Oops! Maybe Went Too Hard on Reta...

A couple of weeks at 5mg and no effect yet is consistent with quality issues or a slow early response. The 5mg mark is where most people start noticing something, so a few more weeks before drawing conclusions makes sense. What did the jump from lower doses feel like?

the four-day rough window at 0.5 then clearing to minor is the standard pattern - the first few days at each new dose level are the worst of what that dose will produce, and it usually stabilizes significantly by day 4 or 5. the OTC support during that window is the right call for getting through without backing off a dose that would otherwise work

Actually moved up to 4mg this past Sunday. Might just be in my head, but it felt like a noticeably strong shift. Started at 1mg, bumping 1mg every three weeks. Barely noticed anything on the earlier increases, but 4mg hit differently. First off, zero cravings whatsoever. It's Friday night and I've eaten considerably less all week since Sunday. Normally around Thursday I'd start feeling mild pulls toward food, nothing this time. Also was averaging roughly 1kg weekly on the earlier amounts, this week I dropped 1.7kg. Could be coincidence or placebo, but there's genuinely something different about the 4mg level. And for what it's worth, I haven't dealt with any major side effects since starting Reta, and the 4mg jump hasn't changed that. Only thing worth mentioning is ongoing constipation, though manageable, nothing overwhelming. Staying hydrated and eating enough fiber daily keeps it under control...

Did you deal with much in the way of side effects jumping straight into Reta at 6mg? Sounds like weight loss wasn't really happening for you though, which is kind of unusual.

Twelve days on this forum and suddenly you're the authority compared to folks who've been running Reta way longer and done fine with these bigger amounts. Trust me, 9mg's nothing to worry about. My wife and I both took that same amount this morning without a single issue. Curious, what's your actual timeline on Reta so far, and how old are you?

Started at 250mcg, felt zero effect. .5mg brought on some queasiness for a stretch that faded out. Planning to move to 750mcg next week. Also running reta at 6mg currently.

Everyone's got such wildly different takes on reta, hard to know what's actually right.

Looking back, probably should've listened to the go-slow, give-it-a-month crowd. Started at a small amount and felt it a bit the next morning. Moved up after about a week and felt hunger hit harder than before a few days after dosing. Settled into a routine every five days and things went smoothly.

But after reading that this compound only really kicks in at a higher amount, felt compelled to push the dose up even though the lower one was already doing its job. First week at the higher amount felt low, almost like a mood crash, no motivation for anything. Getting to the gym took real effort, forgot to eat entirely one day, genuinely rough stretch. Two weeks in at that amount now and it actually feels good. Barely any food cravings, but can still eat what's needed. Just have to set reminders to avoid accidentally undereating for the day.

The two biggest tradeoffs at the moment, feeling genuinely weak at the gym since intake's still too low to perform well, which is probably slowing progress and maybe costing some muscle. Other downside is bathroom unpredictability, used to run like clockwork but now there's no telling.