Your Doctor’s Opinions?

[endlrls]

chest rockwell said:

Since I’m a type 2 diabetic, I likely won’t bring up my grey triz use on my own unless he directly asks what I’ve been doing. Back when I got diagnosed, I asked whether I’d be a good candidate, and he put me on Ozempic. A few months in, after I told him I honestly couldn’t feel anything from it, he still wouldn’t raise the dose. Around then, my employer changed insurance, and the new plan wouldn’t cover it unless you jumped through tons of hoops.

I offered to pay whatever it cost, I just wanted a higher dose, and he said no. He even claimed I didn’t need it and that I should try to loose weight the hard way. (this from a dr who is type 2 himself and weighs a minimum of 350lbs).

I moved to Telehealth, and that’s where I got triz. It worked wonders, but they recently cut me off once they learned I was on insulin ( they must be able to see what I have been prescribed).

When it started looking like big pharmacy and FDA were making GLP1s harder to get without draining your bank account, I had already begun stocking up on grey.

I’ve got a physical scheduled for next week, so we will see what happens.

Wow... So this is what it looks like when someone "gatekeeps" the medicine you actually need....

Recently I went through a DOT FED MED exam to renew my card. To make a long story short, I walked out with a 2 year card, but my "White Coat" experience was rough.. it came out that I've got UARS when I sleep plus a nervous system that overreacts.... anyway... During the visit, the doctor is lecturing me about Blood Pressure being "just age" — while his own shirt was stretched so tight I honestly thought the bottom button would pop off and hit me, thanks to that Santa Claus gut he was carrying. I'm 190 lb @ 5'10"... I walk 15-17k steps every day and run 3 times a week.... in my head: "uhm.. I need my card so I'll keep my mouth shut"

After we talked, he seemed to have a moment of clarity and I got my card. In an ideal world doctors would collaborate with you, but as a lot of people say, their liability is too high.. particularly when their signature goes on legal paperwork.

The insurance side is what really strangles people's access.. and a lot of folks refuse to "go grey" even though it costs way less (I'm guessing the fear is growing a 3rd arm ). My sister is STILL paying $499 a month for 60 mg (not a typo) to the big bad Lily.. good for her.. but sooner or later I expect her HSA is going to run out...

 

[Socram1578]

endlrls said:

chest rockwell said:

Since I’m a type 2 diabetic, I likely won’t bring up my grey triz use on my own unless he directly asks what I’ve been doing. Back when I got diagnosed, I asked whether I’d be a good candidate, and he put me on Ozempic. A few months in, after I told him I honestly couldn’t feel anything from it, he still wouldn’t raise the dose. Around then, my employer changed insurance, and the new plan wouldn’t cover it unless you jumped through tons of hoops.

I offered to pay whatever it cost, I just wanted a higher dose, and he said no. He even claimed I didn’t need it and that I should try to loose weight the hard way. (this from a dr who is type 2 himself and weighs a minimum of 350lbs).

I moved to Telehealth, and that’s where I got triz. It worked wonders, but they recently cut me off once they learned I was on insulin ( they must be able to see what I have been prescribed).

When it started looking like big pharmacy and FDA were making GLP1s harder to get without draining your bank account, I had already begun stocking up on grey.

I’ve got a physical scheduled for next week, so we will see what happens.

Wow... So this is what it looks like when someone "gatekeeps" the medicine you actually need....

Recently I went through a DOT FED MED exam to renew my card. To make a long story short, I walked out with a 2 year card, but my "White Coat" experience was rough.. it came out that I've got UARS when I sleep plus a nervous system that overreacts.... anyway... During the visit, the doctor is lecturing me about Blood Pressure being "just age" — while his own shirt was stretched so tight I honestly thought the bottom button would pop off and hit me, thanks to that Santa Claus gut he was carrying. I'm 190 lb @ 5'10"... I walk 15-17k steps every day and run 3 times a week.... in my head: "uhm.. I need my card so I'll keep my mouth shut"

After we talked, he seemed to have a moment of clarity and I got my card. In an ideal world doctors would collaborate with you, but as a lot of people say, their liability is too high.. particularly when their signature goes on legal paperwork.

The insurance side is what really strangles people's access.. and a lot of folks refuse to "go grey" even though it costs way less (I'm guessing the fear is growing a 3rd arm ). My sister is STILL paying $499 a month for 60 mg (not a typo) to the big bad Lily.. good for her.. but sooner or later I expect her HSA is going to run out...

