Switching from Sema to Reta...any advice?

Patti_Real

Patti_Real

Well-known member
Hi everyone,

I was using sema from last November until July of this year. I managed to drop some weight (around 10 lbs on lower doses). Once I increased to the 2.4mg dose, I experienced significant side effects such as extreme tiredness and a general feeling of sadness. This led to a relapse of my binge eating disorder, and I regained the lost weight :(

I'm now planning to start on reta, but I'm unsure about the appropriate starting dose. I was initially considering 0.5mg, but since I have previous experience with GLP-1 medications, I might have some tolerance.
Perhaps I should commence with 2mg, as indicated in the trials.

Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Thanks!
 
Reta doesn't have as much of the GLP-1 agonist as sema has. Most people in the studies went with at least 2mg of Reta for a month to build it up. Watch out for dehydration and make sure you get your electrolytes. Dry mouth and skin sensitivity may occur and can be from the Reta. Don't go too fast on the increases, each one makes a big diff. Take it easy.
 
Thanks for your reply Lucky_Fixed34.

I also experienced sensitive skin when I was on sema. I need to be more disciplined this time. Previously, I wasn't strict with calorie counting (although it was lower due to reduced appetite) or hydration (even though I was drinking about 2 liters with potassium and himalayan salt).
I had 2 heavy weightlifting sessions with my personal trainer. I definitely needed to incorporate more cardio, but I struggled with fatigue at the higher doses.

Thanks again!
 
I did feel pretty tired at first, but it only happened on shot day. Someone suggested pinning it at night and that did the trick. Being tired while I sleep is a win!
 
I'm curious as to why you are switching to reta instead of trying tirz first? No judgement, but I thought of it as sema-tirz-reta representing small, medium, and large doses. What factors made you pick reta?
 
I guess it's because I've heard so much about reta on the podcasts I listen to, such as Mind Pump and Dr. Seeds. Perhaps I should have considered tirz, given its reputation for better appetite suppression, which I need due to my binge eating disorder.
Looking back, I probably should have started with tirz. Even my pharmacist friend questioned my choice of sema.

Let's see what happens when my Reta arrives.
 
Sema seems to hit food noise the hardest. If you've had bad side effects even on a low dose, then I think Tirz makes sense for many reasons. It has a stronger starting effect on food noise and appetite than Reta, so it should work for Binge Eating Disorder. It's more affordable and is FDA approved. Most doctors don't even question tirzepatide anymore.

Like you said, see how it goes with Reta. If you don't get the result you want then freeze it for maintenance and try out Tirz.
 
Totally fair enough, Patti_Real. I have some BED issues myself, nowhere NEAR as destructive as it was when I was younger, but it's still a struggle. I did a high dose of tirz, and also have some Survo to use if needed. The tirz is working out great for me. I haven't had any compulsive eating, just a bit of tiredness that I'm trying to deal with.
 
#1 - Reta is not sema, so you won't be used to it at all.
#2 - You've been off sema for a while, so even if you started it again you'd need to start from the beginning.

I'd suggest starting with that 0.5mg dose to see how you react. If you're okay, then take 1mg in week 2. If you're still good, then take 2mg in the 3rd week and stay there. If you have even a small reaction, then stay at the dose until the reaction goes away.

Losing weight faster is not worth a serious reaction that makes you give up.
 
I agree with Seattle_Sleeper.

Slow and steady gets it done. Play it safe. I only started at 2mg myself because I was switching from Semaglutide to reta. And even then, there are guides on how to do that properly here, which I sorta forgot about. I honestly could have used 1mg and seen the same results since I am hypersensitive to GLP-1s. Could have saved some cash too [smily face]

See how you feel with the drug, keep track of your diet to see what your hunger is like, and increase the dosage if you don't lose weight.
 
Right now I'm taking 1mg of sema on Sunday and 2mg of reta on Wednesday. I did have a problem on Thursday after my first 2mg dose. It might have been the reta or some bad milk. Next Wednesday I'll try the 2mg again, but if I have another stomach problem I will go down to 1.5mg and then go from there.

I took 8 small doses of sema to get to 1mg. When I was happy with sema without the side effects. I added the reta slowly and it took 9 small doses before I tried my first 2mg dose.

I don't plan to up my doses or add anything new.
 
From what I've heard, Tirz is better for food noise than sema, I can't recall where Reta fits in.

Thanks for all the tips. I was planning on going slow, but I had a moment where I kinda panicked since I'd used Sema before.
I'll go slow and steady.
 
So to cut down food noise Sema is the best? Or is the GIP what makes it better at appetite reduction?
Where did you get that comparison from?

I think it was a Peter Attia podcast, I'll try and dig up the details.
 
I switched from Wegovy at 2.5mg straight to Zepbound at 2.5mg. The Wegovy didn't do anything for me except it made me really crave sugar and carbs. Hopefully Zepbound will change things!
 
Leslie64 said:
I switched from Wegovy at 2.5mg straight to Zepbound at 2.5mg. The Wegovy didn't do anything for me except it made me really crave sugar and carbs. Hopefully Zepbound will change things!
Click to expand...

Switching from sema to zep usually goes okay for most people. It works similarly but zepbound affects both GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Some people feel more hunger suppression, but the side effects might be stronger for the first few weeks. You could get nauseous or tired. It's best to start at the lowest dose and increase it slowly. Do not rush even if you feel okay initially.
 
I saw a post about someone who lost 117lbs in about a year and a half! They started on Ozempic but switched to Mounjaro because of gastroparesis. They also eat a ton of protein, are super active, and lift weights. So inspiring!
 
The practical difference most people report: Reta suppresses appetite more aggressively and the early fatigue is more pronounced than tirz. Food aversion hits more categories earlier. Weight loss pace tends to be faster at equivalent adaptation stages. The trade-off is a harder titration phase - more intense side effects front-loaded before the body settles.
 
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