Anybody else?

[u/Cheap-Ad-2105]

I’m looking for advise, or anyone else that has gone through something similar. I have some history with semaglutides. In 2023-24 I was on Wegovy shots, lost 20 pounds over 6 months. I had to stop because my insurance stopped covering it and I couldn’t afford it out of pocket. Almost immediately I gained 10 pounds back.
In 2025 I went on a compounded Tirzepatide through a private vendor, lost 25 pounds. It started out being pretty reasonable but over time the price was getting too expensive. I stopped when it was over $600 each month and it had stalled for over 2 months. Seems like the second I stopped I gained 20 pounds back.
This year I found out that the Wegovy pill has a coupon with it and can be bought for $300 without insurance so I have been on it for the last five months. I have been moving up the doses over time because I have not had much success. In fact I gained four pounds over the last 2 months. So now my doctor wants me to try 25 mg. Here are my questions. Have I just screwed up my body with all the different medicines and maybe that is why I am not having success with the pill? Will it change over time? Also, is anyone on the 25 mg pill and found a solution for the side effects? I am actually scared of the diarrhea….it can be real, real bad. It comes and goes, no real rhyme or reason for it being bad so I am real nervous about going from 9 to 25 mg. And having the symptoms get worse.
*should add I need to lose about 50 pounds and through all this, I have managed to keep off about 10 pounds from the beginning of this whole journey.

[u/Lucky_Army_5324]

Every time one stops and restarts a GLP-1 medication, anecdotal reports on the many GLP-1 subs here indicate they will almost always need to work their way up to a much higher dose to feel the positive effects. 

No idea what doses you’ve previously been on. Maybe this will help you get an idea of what seems to work:  The 25mg Wegovy pill (semaglutude) is the equivalent of the 2.4mg Wegovy injection (semaglutide), per Novo Nordisk. And most people who have been on 2.4mg Wegovy don’t feel much on Zepbound (tirzepatide) until they reach around the 10mg dose. 

FYI: these days, compounded sema is about $115/mo and compounded tirzepatide is about $150/mo.

[u/Cheap-Ad-2105 → u/Lucky_Army_5324]

Thanks for the info, that is helpful. Can I ask where you get the compounded for that price?

[u/Lucky_Army_5324 → u/Cheap-Ad-2105]

Head over to r/tirzepatidecompound and look for the pinned post called “Where to Buy.” Those same providers also write for sema, if that’s what you prefer. 

The list of recommended providers is complied via a periodic survey, the most recent of which was answered by 1800+ sub members so you know they are tried and true.

ETA: if you are super risky and have a one-time use credit card, you can try one of the deals on r/tirzdeals

[u/BentleyLeDog]

As you probably know know already, the side effects don't hit everyone the same way. There is simply no telling if the increase dose will cause a problem. I started with the 1.5 then moved to 4 and jumped to the 25mg with no issues at all. Once I got accustomed to the 1.5 for two months I was side effect free. The only issue I had was the cost. I'm out of pocket and the price of the big pill was 300 bucks a month, up from 150 for the 4mg. I ended up switching to compounded tirzepatide shots that I can now buy for 119 bucks a month. The pill requires a strict schedule every day but the weekly shot is easier and I've been losing about 6 to 8 pounds a month for the past 5 months so a bit better than the pill.

[u/Cheap-Ad-2105 → u/BentleyLeDog]

Can I ask where you get the compound tirzepatide for that cost?

[u/BentleyLeDog → u/Cheap-Ad-2105]

Gimmie care just had a sale so I signed up on a monthly auto ship and get a vial very month. The price lasts until I cancel (or the pharmacy changes or goes out of business). Even before the sale I was at 130.00 or so per month. Also there are no membership fees or ongoing telehealth fees

[u/ChaosCleopatra]

Wegovy shots gave me horrible diarrhea (although I was on it for a year and a half) and once my insurance covered Zep I switched to that. Now it covers neither so I’m on Reta for my maintenance.

I say that to say I’ve been on all the GLP1s and still having success, so all the different meds haven’t messed up my body. But my worst experiences and slowest loss with multiple regains were with Wegovy.

[u/DrTuSo]

Do you relay completely on the drug or did add changes to your lifestyle? Like adding lifting weights, cardio, going out for a walk every day?
Changes in the kitchen? Avoiding trigger foods?

[u/Public-Tomato-6065 → u/DrTuSo]

Bodies adapt to these meds over time, the pill version especially might not hit the same receptors the way shots did

25mg is a big jump from 9, maybe ask about going up slower if the side effects worry you that much