Name Brand v Compound/Telehealth v Gray

[SoCalGirl]

Curious, if anyone has noticed any difference in their GLP-1s, going from Lilly/Name Brand or Telehealth/Compound Pharmacy to the 10-vial Gray Market Kits? I've only used the gray market Reta and Cagri (is Cagri considered a GLP-1??) and it works fine. I just wonder the name brand stuff is different? Is this a dumb question? 🤔 Would love to hear your opinions.

 

[Rabbits&Mushrooms]

I am replying so I can follow this in the hopes that people much smarter than will give answers! 😂

 

[CranberryRocker]

I started on name brand UK pharmacy prescribed Mounjaro kwikpens and recently moved to grey. I have not noticed any difference in efficacy. I am on 4.5mg twice weekly, so a mediumish dose. It is possible that you may notice over/underfill more on higher dose/larger grey vial mass, and may need to adjust your dose accordingly. It would depend on your sensitivity to sides I guess.

 

[indolent]

I started on compounded tirzepatide, moved to gray tirz, and then was given a few Mounjaro autoinjectors by someone who discontinued treatment. I totally hated the pens -- it was like a little minor act of violence to inject. I'm not sure if the cartridge pens people here use feel the same.

Efficacy seemed the same in all cases, but the compounded had Vitamin B6 which was, I think, responsible for my small bouts of systemic itchiness.

 

[bada bing]

I've been on lowish dose Tirz for 19 months now. Never had Lily branded stuff. I started with 6 months of compounded from Noom & Mochi. Last 13 months from grey, a couple vendors. No difference in the drug. Price and convenience are totally different.

Nothing wrong with compounded if price isn't an issue. Grey is fine if you can negotiate the pitfalls. I wouldn't pay Lily's price while there are other options.

 

[Sasquatch]

There was some compounded shit called Halorand or something similar. I don't think it's still around. But it was shit. Especially compared to EL. There no doubt lyphilized grey is typically as good, but as it's already been mentioned, overfill. At penny's per milligram, it would behoove the grey folks to give a little extra. Who wouldn't?

 

[thebonus]

I was on EL's tirz for almost year, just switched over to gray reta and I have no complaints at all.

 

[Grogu]

(is Cagri considered a GLP-1??)

Cagri along with Elora are considered a long-acting amylin analogues. Sometimes referred to as amylin receptor agonists. A different pathway than glp-1s.

I've been on all three sources of tirzepatide...

Brand ===> compounded ===> grey and they all feelz the same to me.

I used compounded sema and it felt like the grey version too.

 

[UghItsStupidNIHateIT]

Does grey tirz have b vitamins in it typically?

 

[spanky2026]

Does grey tirz have b vitamins in it typically?

Far as I know the addition of vitamins (in infinitesimal quantities) is a compounding pharmacy workaround, to say the med is a custom formulation.

 

[Estarossa19]

Curious, if anyone has noticed any difference in their GLP-1s, going from Lilly/Name Brand or Telehealth/Compound Pharmacy to the 10-vial Gray Market Kits? I've only used the gray market Reta and Cagri (is Cagri considered a GLP-1??) and it works fine. I just wonder the name brand stuff is different? Is this a dumb question? 🤔 Would love to hear your opinions.

I've purchased about 2 years worth of compounded for my wife and I that we're still working through.

Personally used compounded Tirzepatide from ProRX and BPI. BPI containing vitamin B6 as an additive from 2.5mg to the 12.5mg doses.

I've been on 15mg from grey for about 3 months now and I would say it's the same feeling.

 

[Flash-BCR]

...I've been on all three sources of tirzepatide...

Brand ===> compounded ===> grey and they all feelz the same to me.

I used compounded sema and it felt like the grey version too...

Same, my first compounded came from my primary care doctor...got handed a baggy with 4 syringes in them on the same visit that I inquired about getting a scrip for tirz. The liquid was red and I thought was from B12 (could have been B6)...I will say, the B vitamin did give a nice energy lift 👍 I then went to an online compounder, then single vial source, then to grey. Other than the B vitamin additive, all my tirz has felt pretty much the same...

