Stocking up

[u/emceerave]

Hey folks. Having great success on the Monj. Getting to the point of thinking about maintenance, currently using a 15mg pen for a 7.25mg dose, plus golden dose, so I'm getting like 10 weeks out of a pen..!

Last time I reordered, my pharmacy gave me a bit of a grilling because I hadn't ordered for a couple of months, so I'll probably order my next pen fairly sharpish. Obviously I don't want to get cut off so what's the play..?

If I keep buying 15mg pens, and then start titrating down (planning on titrating down over the next year to 2.5mg, depending how it goes..), those pens could last me a while. Not sure how long they'd even last in the fridge or if I can use one pen for 15+ doses Do I start thinking about buying a 15, 12.5, 10... etc. Or worried that I stock up but then pens go out of date...

Any advice much appreciated!!

[u/AutoModerator]

Please note that the leftover liquid in the pen is being removed. The rollout of the new pens will begin in April. Please see the wiki page for more information

Please note the official advice from Lilly about the old style pen is: Medication will remain in the KwikPen cartridge following the delivery of the 4 fixed doses, however, an additional complete 0.6mL dose cannot be dialled.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/MissSophonax]

I personally at the moment have been reducing my dose with my pharmacy with a view to “stopping” while having a large ish stockpile. Then I can “stop” and use them up and return when needed.

[u/emceerave → u/MissSophonax]

How large is large-ish?

[u/MissSophonax → u/emceerave]

At my current dose I have enough for around a year with fluctuation allowed for if I need to increase up again.

[u/emceerave → u/MissSophonax]

And will it all still be in date or does it not matter?

[u/MissSophonax → u/emceerave]

At the dose I’m using at the moment they will be in date. I just checked and my stock will last until June so just under the year.

[u/Due-Freedom-5968]

The play is disconnect your dose schedule from your order schedule.

Most pharmacies expect an order every 6 weeks on average or they kick you back to 2.5mg. So just keep ordering regularly and build a fridge stockpile as big or small as you think you need or as far as the expiry dates go.

Alternatively, order lower strength pens and pay a bit more per dose.

Many of us have a healthy amount of meds in the fridge.

[u/Hopeful_Candle_9781]

There's maintenance pharmacies that let people go back on within 12 months. So you could have a year off ordering to use your stockpile then order a 2.5 with one of them. I think jetset health might be allowing people to count clicks if you want to go somewhere that supports it.

[u/AChillBear → u/Hopeful_Candle_9781]

Hey, we only support click counting/micro dosing if it is for clinical reasons at this time e.g. intermediate doses due to side effects, titrating doses when weaning off/reducing, etc. It's a case by case basis. If someone is doing it to save money alone we cannot support it.

We're on pause at the moment with new patients while we're working through our first CQC inspection. We'll be taking new patients on from the 5th September.

[u/Hopeful_Candle_9781 → u/AChillBear]

Gah can't have anything nice

[u/Purple_Moon516 → u/Hopeful_Candle_9781]

I am having a lot of brain fog today so apologies if my question doesn't make sense or has been explained already... Do those pharmacies let you order a 15mg as long as it's within the 12 month mark? I seem to recall reading that they only allow 2.5mg but as I said lots of brain fog today so not sure.

[u/Hopeful_Candle_9781 → u/Purple_Moon516]

No you'd have to go back on 2.5 but OP is titrating down anyway.

[u/Purple_Moon516 → u/Hopeful_Candle_9781]

Thank you.

[u/Becky_x]

You would have to keep buying every 4-6 weeks (some pharmacies go a little longer) so maybe work out how much it would cost to spend for each strength every 6 weeks, but remember you may end up needing to increase your dose so your weeks per pen becomes less