Dosing titration strategies side effects and results for weight loss medication

This morning I took my 5 mg dose, the tenth pin overall. For fun I weighed at 5 AM and saw 25 lb down in ten weeks. Normal weigh-in day is Tuesday and the average is 2.5 lb per week.

On my fifth week and reached 3 mg this week. I am increasing by 0.5 mg each week until I hit 4 mg. Slower titration would be ideal but foot and knee problems mean I need to drop 40 lb quickly. I am 55, 5'11", started at 278 lb and lost 8 lb the first week from appetite suppression. Years of keto, fasting, and strict dieting have left me metabolically adapted so even three weeks under 1000 calories does nothing. I aim for 150 g protein and resistance train to failure several times weekly because I know there is muscle underneath that I want to see.

This is my first GLP. I already lost 55 lb on my own but hit a plateau. On 1/5/26 I started Reta at 0.5 mg weekly and slowly worked up to 3.75 mg this week. Appetite control has weakened the last few weeks yet I am still dropping 1-2 lb per week. Only sides were sulfur stomach, slight constipation, and extreme exhaustion, all gone now. Recently had a mild sunburn-like feeling in spots that lasted one day. I will try higher doses but am also thinking about adding tirz; keeping some appetite might help me hit enough protein and protect muscle.

Over a year I reached 15 mg Tirz. Switched to Reta about eight months ago and just started 10 mg this past week. Finally losing again after stalling since April 2025. My body would not go under 160 lb at 5'3" female but Reta plus 1 mg Cagri has changed that.

I've been on this for nearly half a year. Began with a low weekly amount that helped reach my targets, then gradually increased to higher levels. The mild reduction in hunger that suited me perfectly faded recently, so I upped it further this time and it appears to be working again. Throughout there were no bad reactions, making me okay with the increase, and I'll stick with it a bit longer before figuring out what comes next. This stuff has been fantastic for me, though I believe it's time to try alternatives after. Nice discussion!

My treatment began at a 2mg dosage on February 12, 2025, and these days I take 8mg. The pounds have dropped at a gradual pace, though benefits apart from the numbers include losing fat, my fasting glucose now sits in the healthy zone, plus my blood pressure falls within ideal limits. At age 71 and living with type 2 diabetes, such accomplishments leave me very satisfied.

Trying to level at 7.

Sixth month on GLP-1, started at 85 kg now at 55 kg, the lowest weight I have ever reached. I like how I feel except for some saggy skin. Second month on maintenance. Highest dose was 5 mg TR, tried lowering for maintenance and sometimes dropped back to 2.5 mg. Last week pinned 2.5 mg Reta with no effect except raised heart rate and disturbed sleep. Rising food noise led me to add 2.5 mg TR three days later but it also did little for food noise. Shocked by that. Need to get through until Tuesday morning then decide whether to return to 5 mg TR or increase Reta instead.

At 8 mg after six months and down 70 lb. I stack with 2 mg Cagri between shots every six days.

Over the last several weeks I've gradually stopped the first medication while introducing the second one, yet I haven't noticed any impact so far. For the initial fortnight I used one milligram each week, followed by two milligrams weekly across the next month. This week I should get my initial shipment containing both new peptides, and I'm figuring out what amount to use going forward. I'm inclined to maintain my current injection schedule on the same weekday I've used previously, testing out three milligrams of the main one alongside half a milligram of the other. Because the added compound lingers in the system for an extended period, I'll maintain that level over multiple weeks prior to checking again.

This whole video is great but the part around minute 15 on how the body interprets GLPs and especially Reta is very interesting for thinking about dosing and cycles.

If anyone cares, here is a copy-paste from a dive into Lilly's data on Reta and heart-rate increase. The TRIUMPH-4 Phase 3 results confirm retatrutide is arguably the most potent weight-loss medication yet the heart-rate rise remains a key signature of its glucagon component. In the study of over 400 adults for 68 weeks the heart-rate trends matched Phase 2. Dose-dependent increase scaled with 9 mg and 12 mg. The peak-and-decline pattern typically peaked around week 24 then gradually declined toward the end of the trial.

I just started Reta two weeks ago at 4 mg because I was already on 10 mg Tirz. I plan to drop Tirz to 7.5 mg and keep Reta at 4 mg for the next two weeks. Pinning Reta on Friday and Tirz on Monday.

Currently on 4 mg Reta for four weeks after a three-month Tirz cycle at 2.5/5/7.5. Reta has been better with less fatigue and GI issues than Tirz. I did not titrate Tirz down and had no ill effects. Body recomp feels better on Reta, which I credit to the glucagon piece. Staying hydrated is key for me. I will move to 5 mg for the second month and follow the same titration pattern as Tirz, though I understand why some stay at a dose longer for efficacy. If 5 mg keeps working I might stay there. Possibly adding CJC/IPA and Klow cycles later. Taking the low-and-slow approach.

