Reta Starting Dose: Gradual Ramp vs. Going Straight to 2 mg per Week

[bay_area_schizo]

Llanitox said:

bay_area_schizo said:

Llanitox said:

MarcTheAnimal said:

I'd like to open a conversation about the initial dose of Reta and collect some firsthand accounts from others.

My own approach was extremely careful:

• 0.5 mg across 2 weeks
  
• after that, 1 mg for 2 more weeks
  
• in the second week at 1 mg, I divided the week in two and injected an additional 1 mg

As a result, my current schedule is:

• 1 mg each Tuesday at 6 am
  
• 1 mg each Friday at 6 pm

To be honest, it's only at this point that I feel I've landed on the dose that suits me. Up until then, I could hardly claim to notice anything, apart from perhaps a slight effect roughly an hour after the shot.

I chose this route because I came across many reports from rats that went directly to 2 mg and later regretted it due to sides. Still, I now genuinely question whether beginning below 2 mg is actually useful for adaptation in real life, or whether a lot of people are just postponing any meaningful effects.

My weight did not budge at all until I hit a total of 2 mg/week. I should add that I'm already fit and not heavily overweight, so perhaps that makes a difference compared with those who have far more body fat to shed.

How did your starting doses go?

Do you believe gradual titration under 2 mg genuinely assists the body in adapting, or is it frequently pointless for those who handle it fine?

I'm keen to hear a range of views. Thanks for reading.

my first dose was a screw-up — I was supposed to take 2mg but took 4mg instead (please don't ask how). I felt awful, couldn't face food, the whole lot.

week 2 I dropped to 2mg, and got stomach cramps plus either constipation or dhiarea. from week 3 onward though, I split it: 1mg on Mondays, then another 1mg on Thursdays.

that pattern has been ideal for me — zero symptoms and weight coming off at a steady rate (too well, honestly!)

appetite is somewhat blunted, but nowhere near what others describe; the food noise has vanished entirely. I keep to my macros and hit my protein target every day.

two friends started on feta with my help, and I told them to begin at 0.5 for the first dose.

friend number one got every side effect going, but they'd cleared by week 2. he's moving up to 1mg next week.

my view: begin at 0.5 and let your body adjust, then climb gradually toward whatever dose you're aiming for. for most people the sweet spot looks like 2mg, without losing weight drastically fast.

You told me not to ask, but I can't help myself how did you end up taking twice the dose you thought you were getting? your story might be useful to another rat

Haha, basically I messed up the bac water ratio when mixing it — I used 1ml rather than 2ml for a 20mg vial. That means the shot I believed was 2mg ended up being a much stronger 4mg dose.

but did you die? lol thanks for sharing with us. I got a label maker today due to this fear

 

[Llanitox]

bay_area_schizo said:


but did you die? lol thanks for sharing with us. I got a label maker today due to this fear

Click to expand...

Nope, but while I was on the toilet losing my guts, I honestly believed my time was up

 

[MarcTheAnimal]

Llanitox said:

MarcTheAnimal said:

I'd like to open a conversation about the initial dose of Reta and collect some firsthand accounts from others.

My own approach was extremely careful:

• 0.5 mg across 2 weeks
  
• after that, 1 mg for 2 more weeks
  
• in the second week at 1 mg, I divided the week in two and injected an additional 1 mg

As a result, my current schedule is:

• 1 mg each Tuesday at 6 am
  
• 1 mg each Friday at 6 pm

To be honest, it's only at this point that I feel I've landed on the dose that suits me. Up until then, I could hardly claim to notice anything, apart from perhaps a slight effect roughly an hour after the shot.

I chose this route because I came across many reports from rats that went directly to 2 mg and later regretted it due to sides. Still, I now genuinely question whether beginning below 2 mg is actually useful for adaptation in real life, or whether a lot of people are just postponing any meaningful effects.

My weight did not budge at all until I hit a total of 2 mg/week. I should add that I'm already fit and not heavily overweight, so perhaps that makes a difference compared with those who have far more body fat to shed.

How did your starting doses go?

Do you believe gradual titration under 2 mg genuinely assists the body in adapting, or is it frequently pointless for those who handle it fine?

I'm keen to hear a range of views. Thanks for reading.

my first dose was a screw-up — I was supposed to take 2mg but took 4mg instead (please don't ask how). I felt awful, couldn't face food, the whole lot.

week 2 I dropped to 2mg, and got stomach cramps plus either constipation or dhiarea. from week 3 onward though, I split it: 1mg on Mondays, then another 1mg on Thursdays.

that pattern has been ideal for me — zero symptoms and weight coming off at a steady rate (too well, honestly!)

appetite is somewhat blunted, but nowhere near what others describe; the food noise has vanished entirely. I keep to my macros and hit my protein target every day.

two friends started on feta with my help, and I told them to begin at 0.5 for the first dose.

friend number one got every side effect going, but they'd cleared by week 2. he's moving up to 1mg next week.

my view: begin at 0.5 and let your body adjust, then climb gradually toward whatever dose you're aiming for. for most people the sweet spot looks like 2mg, without losing weight drastically fast.

