Do we tell friends and family about reta?

I screwed up. After dropping 25 lbs over two months on Reta, I told my brother. I explained compounding pharmacies and U.S. grey vendors, hoping he'd go that route. But then he spotted my peptide stash in the fridge and asked how I'd gotten so many kits.

So I told him about Chinese grey vendors. That was a poor choice on my part.

He hadn't even used anything yet, but after a bit of TikTok digging, he wanted to order a bunch of different kits from Chinese grey vendors. I was thrilled that someone trusted me and wanted to try peptides—dumb enough to front the money for him since he doesn't do crypto. I placed an $800 peptide order across three different vendors.

We all know the grey market grind: moving crypto, checking COAs, hunting the best prices, dodging scams or bunk products. Add to that the stress of international shipping, plus the know-how needed to pin safely.

No matter how much I warned and taught him, it didn't land. He only saw cheap kits, and he was glad he didn't have to do any of the legwork to get them. I mean, he hadn't even paid me for the order.

My last order, over $1,000, went to my neighbors by mistake. My brother panicked and kept calling me at work because I'd shared the tracking information with him. About $600 worth was for him.

I sorted it out in three days and got the package from my neighbors, but it got me thinking. My brother was panicking as if his $1,000 had been lost, even though he hadn't paid me a thing for the order.

Then guess what happened yesterday? Even though he still owes me $600, he sent me a list of five more peptides he wants me to order.

I wasn't doing this spoiled American brother of mine any favors. Being part of the grey market is not like shopping on Amazon or Walmart. I had to cut him off from my stash and stop ordering peptides for him.
 
CNCCurrency said:

gimmeshelter said:

I'm honestly interested in hearing where everyone stands on this. When someone you're close to—a friend or a relative—wants to know what's behind your physical change (the weight you dropped), how do you answer them? And if you do decide to talk about it, do you go as far as handing over every site, resource, vendor detail, and so on? That's quite a bit of information to pass along if the point is to describe your own journey and then demonstrate how they can get reta at a FAIR price.
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At first, it was just a few friends I was assisting with these peps. Now our circle has expanded to roughly 12 people, and it continues to grow as they bring in their own friends and family.
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I had the same idea at first. Then I started thinking about how information spreads and gets twisted, like in a game of 'broken telephone.' The worst-case scenario for me would be a random DEA visit at my door 6 months down the line, all because rumors warped what actually happened.
 
A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
 
I finished my body recomp more than a year back, and I did it without reta. These days I use it to push my progress even further. Whenever reta comes up in conversation, I make that point clear to whoever I'm speaking with. The last thing I want is for someone to assume they can use it while ignoring their diet.

As for where they can get it, I point them toward what I consider trustworthy, well-informed sources. So far nobody has asked me for reta itself, though a handful of people have wanted to buy other peptides. I only went ahead once they confirmed they'd looked into dosage and possible side effects on their own. It's nice when people believe I'm looking out for them, but that doesn't mean they can skip doing their own homework.
 
petros600 said:

At the Costco near me in south Florida, they refused to sell me syringes. Publix, Walgreens and Walmart gave me the same answer. Their response was that a prescription from my doctor is required.

So today I went to Sarasota, and when we were at the Costco there shopping, I went over to the pharmacy and asked whether syringes were available for purchase. They said yes without hesitation.

No prescription needed, and nobody asked what I wanted them for!!
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I get what you're saying! Getting syringes in NYC is a pain as well. To buy them without a prescription there, a pharmacy has to be part of ESAP (expanded syringe access program). Even then, it's still annoying because most places only sell a pack of 10 at a time.
 
update: after I told my mom — she's getting older but isn't elderly — I ended up sourcing for her and walking her through reconstitution and filtering. I'm not upset about it. She's no fool; she wouldn't buy from a scammer or a garbage vendor and then inject without knowing what's in the vial. Still, it puts me much more at ease to know she isn't using anything I'm unaware of and haven't had a chance to give input on.

Honestly, I also think me supervising her recons isn't really required or even useful at this point. When she still slips up on what comes after and what to do next, I'm fairly sure that's far more about the stress of being observed and the split attention from chatting with me than any real lack of knowledge about the next step. I'll say "Ma, hold up. What are you about to do there?" and she goes "oh, fuck, I'm about to just put it in the cartridge without filtering or even switching the needle, wtf am I doing" and corrects herself. But whatever, I'll keep doing it for as long as SHE wants me to.
 
gimmeshelter said:

I'm honestly interested in hearing where everyone stands on this. When someone you're close to—a friend or a relative—wants to know what's behind your physical change (the weight you dropped), how do you answer them? And if you do decide to talk about it, do you go as far as handing over every site, resource, vendor detail, and so on? That's quite a bit of information to pass along if the point is to describe your own journey and then demonstrate how they can get reta at a FAIR price.
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For me, no. If someone brings it up, I’ll respond, but I have no interest in fielding inquiries about my reasons for using it or staying on it, or hearing whether they believe it’s warranted.