I hadn’t given any thought to my fed med card. The more I consider it, the more certain I am that I’ll keep everything about my research completely private.

 

[endlrls]

Socram1578 said:

endlrls said:

chest rockwell said:

Since I’m a type 2 diabetic, I likely won’t bring up my grey triz use on my own unless he directly asks what I’ve been doing. Back when I got diagnosed, I asked whether I’d be a good candidate, and he put me on Ozempic. A few months in, after I told him I honestly couldn’t feel anything from it, he still wouldn’t raise the dose. Around then, my employer changed insurance, and the new plan wouldn’t cover it unless you jumped through tons of hoops.

I offered to pay whatever it cost, I just wanted a higher dose, and he said no. He even claimed I didn’t need it and that I should try to loose weight the hard way. (this from a dr who is type 2 himself and weighs a minimum of 350lbs).

I moved to Telehealth, and that’s where I got triz. It worked wonders, but they recently cut me off once they learned I was on insulin ( they must be able to see what I have been prescribed).

When it started looking like big pharmacy and FDA were making GLP1s harder to get without draining your bank account, I had already begun stocking up on grey.

I’ve got a physical scheduled for next week, so we will see what happens.

Wow... So this is what it looks like when someone "gatekeeps" the medicine you actually need....

Recently I went through a DOT FED MED exam to renew my card. To make a long story short, I walked out with a 2 year card, but my "White Coat" experience was rough.. it came out that I've got UARS when I sleep plus a nervous system that overreacts.... anyway... During the visit, the doctor is lecturing me about Blood Pressure being "just age" — while his own shirt was stretched so tight I honestly thought the bottom button would pop off and hit me, thanks to that Santa Claus gut he was carrying. I'm 190 lb @ 5'10"... I walk 15-17k steps every day and run 3 times a week.... in my head: "uhm.. I need my card so I'll keep my mouth shut"

After we talked, he seemed to have a moment of clarity and I got my card. In an ideal world doctors would collaborate with you, but as a lot of people say, their liability is too high.. particularly when their signature goes on legal paperwork.

The insurance side is what really strangles people's access.. and a lot of folks refuse to "go grey" even though it costs way less (I'm guessing the fear is growing a 3rd arm ). My sister is STILL paying $499 a month for 60 mg (not a typo) to the big bad Lily.. good for her.. but sooner or later I expect her HSA is going to run out...

I hadn’t given any thought to my fed med card. The more I consider it, the more certain I am that I’ll keep everything about my research completely private.

There's no chance it gets flagged. I've been through both random and my standard checks, and nothing came up. I simply choose not to mention it.

As for UARS, I'm kind of stuck in that same research loop myself. My GP suggested a sleep study (WatchPatONE), so I did one. The results showed an AHI of 3.5, but my RDI came back at 12.6. That means no formal diagnosis, yet I'm scheduled for surgery in a few weeks — Septoplasty, Nasal Valve, Turbinate Reduction.

How would I even put this into words... "It's possible, or maybe not, that I came across an ARB to administer to my Lab Rat for their UARS until the surgery happens..."

 

[copepmuscle]

I doubt that what your doctor writes in their notes gets passed along to your insurer. From what I understand, aside from rare cases involving an appeal, the only information an insurance company receives is billing codes. So in my view, being open with your physician probably won't trigger any kind of punishment.

Semaglutide was prescribed to me by my doctor. The process began with fresh lab work and an attempt to get a baseline for insulin. Luckily, my A1C came back excellent — but that also meant Ozempic wouldn't be covered by insurance. We talked over what Wegovy costs and the possibility of using a compounding pharmacy.

After that, I visited a Gameday mens health clinic to look deeper into peptides. Even though their own testing showed my levels were normal, they kept pressing testosterone and wanted to raise it by 2x. Each time I declined, the pricing dropped. Once I turned the conversation toward peptides, they started pitching membership figures and so on. I checked out a few other clinics of that type and found them informative up to a certain point.

When I talked about all this with my doctor, he said [[Q1]] I mentioned peptides beyond the GLP1 I was already taking...

He then gave me a rundown of several peptides that look promising but aren't obtainable (reta). Another blood test was ordered by him...

I've never come right out and said [[Q2]] but he has a pretty clear idea to some degree, and as I said, he ordered blood work.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, very polite, discusses care thoroughly, pounds on the laptop like it owes him money.

