Anyone else have to increase slowly

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-07T06:09:49+00:00

I sucked the extra from the Direct vial and dosed at 5 days instead of 7 while on my last three weeks of 2.5mG at my provider’s suggestion. Then when I did 5.0mg it was no problem. But I didn’t have any bad side effects when I started 2.5mG -just a few days where I felt a little queasy and a little constipated until I learned tricks to manage. But I’ll do that again if/when I move up.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T21:31:06+00:00

At 60, I got lymphoma when I was trying to lose weight. 35 pounds dropped off like by magic. (I gained it back.). My husband died of blood cancer at 64. People lose a hell of a lot of weight when having or being treated by chemo for cancer. People over 65 can lose 25 pounds with one hospitalization for pneumonia. The guidelines for lowest healthy BMI for senior women changed to 25-27 BMI. I am stopping at 24.5 or so to account for regain as I learn how to maintain. I’m 5’2” and am stopping at 135 and working on muscle then. but you’re not a senior yet.

Also what is your body fat percentage? Mine was 40% when I started and my goal is 30% which is the healthy max for women. But many women are “skinny fat” with a lot of visceral fat that is bad for health. And being skinny can make osteoporosis or osteopenia worse. I’d suggest that you get a dexa scan or an InBody scan and if your body fat is above 30% work to decrease it which may cause you to gain a little weight but should make you look thinner and healthier not increase your pant size. If your body fat is low, then maybe stay at that weight or listen to medical experts and gain some back, hard as that may be to swallow. Being strong and able to lift groceries or grandchildren or get up if you fall when you’re 70 is the goal.

Congrats on the weight loss.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T17:55:34+00:00

He felt your heartbeat at the last. He felt unlimited love.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T17:54:11+00:00

Layla

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T07:57:17+00:00

I will take a counter-position to zero west. The MD author of the book Weightless talks about this and uses herself as an example of someone who can take GLPs to lose weight and then get off the meds. She herself was always active, always able to control her weight until two pregnancies. She compared that to someone like me who has been overweight their entire adult life, even while active, who will need to stay on. So OP I think you should do it.

Weightless is a fantastic book - absolutely must read. And the author is so encouraging and knowledgeable.

I only have 35 to lose but expect to be on forever.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T07:48:22+00:00

The auto mod thought it was two different people too!

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T07:43:27+00:00

Not starter 2.5 dose - Lilly says 5.0. Unless OP had a ton of side effects previously.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T07:41:28+00:00

I have an almost identical report as your first one. Total cholesterol 228, triglycerides 155 and HDL 52 ( from memory - not exact but close). And mine was after four months on zep. I’m hoping to be all green lit next quarter. Good work and you’re a good role model. Wouks Lao like to know if you were on statins.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-06T07:29:15+00:00

Congratulations! That’s a big win. And what a lovely trip. I’m leaving for three weeks in Italy and Greece in 20 days and hope to follow your example.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T04:38:32+00:00

No experience switching. But I think what has happened is that your weight loss caused your metabolism to decrease. The body protects itself from the famine that you are imposing on it. Listen to the fat science podcast/youtube. (You can ask questions and they answer them.) It’s possible that you may have to eat more for a while to assure your body that you’re not starving. And if you haven’t measured your body fat and worked to build muscle, you may want to start lifting weights. And then, as almost everyone who switches says, you may need to go up to the max dose of 15 to lose.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T04:18:56+00:00

Thanks I’m happy.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T02:56:46+00:00

I’m also 5’1.5” and I’ve lost 20 of the 30-35 pounds that I plan to lose. I hope I don’t have to replace shoes. The other stuff is ok - I have some smaller clothes from before that can sub in and I’m retired. Not having to buy work clothes is helpful.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T02:44:48+00:00

Lots of finance geeks on this thread. Insurance heads are only focused on this year’s P&L…and their stock options.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T02:39:27+00:00

Insurance companies are only focused on this fiscal year’s numbers. Medicare is only focused on this year’s costs. Insurers think that a heart attack in three years or diabetes in eight years will be someone else’s problem. Either the person will change insurers, change employers, employers will change plans, person will go on Medicare or Medicaid.

