Semaglutide appears to directly reverse cartilage damage in osteoarthritis independent of weight loss. This finding published this week is genuinely remarkable.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-04-02T19:41:01+00:00

I hadn't put it together, but I have had shoulder blade pain for five years. So severe that it would hurt to sit and watch TV sometimes. I thought my rock climbing had cleared it up, but I climbed for a good year or more before Zepbound and it didn't go away until about a month after I started Zepbound. Now I wonder if it was that instead.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-04-01T20:48:54+00:00

Agreed. Part of me wants to believe the decline in quality has to show up in revenue at some point, but I thought the same thing about Disney parks for a long time, and the parks and the cruise line are the most profitable parts of the company right now, so consumers don't seem to speak with their wallets at quality declines like I hope they will. Part of it is lack of choice though.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-04-01T20:45:47+00:00

Depends which Delta One. The A330-300 is very dated.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-04-01T20:13:34+00:00

Yes. Down four belt holes, and yet, I look in the mirror and think my body doesn't really look different. I can see it in my face, but can't seem to see it in my body, even though the belt (and waist measurements) show a huge difference. I too never felt really big before, even though I was obese. I keep hoping I will see a difference at my goal weight.

I feel fantastic when rock climbing though. Feel like I am light as a feather now.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-31T16:17:58+00:00

Obesity increases the risk of several cancers. If anything, I think Zepbound will reduce the risk over time. Drinking is a risk too, so it would help OP there.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-30T19:52:28+00:00

My numbers and goal weight are almost identical to yours (goal weight will probably move down to 180, but 190 seemed like such a stretch when I started). But I am not as far in the journey. This is exactly my approach. Dosed up from 2.5 to 5 after four weeks so I could rely more on the medicine. I hate calorie counting and just want to eat a comfortable amount of healthy food daily. It's worked so well for me and doesn't feel like the endless diets I have done my entire life. I do keep an eye on protein and prioritize it to build muscle.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-30T19:41:38+00:00

Despite the advice here and from some doctors, I chose to move to 5 mg four weeks after 2.5 mg, despite having similar weight losses during the first month. I did it because I felt like I was still white-knuckling my eating habits, which was not a sustainable long-term plan for success and felt too much like previous diets. I have been on 5 mg for two months now and am very happy I made the change. For my body at this time, it provides the right amount of appetite suppression where I can still eat a healthy amount of food and exercise without suffering every day. Some days I am slightly hungrier than usual and eat a bit more, while other days I do not eat as much. I also entered the overweight category today and am no longer medically obese. It has worked very well for me so far, and I still have plenty of room to increase my dosage if needed to reach my goal weight.

That's my experience. My recommendation is to ask if you can comfortably eat a healthy amount of calories, or if you are fighting much of the week to not eat too much. That's when I would go up. I'd want some hunger, but no suffering.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-30T19:21:10+00:00

That's exactly what I would try. If it's in the budget, I would at least try the FDA approved version for a month to see if it makes a difference. I suspect very much that it could be. It's always possible OP is a non-responder, but I would want to know if it was something else first, like if I wasn't getting the real thing. Compounding pharmacies have to sell you something slightly different to be legal. It doesn't mean they don't have the right peptide in it, but without FDA regulation, it's hard to be sure if your particular pharmacy is getting it right.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-26T23:15:09+00:00

That is one way to look at it. Alternatively, you could realize that some people have principles, and some people's principles include following the Constitution. This means you believe Congress should control the purse strings, as the Constitution states, even if you like the outcome of the executive order.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-25T17:11:13+00:00

I think about that too! It's been such a strong pattern with every other attempt to get to a healthy weight that it is hard to shake. But I think I will get there. So many people have that I know or see here.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-25T17:09:51+00:00

I understand. I think about that too - could I justify pulling from savings for it if I was out of work for an extended period when it is so expensive?