 

[MFGamesta]

When I first began tirz from RO, I let my PCP know. I mentioned that GH peptides might be something I'd use to keep muscle. In response, he put IGF-1 on my panel and arranged a colonoscopy for me.

On a separate note, a close friend of mine who is a Dr effectively serves as my pep Dr. He goes over my blood work, and we train together. Since he's part of our peptide club, I consider myself fortunate that I can run anything by him.

 

[rkbleddyn]

fatjacked said:

My first peptides came from a functional medicine physician who doesn’t accept insurance — more like an upscale med spa. Cost has convinced me not to return, and that provider’s records were never included in what my PCP has on file.

As for my PCP: he’s a chump, impossible to get in to see, and every visit means dealing with yet another exhausted MA from a rotating crew. So I’ll be finding someone new. With that new doctor, I’ll disclose Zepbound and nothing else — no other peptides, no other things I’ve done in the past. I don’t even admit to having smoked as a teenager. I’ve kept that lie going for so long that I figure confessing now could trigger some idiotic coverage or cost headaches if I ever end up buying insurance on my own.

They aren't exactly cheap, but they're nowhere near as pricey as the functional medicine clinics around here, which I could never afford anyway. My wife and I pay $170 per month for membership. Then there's an extra $200 and $250 for compounded Semag and Tirz. The upside is we get a huge break on labs—far less than what you'd shell out with insurance—and we hardly use any other medications besides my low dose BP med and the peptides I source grey market.

 

[lessthanhalf]

I’ve been seeing the same GP in my local area for roughly 25 years, which I consider fortunate, and since I’m in Australia, private insurance isn’t a concern unless you’re wealthy enough to cover it.

Once I’d dropped around 70 kilos but was still basically always hungry, he put me on ozempic for about a year. When side effects from ozempic stuck around and wouldn’t go away, he recommended switching to tirzepatide and said the cost shouldn’t end up much higher. I didn’t buy that at first, but after comparing the doses, it didn’t seem too bad. In practice, I barely had any side effects from tirz, though I ended up needing far bigger doses than I’d figured: going from 0.22mg/2days of ozempic to 4.25mg/2days of tirz, and at $690 aud/month that made the expense unworkable.

That’s when I came across this forum and the inexpensive Chinese versions. I had no problem telling him about them. His main interest was where I sourced them and how I could be sure they were actually what they claimed to be. To me those are the correct questions, and they’re exactly where things can go wrong. I also had to mention the low-dose HGH I was using so he’d understand why I wanted IGF-1 testing. Again, his only worry was whether the source was reliable, specifically around mislabelling or contamination. He was pleased I’d had that test done, because IGF-1 came back far above normal, and well beyond what I’d expected from 1.5iu/day.

My endocrinologist for TRT didn’t appear to have much interest, and neither did the gastroenterologists, when it came to Chinese GLP's. I haven’t been back to the cardiologist since I switched to the grey versions. Maybe Australian doctors are simply more relaxed about all of this. Still, if I had to guess, I’d say use in the US, particularly given all the compounding options there, is probably a fair bit more widespread than here, where compounding is far more tightly regulated and GLP's were only obtainable that way for a very brief period.

 

[LabRatts]

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

At each appointment, my physician inquires about my current regimen, and we run labs to see what's going on. Given what we've built up over time and the lab work, he'll frequently seek my input—not clinical guidance, just anecdotal experience—regarding his personal use, because of what my fully transparent research has shown. To be clear, he isn't taking orders from me; he's simply open-minded enough to observe the outcomes and jot down notes about dosing and protocols. His office does provide compounding, yet he's completely aware that I source through the grey market.

I feel very fortunate to have a doctor in a practice that takes insurance for covered matters and prioritizes labs, results, and overall health rather than shoving pharmaceuticals. I wouldn't trade him for anything.

 

[skaylife]

spanky2026 said:

My recent visit with my doctor went poorly enough that I've decided to let him go. When I brought up Tirz, he wouldn't even entertain a conversation about it. Not at all. He showed zero interest in hearing how much weight I'd dropped, whether I had any side effects, what I was eating or how I was working out — every time I raised it, he just pivoted to something else. Over and over. My assumption is that he's worried about liability, given that I'd mentioned getting it compounded (that was then; I've gone grey since), but even so .... you're my primary care doc and you don't want to talk about this transformation of your patient, right in front of your eyes??