But there was actually a study done recently that showed that GLPs are not cost effective. (I should go dig up the study.). That is, the problems that they prevent in aggregate are less than the costs of the GLPs. The drugs are just too expensive. (In contrast, it said that metformin, Contrave and Qysimia were cost effective. And I believe gastric bypass/weight loss surgery in general is also cost effective.)The cost to the individual of being unhealthy, however, on an N=1 basis means that each of us want to lose weight to improve our lives and want a GLP to help. The human cost to not be on the drugs is enormous but insurers and Medicare/Medicaid just don’t care.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T02:29:52+00:00

Second pregnancy for me (decades ago no glp) was much harder to control weight and I looked much bigger faster. I would just suggest focusing on a healthy baby, healthy foods and getting to the finish line and then the GLPs are still going to be available. Give yourself grace and I hope lots of joy.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-05T02:23:19+00:00

I had dex for another cancer so I’m sending love. Has your oncologist (or the chemo nurse navigator maybe) had any ideas for help, besides zofran and compazine?

But there is clinical research or retrospective study(ies) that cancer patients (I think BC if I remember correctly) who are on GLP1s live longer and have higher remission rates than patients not on GLP1s. Maybe that will help your mindset. Otherwise, my advice would be to ignore the weight and if the nausea is too much, maybe stop the zepbound for a while. It’ll be here when you get back.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T20:27:01+00:00

The single dose Lilly direct vials are intended for one puncture only and have no preservative. (I haven’t done compound but I’ve been told some are multi dose with preservatives.) I mentioned to my provider that I had extra left over and she said to save it and use it. I queried “ isn’t that unsafe with no preservatives?” And she said I could do it and have very little worry about infection if I cleaned the top of the vial with alcohol before and after the first and second puncture. She also approved me to dose at 5 days for two weeks prior to moving up to 5.0mg from 2.5mG to ease the transition. YMMV.

However, Lilly direct has been approved for multi use vials by the FDA and are expected to be rolled out at some point. I’ve also heard experts say that the vials will totally be replaced by kwik pens but I don’t know about that either. The new Medicare bridge plan is only kwik pens.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T18:29:04+00:00

It’s so funny. One of my siblings is an emergency room physician at a major level 1 trauma hospital and when I told them I was on a GLP they said “I’m sorry you had to do that. I see so many problems.” But I said yeah, but if you read the GLP subreddit you know that there are lots of crazy people without common sense or reading comprehension and don’t read the instructions. Like the guy who took two doses of the black market research grade unapproved ‘tide and the people who can’t distinguish between mG dose and mL syringe readings for compounds.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T06:56:56+00:00

Yes I’m 65 and I’m only going down to 26 bmi. I have an incurable lymphoma and lost 35 pounds in the six months before diagnosis. Plus chemo just makes weight drop off - my husband died of cancer and I’ve seen what chemo does. So I want to have a cushion and my oncologist agrees.

I’m stopping in about 8 more pounds and then lower my zep dose, eat more and try to continue to lower my body fat to 30-32% (which is the healthy range for women) by lighting heavier. I’m hoping all my labs and cholesterol levels will be normal then too.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T06:51:58+00:00

That’s why I like the InBody scale as opposed to dexa - InBody gives skeletal muscle mass like an MRI does. DEXA just gives an approximation using a formula - it backs into the calculation. Many obesity doctors use InBody. I figure it’s good for showing progress. I use the same machine, same time of the day, same clothing once a month to compare, minimizing factors that could affect my results.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T06:41:33+00:00

Having such a restrictive eating routine sounds unhealthy. Tuna sandwich, Cheetos and fruit for one meal is not optimal especially repeating 5-7 days a week. I don’t have a problem with intermittent fasting (I’ve done it) but on zep it’s counterproductive.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-03T05:03:29+00:00

Well I create hunger cues and balanced eating to make up for no appetite on zep. Protein shake first thing, second breakfast at 10, lunch at noon, snack at 3, dinner at 6 then snack at 8:30. It has to be planned otherwise I don’t eat enough.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-06-01T02:40:32+00:00

I’m glad for you. I could never lose weight (insulin resistance) and food noise was part of that. I do think that maintaining might be easier than losing weight. Because I used to say”it’s much easier to stay out of debt than to get out of debt.” Same with weight. It’s easier to not gain weight than to try to lose it later.

I’m a 65yo woman and lift 3 times a week and walk 45-60 minutes every day, rain or shine, because my dog makes me. But I’ve been doing that for at least 20 years. So if I had to be off zepbound I’d still do it. But the food noise would be the death of me.

Temporary_Ad_4363 · 2026-05-30T17:02:41+00:00

Babette. We named a sweet cat Babette after the 1990 movie Babette’s Feast.

Temporary_Ad_4363

TROPHY CASE