One user shared losing 40 pounds over five months while describing how the medication eliminated constant thoughts about food and made overeating difficult. Others discussed switching compounds for better appetite control, the challenge of maintaining results after stopping, and the likelihood of needing ongoing use. Dosing adjustments were noted as a way to handle returning hunger mid-week.
What this discussion establisheswhether to prioritize the lowest-cost option or switch to a different medication that may suppress appetite more effectively
Still openhow sustainable results will be if the medication is eventually stopped
Nothing here is advice.
I tried semaglutide through a compounding pharmacy. They sent a vial every three months. I stopped after four months and wasn't billed for the next two. Overall I received 25 mg. My schedule was 5 units the first four weeks, then 10 units for weeks five through eight, then 20 units after that. Years ago I dropped from 190 to 155 pounds on my own and got very lean, but once I hit that low point the binge eating came back hard and I settled around 180 until a move and desk job pushed me past 250. On the medication I reached about 210 in roughly five months. Early on the constant focus on food just vanished. Trying to eat for pleasure or binge left me full after only a few bites. Around the same time I got braces, which also made eating uncomfortable. I've always been someone who uses food to cope.
Lawyers argue over what counts as legal all the time, which is why trials exist. Some would call these options legal, easy to get, and inexpensive. While sitting through my fourth flight in four days I started thinking flight attendants should be required to take GLPs so I stop getting bumped by them walking the aisle.
You have a point there 🤣
That amount for 25 mg of sema is impressive. Part of the total covered doctor visits and related care. The phrase about building habits often frustrates people who plan to use medication to establish routines then stop and keep the changes without it. In your situation it makes sense to examine what triggers the binges and try to limit exposure to those situations. I used to be able to eat enormous amounts, largely from years of drinking large volumes with meals because of EoE. Adjusting to smaller portions has been interesting. Sometimes I still eat more than intended but I usually work to avoid it. One time my child took me out for my birthday; I had already eaten and wasn't hungry yet finished most of a normal meal anyway. It felt worthwhile. I don't like restrictive eating for myself, but if it helps control binges it could be useful.
Not interested in tirz? It offers solid appetite suppression.
Yeah that approach was pretty dumb in hindsight. The fully official route would have cost far more per month. Once I get down to a goal around 170-180 from 250 I wouldn't mind lowering the dose or stopping. Eating in a surplus later would let me focus on muscle and gym progress. The real issue is mental. Food occupies my thoughts constantly, my schedule centers on it, I eat when bored, and it is my main source of enjoyment. At this point staying on a GLP long term seems reasonable because the food noise is my biggest obstacle. My weight has gone up and down my whole life. Your comments have me thinking about tirzepatide. If cost is the main factor semaglutide looks very affordable. I did notice food noise and hunger returning partway through the week, so by day five or six I was relying on willpower alone to avoid overeating. That might improve with a higher dose. I'm not sure how tirz dosing works. It looks like more milligrams are needed compared with the others. It would only be slightly
There is plenty of discussion here from people using tirz, reta, and combinations of them. Browsing the site should give a solid overview of both. From what users report tirz tends to handle food noise best, which seems to be your main concern. You could weigh staying with sema, which is less expensive but also less effective, against trying tirz, which might work better for your specific problem and possibly make things easier overall. Many find tirz reduces the mental battle more effectively. It is good that you are already open to long-term use. A lot of people begin thinking they will lose the weight and then stop, but most of us cannot judge that accurately until we have actually tried it. Being willing to consider staying on is helpful. Raising the dose might reduce the mid-week noise you mentioned, so that could be worth testing first if switching feels too expensive. The real advantage of these medications is how they can take willpower out of the picture, especially tirz. Choosing the right medication and amount
Many users have posted about what they've gone through on this site. I'm figuring it all out myself as well, really. I hope you've planned for every possibility, wishing you success! 😉
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