I started with 2.5 mg three weeks ago. I had a 10 mg vial and went slightly over the lowest dose tested in studies. Lost 16 lb so far.

I blended a couple of fresh bottles yesterday evening. We administered six milligrams at the start of the day, our first such dose. This marks the eleventh time we've injected since the start date of January ninth.

Today was my second 6 mg dose twice weekly. I started Tirz on 12/12/25 and began the bridge to Reta on 1/10/26. I have taken a few Tirz shots after 1/10. In total 13 Tirz doses and 29 Reta doses.

I have Hashimoto and suspect it has been worsening because no amount of synthroid kept TSH below 2.0. Only after adding T3 did it stabilize after six years of misery. T3 also made me super hungry, I guess restoring metabolism to where it was a decade ago. But Reta has really dialed the hunger back down.

I've used this medication for seven months after switching from another one that I took for five months prior. My starting dose was higher at three quarters of a milligram each week but I've lowered it to a quarter now. Since I noticed a small drop in weight of about five pounds I decided to decrease the amount. These types of medications help with my prediabetes condition where my latest measurement shows five point zero compared to the previous peak of six point one. These substances work really effectively for me.

What is the absolute lowest dose people take? I used 2-5 mg only during February and had never taken any GLP-1 before. Last dose was 2.5 mg about three weeks ago. I am thinking of trying only 0.25 mg per week now, or maybe 0.5 or 1 mg, or every ten or fifteen days, just as a tool when my diet starts sliding. Cost is not an issue. Any thoughts?

I went 2 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg, 6 mg, 8 mg, all one week apart. I think I will stay at 8 mg every five days and add Cagri. I was previously on Tirze.

Just finished the tenth week at 2 mg. Started at 208 lb, now 182 lb, 26 lb lost. Goal is 175 lb. Love the feeling. I have been in calorie deficit the whole time but have not felt the usual effects of starving. I eat whole macros, do protein shakes, take micros, hit water and electrolyte targets, and exercise. Love the quiet mind on Reta. Had one sweet in ten weeks. I was going to get to 1 mg and try caloric neutral while keeping metabolism sped up. Anyone moved out of deficit and stayed on Reta?

Just hopped back on Reta at 1 mg twice weekly. Let the fun commence. Now to drop calories back down.

Just started Reta this week. The recommendation I received was 1 mg once a week for the first four weeks, then move to 2 mg on week five.

Right now my weekly intake sits at 2 mg, though I plan to move it up to 2.5 mg pretty soon. Ten weeks in, the results feel weaker, which means stepping the amount higher more often than before. This round the updated level will stick around for just two weeks.

Three weeks have passed since I began. My starting amount was half a milligram weekly, then I raised it to one milligram during this last week. Tiredness was the sole drawback at the beginning, yet it disappeared after a couple of days. Surprisingly, my weight went up a little over the initial fortnight. Only after adjusting to the higher amount did the pounds start coming off. Hunger remains present, which suits me fine, though the drive to finish everything or take more has lessened. Now I feel satisfied stopping once I've had enough. Things look positive so far, so I'll continue at this level temporarily. Looking forward to the next seven days.

I began at four milligrams and noticed insufficient protein intake which caused a drop of roughly ten kilograms or twenty pounds. Raising protein levels along with creatine while intensifying strength sessions has now leveled the scale near eighty eight kilograms or one hundred eighty pounds though the physique is reshaping well. Abdominal definition is emerging with wider shoulders and sharper overall contours. Fluid retention from the creatine likely explains the pause even with calories kept limited. Will wait several weeks before moving up toward five and possibly six milligrams. Considering other similar options after checking compatibility details. Content using this one alone but since already started might explore further additions.

Took the second six milligram item the day before. That week turned out to be the first without shedding pounds.

Anyone trial over 15 mg?

Starting out my initial attempt involved a single milligram each week. Honestly the outcome felt ideal in every respect. I see no reason to tweak any part of it since my weight dropped from one hundred ninety six down to one hundred seventy seven across just over four weeks.

I'm continuing at the six milligram level. The appetite control is holding steady, though we picked up a couple of huge strip steaks. I fixed one this evening, and my spouse only asked for a tiny sample from my plate because she figured I couldn't finish the rest. Still, I powered through the whole thing anyway and it tasted fantastic. That's it, back to our usual chat.

I'm nearing the hundred-day point with this substance. It began with half a milligram every week and gradually increased to one milligram every five days. Its impacts show up strongly for me, with roughly eight kilograms shed already. I'm considering moving up to two milligrams on that same five-day schedule because the fresh supply arrives in twenty-milligram vials unlike the earlier ten-milligram ones.