Man, I noticed your thread about SSY, but I couldn't respond there, so I'll say it here instead. Watch out—they ripped me off...

 

[BNLFL]

igottapee said:

Here is how Eli lilly ran the dosing in its phase 3 Trial (Triumph):

2mg/week x4

4mg/week x4

6mg/week x4

9mg/week x4

12mg/week x4

I made it to 12mg and stayed there 2 weeks, at which point I reached my goal. These days I'm back at 6mg/week.

My situation is pretty close. I followed one of the initial trial protocols, which was 2-4-8-12, each step lasting 4 weeks. I adjusted it slightly: 2-4-6-8, and I'm currently on 8mg. If necessary, 10 will be the next step. At 1.5-2lbs/week, it has performed well.

 

[Llanitox]

MarcTheAnimal said:

Llanitox said:

MarcTheAnimal said:

I'd like to open a conversation about the initial dose of Reta and collect some firsthand accounts from others.

My own approach was extremely careful:

• 0.5 mg across 2 weeks
  
• after that, 1 mg for 2 more weeks
  
• in the second week at 1 mg, I divided the week in two and injected an additional 1 mg

As a result, my current schedule is:

• 1 mg each Tuesday at 6 am
  
• 1 mg each Friday at 6 pm

To be honest, it's only at this point that I feel I've landed on the dose that suits me. Up until then, I could hardly claim to notice anything, apart from perhaps a slight effect roughly an hour after the shot.

I chose this route because I came across many reports from rats that went directly to 2 mg and later regretted it due to sides. Still, I now genuinely question whether beginning below 2 mg is actually useful for adaptation in real life, or whether a lot of people are just postponing any meaningful effects.

My weight did not budge at all until I hit a total of 2 mg/week. I should add that I'm already fit and not heavily overweight, so perhaps that makes a difference compared with those who have far more body fat to shed.

How did your starting doses go?

Do you believe gradual titration under 2 mg genuinely assists the body in adapting, or is it frequently pointless for those who handle it fine?

I'm keen to hear a range of views. Thanks for reading.

my first dose was a screw-up — I was supposed to take 2mg but took 4mg instead (please don't ask how). I felt awful, couldn't face food, the whole lot.

week 2 I dropped to 2mg, and got stomach cramps plus either constipation or dhiarea. from week 3 onward though, I split it: 1mg on Mondays, then another 1mg on Thursdays.

that pattern has been ideal for me — zero symptoms and weight coming off at a steady rate (too well, honestly!)

appetite is somewhat blunted, but nowhere near what others describe; the food noise has vanished entirely. I keep to my macros and hit my protein target every day.

two friends started on feta with my help, and I told them to begin at 0.5 for the first dose.

friend number one got every side effect going, but they'd cleared by week 2. he's moving up to 1mg next week.

my view: begin at 0.5 and let your body adjust, then climb gradually toward whatever dose you're aiming for. for most people the sweet spot looks like 2mg, without losing weight drastically fast.

Man, I noticed your thread about SSY, but I couldn't respond there, so I'll say it here instead. Watch out—they ripped me off...

What makes you say that? Did your order not show up?

I already have a tracking number for mine, and it's in transit after a small test buy.

 

[Mood]

Week 1 I took 1mg and honestly noticed nothing. In week 2 I moved up to 1mg every 3 days, and that's when it clearly hit me. The only side effect I've really had is sensitive skin. It definitely made me eat less in one sitting. I dropped 8lbs over the first few weeks, then the scale froze. Probably mostly water. Now I'm in week 5 and bumped it to 1.5mg/3 days. Sides haven't gotten worse and I feel fine so far. I'll keep watching and raise it when needed. Taking it slow; there's nothing to rush. My weight is basically flat right now, but I think I look better, which matters more to me anyway. How my clothes fit and so on counts for more than the number on the scale.

 

[PepGladiator]

jc1892 said:

Wednesday night was when I injected 1mg for the very first time. Despite my usual magnesium and glycine, sleep did not come easily. Throughout the day I consumed only protein shakes and vitamins, and that held true even with early morning strength sessions, right up until I got home from work, where my wife had dinner ready on Thursday and Friday. Today brought my first lunch craving, and I gave in to it. I'm thinking about taking another 1mg tonight; if I go ahead, I'll stick with a split schedule and take 1mg again next Wednesday.

One idea: take Reta in the morning so it's less likely to keep you awake at night. I pair it with Tesamorelin, which I inject in the evening (nothing to eat for at least 2 hours beforehand), and my sleep has improved a lot. Reta goes in once weekly, in the morning. Tesa is used 5 days on, 2 days off.

