Cycling on & off GLP-1s - safe?

V

VialStory

Well-known member
Here's when I've used these meds over the last couple years:

Semaglutide April '23 - July '23 (up to 1mg, weight gone, stopped taking it)

Semaglutide again because I gained weight: Jan '24 - April '24 (same thing, 1mg, weight gone again, stopped)

Semaglutide, #3: July '24 - August '24 (worked my way up to 0.5mg then had to stop because of money)

Tirzepatide October '24 - Feb '25 (10mg, weight gone, then I quit)

So for almost 2 years, I've been doing the GLP-1 thing, dropping the weight, stopping, gaining it back, then hopping back on. Is this a bad idea? My stomach's been acting up lately, and I was thinking maybe the GLP-1 use had something to do with it. I wanna get back on sema or tirz now because I've packed on the pounds again.
 
I'd be worried about those tummy problems. Sema is pretty affordable, but maybe look into a different glp1?
 
Welcome! Thanks for sharing your story!

First thing, what Pat61 said! If you're not taking a GLP right now, your stomach issues are probably something else.

You gained the weight back since February? How much did you gain? It probably isn't that much if you weren't on it for long.

I think getting GLPs through research saves you money. You won't be eating out as much, and you'll buy less junk food.

Did the meds work the same each time you started them again? If you decide to try tirz again, it's only gonna cost you about $8/wk at the highest dose. A maintenance dose of 2.5mg will only cost $2/wk. Gaining weight costs more than that. You could save money with a maintenance dose next time.

After you figure out your stomach 😉
Pat61 said:
I'd be worried about those tummy problems. Sema is pretty affordable, but maybe look into a different glp1?
Click to expand...
 
I'm curious about how much weight you're talking about. You lose "all" the weight in a couple months and gain it "all" back in about the same amount of time. From what I've researched, you have to stay on a maintenance dose unless you're super strict when you go off it.
 
Thanks, everyone! These meds have been super helpful, so I'm happy to be here.

I weighed 134lbs on February 2nd, and I'm 158 as of today. I'm sure some of that's water, but I've gained a decent amount - abs gone, replaced with a gut. I eat around 4000-6000 calories a day when I'm not on a GLP1, sometimes even more.

I haven't used research GLP1s yet. All of mine (so far) have been prescriptions (expensive). (I'm using a heavy friend's info to get the scripts, with permission). I want to switch to research, but I'm not sure yet. I'd love to try Reta or get sema/tirz cheaper, but I don't trust myself to mix it right. I'd be worried about getting a fake.
So I'm gonna hang around here and learn more before I try that.

No, they've been less effective each time. Tirz wasn't as good as my first time on sema even though it's "stronger" and I used it longer. But it still worked, and I lost a good amount of weight in 2 months once I got to 7.5mg.
(The third time I went on sema, I got to 0.5mg, and it did nothing. But it might have worked if I had gotten to higher doses).

I plan to get back on sema or tirz ASAP (still deciding) when/if my stomach problem is diagnosed. Because these drugs mess with your GI system, I don't want to make things worse. I also need to decide if I'll buy it from a pharmacy again (expensive) or try a research vial.

I keep going back and forth between 130ish-160ish lbs (I'm 5'8). Around 150-155 I start to look heavy, and my clothes don't fit, which makes me sad, so I grab the weight loss pens again. I'm chronically ill with mental health issues, so I can't get motivated to lose weight without meds helping. I don't even care about my appearance since I stay home a lot - I just feel better when I'm under 140lbs, and not eating so much.
 
I don't think cycling on and off Glp-1s is a good idea. Some studies show that yo-yo dieting (weight cycling) can increase the risks of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and make it harder to lose weight later. And you might not get the same results you had the first time after stopping and restarting these peptides.

Some people can maintain their weight without the drugs, but most of us are probably dealing with metabolic problems, and if those aren't fixed, the weight comes back. These peptides don't cure obesity; they fix a hormone problem, like levothyroxine does for thyroid problems. They only work if you keep using them.

I'd suggest picking a peptide that works for you and staying on it for maintenance. It appears that a new benefit of GLP-1s is discovered every month, it seems. Just search "health benefits of GLP-1s" - they're incredible. I hope you find something that works!
 
Thanks again for being so open! You're going to help a lot of people with your experience.

You probably need a GLP for life. Staying on one and keeping a healthy weight might prevent diabetes and other problems caused by yo-yo dieting. You can get back to a good weight fast and stay there. Without the med and eating 4000-6000 cal/day, your health, wellness, and clothes situation doesn't look great. I bet your mental health is better on a GLP too.

You can start research simple. Buy a vial of 15mg tirz. Mix it with 1.5ml Bac water. With your history, I'd do 2.5mg (25 units on a syringe) for two weeks and 5mg (50 units) for two weeks. The next 15mg vial would give you three 5mg doses (50 units) or you can go to 7.5mg (75 units).
 
I think it's best to stay on the lowest dose possible that works for you.
sema-saved-me said:
From what I've researched, you have to stay on a maintenance dose unless you're super strict when you go off it.
Click to expand...
Totally agree. Staying on a low maintenance dose is a good idea to explore.
 
Thanks! I didn't think about the lowest effective dose. That makes sense. I automatically assumed you were supposed to go up to the highest effective dose.
 
some weeks i swear the suppression just vanishes—like i shot nothing. then boom, it's back. freaked me out the first time but now i know it's just how things cycle. haven't heard of anyone losing it all while staying on, so i'm cool with it.
 
'glp-1 replacement therapy' sounds better than 'i'm on glp-1 med.' like testosterone replacement therapy vs just saying testosterone. helps people understand these compounds actually exist for a reason.
 
Zero faith in the reset theory. My experience says nope. It's also brutal losing months of progress on an experiment. Didn't expect 3-4 months to get back there and a higher dose. If you're thinking about it, don't. Stay the course.
 
stacking glp1s to break a stall is real for some people. going up and down would probably have a different effect than stopping cold — your system adjusts to the steady state. but every body's different, worth asking your doc.
 
Cycling with multiple gaps means testing your own receptor reset each time - the data on that is thin enough to warrant caution.
 
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