Giant Semaglutide Thread (and other GLP-1 / GIP agonists)

[Doodle]

Wanted to create a thread where everyone can post their experiences with different sourced Semaglutide.

Who are you using?
Pharma vs non?
Dosage?
How long have you been taking it?
What are your thoughts?
Have you lost weight?
Side effects?
Oral vs injection?
Tests?

 

[Luke391]

just curious, why were you thinking of switching from tirz to sema?

Thinking of switching from Tirz to Ozempic…

Then this pops up and suddenly I’m like: “For science, of course.”
View attachment 332501

 

[The Answ3r]

just curious, why were you thinking of switching from tirz to sema?

It was a joke - I came across this hilarious article claiming Ozempic makes your package bigger.

 

[Luke391]

It was a joke - I came across this hilarious article claiming Ozempic makes your package bigger.

I wish

 

[anon55]

Hi everybody
Here a bloodwork on 10mg tirzepatide for almost a year now, with jardiance 25. 5 workouts of muscle building a week, one to two cardio training zone 2-3.
Best metabolic markers I ever had, and I think tirzepatide is really helping these.
Triglycérides are 0.4g/L

 

[Ghoul]

Hi everybody
Here a bloodwork on 10mg tirzepatide for almost a year now, with jardiance 25. 5 workouts of muscle building a week, one to two cardio training zone 2-3.
Best metabolic markers I ever had, and I think tirzepatide is really helping these.
Triglycérides are 0.4g/L

That's an incredible LDL number.

If your HDL function is high (Efflux capacity, reverse cholesterol transport, and antioxidant capacity) you're literally removing plaque from your arteries .

 

[anon55]

That's an incredible LDL number.

If your HDL function is high (Efflux capacity, reverse cholesterol transport, and antioxidant capacity) you're literally removing plaque from your arteries .

Thanks.
I'm 22 so I hope no plaques for now lol.
For cholesterol I'm using pitavastatin 4mg, bempedoic acid 180mg, and ezetimibe 10mg. Berberine 500mg and 24mg of asthaxantin might have some effects too.
All meds are from India.

 

[Ghoul]

Thanks.
I'm 22 so I hope no plaques for now lol.
For cholesterol I'm using pitavastatin 4mg, bempedoic acid 180mg, and ezetimibe 10mg. Berberine 500mg and 24mg of asthaxantin might have some effects too.
All meds are from India.

Smart man. Pitavastatin and ezetimebe are "free", in the sense they cause no sides (for
the vast majority) and many longevity extending benefits. You can stay on those forever and the benefits will keep adding up over a lifetime.

Bempedoic acid may cause tendon issues long term and make you susceptible to injury. IMO it isn't adding much to your powerful lipid lowering stack so you might want to consider dropping it.

I don't know who turned you on to Pitavastatin, but it's rarely used in the US which is a shame, since it's unlike any other statin in its ability to provide massive benefits without the "cost" other statins impose on health, especially insulin resistance (Pita improves it actually) and muscle issues. It used to be very expensive so many US doctors simply don't know about it, even though it's dropped in price in the last year.

Like you pointed out, pitavastatin is easily available from India luckily. Expensive by India pharma standards, but worth it. I pay $40 / 100 Pivasta 4mg. (a year ago it was $650 / 100 in the US).

 

[anon55]

Smart man. Pitavastatin and ezetimebe are "free", in the sense they cause no sides (for
the vast majority) and many longevity extending benefits. You can stay on those forever and the benefits will keep adding up over a lifetime.

Bempedoic acid may cause tendon issues long term and make you susceptible to injury. IMO it isn't adding much to your powerful lipid lowering stack so you might want to consider dropping it.

I don't know who turned you on to Pitavastatin, but it's rarely used in the US which is a shame, since it's unlike any other statin in its ability to provide massive benefits without the "cost" other statins impose on health, especially insulin resistance (Pita improves it actually) and muscle issues. It used to be very expensive so many US doctors simply don't know about it, even though it's dropped in price in the last year.

Like you pointed out, pitavastatin is easily available from India luckily. Expensive by India pharma standards, but worth it. I pay $40 / 100 Pivasta 4mg. (a year ago it was $650 / 100 in the US).