 

[pharaoh]

IMO, going with 0.5mg as a starting point simply isn't worthwhile. You should begin with 1mg at minimum, and just push through any side effects that come up. From what I've seen, the majority of people I know tolerate 1mg-2mg pretty well right out of the gate.

When it comes to Reta, the goal is to titrate upward and reach 4mg at the very least as quickly as you can. The trials already showed us that the dose-response curves begin rising at 4mg and then level off at 9mg.

That means if you're taking anything below 4mg, you're missing out on a lot of the impressive fat-burning advantages Reta offers.

Should the effects feel too harsh, simply divide your dosage.

In the Phase-3 Lilly trials, the protocol has used a 2mg starting dose with 2mg titration every 4 weeks, and the outcomes have been favorable.

My own view is that this approach is the optimal one, though I should note I've never experienced a single side effect from GLPs, even at 12mg Tirz and 4mg Reta.

 

[ProblemChild]

My approach is extremely gradual. My first dose was 0.25mg, then I added another 0.25mg after every five days. Right now I'm staying at 1.0mg for three weeks in total (that's four injections), and the next step will be 1.5mg.

 

[BNLFL]

ProblemChild said:

My approach is extremely gradual. My first dose was 0.25mg, then I added another 0.25mg after every five days. Right now I'm staying at 1.0mg for three weeks in total (that's four injections), and the next step will be 1.5mg.

So you're really pushing your luck, huh?

 

[ProblemChild]

BNLFL said:

ProblemChild said:

My approach is extremely gradual. My first dose was 0.25mg, then I added another 0.25mg after every five days. Right now I'm staying at 1.0mg for three weeks in total (that's four injections), and the next step will be 1.5mg.

So you're really pushing your luck, huh?

Nope — I've got afib, and I'm aware Reta has the potential to set off episodes, which is why I'm ramping up slowly. There's no rush on my end.

 

[BNLFL]

ProblemChild said:

BNLFL said:

ProblemChild said:

My approach is extremely gradual. My first dose was 0.25mg, then I added another 0.25mg after every five days. Right now I'm staying at 1.0mg for three weeks in total (that's four injections), and the next step will be 1.5mg.

So you're really pushing your luck, huh?

Nope — I've got afib, and I'm aware Reta has the potential to set off episodes, which is why I'm ramping up slowly. There's no rush on my end.

Which medications are you currently taking for it? I went through that 3.7 years ago. A really severe case of pneumonia triggered it for me. In the hospital they put me on all sorts of things. My cardiologist still has me on 2 meds.

 

[ProblemChild]

BNLFL said:

ProblemChild said:

BNLFL said:

ProblemChild said:

My approach is extremely gradual. My first dose was 0.25mg, then I added another 0.25mg after every five days. Right now I'm staying at 1.0mg for three weeks in total (that's four injections), and the next step will be 1.5mg.

So you're really pushing your luck, huh?

Nope — I've got afib, and I'm aware Reta has the potential to set off episodes, which is why I'm ramping up slowly. There's no rush on my end.

Which medications are you currently taking for it? I went through that 3.7 years ago. A really severe case of pneumonia triggered it for me. In the hospital they put me on all sorts of things. My cardiologist still has me on 2 meds.

I'm off all medications now. An ablation in 2021 sorted things out, and I haven't had any episodes since then (fingers crossed).

I came across this video discussing Taurine supplementation as a way to ease the cardiac-related side effects associated with Reta.

 

[Powerslide]

pharaoh said:

IMO, going with 0.5mg as a starting point simply isn't worthwhile. You should begin with 1mg at minimum, and just push through any side effects that come up. From what I've seen, the majority of people I know tolerate 1mg-2mg pretty well right out of the gate.

When it comes to Reta, the goal is to titrate upward and reach 4mg at the very least as quickly as you can. The trials already showed us that the dose-response curves begin rising at 4mg and then level off at 9mg.

That means if you're taking anything below 4mg, you're missing out on a lot of the impressive fat-burning advantages Reta offers.

Should the effects feel too harsh, simply divide your dosage.

In the Phase-3 Lilly trials, the protocol has used a 2mg starting dose with 2mg titration every 4 weeks, and the outcomes have been favorable.

My own view is that this approach is the optimal one, though I should note I've never experienced a single side effect from GLPs, even at 12mg Tirz and 4mg Reta.

It's also worth keeping in mind that these companies exist to turn a profit and move product. If you're still dropping your target amount each week, what's the point of escalating?

