As Mounjaro becomes more widely available on the UK and its popularity increases, it seems the dangerous hacks do too.
Typically designed for treating people with Type-2 Diabetes, the drug has started to become commonly used for weight loss treatment – along with the likes of Wegovy and Ozempic.
Mounjaro works as a GLP-1 receptor agonist with tirzepatide and essentially helps you feel full and to eat less. It’s licensed in the UK for a prescription, with some Brits getting it on the NHS while others can buy it online with a private prescription.
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But as more people seem to be opting for this, doctors are warning against the ‘golden dose’ that’s been going viral on TikTok.
Certainly not an official way of using the drug, this controversial method is a way users are getting their ‘money’s worth’.
This ‘golden dose’ is being seen by people as a way of getting an ‘extra dose’ from the injector pens. These pens are designed to deliver a fixed amount of Mounjaro each week.
And on TikTok, people have been showing ways to get every last drop out of their pens, usually with a syringe and needle.
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Basically, when some users are doing their doses, they are left with a bit of liquid in the pen, but the pen has actually registered itself as empty of the dose. Therefore, they can’t inject any more out of it.
So, like little (very unofficial) scientists, they are then using syringes and needles to extract the liquid from the pen – aiming for 0.6 ‘units’. They are then using the needle to inject themselves with this ‘golden dose’.
Rightly, you’ve probably got alarm bells ringing right now. And so do plenty of doctors.
One doc on TikTok urged people to use the treatments ‘as they are designed to be used’.
Dr Emma Sanders said: “It’s really interesting how people go from terrified of the side effects to Mounjaro, to ‘I’m just going to do this my own way’.”
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She warns that people hacking into the pens isn’t exactly ‘clean’ which could be putting them ‘at risk of significant harm’.
Others also warn that the extra liquid is there for a reason – not for an extra dose.
Professor Penny Ward told the MailOnline: "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," she said, insisting that there are multiple reasons to avoid the 'golden dose'.
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She added that while pens are sterile when dispensed, they are not once they're used, meaning that harmful bacteria could enter the bloodstream.
"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," she warned as well as highlighting the risk of overdosing.
While the golden dose may be ‘terribly tempting’, the experts are warning that it’s simply not worth the list of risks.
LADbible has contacted the manufacturer of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly, for comment.
Jess Battison