I’m open to talking with anyone who approaches it sincerely, though I won’t put up with judgmental remarks.
 
gimmeshelter said:

I'm honestly interested in hearing where everyone stands on this. When someone you're close to—a friend or a relative—wants to know what's behind your physical change (the weight you dropped), how do you answer them? And if you do decide to talk about it, do you go as far as handing over every site, resource, vendor detail, and so on? That's quite a bit of information to pass along if the point is to describe your own journey and then demonstrate how they can get reta at a FAIR price.
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For the time being I'm keeping it to myself, lol. My reasoning is that I don't want to "lead them astray" — if they try what I suggest and things go differently for them, I'd end up getting the blame. On top of that, plenty of people aren't interested in doing their own research, so I figure to each their own. I've also been on keto & IF for a while, so that's the explanation I fall back on, and it gets them to drop it because they already think I'm crazy for fasting and doing keto.
 
gimmeshelter said:

I'm honestly interested in hearing where everyone stands on this. When someone you're close to—a friend or a relative—wants to know what's behind your physical change (the weight you dropped), how do you answer them? And if you do decide to talk about it, do you go as far as handing over every site, resource, vendor detail, and so on? That's quite a bit of information to pass along if the point is to describe your own journey and then demonstrate how they can get reta at a FAIR price.
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Telling people I'm on glps doesn't bother me at all. My routine involves gym sessions 6x per week plus several runs each week. The changes I've achieved weren't possible through glps by themselves. (I say glps since I'm only just switching over to reta now)
 
spanky2026 said:

A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
Click to expand...
Silly question — what exactly did the doctor object to about your compounded pharma route? The FDA has approved it. What was the 'argument' being made there? (Asking from my own experience, hence the question)

I hold a formal prescription for Zepbound/Tirz. For some time I was receiving paper scripts and going through a compounding pharmacy while I sorted out insurance. My doctor had no problem with that.

Not long ago I came in for a refill and spotted an Eli Lilly rep sitting in the waiting room. Once she was gone, I asked the doctor what she had been doing there. I never got a straight answer. By the time the day was over, rather than handing me a paper script as she always had, they had already sent the prescription directly to Eli Lilly’s own pharmacy.

What went on was fairly clear. The rep turns up, and all at once the doctor quits writing paper scripts and sends everything to Lilly’s pharmacy instead. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.

Eli Lilly has been trying to put a stop to compounding of GLP-1 medications. On April 30th, the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, concluding there is no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them. That proposal is now in a 60-day public comment period, ending June 29, 2026. Once it is finalized, it will in practice shut down large-scale compounding of these drugs.

There’s nothing subtle about this. They are moving to cut off the cheaper compounded options that a lot of people have relied on.

I feel a rebellious streak in me
 
Genuine question — when the doctor objected to your compounded pharma route, what exactly was his complaint? The FDA has approved it. Where was the disagreement? (I ask because of something I went through myself)

zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
Click to expand...
Silly question — what exactly did the doctor object to about your compounded pharma route? The FDA has approved it. What was the 'argument' being made there? (Asking from my own experience, hence the question)

I hold a formal prescription for Zepbound/Tirz. For some time I was receiving paper scripts and going through a compounding pharmacy while I sorted out insurance. My doctor had no problem with that.

Not long ago I came in for a refill and spotted an Eli Lilly rep sitting in the waiting room. Once she was gone, I asked the doctor what she had been doing there. I never got a straight answer. By the time the day was over, rather than handing me a paper script as she always had, they had already sent the prescription directly to Eli Lilly’s own pharmacy.

What went on was fairly clear. The rep turns up, and all at once the doctor quits writing paper scripts and sends everything to Lilly’s pharmacy instead. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.

Eli Lilly has been trying to put a stop to compounding of GLP-1 medications. On April 30th, the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, concluding there is no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them. That proposal is now in a 60-day public comment period, ending June 29, 2026. Once it is finalized, it will in practice shut down large-scale compounding of these drugs.

There’s nothing subtle about this. They are moving to cut off the cheaper compounded options that a lot of people have relied on.