I'm in France. Pitavastatin isn't really available here, and doctors don't know this statin exist. I tried pravastatin and rosuvastatin and it's pitavastatin I prefer best : efficient but not that much - Crestor crushed my LDL-C to almost undetectable level-, and no drug interactions.
I can't remove bempedoic acid, I take it in a single pill combined with ezetimibe!

 

[Ghoul]

I'm in France. Pitavastatin isn't really available here, and doctors don't know this statin exist. I tried pravastatin and rosuvastatin and it's pitavastatin I prefer best : efficient but not that much - Crestor crushed my LDL-C to almost undetectable level-, and no drug interactions.
I can't remove bempedoic acid, I take it in a single pill combined with ezetimibe!

I thought that might be the case. Maybe when you restock just get ezetimebe not the combo. The Bempodoic acid tendon problems develop over years of use so it's not an emergency, and reverses soon after stopping, it's not permanent damage. Just something to keep in mind since
you're weight training and I assume will progressively add more of a load on your tendons.

Yeah, Pita is a little weaker than other statins for lowering LDL levels, but not by much, and the lack of sides and other benefits (insulin sensitivity, stronger HDL efflux capacity to pull fat out of your blood vessels) make it a good trade.

Besides, below 40 LDL your cholesterol is so low your HDL is scavenging your body to find cholesterol to bring BACK to your liver. Your cholesterol is low enough that the brain has to produce cholesterol locally in order to function properly (which is what you want).

There's some evidence that single digit LDL (<.10 g/l in EU numbers) may cause cognitive problems over the long term, with no more benefits to health so no advantage to going much lower anyway.

It's so much better to keep what you've got in perfect condition than trying to stop and reverse decades of damage from ignoring long term health, good for you, it's so rare to see this kind of forward thinking at your age.

 

[newguy2]

I need to read through this thread haven't got the time yet. I've taken three injections of Tirz, Friday will be #4. All at 2.5mg. Appetite suppression has been amazing.

I did notice towards the end of the week last week it was coming back a bit more.

But my digestion is really almost stalled. I tend to have some digestion issues already. Trying to drink prune juice and take fiber supplement.

Basically the last week or so the scale has stalled and my gut feels pretty stalled. Going to the restroom every other day or something which I hate.

I'm 5'8" 175lb eating 1800 calories a day. 175g protein about 150g carbs.

The first couple weeks the weight was falling off, but I also came back from a trip where we are and drank terrible.

Since then my diet has been super consistent and clean.

Have you experienced this and has your gut gotten somewhat normal?

 

[Ghoul]

I need to read through this thread haven't got the time yet. I've taken three injections of Tirz, Friday will be #4. All at 2.5mg. Appetite suppression has been amazing.

I did notice towards the end of the week last week it was coming back a bit more.

But my digestion is really almost stalled. I tend to have some digestion issues already. Trying to drink prune juice and take fiber supplement.

Basically the last week or so the scale has stalled and my gut feels pretty stalled. Going to the restroom every other day or something which I hate.

I'm 5'8" 175lb eating 1800 calories a day. 175g protein about 150g carbs.

The first couple weeks the weight was falling off, but I also came back from a trip where we are and drank terrible.

Since then my diet has been super consistent and clean.

Have you experienced this and has your gut gotten somewhat normal?

Yes. Digestion eventually normalizes, and the end point in legit treatment is a "maintenance" dose where you no longer experience any sides, nor do you notice any appetite suppression. Everything is just "normal". You feel full when you've consumed the appropriate amount of food to maintain whatever your ideal weight is. In other words, appetite works properly to maintain a homeostasis weight.

If you force yourself to eat poorly, gain weight, appetite suppression returns until you get back down to homeostasis weight.

GLPs are simply supplementing the hormones your body (under normal circumstances) produces to regulate weight (among other functions). Like Insulin for diabetics or Testosterone for hypogonadal men.

 

[newguy2]

Yes. Digestion eventually normalizes, and the end point in legit treatment is a "maintenance" dose where you no longer experience any sides, nor do you notice any appetite suppression. Everything is just "normal". You feel full when you've consumed the appropriate amount of food to maintain whatever your ideal weight is. In other words, appetite works properly to maintain a homeostasis weight.

If you force yourself to eat poorly, gain weight, appetite suppression returns until you get back down to homeostasis weight.

Very interesting. Thank you. Is there any broad eta of when digestion settles down. I understand this will be different for everyone.

