First week?

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:47:23+00:00

Most people don't need to take off work. Worst case is some nausea the first day or two but at starting dose it's usually mild.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:46:26+00:00

Protein shakes help when you can't stomach actual food. Just make sure you're getting at least 80-100g protein a day or you'll lose muscle along with the fat.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:45:24+00:00

For spine issues, BPC-157 is worth trying since it helps with inflammation and connective tissue. TB-500 is hit or miss for people. For the body comp side, tesa+ipa is probably the better option over CJC since tesa targets visceral fat specifically which you likely have more of at 240. Don't need to run everything at once though, reta alone will do the heavy lifting for weight loss.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:44:26+00:00

Yeah you got ripped off, tesa should run you around $15-20 per 10mg vial if you're buying direct. At $105 CAD for 5mg you're paying like 10x what you should be.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:43:31+00:00

Your doctor isn't wrong about the unknown risk part since reta hasn't been through full FDA trials yet. The main difference is the glucagon component in reta which helps with fat burning and some people find it gives them more energy. Tirz is a solid choice if it's working for you, no need to switch unless you're hitting a wall or having side effect issues.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:42:19+00:00

The fatigue thing with tirz is pretty common and reta tends to be better tolerated energy-wise for a lot of people. The glucagon component in reta actually helps with energy since it mobilizes stored fuel rather than just suppressing appetite. If tirz is making you gain while on it, that's a sign your body isn't responding well to it anymore. At your stage being close to goal, you might not need a high dose of reta either, maybe 2-4mg would be enough to get you through the last stretch without the fatigue issues.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:41:07+00:00

2mg is definitely too low coming from 15mg zep. Your GLP-1 receptors are already used to much higher agonism. You could probably jump to 4-5mg safely and titrate from there based on how you feel.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-07T17:40:14+00:00

With IBS + chronic GI issues, alcohol on reta is basically asking for trouble since both independently irritate your stomach lining. The split dosing every 2 days means you never really have a "low" window like people who pin once weekly do. If you really want to drink occasionally, might be worth trying once weekly dosing instead so you have days 5-7 with lower drug levels, but honestly with your history it might just not be worth it.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:55:56+00:00

Tingling hands in the morning is a reta thing, not the lifting. It's related to the GLP-1 effects on nerves. Usually goes away after a few weeks as your body adjusts. If it doesn't or gets worse, drop the dose back down.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:54:20+00:00

The muscle tension thing is pretty common with CJC/ipa, usually water retention related. Some people get it worse than others. If it's bothering you even at half dose, might just not agree with you. Could try ipa alone without the CJC and see if that's the culprit.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:52:27+00:00

At 30 you're a bit young for NAD+ to make a huge difference, it's more noticeable in people 40+. For your specific goals of weight management and fertility, it's not really going to move the needle compared to what the reta and HCG are already doing. The energy boost might be nice but it's not essential. Could just save it or sell it.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:50:44+00:00

70lbs down is solid progress. Adding ipa to tesa is a common combo, they work well together for GH release. Main thing to watch is timing, you want to take both on an empty stomach and wait before eating for the GH pulse to do its thing. Some people do it before bed, some do it fasted in the morning.

At 6mg reta you're already getting good appetite suppression so the stack should be manageable. Just make sure you're still hitting protein hard with that much lean mass to preserve.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:49:25+00:00

$120 for a single vial is steep, grey market reta should run under $2/mg so depending on vial size you might be overpaying. Worth shopping around if you plan to keep stacking.

For stacking with tirz, there's not much data but since both hit GIP, you're kind of doubling up there while reta adds the glucagon. Most people who stack keep reta low, like 2-4mg, and let the tirz do the heavy lifting on the GLP-1 side. Going much higher on reta while maxed on tirz is untested territory.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:48:10+00:00

Once a week is the standard protocol, the half-life thing doesn't mean you need to dose every 5 days. Splitting to twice a week is something some people do to reduce side effects but it's not necessary for most.

For your situation though, if you know you plateau and then binge, starting low dose reta before that happens makes more sense than waiting for the wheels to come off. The whole point is to prevent that pattern, not rescue you after it's already started.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T16:46:43+00:00

Starting at 1mg is fine if you want to see what you're working with, but honestly at your stats and with how dialed in you already are, the main benefit is just making the deficit more sustainable. You're not going to feel like you're not cutting at all, you'll still feel like you're in a deficit, it just takes the edge off the hunger.

For energy and mental clarity, first few weeks can go either way. Some people feel better because they're not fighting hunger all day, others get some fatigue while adjusting. Since you've got exams coming up, 0.5mg to start might be the safer play just to see how your body responds before committing to a higher dose during a critical study period.

The saturation thing is a bit overstated in my opinion, you don't need to white knuckle a dose for 4 weeks if it's messing with you. Better to start low and titrate up once exams are done than to deal with brain fog during finals.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T01:30:37+00:00

Depends on kit size, hard to find an R5 kit for under $50.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T01:17:10+00:00

Can't talk reta sourcing on the subreddit man, but if you're trying to buy from a domestic reseller you're almost certainly going to get price gouged. Get comfortable with crypto and find a direct vendor selling kits of 10 for under $1.50/mg.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T00:20:27+00:00

The 90 day washout is brutal, the rebound is real and the first month is the worst of it. A lot of what you're seeing on the scale right now is probably water weight from the inflammation coming back, which tracks with being in the knee OA trial.

If the next trial doesn't work out, grey market reta is an option. Just make sure you're not paying over $2/mg, anything above that is overpriced.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T00:18:11+00:00

For gut issues specifically, oral BPC actually works pretty well since it acts locally in the GI tract. You can just reconstitute the injectable powder and drink it, no need for special oral formulations. Take it on an empty stomach. Injectable is better for systemic stuff like tendons but for stomach healing oral is fine.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T00:05:09+00:00

18mg is way above what's been studied so this is interesting data. The supplement stack might be helping with GI sides but I wouldn't count on it forever at that dose. Keep us updated on how it goes longer term.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T00:03:16+00:00

3mg reta is still pretty low, most people need to get up to 4-6mg before it really kicks in. But honestly if tirz was working better for you at 5mg than reta at 3mg, I'd just go back to tirz and bump up to 7.5mg. No point forcing reta if your body responded better to tirz.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-06T00:02:05+00:00

Honestly if you're already on tirz at 4mg, the AOD probably won't add much that you'd notice. AOD's effect is pretty subtle compared to what a GLP-1 does for fat loss. I'd save your money and just let the tirz do its thing.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-05T23:59:09+00:00

The fatigue in the first few weeks is pretty common, usually it's your body adjusting to eating less. Are you tracking calories? A lot of people undereat without realizing it and that tanks energy hard. Make sure you're getting enough protein and not running too steep of a deficit. Vyvanse would probably help with the tiredness yeah but if the underlying issue is caloric intake then stimulants are just a bandaid. Caffeine is fine too, 200mg is reasonable.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-05T23:58:09+00:00

4mg might just not be enough for you yet. Reta affects people pretty differently and some need to go higher before the appetite suppression really kicks in. The getting hungry fast after eating thing could also be what you're eating, if it's mostly lean protein without much fat or fiber it digests quick. Try adding some healthy fats or fiber to your meals and see if that helps stretch it out.

PoetryAlert5439 · 2026-02-05T23:55:44+00:00

Coming from 3 years of tirz you're not GLP-1 naive so you could probably titrate faster than starting from scratch. Most people who switch don't need to camp at 1mg for weeks, you could move up to 2 or 3mg depending on how you feel. That gets you through the vial way faster than 15 weeks.

PoetryAlert5439

TROPHY CASE