I feel a rebellious streak in me
Click to expand...
What set me off about my own doctor: the first appointment after I'd begun a glp and dropped a lot of weight, he made a point of NOT engaging with it at all. Maybe he was worried about liability — I'd told him the 503b pharmacy I picked was a reputable one — but he flat out would not discuss the subject. At the start of the visit he asked what was new with me, so I answered: GLP! He steered the conversation elsewhere.
 
spanky2026 said:

Genuine question — when the doctor objected to your compounded pharma route, what exactly was his complaint? The FDA has approved it. Where was the disagreement? (I ask because of something I went through myself)

zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
Click to expand...
Silly question — what exactly did the doctor object to about your compounded pharma route? The FDA has approved it. What was the 'argument' being made there? (Asking from my own experience, hence the question)

I hold a formal prescription for Zepbound/Tirz. For some time I was receiving paper scripts and going through a compounding pharmacy while I sorted out insurance. My doctor had no problem with that.

Not long ago I came in for a refill and spotted an Eli Lilly rep sitting in the waiting room. Once she was gone, I asked the doctor what she had been doing there. I never got a straight answer. By the time the day was over, rather than handing me a paper script as she always had, they had already sent the prescription directly to Eli Lilly’s own pharmacy.

What went on was fairly clear. The rep turns up, and all at once the doctor quits writing paper scripts and sends everything to Lilly’s pharmacy instead. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.

Eli Lilly has been trying to put a stop to compounding of GLP-1 medications. On April 30th, the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, concluding there is no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them. That proposal is now in a 60-day public comment period, ending June 29, 2026. Once it is finalized, it will in practice shut down large-scale compounding of these drugs.

There’s nothing subtle about this. They are moving to cut off the cheaper compounded options that a lot of people have relied on.

I feel a rebellious streak in me
Click to expand...
What set me off about my own doctor: the first appointment after I'd begun a glp and dropped a lot of weight, he made a point of NOT engaging with it at all. Maybe he was worried about liability — I'd told him the 503b pharmacy I picked was a reputable one — but he flat out would not discuss the subject. At the start of the visit he asked what was new with me, so I answered: GLP! He steered the conversation elsewhere.
Click to expand...
That pattern isn't new to me.

Broadly speaking, the moment I sense a doctor is merely ticking off requirements and putting anything ahead of the patient's genuine interests — I'm out.

A specialist visit should bring substantive guidance grounded in fiduciary duty, rather than reciting a one-size-fits-all script. Take my former cardiologist: I ended that relationship because they kept prescribing medications by the book despite my medical profile making it obvious that path was wrong for me.

GLP-1 antagonists sit in a league of their own. No matter what someone personally believes, refusing outright to even discuss the matter breaches their fiduciary obligation directly.
 
zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

Genuine question — when the doctor objected to your compounded pharma route, what exactly was his complaint? The FDA has approved it. Where was the disagreement? (I ask because of something I went through myself)

zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
Click to expand...
Silly question — what exactly did the doctor object to about your compounded pharma route? The FDA has approved it. What was the 'argument' being made there? (Asking from my own experience, hence the question)

I hold a formal prescription for Zepbound/Tirz. For some time I was receiving paper scripts and going through a compounding pharmacy while I sorted out insurance. My doctor had no problem with that.

Not long ago I came in for a refill and spotted an Eli Lilly rep sitting in the waiting room. Once she was gone, I asked the doctor what she had been doing there. I never got a straight answer. By the time the day was over, rather than handing me a paper script as she always had, they had already sent the prescription directly to Eli Lilly’s own pharmacy.

What went on was fairly clear. The rep turns up, and all at once the doctor quits writing paper scripts and sends everything to Lilly’s pharmacy instead. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.

Eli Lilly has been trying to put a stop to compounding of GLP-1 medications. On April 30th, the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, concluding there is no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them. That proposal is now in a 60-day public comment period, ending June 29, 2026. Once it is finalized, it will in practice shut down large-scale compounding of these drugs.

There’s nothing subtle about this. They are moving to cut off the cheaper compounded options that a lot of people have relied on.

I feel a rebellious streak in me
Click to expand...
What set me off about my own doctor: the first appointment after I'd begun a glp and dropped a lot of weight, he made a point of NOT engaging with it at all. Maybe he was worried about liability — I'd told him the 503b pharmacy I picked was a reputable one — but he flat out would not discuss the subject. At the start of the visit he asked what was new with me, so I answered: GLP! He steered the conversation elsewhere.
Click to expand...
That pattern isn't new to me.

Broadly speaking, the moment I sense a doctor is merely ticking off requirements and putting anything ahead of the patient's genuine interests — I'm out.

A specialist visit should bring substantive guidance grounded in fiduciary duty, rather than reciting a one-size-fits-all script. Take my former cardiologist: I ended that relationship because they kept prescribing medications by the book despite my medical profile making it obvious that path was wrong for me.