 

[ToeMittens]

I started with lily’s zepbound single-use pens and did that for about 4-5 months. I never noticed any difference when I switched to compounded (Mochi). Just recently switched to gray and still no noticeable difference.

…aside from the price, that is! Mortified at how much $ I dropped at the beginning of this journey. I won’t say it wasn’t worth it, because 2.5 years later I’m in such a better place physically and mentally, but it DOES make me cringe and sigh when I think about it.

 

[Kique03]

Started on Lilly Zep for a few months and then switched to gray now 3 months, side effects and weight loss are the same. Sometimes gray is over filled which might be why I have lost more weight on gray.

 

[Gr33dyOctopus]

I didn't see it mentioned yet, but a lot of times people think that the gray is more powerful than compounded or name brand. And a reason why is the gray is often overfilled so when you're taking say 10 mg dose sometimes it's actually like a 11 or even 12 mg dose LOL.

And if you take that same 10 mg dose through Lily or compounded it's likely actually 10 mg so gray can feel more powerful though it's the same molecule more or less.

Im sure Lilly is a much cleaner version than we get but after spending tons of time here and on reddit discussing this very topic it seems very few if any can tell the difference between compound, name and gray

 

[Aterna13]

I was on grey - ran out and while finding a new vendor, i used Mounjaro pens (same dose) and I truly feel like my grey works better (because i had two different sources.)

 

[SoCalGirl]

…aside from the price, that is! Mortified at how much $ I dropped at the beginning of this journey. I won’t say it wasn’t worth it, because 2.5 years later I’m in such a better place physically and mentally, but it DOES make me cringe and sigh when I think about it.

Hey ToeMittens, do NOT be upset about the $. It is all in the cost of the journey.
🙂

 

[jailbird]

…aside from the price, that is! Mortified at how much $ I dropped at the beginning of this journey. I won’t say it wasn’t worth it, because 2.5 years later I’m in such a better place physically and mentally, but it DOES make me cringe and sigh when I think about it.

I completely understand after seeing how much a local place charges for Reta!

 

[Gt3294a]

I started with lily’s zepbound single-use pens and did that for about 4-5 months. I never noticed any difference when I switched to compounded (Mochi). Just recently switched to gray and still no noticeable difference.

…aside from the price, that is! Mortified at how much $ I dropped at the beginning of this journey. I won’t say it wasn’t worth it, because 2.5 years later I’m in such a better place physically and mentally, but it DOES make me cringe and sigh when I think about it.

Common. Friend of mine other day brought up taking tirz and paying like 500 bucks a month for doctor visit and product. I said, you can get a years worth for a few hundred. Had a very interesting look on his face.

 

[ToeMittens]

Common. Friend of mine other day brought up taking tirz and paying like 500 bucks a month for doctor visit and product. I said, you can get a years worth for a few hundred. Had a very interesting look on his face.

I wish someone had told me when I was paying $1200 for 4 weeks of Zep pens! 😭

 

[TazaTaza]

I can tell the difference between name brand and grey, no question. I stockpiled some pens since my doctor made me take it biweekly, and I compared a pen one week vs grey inj the next.

Name brand is the truth. I feel it working within 30 min, suppression hits like a bus, and I always get a slight headache after injection...never with grey really. I can even taste the meds during the name brand shot. No ISRs, no endos/sterility worries, weight melted off...was way cheaper than grey. Every pin day was standardized/the same effect.

Grey gets the job done, but it's not name brand and never will be. Name brand is NOT bac + RUO glp w/unknown fillers. Name brand formula is more pure and tested/optimized for drug delivery. Basic m/p tests can say it's "the same," but it's really not. Quality of API and formulation matter. Think Diet Coke vs offbrand, Advil vs generic ibuprofen. You feel/taste the differences. That's why their formulation techniques are patented.

Long term, I hope there's a path to cheaper name brand Tirz. One can only hope. In the background, I'm building my freezer stash w/the good enough grey. At this rate, buying name brand from other countries might be my best bet, like people do with generic Retin-A overseas. And random note I can't wait to try name brand Reta/Elora, I know it'll go crazy.