Have you ever pondered the effects of taking the ‘golden dose’ of Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is a medication primarily used to reduce blood sugar levels for individuals managing type 2 diabetes. However, it has also gained popularity among those seeking weight loss solutions.
This drug has proven effective for many, with celebrities such as Meghan Trainor, Amy Schumer, and Jeremy Clarkson openly discussing their use of it for weight management.
Despite its benefits, there are concerns about users potentially misusing Mounjaro by extracting additional doses from the injector pens, an act health experts caution could pose significant risks.
Typically, each injector pen is pre-filled with a specific dose meant to be administered weekly over a four-week period.
Allegedly, some users have noticed residual medication left in the pen after the prescribed cycle and have circulated a ‘hack’ to recover this leftover liquid.
The term ‘golden dose’ has emerged on social media, with numerous individuals suggesting that using a syringe and needle could extract these remnants, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Earim Chaudry, MBBS, chief medical officer at health provider Voy, has highlighted the potential dangers associated with taking an unofficial fifth dose from an injection pen.
Dr. Chaudry explained: “Overdosing can quickly lead to dangerous and unpleasant symptoms like severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
“In rare cases, it could even trigger serious complications like pancreatitis. These medications are carefully calibrated for your safety, so stepping outside the guidance isn’t just bending the rules, it’s putting your health on the line.”
Hans J. Schmidt, MD, from Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, concurs with Dr. Chaudry, advising against the use of the ‘golden dose’.
In extreme cases, misuse could lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition.
“Medical experts do not recommend this and the (Mounjaro) drug maker has warned that the process of ‘breaking into the pens’ is not clean and could put users ‘at risk of harm including’ infection due to potential bacteria, an abscess, (and) if an abscess is left untreated, it could progress to sepsis,” the expert said, as per Medical News Today.
Following these expert opinions, the manufacturers of Mounjaro, El Lilly, released a statement.
“The Mounjaro (tirzepatide) KwikPen is designed to deliver a fixed volume of Mounjaro solution at each dose,” a spokesperson for the company stated.
“The KwikPen contains sufficient solution to allow for the necessary priming before each injection and the delivery of a total of four doses (one dose given weekly for a 28-day supply of medicine).
“Medication will remain in the KwikPen cartridge following the delivery of the 4 fixed doses, however, an additional complete dose cannot be dialed. The KwikPen must be discarded after four doses or 30 days after first use.”