Reta to Zepbound: Is It Time to Make the Switch?
- Thread starter Retarage
- Start date
Keep using Reta until your goal weight is reached; after that, you can consider other options for upkeep if you choose. There’s no reason to abandon something that’s delivering such good results for you right now. My starting dose was 1mg, with a SW of 230. After 13 weeks, I’m on 3mg/wk and have lost 37lbs.
When I began, I assumed I’d eventually stop this medication, but I enjoy how it makes me feel and I’m very pleased with what I’ve achieved. I might reduce to a lower maintenance dose, but I won’t change medications as long as this one is available and stays within my budget.
When I began, I assumed I’d eventually stop this medication, but I enjoy how it makes me feel and I’m very pleased with what I’ve achieved. I might reduce to a lower maintenance dose, but I won’t change medications as long as this one is available and stays within my budget.
lessthanhalf
Explorer
Assuming you're a perfectly average responder to 12mg reta across 12 months, that works out to a 29% reduction. 290 x 0.7 = 202, which lands you at a BMI of 29, down from 41. Tirz is a touch weaker, so considering the amount of weight you're aiming to drop, reta might be the smarter pick. Individual responses swing widely, so there's really no way to know until you've been on it for a year, likely at higher doses.
If hunger creeps in toward the end of the week, dosing every 5 or 6 days is an option.
Another angle: grey reta could come out cheaper than legit tirz, depending on your pricing. Legit tirz does have the advantage of avoiding mislabelling, contamination or no product scams.
If hunger creeps in toward the end of the week, dosing every 5 or 6 days is an option.
Another angle: grey reta could come out cheaper than legit tirz, depending on your pricing. Legit tirz does have the advantage of avoiding mislabelling, contamination or no product scams.
What happened with me might not apply to you at all, but I'll put it out there in case it sparks any outside-the-box thinking.
My entry point was sharing a buddy's actual Zepbound prescription. For me it was a low-effort way to test the waters. (Insurance was never going to cover it in my case).
Since I figured both of us would be titrating upward, I jumped into grey almost immediately. It came across as simple and unforced.
He continues to receive Zepbound via insurance; he's at the top dose, and these days he adds Reta that I supply. A pretty good arrangement
birdwhacker
Explorer
I definitely wouldn't make that change. Assuming no heart issues, reta is the superior option. With Zepbound you deal with fatigue that reta doesn't cause. On top of that, it'll be far less potent, and your dose isn't even yours to manage.
If tirzepetide is what you're after, then simply purchase tirzepetide lol
You said you feel hungrier as the week goes on. Divide your dose up and that problem disappears. From day one I've been injecting my reta every 3 days, and after 8 weeks at 2mg every 3 days I recently had to drop the dose just so I could eat again.
If tirzepetide is what you're after, then simply purchase tirzepetide lol
You said you feel hungrier as the week goes on. Divide your dose up and that problem disappears. From day one I've been injecting my reta every 3 days, and after 8 weeks at 2mg every 3 days I recently had to drop the dose just so I could eat again.
AngieHolmes
Explorer
Stacking tirz with your reta has been a successful combination for many individuals, who say the tirz helped quiet food noise.
You can find many tutorials that show how to move medication out of an autoinjector pen and into a sterile vial with a Luer lock syringe. My own start was with brand name at a 1.25mg dose, and microdosing turned out to be a good choice for me.
I also still prefer keeping tirz in the stack, since it helps cut down food noise.
What works varies from person to person.
headward
Explorer
If your RHR is something you're worried about, then Eloralintide is the better route — not tirz (Zepbound). You could also stack elora with reta, but you'd need to begin at a very low amount. Elora brings RHR down in an indirect way.
Stage 2 cardio is another approach that helps me, or simply getting in plenty of walking. My RHR sits around the same, maybe slightly lower, than it was without reta — though it's possible that being much leaner now plays a part too. Still, in my honest opinion, the stage 2 cardio does help. And obviously get 8 hours of sleep each night, and cut back on sugary/starchy carbs (not saying that's something you do, but on the occasions I do, my RHR goes up).
