Medical professionals have issued a critical warning regarding the ‘golden dose’ hack for Mounjaro, highlighting its potential fatal risks.
A recent survey showed that approximately 12 percent of American adults are using glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) drugs, primarily intended for managing Type-2 diabetes.
Mounjaro is a well-known brand that helps in reducing blood sugar levels for diabetic patients. It is also approved for obesity treatment due to its effectiveness in promoting weight loss.
However, it has been reported that an increasing number of Mounjaro users are possibly misusing the product by extracting extra doses from the injector pens to maximize their use, a practice that medical experts warn could be hazardous.
Each injector pen contains a fixed dose meant to be administered weekly, typically for four weeks.
Patients have noted that a small amount of the drug remains at the end of the pen’s usage period, and some are reportedly advocating a ‘hack’ to recover this leftover liquid.
Social media has seen posts from users suggesting that using a syringe and needle can extract the remnants to create an additional ‘golden dose,’ as reported by The Daily Mail.
In the United States, the cost of Mounjaro generally ranges from $1,000 to $1,200 monthly, according to Health System Tracker, which explains why some individuals may try to utilize every bit of the medication.
With the high cost of the pens, it is estimated that users could potentially save up to $3,210 annually by making an extra fifth dose from each pen prescribed.
A Reddit user shared: “After the fourth dose [of Mounjaro], there is enough for a fifth. Over five months, you save yourself the cost of a pen. You extract the liquid [with a needle], shake off any excess to get air bubbles out, then inject.”
Medical experts and doctors, however, caution that this trend carries significant and possibly life-threatening risks.
Professor Penny Ward, a pharmaceutical expert at King’s College London, told the news outlet: “People are reading these tips on online forums and being tempted to use them to save money.”
“But they’re risking serious side effects from overdosing by doing this — as well as the potential to develop a life-threatening infection. It’s not a good idea at all,” she added.
The professor explained that such practices can be life-threatening due to several factors, including infections, abscesses, and overdosing.
She mentioned: “These injections contain a slight overfill to ensure the full recommended dose is delivered each time. But by drawing this out with a separate syringe and using it as a so-called fifth dose, you’re exposing yourself to serious risk of infection.”
This risk arises because once the pens have been used, they are no longer sterile.
“That means using leftover liquid to inject into the skin could introduce harmful bacteria,” Ward continued. “This can lead to an abscess — a painful build-up of pus — and if left untreated, potentially progress to sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s organs begin to shut down.”
Regarding overdosing, she explained that patients may struggle to ‘measure the correct amount’ when preparing their own syringe, which could result in taking more than intended, leading to gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea and vomiting, or more severe complications such as pancreatitis.
According to the NHS, acute pancreatitis can cause severe abdominal pain, high fever, and/or vomiting that requires hospital care.
“It can be terribly tempting, particularly if you’re paying for the drug privately, to try and save money,” Professor Ward stated. “But it’s just not worth the risks.”