Starting Mounjaro

Bring the information that is easy to forget

Make a list of prescription medicines, pharmacy medicines, vitamins and supplements, including anything used only occasionally. Mention previous problems with digestion, pancreatitis or diabetic eye disease, and any planned operation or procedure. Tell the prescriber if you have used another weight-management medicine recently.

Also explain practical constraints: shift work, caring responsibilities, difficulty using a pen or limited space to store medicines safely. These are useful details, not reasons to feel embarrassed. Ask what information will be shared with your GP and who is responsible for reviewing any other medicines as your health changes.

Set up a small first-week routine

Before the first injection, read the instructions supplied with your exact pen. Ask the pharmacist or nurse to demonstrate its use and check your understanding. Confirm the prescribed schedule, storage instructions, sharps arrangements and what to do if something goes wrong. Use the leaflet or your clinical team for missed-treatment advice.

Put the review appointment and pharmacy contact details in your phone. Keep familiar foods available and make space for regular meals rather than designing an ambitious new eating plan overnight. A few brief notes about appetite, symptoms and questions can make the next consultation much more useful. You do not need an elaborate tracking app.

Sort out contraception and the help plan early

Mounjaro can affect the reliability of the contraceptive pill. MHRA advice is to add barrier contraception for four weeks after starting and after each dose increase, or switch to a non-oral method. Discuss the timing with a pharmacist or contraception service so there is no gap in protection. Mounjaro should not be used during pregnancy. If breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, discuss the current medicine-specific advice with your clinician before starting or continuing.

Ask your prescriber which symptoms need a routine call and which need urgent care. Save that advice before you need it. If you develop severe, persistent abdominal pain, especially pain reaching your back, stop using the medicine and seek urgent medical help. Do not wait for an online provider to reply to an emergency.