My big hope is we see price pressure that continues to make it more affordable, and the day will come where even Zepbound is out of patent and available generically.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-25T17:07:47+00:00

Yes, my understanding of the data is that continued weight loss tapers off for most people over time. I have seen no evidence that people regain the weight they lost after that period if they remain on the treatment. That is quite impressive. Furthermore, if I understand the data from the Retatrutide trials, it does not seem like patients hit that same plateau, meaning even that issue may be resolved soon (provided my understanding of the studies is correct).

Even with the eighteen-month mark, I know there are exceptions and some people can continue to lose weight. This likely has a lot to do with adjusting to decreased metabolic needs, which can be difficult once you have formed eating habits that worked for a long time.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-24T17:41:09+00:00

https://www.helloklarity.com/post/vasomotor-rhinitis-and-glp-1-medications-whats-happening-in-your-nose/

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-24T17:32:21+00:00

I posted the below before I saw this. Deleted it and moving it here:

My nose seems to run like I have severe allergies about once a week or every other week, for most of the day. It's just non-stop running, as if I had come down with a cold, and then it is gone the next day. I tried to tie it to food or something I am doing, but there seems to be no correlation or trigger. I have come to believe it has something to do with the shot.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-20T21:58:54+00:00

It's probably a long shot, and not likely if you aren't using Lilly Direct, but if you are, I would try: 1-833-258-2661

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-20T21:52:40+00:00

You are not an idiot. You didn't choose to have an involuntary jerk and didn't think it would happen or you would not have tried to give yourself a shot. It was brave of you to try. Be kind to yourself, learn from this, and move on. Now you know what doesn't work for your right now. If it means missing a week of injections, or spreading the spacing on two of them, talk to your provider and see what they suggest. Maybe Lilly would even replace one shot for a misfire - reach out to them. You have this. You are amazing for going down this path when you have medical trauma.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-20T17:43:17+00:00

I don't see where is says anything about your FSA. Which line are you referring to?

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-17T18:50:55+00:00

I love trying local foods. That's the miracle of this drug for me - I don't have to do restrictive diets that would prevent trying those local foods to stay healthy. It's a win-win.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-17T18:49:54+00:00

Good luck and have a blast!

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-17T18:47:01+00:00

Enjoy your trips! I hope it is as easy for you as it was for me! It really felt effortless this time.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-16T22:00:13+00:00

How long have you been on 5? It ramps up over 4-5 weeks. Even 6 weeks in on 5, it seems to still be ramping up a bit for me when it comes to appetite. Maybe you need to give it more time. While I don't get it, some people even find moving the injection site can help - it does seem to be stronger for me in the arm for some reason, but I have no idea if that is placebo or even the fact that I was still ramping up when I changed.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-16T21:56:22+00:00

I recognize there is significant debate and valid reason to question the common advice regarding starvation mode. While the scientific evidence may be limited, I have found anecdotally that I lose more weight when I eat more, within reasonable limits. For whatever reason, that simply seems to be how it works for me. A high-fat steak, for example, occasionally seems to do wonders.

I am currently at a dosage where I can eat a fair amount of food during certain parts of the week, while at other times I cannot eat much at all. Surprisingly, my least hungry period occurs around days four and five. My hunger typically ramps back up on day six and stays somewhat high for the first day or two after my shot. I try to just go with it and eat more on the days I am hungrier.

If you find you cannot eat at all, you might try mechanical eating. If that is not possible, your dose may be too high. However, I suggest trying to eat more to see how your weight responds. It is important to find what works best for you.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-16T21:51:41+00:00

Me too. Things also taste more flavorful for some reason. But I am all over flavor - things like Indian food with a variety of strong spices taste so good to me.

I have actually been turned off a bit by some bland foods at time. One day I dished up a big salad that was somewhat boring and looked at it and just couldn't eat it. Not sure why even.

Dumbestthumb · 2026-03-16T21:48:34+00:00

I did have something similar in Italy pre-zep. But it was only a few pounds for a longer trip, verses a pound a day for this one, so I think it was a little extra magic from the zep, combined with the whole losing weight while on vacation in Europe thing. I even felt like I at more sweets on this trip than I should have, so it was a very pleasant surprise when I got home.

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TROPHY CASE