Opinion/anecdote: Don't be afraid of increasing your dose

[Waclive]

From everything I've gathered, the most important thing is to stay at the lowest effective dose for as long as possible. It's better for the wallet and so you don't plateau as quick. I'm not sure how this recommendation differs from someone who is actively working out VS someone who hasn't gotten to that stage in their journey.

 

[Calm Logic]

There are people who experience good initial weight loss with 1 mg of reta. I can't imagine, but everyone is different.

For tirz, a therapeutic dose is considered 5 mg by the drug companies (one third of the max dose). So I try to get at least 5 mg now. For starting tirz, many people I know couldn't wait to go from 2.5 mg to 5 mg.

My internist seems to think almost everyone should try to get to the max (15 mg of tirz). But I have had bad sides at 7.5 mg, even after being on 12.5 mg briefly.

 

[Sasquatch]

Too bad this is in the Reta section, only. Titration choices are a big deal for folks in general. (IMO) I like the terms like easy responders and resistant responders. Me being thick/dense skinned squatch. My doc, being the opposite. Im just glad he understands this. My scale didn't move for 120+ days. If that doesn't mess with your head. . . .
So give us thick folks a break too. 2 months to double check. 2 more months to slowly titrate up. This post better not have jinxed it.😡

 

[gulangaloid]

Since it seems like my thoughts are being misrepresented and made into skillfully dispatched strawmen, I want to clarify one thing; I specifically said: increasing dose (assuming side effects are tolerated) is going to help people trying to deal with obesity (the people the drug was meant for) provided that the doses and the titration are in line with the clinical trials.

I did not and am not advocating for recklessly blowing up your dose as quickly as possible. I was only ever advocating for following the titration schedules and doses that the late stage clinical trials and medical researchers with MD/PhDs are using, as well as the titration schedules that are currently being used for drugs like tirzepatide, which is prescribed by doctors. I am not saying to go up 2mg a week, I am not saying to start at 6mg, I am merely advocating for following what the actual medical people are doing (assuming side effects are tolerated). This is not even considering that in fact the researchers felt confident enough to start some people at higher, and even the maximum doses for the sake of the trials, which I would personally not suggest.

If this disturbs you, and you feel COMPELLED to warn against any dose besides .5mg, I am not sure what to tell you, other than if it works for you, I am happy for you.

Side note: I would obviously advocate for doing all of this under the close supervision of a doctor, which I would of course suggest for even gray sema or tirz, but as this is an unapproved research chemical, I can only say that I would do it as long as you feel comfortable telling your doctor you are doing something fairly outside of the box.

 

[Thadeus]

There are people who experience good initial weight loss with 1 mg of reta. I can't imagine, but everyone is different.

For tirz, a therapeutic dose is considered 5 mg by the drug companies (one third of the max dose). So I try to get at least 5 mg now. For starting tirz, many people I know couldn't wait to go from 2.5 mg to 5 mg.

My internist seems to think almost everyone should try to get to the max (15 mg of tirz). But I have had bad sides at 7.5 mg, even after being on 12.5 mg briefly.

I plummeted 11 lbs. in 3 days at 1mg, was a bit disconcerting at first and I was glad I started with a low dose. It has since slowed down (only been a couple weeks). I'm down about 15 lbs.

 

[CNCCurrency]

I plummeted 11 lbs. in 3 days at 1mg, was a bit disconcerting at first and I was glad I started with a low dose. It has since slowed down (only been a couple weeks). I'm down about 15 lbs.

Some people are super responders as they say

 

[Labcat]

I plummeted 11 lbs. in 3 days at 1mg, was a bit disconcerting at first and I was glad I started with a low dose. It has since slowed down (only been a couple weeks). I'm down about 15 lbs.

A lot of people have significant inflammation and fixing that can drop a lot of weight that is water all at once. (Face can look significantly different) Did you feel like you had to pee a lot at first?

 

[Glenn]

I've been in tirz for 2 years and still not made it to max dose and constantly fighting side effects. It has worked though as I am down over 200lbs or 47% and falling. like someone said, "it's a marathon, not a sprint."

 

[Thadeus]

I did for about two days, I think it was most likely water weight. My ankles got skinnier too, I didn't even realize I was holding fluid there, but noticed way more definition and vascularity in my calves. It has evened out over the next couple weeks to approximately 4 lbs. lost per week.

 

[Labcat]

I've been in tirz for 2 years and still not made it to max dose and constantly fighting side effects. It has worked though as I am down over 200lbs or 47% and falling. like someone said, "it's a marathon, not a sprint."

