Coming off sema... what should I expect?

Ant_Dad273

Ant_Dad273

Active member
Okay, so I'm calling it quits with this medication. My stomach is constantly upset, the nausea is awful, and I'm too wiped out to even think about hitting the gym. I'm thinking I'll just go back to a low carb diet to meet my goals.

I'm at the end of my first month on 1mg. I was thinking of doing 3 weeks at .5 and then 3 weeks at .25 before stopping altogether. Does this sound okay? Or should I just do 2 weeks at each step?

Any tips are welcome. Thanks!
 
I haven't read about any true withdrawal symptoms. If I go a day or two late on my tirzepatide injection, the only thing I notice is that I'm hungrier than usual.

But tapering down your dose could help minimize any side effects as you stop. The side effects tend to be related to the size of the dose.
 
Well, you're saying you feel bad now, so quitting would make you feel better faster. The point of a taper would just be to make the transition back to normal hunger levels easier. I don't think there's any chemical dependency with these drugs, so withdrawal isn't really a thing.
 
If you decide to give sema another shot later, or maybe try tirzepatide or retatrutide, you might want to have some over-the-counter or prescription meds on hand to help with the side effects.

I've found that THC gummies, gabapentin, and even acetaminophen can help when I'm dealing with stomach pain.
 
I'd think about just cutting back your dosage for now. The standard schedule is kinda aggressive for some people. I didn't even start at .25mg, I went with half of that for a while and titrated up *super* slowly. Started in October, and I'm only at .75mg now. Being at 1mg only three months in sounds like hell.
 
Maybe you could pause sema and try retatrutide or tirzepatide instead? I didn't do well on sema and didn't lose any weight. These meds all work a bit differently, so you might have a better experience with one of the others.
 
Even if there are side effects, it's worth it if it can help you live longer, but that's just my opinion. Do what's best for you.

The first few weeks are tough, but it does get better. Once you reach your goal weight, you can spread out the injections and live a fat-free life.
 
I think it depends on WHY you are taking it. Some people use it to kickstart new habits, and then stop! I saw one person say they had been off for five months & hadn't gained a pound back. She was still following the diet she had while using the medication.

Another person said
half-of-me said:
Even if there are side effects, it's worth it if it can help you live longer, but that's just my opinion.
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that for some people, these meds are not optional. If you are using them for insulin resistance, you might need to stay on them long term for proper function. Talk to your doctor!
 
Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I'm still torn. I think I'll try a slower taper... maybe stay at each dose level for a month instead of just two or three weeks. And [@FunkyDad433] thanks for the tip about having some meds on hand for the stomach issues if I decide to try something else later.
 
To [@In_The_Making]'s point, I've also seen people online say that even if you get your diabetes into remission, you are still technically diabetic. You might want to get a second opinion on completely stopping the medication. Maybe just lowering the dose would be a better approach.
 
Right, when weight comes off we naturally shed some muscle too, mostly from the legs. Think of how buff and muscular someone's calves get when they're carrying all that extra load - they're basically wearing their own biological ballast. When it goes away, that goes away too.
 
Resistance training cranks up water retention, especially with creatine. At your level the sides shouldn't be bad. You're blazing new ground though, so it's uncharted.
 
Curious what happens with pricing after the holiday break. New to this so haven't seen the pattern. Do prices climb higher or dip back with sales? I noticed prices went up during the holidays. Should I grab stock before they jump more or wait for things to settle?
 
all food labels need actual checking. even 'protein bars' have like 5g protein in the whole thing lol. call it a vitamin C bar then too i guess? don't get me started on carbs and sugar. your job to read and figure what fits your intake, regardless of marketing on the front.
 
thinking ahead on maintenance now. i'm on tirz and doing well but i don't want that food noise to roar back. i'm building better eating habits but the quiet is everything. has anyone switched down to sema for maintenance after using tirz for the heavy lifting?
 
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