 

[lessthanhalf]

How each person reacts to GLP drugs varies a lot, and that applies to both the unwanted effects and the helpful ones. Going with a lower first dose than the standard one lowers the chance of suddenly running into nasty side effects. You could have someone feeling only slightly queasy at 8mg while someone else is throwing up at 2mg, yet the standard starting doses exist for a purpose: keeping the odds of serious problems at the outset reasonably low. A couple of weeks at 1mg is a fairly reasonable approach, though not strictly needed, while beginning below that is likely pointless for most people.

Those who are not overweight, or only slightly so, do appear at times to react more strongly to smaller doses. When that is the case, small doses plus gradual escalation are logical, largely because the health dangers of the drug are not offset by any obesity-treatment benefit. On top of that, such people generally will not require particularly large doses in the end.

Whether the speed at which you escalate has any bearing on the dose that will trigger side effects for a given person, I doubt. The only way to learn that is to begin and observe what happens. Mild side effects appearing at a lower dose suggest things will get worse as the dose goes up, which is a signal you can use to hold back the increases, and that is probably the chief benefit of raising the dose slowly in small steps. Becoming tolerant to GI effects such as nausea tends to be a rather gradual process, likely even slower than the most careful dose-escalation schedules.

Interesting, that is the third person on this forum describing a panic attack like episode from starting reta, assuming it is a different person, it is not reported in the studies and probably should be.

 

[MarcTheAnimal]

lessthanhalf said:

How each person reacts to GLP drugs varies a lot, and that applies to both the unwanted effects and the helpful ones. Going with a lower first dose than the standard one lowers the chance of suddenly running into nasty side effects. You could have someone feeling only slightly queasy at 8mg while someone else is throwing up at 2mg, yet the standard starting doses exist for a purpose: keeping the odds of serious problems at the outset reasonably low. A couple of weeks at 1mg is a fairly reasonable approach, though not strictly needed, while beginning below that is likely pointless for most people.

Those who are not overweight, or only slightly so, do appear at times to react more strongly to smaller doses. When that is the case, small doses plus gradual escalation are logical, largely because the health dangers of the drug are not offset by any obesity-treatment benefit. On top of that, such people generally will not require particularly large doses in the end.

Whether the speed at which you escalate has any bearing on the dose that will trigger side effects for a given person, I doubt. The only way to learn that is to begin and observe what happens. Mild side effects appearing at a lower dose suggest things will get worse as the dose goes up, which is a signal you can use to hold back the increases, and that is probably the chief benefit of raising the dose slowly in small steps. Becoming tolerant to GI effects such as nausea tends to be a rather gradual process, likely even slower than the most careful dose-escalation schedules.

Interesting, that is the third person on this forum describing a panic attack like episode from starting reta, assuming it is a different person, it is not reported in the studies and probably should be.

I appreciate your response, and your point makes sense to me.

The skin sensitivity and allodynia only showed up after I recently moved up to 2 mg twice weekly. My starting dose, as I see it, played no role in bringing that on.

Beyond that, my feeling is that these side effects would have appeared anyway once I got to 4 mg per week, no matter which dose I began with.

 

[BNLFL]

As time passes, the unwanted effects appear to lessen. But the sleep issue is the exception.

 

[Mr. B]

I'm getting ready to begin Reta, having spent 3 months microdosing Sema. Even though the microdosing wasn't dramatically powerful, it did deliver certain positives: it reduced food noise, and my cravings for sweets mostly faded. Side effects were minimal apart from a bit of constipation, and it disrupted my sleep. I never felt like I reached deep sleep. So when I start Reta, my plan is to begin at a low dose, probably 0.5 mg for several weeks, and observe the results. After that, I'll increase gradually. Ultimately, I'd like to work up to a dose that could help with liver fat burning in addition to weight loss. I'm at 275 right now and would like to drop around 75 lbs.

 

[Pete369]

I had intended to dose once a week, and my first shot was .5mg, yet I noticed nothing, so 3 days afterward I took an additional .5mg. That gave me a slight effect, so when the next week's first injection came around I moved up to 1mg; appetite suppression showed up, but for several days I also had what I can only call ‘clenching bowels’. It reminded me of the time I learned I was lactose intolerant, though the discomfort was less severe. In my opinion, easing in gradually is the better route.

 

[BNLFL]

Mr. B said:

I'm getting ready to begin Reta, having spent 3 months microdosing Sema. Even though the microdosing wasn't dramatically powerful, it did deliver certain positives: it reduced food noise, and my cravings for sweets mostly faded. Side effects were minimal apart from a bit of constipation, and it disrupted my sleep. I never felt like I reached deep sleep. So when I start Reta, my plan is to begin at a low dose, probably 0.5 mg for several weeks, and observe the results. After that, I'll increase gradually. Ultimately, I'd like to work up to a dose that could help with liver fat burning in addition to weight loss. I'm at 275 right now and would like to drop around 75 lbs.

You're aiming to drop 75lbs and beginning with .5mg? The starting point should be 2mg. Though apparently, based on what someone here thinks, I'm clueless.