Giving Teso Another Try — Seeking Input

[dogmom]

In 2024 and the first part of 2025, I used Teso intermittently. June 2025 is when I came off it. My dose was 250mcg (biopep), taken weekly. Looking back, I paired it with tirz at some points and reta at others, and my weight was going down.

I reached a goal range of 140 to 145lbs (though dropping another 20lbs would still be welcome). Keeping that weight off has become more of a struggle lately.

Earlier this year I was put on Wellbutrin/Bupropin after a depressive episode and what I view as ADHD (the psych says I don't have ADHD, though). About a month ago I stopped it. The first couple of months were ok. It made me very hungry. Headaches came with it, and it seemed like each generic version hit me differently. On top of that, between Jan and June 2026 I put on 10lbs. Really frustrating — I'm around 155lbs now. By BMI that's technically normal, but I'm about 1lb away from overweight.

So I still have an unopened bottle of Teso. My plan is 1 a day for roughly a week, then cut back to 2 times a week, then 1 time a week. I've also stopped using reta on a regular schedule — now it's once every other week. Appetite suppression from it feels minimal, honestly. TBH the only reason I stay on it is my IBS. Constipation has been a lifelong issue for me, and glp1s are the one thing that keeps me regular.

I'm aware Bupropin and Teso can't be combined. There may be a negative interaction. That's why I wanted my system completely clear first.

***I'm just sharing to see if anyone has any advice or thoughts about Teso.

 

[Skidude]

dogmom said:

In 2024 and the first part of 2025, I used Teso intermittently. June 2025 is when I came off it. My dose was 250mcg (biopep), taken weekly. Looking back, I paired it with tirz at some points and reta at others, and my weight was going down.

I reached a goal range of 140 to 145lbs (though dropping another 20lbs would still be welcome). Keeping that weight off has become more of a struggle lately.

Earlier this year I was put on Wellbutrin/Bupropin after a depressive episode and what I view as ADHD (the psych says I don't have ADHD, though). About a month ago I stopped it. The first couple of months were ok. It made me very hungry. Headaches came with it, and it seemed like each generic version hit me differently. On top of that, between Jan and June 2026 I put on 10lbs. Really frustrating — I'm around 155lbs now. By BMI that's technically normal, but I'm about 1lb away from overweight.

So I still have an unopened bottle of Teso. My plan is 1 a day for roughly a week, then cut back to 2 times a week, then 1 time a week. I've also stopped using reta on a regular schedule — now it's once every other week. Appetite suppression from it feels minimal, honestly. TBH the only reason I stay on it is my IBS. Constipation has been a lifelong issue for me, and glp1s are the one thing that keeps me regular.

I'm aware Bupropin and Teso can't be combined. There may be a negative interaction. That's why I wanted my system completely clear first.

***I'm just sharing to see if anyone has any advice or thoughts about Teso.

Biopep is not a name I know, but Teso is something I ran in 2024, at 1/2 pill every other day.

Mood was my worry, and once I saw the same goal could be reached by other means, the risk/reward stopped making sense. There is still a bottle sitting here.

It also had a reputation for inconsistency, with some pills carrying a good deal more active ingredient than others. Nowhere near as foolproof as lyophilized powders.

Have you thought about raising the reta instead, or adding Eloralintide?

On swapping it in for welbutrin, I would be careful too. Details below

Where Tesofensine Meets Depression

Tesofensine works on brain pathways that overlap with plenty of standard antidepressants, yet it was designed and studied as an obesity drug. The things worth weighing up: [1, 2]

• Serotonin syndrome risk: Stacking it on top of an already serotonergic antidepressant (an SSRI or SNRI, say) can push serotonin to dangerous levels, which shows up as shivering, rigidity, or seizures. [1]
  
• Mixed effects on mood: Its triple-reuptake mechanism is credited by some sources with lifting mood and energy, but the clinical obesity trials also recorded cases of worsening depressive symptoms, anxiety and irritability in certain patients. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Interactions with dopaminergic drugs: Taking it alongside stimulants or dopaminergic antidepressants (Wellbutrin, for instance) risks overstimulation, higher blood pressure and building tolerance

 

[dogmom]

Skidude said:

dogmom said:

In 2024 and the first part of 2025, I used Teso intermittently. June 2025 is when I came off it. My dose was 250mcg (biopep), taken weekly. Looking back, I paired it with tirz at some points and reta at others, and my weight was going down.

I reached a goal range of 140 to 145lbs (though dropping another 20lbs would still be welcome). Keeping that weight off has become more of a struggle lately.

Earlier this year I was put on Wellbutrin/Bupropin after a depressive episode and what I view as ADHD (the psych says I don't have ADHD, though). About a month ago I stopped it. The first couple of months were ok. It made me very hungry. Headaches came with it, and it seemed like each generic version hit me differently. On top of that, between Jan and June 2026 I put on 10lbs. Really frustrating — I'm around 155lbs now. By BMI that's technically normal, but I'm about 1lb away from overweight.

So I still have an unopened bottle of Teso. My plan is 1 a day for roughly a week, then cut back to 2 times a week, then 1 time a week. I've also stopped using reta on a regular schedule — now it's once every other week. Appetite suppression from it feels minimal, honestly. TBH the only reason I stay on it is my IBS. Constipation has been a lifelong issue for me, and glp1s are the one thing that keeps me regular.

I'm aware Bupropin and Teso can't be combined. There may be a negative interaction. That's why I wanted my system completely clear first.

***I'm just sharing to see if anyone has any advice or thoughts about Teso.

Biopep is not a name I know, but Teso is something I ran in 2024, at 1/2 pill every other day.

Mood was my worry, and once I saw the same goal could be reached by other means, the risk/reward stopped making sense. There is still a bottle sitting here.

It also had a reputation for inconsistency, with some pills carrying a good deal more active ingredient than others. Nowhere near as foolproof as lyophilized powders.

Have you thought about raising the reta instead, or adding Eloralintide?

On swapping it in for welbutrin, I would be careful too. Details below

Where Tesofensine Meets Depression

Tesofensine works on brain pathways that overlap with plenty of standard antidepressants, yet it was designed and studied as an obesity drug. The things worth weighing up: [1, 2]

• Serotonin syndrome risk: Stacking it on top of an already serotonergic antidepressant (an SSRI or SNRI, say) can push serotonin to dangerous levels, which shows up as shivering, rigidity, or seizures. [1]
  
• Mixed effects on mood: Its triple-reuptake mechanism is credited by some sources with lifting mood and energy, but the clinical obesity trials also recorded cases of worsening depressive symptoms, anxiety and irritability in certain patients. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
• Interactions with dopaminergic drugs: Taking it alongside stimulants or dopaminergic antidepressants (Wellbutrin, for instance) risks overstimulation, higher blood pressure and building tolerance

While I was on it, depression wasn't really something I experienced. As I said before, I have no intention of combining Wellbutrin with Teso. I made certain Wellbutrin was completely out of my system. My understanding is that using the two together could bring on serotonin syndrome.

There were stretches when I attempted to push my reta dose higher. For a period I was at 12mg per week, but it left me fatigued and I saw more depression and adhedonia creeping in. So I lowered it to 8 to 10mg per week. After that, I moved to every other week. That change might also have contributed to weight gain. The thing is, I simply dislike how I feel once I push reta to its limit.