That’s really inspiring, what an epic journey.

I did for about two days, I think it was most likely water weight. My ankles got skinnier too, I didn't even realize I was holding fluid there, but noticed way more definition and vascularity in my calves. It has evened out over the next couple weeks to approximately 4 lbs. lost per week.

Great observation! So interesting to figure out what we’re made of

 

[lessthanhalf]

I've been in tirz for 2 years and still not made it to max dose and constantly fighting side effects. It has worked though as I am down over 200lbs or 47% and falling. like someone said, "it's a marathon, not a sprint."

It is great to hear of anyone who has succeeded in losing or maintaining that degree of weight loss. I lost just under 50% without medication but a year later was still really struggling with hunger and cravings for exactly the types of foods that I needed not to eat, high calories fat sugar carbs that at least to me are addictive like chocolate, ice cream, potato chips etc. Once I start eating those foods it is almost impossible for me to stop. And I knew I had lost weight and put it back on several times before. I knew glp agonists existed but the price was out of my reach.
Since starting Glp medications , initially prescription ozempic then both tirzepatide and retatrutide once I found this website, it has been much easier, less hunger, much more easily filled up with smaller meals and way less cravings for ice cream etc. But from my pretty extensive reading of the studies the best overall weight loss was around 25%, although the early phase 3 results for retatrutide were a bit better at 28%, none showed anywhere near 50%. So it is nice to hear of anyone removing that much weight and hopefully keeping it off.

 

[peppitypeppergirl]

I agree that obese people should approach reta use with a bit of aggression. .5mg/1mg should be test doses at best. People see higher/faster weight loss at higher doses.

I don’t think people should jump to high doses though. Do the +2mg every 4 week titration schedule until you’re satisfied with the results.

Edit: I reread your comment and realized we are saying the same thing. I completely agree. There’s a huge number of lean/fit people fear mongering everyone to use the smallest doses possible when obese people likely need more than that.

 

[keangkong]

It seems like overwhelmingly, no matter where I see GLPRA discussion, there is a great amount of advice to keep your dose as low as humanly possible and to start and stay at doses far below even the normal STARTING clinical trial values. I'm not sure how much of this is already lean and healthy bodybuilder types, but for people that the drug was actually designed for (overweight/obese/T2D) I would personally suggest (I am not a doctor) that you ignore most of that unless you find yourself being a super responder.

While the sentiment that if you are achieving healthy results that you are happy with you don't necessarily need to increase the dose on a rigid schedule I certainly agree with, I don't think being overly cautious about increasing dose (assuming side effects are tolerated) is going to help people trying to deal with obesity (the people the drug was meant for) provided that the doses and the titration are in line with the clinical trials. If you are obese and just happen to be a super responder losing all they weight they can dream of, I really am thrilled for you, and I don't want to make you change what you're doing. However, this advice is not for you.

To be clear, I don't mind that bodybuilders are taking drugs for obese people, people can do whatever they want with their bodies. Thin people can take whatever they want, but the needs of a thin, healthy person and an obese person are extremely different, and I strongly believe that the latter following the dosing examples/advice of the former can impede progress and be harmful. I would also strongly suggest not worrying about getting into stacking or changing your GLPRA before you have been on the maximum dose of your GLPRA of choice for at least a month or two without meaningful results.

This sort of stems from my anecdotal situation, where I saw little to no results from the early doses of reta. I was staying the same weight, occasionally gaining or losing a pound. I was even worried I might have gotten a bum shipment. However, when I started the maximum dose, I fairly quickly started to see strong results with manageable side effects. This has also been consistent across multiple shipments from multiple suppliers, so the quality or fill of the product does not appear to have been the issue.

Many folks won't see good results until they get to the higher doses.

 

[gulangaloid]

I agree that obese people should approach reta use with a bit of aggression. .5mg/1mg should be test doses at best. People see higher/faster weight loss at higher doses.

I don’t think people should jump to high doses though. Do the +2mg every 4 week titration schedule until you’re satisfied with the results.

Edit: I reread your comment and realized we are saying the same thing. I completely agree. There’s a huge number of lean/fit people fear mongering everyone to use the smallest doses possible when obese people likely need more than that.

Yes, I tried to make it as clear as possible in my post that I am not suggesting wantonly skipping to the biggest doses possible as quickly as possible, but simply following the protocols used for other GLPRAs and the ones currently being used in the clinical trials.