website, and comply with the step-by-step course of for administering the remedy.
Remembering to rotate injection websites and correctly retailer the remedy can also be essential for sustaining its effectiveness and minimizing discomfort.
Instructed subsequent article: All the pieces You Have to Know About Mounjaro.