One more question: what dose are you currently taking?
Stage 2 cardio is another approach that helps me, or simply getting in plenty of walking. My RHR sits around the same, maybe slightly lower, than it was without reta — though it's possible that being much leaner now plays a part too. Still, in my honest opinion, the stage 2 cardio does help. And obviously get 8 hours of sleep each night, and cut back on sugary/starchy carbs (not saying that's something you do, but on the occasions I do, my RHR goes up).
One more question: what dose are you currently taking?
MFGamesta
Explorer
If your copay covers Zep, I'd try it out for 1 or 2 months to see how it works for you. Keep the Reta in the freezer so it stays good. If Zep doesn't work well, you can always go back.
lessthanhalf
Explorer
From what I recall, reta typically caused an initial heart rate increase of about 6 bpm, while tirz was around 2 bpm.
Appreciate it. I'm in week 2 at 7mg. My knowledge of elora is minimal, so I'll check it out. My carbs are quite low, sugar is nearly nonexistent, I work out 3-4 times weekly, and I bike 1-2 times. Might benefit from spending more time in zone 2.
I've come across a handful of folks who've gone that route. Right now I'm weighing whether to run 4 or 5 mg of Reta alongside 1-2 mg of tirz each week, just to test the waters. By any chance have you run that stack yourself? If you have, what were the doses and what was the outcome?
Whiynot20026
Explorer
Reading comments like yours is exactly when I feel completely lost. That’s not on you, though. It comes down to how little I know about these GLPs. Tirzep leaves me exhausted—no question about it—yet Reta doesn’t have that effect on me. Then again, maybe I’m working out the answer as I type. Both Reta and tirzep share those same two aminos. The difference is the glucagon amino, which ramps up metabolism and heart rate. Could that be what lands the decisive blow against the Tirzep fatigue?
Bill
Calm Logic
Explorer
Spot on.
AngieHolmes
Explorer
My tirz journey began in December, and I stayed at 1.66mg for 5 months before I introduced reta. Because I already knew low doses worked well for me, my starting point was .5 and I titrated up to 2mg without any side effects at all. Fast weight loss isn't my goal — that kind of shock is likely more than my body can handle. Slow and steady is what I go for. On average I lose 6 pounds/month.
With reta, my plateau ended. These days I'm largely done with tirz, although today, for whatever reason, I put 1mg on top of my 2mg reta dose. The results have me satisfied.
Which GLP1s and doses have you used? That gives a solid idea of where you should begin. Someone already on a high dose can likely start reta at a higher level. If reta is your first, my advice is to begin low and watch how your body reacts. Best of luck.
I used retatrutide alongside prescribed tirzepatide. A month of retatrutide was enough for me to return to tirzepatide, since retatrutide brought a faster heartbeat, stronger food noise, and elevated fasting blood glucose. After resuming tirzepatide, all of those problems went away.
i'm kind of on the reverse path from yours - tirz was my starting point, and every time things slowed down i thought about stacking reta in, though in the end i chose to keep things uncomplicated and remain on tirz. from what you describe, reta is treating you well, so my take would be to go ahead and get the zep prescription filled, then either stash it away or pass it along to somebody until the moment comes when you truly need it.
i believe there's real value in leaving something alone when it's working. plenty of threads on here come from folks who look like they're just flinging whatever at the wall or running low on patience. i've got reta sitting in my freezer that i might blend in once i reach maintenance or eventually hit a wall with tirz, but for now i'm sticking with what got me here
i believe there's real value in leaving something alone when it's working. plenty of threads on here come from folks who look like they're just flinging whatever at the wall or running low on patience. i've got reta sitting in my freezer that i might blend in once i reach maintenance or eventually hit a wall with tirz, but for now i'm sticking with what got me here