GLP-1 antagonists sit in a league of their own. No matter what someone personally believes, refusing outright to even discuss the matter breaches their fiduciary obligation directly.
Click to expand...

Yes — I'm completely with you on that. At my upcoming visit, which will also be my last, I plan to let him go.
 
spanky2026 said:

zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

Genuine question — when the doctor objected to your compounded pharma route, what exactly was his complaint? The FDA has approved it. Where was the disagreement? (I ask because of something I went through myself)

zkprv said:

spanky2026 said:

A handful of people are aware that I started compounded Tirz — the only one who had a problem with it was my idiot EX-doctor. As I shift to gray, my plan is to simply let them go on believing it's compounded. Permanently. I don't see any reason to crack open that can of worms; my life is already complicated enough.
Click to expand...
Silly question — what exactly did the doctor object to about your compounded pharma route? The FDA has approved it. What was the 'argument' being made there? (Asking from my own experience, hence the question)

I hold a formal prescription for Zepbound/Tirz. For some time I was receiving paper scripts and going through a compounding pharmacy while I sorted out insurance. My doctor had no problem with that.

Not long ago I came in for a refill and spotted an Eli Lilly rep sitting in the waiting room. Once she was gone, I asked the doctor what she had been doing there. I never got a straight answer. By the time the day was over, rather than handing me a paper script as she always had, they had already sent the prescription directly to Eli Lilly’s own pharmacy.

What went on was fairly clear. The rep turns up, and all at once the doctor quits writing paper scripts and sends everything to Lilly’s pharmacy instead. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.

Eli Lilly has been trying to put a stop to compounding of GLP-1 medications. On April 30th, the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, concluding there is no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them. That proposal is now in a 60-day public comment period, ending June 29, 2026. Once it is finalized, it will in practice shut down large-scale compounding of these drugs.

There’s nothing subtle about this. They are moving to cut off the cheaper compounded options that a lot of people have relied on.

I feel a rebellious streak in me
Click to expand...
What set me off about my own doctor: the first appointment after I'd begun a glp and dropped a lot of weight, he made a point of NOT engaging with it at all. Maybe he was worried about liability — I'd told him the 503b pharmacy I picked was a reputable one — but he flat out would not discuss the subject. At the start of the visit he asked what was new with me, so I answered: GLP! He steered the conversation elsewhere.
Click to expand...
That pattern isn't new to me.

Broadly speaking, the moment I sense a doctor is merely ticking off requirements and putting anything ahead of the patient's genuine interests — I'm out.

A specialist visit should bring substantive guidance grounded in fiduciary duty, rather than reciting a one-size-fits-all script. Take my former cardiologist: I ended that relationship because they kept prescribing medications by the book despite my medical profile making it obvious that path was wrong for me.

GLP-1 antagonists sit in a league of their own. No matter what someone personally believes, refusing outright to even discuss the matter breaches their fiduciary obligation directly.
Click to expand...

Yes — I'm completely with you on that. At my upcoming visit, which will also be my last, I plan to let him go.
Click to expand...
Unless there’s a particular reason you need that doctor for something, what’s the point of returning? I wouldn’t spend the time or effort on it.

I’d look around quietly for someone who suits me better, leave things open for a while, and if the new doctor turns out well, I’d simply quit going to the old one. From what I’ve seen, they hardly ever realize or reach out. Should someone from the office ring you to ask why, that’s when you can explain — though I wouldn’t count on it.

There was a time I believed that telling them I didn’t agree with their approach would change anything. It doesn’t. They’re not bothered. Once that sinks in, walking away becomes much simpler.
 
I’ve ended up getting the majority of my friends and family using them. After they saw how much weight I lost, every one of them asked to try it—even the people who were really doubtful at first. The downside is that now I’m basically the provider for all of them. It’s turned into a whole extra job. I’m up to 14 people now.
 
Deonitis said:

I’ve ended up getting the majority of my friends and family using them. After they saw how much weight I lost, every one of them asked to try it—even the people who were really doubtful at first. The downside is that now I’m basically the provider for all of them. It’s turned into a whole extra job. I’m up to 14 people now.
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I hope you're earning some extra cash.
 
BNLFL said:

Deonitis said:

I’ve ended up getting the majority of my friends and family using them. After they saw how much weight I lost, every one of them asked to try it—even the people who were really doubtful at first. The downside is that now I’m basically the provider for all of them. It’s turned into a whole extra job. I’m up to 14 people now.
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I hope you're earning some extra cash.
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I'm doing fine. It could be improved, though I'm not chasing a big haul. It hinges on the person. Or on whether it's genuinely meant for them rather than someone else.
 
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