 

[Ghoul]

Very interesting. Thank you. Is there any broad eta of when digestion settles down. I understand this will be different for everyone.

At a given dose, usually around 4 weeks. When you increase the dose, those sides return a bit, but it's usually not as bad as the initial start,

Pharma would typically be 4 weeks at 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15.

If someone's having a hard time, they can stay at the same dose until things settle. You stop increasing the dose once you've reached target weight, and often drop back one level for maintenance.

 

[newguy2]

At a given dose, usually around 4 weeks. When you increase the dose, those sides return a bit, but it's usually not as bad as the initial start,

Pharma would typically be 4 weeks at 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15.

If someone's having a hard time, they can stay at the same dose until things settle. You stop increasing the dose once you've reached target weight, and often drop back one level for maintenance.

Thanks, I'm mostly planning on changing dosing based upon appetite control. If the appetite is in check why go up is my thinking.

 

[Ghoul]

Thanks, I'm mostly planning on changing dosing based upon appetite control. If the appetite is in check why go up is my thinking.

Yeah that's a reasonable strategy, since you're not limited to a box of four fixed dose pens like pharma.

Think of each dose as setting your body's desired equilibrium weight. The further you are from that weight, the greater the suppression and sides. Once you reach that weight for that dose, appetite suppression stops. Then you'd use a higher dose to set it lower and appetite suppression returns until you reach the new, lower point.

In other words, it's not like a diet pill which slowly loses effectiveness because you build a tolerance.

 

[newguy2]

Yeah that's a reasonable strategy, since you're not limited to a box of four fixed dose pens like pharma.

Think of each dose as setting your body's desired equilibrium weight. The further you are from that weight, the greater the suppression and sides. Once you reach that weight for that dose, appetite suppression stops. Then you'd use a higher dose to set it lower and appetite suppression returns until you reach the new, lower point,

My goal is to just be on it for a cut. And then put it down. Not super convinced that it's all rosey with these things. Seems like every good thing has sides. But I'm pretty impressed by the change in relationship to food. It's pretty profound.

 

[Ghoul]

My goal is to just be on it for a cut. And then put it down. Not super convinced that it's all rosey with these things. Seems like every good thing has sides. But I'm pretty impressed by the change in relationship to food. It's pretty profound.

I understand your skepticism. It's common (though increasingly less so by the public and medical professionals alike). It's the "all medication use should be minimized" because they're all toxic on some level mentality, along with a healthy dose of puritan "anything that makes life easier is a vice to be avoided".

The reduction in lipids, systemic inflammation, and tight glucose control are all unquestionable positives and so far, based on 3 decades and millions of patients years of GLP use no one can point to any negative impact to health from long term use, but the opposite (outside of obscure cases involving existing issues). Lower rates of all major chronic disease, from cvd to cancer with long term use,

 

[newguy2]

I understand your skepticism. It's common (though increasingly less so by the public and medical professionals alike). It's the "all medication use should be minimized" because they're all toxic on some level mentality, along with a healthy dose of puritan "anything that makes life easier is a vice to be avoided".

The reduction in lipids, systemic inflammation, and tight glucose control are all unquestionable positives and so far, based on 3 decades and millions of patients years of GLP use no one can point to any negative impact to health from long term use, but the opposite (outside of obscure cases involving existing issues). Lower rates of all major chronic disease, from cvd to cancer with long term use,

Lipid control would be great mine are not great even with many positive lifestyle changes.

I have heard anecdotal concerns of cancer. Correlation may not be causation but seems like the research takes time to catch up to what's actually happening along the people. Time will tell.

 

[Ruru_Teh_seks]

I'm in France. Pitavastatin isn't really available here, and doctors don't know this statin exist. I tried pravastatin and rosuvastatin and it's pitavastatin I prefer best : efficient but not that much - Crestor crushed my LDL-C to almost undetectable level-, and no drug interactions.
I can't remove bempedoic acid, I take it in a single pill combined with ezetimibe!

How do you manage to get so much medicine from India from France? I think it's complicated with India.

 

[anon55]

How do you manage to get so much medicine from India from France? I think it's complicated with India.

I order from Indiamart. We can order everything to France because we almost do not have any customs. Really easy and fast, usually 10 days or less for delivery. I order from Keshavdas and sons.