From what I've read, his reaction was...abnormal at best. Lots of reports of very supportive, open docs. I'll start looking for one of those.

It’s purely business, my friend. Someone I know works as a rep for a pharma company, and according to him, physicians receive payments for writing scripts for glp drugs. I do get Mounjaro prescribed by my doctor. I still purchase it every month so my insurance stays happy. That said, for the past 10 weeks I’ve been on Tirz. I pass them along to a buddy at cost, since he can’t get a prescription for it. Where I live, doctors won’t prescribe GLP meds unless they believe you’ll be able to afford them over the long haul. Harsh truth!

I didn’t bring up Tirz with her, since I figured she’d push back because of the money angle. What I did tell her was that for the last 10 weeks I’ve been running an Ipa+Cjc1295 No Dac stack, because after dropping 20kg I started losing muscle mass. She heard me out. She asked how much I was taking and seemed satisfied. Her only caution was to be careful and not to titrate up to higher doses given my age. I mentioned that the stack was making me hungry and that I wanted to stay on Mounjaro longer to keep things balanced. Right now I’m at 76.5kg. Even so, she wrote scripts for 5mg covering the next 3 months. Just ring me if you feel you need to stay on it longer, she told me.

 

[Builderman]

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

During my sleep apnea evaluation, I mentioned Reta to him and how I get it as a research chemical. I figured a doctor would be firmly opposed, yet he actually came across as fairly supportive. He told me that, within reason, it might be beneficial—particularly given how inexpensive it is.

 

[pepibello]

I use quite a few peppers, though the only 1 I mention to my PCP is Tirz, and his response has been full support. You have the best sense of your own PCP. When you feel he genuinely looks after your whole health, sharing it ought to go smoothly. Should he be firmly opposed, that would be my cue to find a different 1.

 

[HereKittyKitty]

Appreciate all the replies. There are points in there I hadn't thought about.

I fall into the high-risk category. There's no family medical history to draw on. My T2 is in remission, but what's left of my pancreas is compromised. Because of that damage, my a1C will probably drift upward over time no matter how I eat or how much I exercise. The knock-on dangers to my health overall are substantial.

Originally it was my surgeon who wrote the glp script, back when my PCP wouldn't. After I'd been on it a while, my PCP came around. Then last summer my insurer cut off coverage for wl, so I brought up the idea of paying out of pocket for the brand-name version. Neither my surgeon nor my PCP — they're in the same hospital network — would even consider compounded. I get their reasoning. Fine. That doesn't turn them into villains or bad clinicians. The care I get is excellent, and I feel extremely lucky to be able to get it at all in this country.

So I went grey. At my February visit with my PCP, I came clean that I'd gone the compounded route through HERS. He took it completely in stride. He's aware that part of my motivation — and it still is — was using Z as a safeguard for how my pancreas performs. I also want my medical record to show every medication and supplement I'm on.

Each of us handles our health and medical decisions in whatever way makes the most sense to us. There's no right or wrong way.

 

[davefromfv]

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

My research Otter has a follow-up appointment with her DR coming up in October. On top of that, she’s scheduled for a full panel later this week, which gives us a chance to map out how we’ll approach the conversation. He did write a Wegovy prescription, but Insurance responded with a laugh and a middle finger, so that went nowhere. Since May, RO has been on RETA, along with a few other Peps. I still need to talk it over with RO about whether we say "compunded" or simply stick to diet and exercise. She’s down roughly 22 Lbs, with another 10 left to lose. I’m guessing the labs this week will give us a much clearer picture.

 

[UghItsStupidNIHateIT]

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

At the moment, Tirzepatide is the only thing I’m on. My doctor wanted to know the source, so I told him it came from “oh you know, one of those online places.” His response was “ok cool, and kept rolling.” It didn’t come across as something he was bothered by.

 

[BNLFL]

GLP vs GLP1 — which is which?

 

[moodymama76]

I have to take back that third‑party consent that Eli Lilly and others are using to access patients’ information before I say anything else to my doctor. I signed it ages ago, but I never thought it gave companies a back door into my data. I assumed it was for research, not for Eli Lilly to assess grey or compounded use.

My doctor is aware that I switched to a compound after insurance stopped paying for Zep. I have an appointment on the 27th, and I probably won’t mention KPV.

