GLP-1 meds - Help a newbie out?

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ProteinHoarder

Active member
Hey everyone! I'm 40 and my doctor mentioned GLP-1s for weight loss. I'm trying to get the basics down, but there's just so much! What are the real side effects like? Is the sick feeling as bad as I've read? And does health insurance typically pay for these or am I going to have to pay for it myself? Any advice? Thanks!
 
Read up for sure. If you just care about simple and don't have coverage, a compounding source is a good way to go for sure. Just be sure it is legit. If you want to save even more, you can order the raw stuff, but that requires work.
 
Even paying $500 every 3 months saved me a lot of money as compared to buying healthy foods to snack on all day. Of course I've moved on from compounding now since I found better options, but it was a perfect way how to get started.
 
Some insurance plans will pay for GLP-1s. Did you get a prescription from your doctor? Have you contacted your insurance company to check if they cover it? If they don't there are still options. As for side effects, they vary from person to person. I haven't had any nausea or stomach problems, but I did have some back discomfort that resolved in a couple weeks. I also had mild constipation. It just depends on the person and the medication.
 
I think I saw something that some companies will even call insurance for you. As for nausea, sema seems to cause it more than tirz does. My pharmacist told me people should start with tirz for the better weight loss. A lot of doctors feel the same way.
 
If your insurance does pay, don't forget to check for copay assistance from the drug companies. They can cover up to $200 or so of your copay, no matter what your income is. You just fill out the form online and bring the approval to your pharmacy. I didn't pay anything for a year, then it was $700 per month. That's when I started using a compounding pharmacy.
 
I can only talk about my experience with semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy). My husband and my mom both take Ozempic for diabetes, and their insurance covers it. My mom is on Medicare and pays $45 for a month's supply. My husband pays a $25 copay for the same thing. My insurance wouldn't cover GLP-1s for weight loss unless I had diabetes, so I was paying $500/month for Wegovy. I'm pretty overweight. I couldn't keep paying it, so now I'm doing some research. We all started with a low dose and increased gradually. My husband, who isn't overweight, hasn't had any side effects. Ozempic is working well for his diabetes. My mom, who is also overweight, recently complained about stomach issues after a few months on 1mg. It could be from other things. She's in her 70s and doesn't take the best care of herself. I had some cramps a few times at the lowest dose. I just drank more water and added fiber. I'm currently at 0.5mg and doing okay. My mom shed over 30 pounds in about 8 months. My husband didn't lose any weight. I've lost 17 pounds in 2 months.
 
I used a compounding pharmacy for a few months too. It was enough time for me to see it was working! Time to find the next thing!
 
Thanks! I'm a newbie so a compounding source might be the best place to start. The raw powders and mixing are way over my head now. Maybe I'll try it later once I figure out the basics.
 
This is the exact info I needed! Hearing how it works for different people is super helpful. The insurance thing with diabetes vs. obesity makes me mad, but it's good to know. $500 a month is too much for most people. Your side effects sound not too bad. And congrats on your weight loss!
 
1. Some get bad side effects. I barely got any. The only side effect for me was constipation, but I have IBS so I needed it! 2. Some insurance won't pay, so check. If you can get the real deal, why not? My insurance didn't cover weight loss stuff, even though I have a family history of diabetes. If they won't pay, you can use a compounding pharmacy. It's changed my life, so I suggest you try.
 
Update: I just bought over a year's worth of sema for $200 (10 vials with 10mg). I also spent like $70 on injection supplies. Mixing it was easy, I just watched a YouTube video. Last week, I bumped up my dose to 1mg a week. Still getting slight cramps when I poop. It isn't bad. It only happens the day after the shot. I bought some reta ($300 for 10 vials) but haven't used it. I'm sticking with 1mg sema for a month and then deciding if I want to add it.
 
You might want to take it easy going up so fast. It takes time to build up. The starting dose for sema is 0.25 for 4 weeks. If you start losing, don't go up until you stop.
 
Good point. Unless you go above the max of 2.4 mg per week, you only need 90mg for the first year according to the dosing schedule. For the first 3 months, you only need 7 mg total. 0.25 the first month, 0.5 the second, and 1 mg the third. You can buy a little bit to start to save money
ProteinHoarder said:
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If you're worried about side effects, just try tirz instead. Nausea and heartburn is pretty bad on sema. If you overeat you will get it anyway. I got nauseous after eating 3 meals one day, needed the extra calories, had a tattoo. That was like 3000 calories when I normally eat 2000.
 
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