 

[endlrls]

Socram1578 said:

endlrls said:

chest rockwell said:

Since I’m a type 2 diabetic, I likely won’t bring up my grey triz use on my own unless he directly asks what I’ve been doing. Back when I got diagnosed, I asked whether I’d be a good candidate, and he put me on Ozempic. A few months in, after I told him I honestly couldn’t feel anything from it, he still wouldn’t raise the dose. Around then, my employer changed insurance, and the new plan wouldn’t cover it unless you jumped through tons of hoops.

I offered to pay whatever it cost, I just wanted a higher dose, and he said no. He even claimed I didn’t need it and that I should try to loose weight the hard way. (this from a dr who is type 2 himself and weighs a minimum of 350lbs).

I moved to Telehealth, and that’s where I got triz. It worked wonders, but they recently cut me off once they learned I was on insulin ( they must be able to see what I have been prescribed).

When it started looking like big pharmacy and FDA were making GLP1s harder to get without draining your bank account, I had already begun stocking up on grey.

I’ve got a physical scheduled for next week, so we will see what happens.

Wow... So this is what it looks like when someone "gatekeeps" the medicine you actually need....

Recently I went through a DOT FED MED exam to renew my card. To make a long story short, I walked out with a 2 year card, but my "White Coat" experience was rough.. it came out that I've got UARS when I sleep plus a nervous system that overreacts.... anyway... During the visit, the doctor is lecturing me about Blood Pressure being "just age" — while his own shirt was stretched so tight I honestly thought the bottom button would pop off and hit me, thanks to that Santa Claus gut he was carrying. I'm 190 lb @ 5'10"... I walk 15-17k steps every day and run 3 times a week.... in my head: "uhm.. I need my card so I'll keep my mouth shut"

After we talked, he seemed to have a moment of clarity and I got my card. In an ideal world doctors would collaborate with you, but as a lot of people say, their liability is too high.. particularly when their signature goes on legal paperwork.

The insurance side is what really strangles people's access.. and a lot of folks refuse to "go grey" even though it costs way less (I'm guessing the fear is growing a 3rd arm ). My sister is STILL paying $499 a month for 60 mg (not a typo) to the big bad Lily.. good for her.. but sooner or later I expect her HSA is going to run out...

I hadn’t given any thought to my fed med card. The more I consider it, the more certain I am that I’ll keep everything about my research completely private.

Hey there!

After returning to work from FMLA for a Septoplasty, it turned out I had to take a "post FMLA drug test"...

Nothing came back positive on my end.. Tirz, BPC/TB500 and GLOW were all part of the mix too..

I get that the clinic doing the testing is only screening for the "5 hitters" when it comes to passing, but I thought I'd pass this along!

Take care!

 

[Flash-BCR]

moodymama76 said:

I have to take back that third‑party consent that Eli Lilly and others are using to access patients’ information before I say anything else to my doctor. I signed it ages ago, but I never thought it gave companies a back door into my data. I assumed it was for research, not for Eli Lilly to assess grey or compounded use.

My doctor is aware that I switched to a compound after insurance stopped paying for Zep. I have an appointment on the 27th, and I probably won’t mention KPV.

When it comes to tirz, I do bring it up with my doctor... But as for KPV or anything else in that category, I wouldn't mention it to her—just like I wouldn't bother telling her what I ate for lunch, or which salad dressing I like best...

 

[Rolltide61]

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

Nope. There’s no reason for him to be informed, no reason for digital files to contain it, and certainly no reason for insurers or the government to find out. Those parties aren’t reliable, and if something goes wrong they’ll pin it on peptides. Giving them that information isn’t safe.

 

[moodymama76]

Rolltide61 said:

Socram1578 said:

For people who see their doctor regularly and get checkups, I’m curious: do you bring up your pep use with them, or do you keep it private? If you do tell them, what kinds of reactions have you gotten? I’m just trying to decide whether to talk to my Dr. Thanks for your thoughts.

Nope. There’s no reason for him to be informed, no reason for digital files to contain it, and certainly no reason for insurers or the government to find out. Those parties aren’t reliable, and if something goes wrong they’ll pin it on peptides. Giving them that information isn’t safe.

What a great post — I have to admit, I never considered that angle when deciding what to share with my doctor. I usually assume my appointment stays private, but that isn't the case. It's nothing like speaking with, for example, your lawyer. Whatever you tell them gets put into the system, and it isn't there solely for your own good.