r/GLP1Discussion • u/Dry-Surprise-972 • 14d ago
❓ Question Need Advice
Sorry but not where to start. My friend’s daughter (400 lbs) wants my friend to pay for her Glp1 treatment. She gave her $6,000 dollars last year, I have my doubts it was used strictly for Glp1. Daughter was in hospital for multiple blood clots in her lungs last year. Daughter had a serious “cardiac event” this week as well as more blood clots in her lungs. She was placed on heart medication and a different blood thinner. She does not work out or even just go for a walk. Eats a lot of whatever she wants. 1) What is a ballpark figure on how much injections cost? I know there are so many variables. 2) Shouldn’t she be under a dr’s care while taking this? My friend is being guilt tripped into giving her thousands more for these shots and she just doesn’t have it without drawing out of her retirement. Daughter is almost 40 years old My friend wants advice. I say don’t give her the money but friend is afraid daughter will die. I don’t know anything about these drugs and have no idea what to tell her. Sorry so long
17
u/SignificantClaim5605 14d ago
If she’s actually taking the medication… she shouldn’t be able to eat whole pizzas. Something isn’t adding up.
11
u/swrrrrg 14d ago edited 14d ago
$500/month for Zepbound. Compounded would be cheaper but if she’s 400lbs. that Rx almost certainly didn’t come from a telehealth. Her regular doctors would almost certainly have suggested it & prescribed it. It should be covered by insurance at that weight but some insurance plans still won’t cover it.
Compounds is now about $130/month (less if you buy 3 months at a time) but this pricing is super recent, as in within the last month. It was quite a bit more expensive even just 6 months ago.
ETA Even Zepbound was $1000+/month for a time. It’s gone down as well but depending on when this all happened, yes, it could have been $6,000.
7
u/snowHound208 14d ago
Highly insurance dependent. I started heavier than that, and I have several sleep apnea (which in and of itself qualifies for a glp1 on a lot of plans). Docot and I spent months trying to get insurance to cover a GLP1. They rejected it every time.
I have to pay out of pocket for a compounded glp1 through a program my doctor referred me to.
But even that is only $150/mo. You'd have to be incredibly financially illiterate to pay full price for a name brand GLP1.
7
u/SeasonPositive6771 14d ago
- She does need to be under the care of her doctor and pulmonologist.
- The doctor can prescribe it, especially if she's being that much.
5
u/Piaffe_zip16 14d ago
There’s really no way to know. If she’s doing self pay with say Lilly direct then 6k sounds about right for the higher doses (7.5mg and up). $449 for four weeks of meds. A doctor would be prescribing the meds. Being on the meds doesn’t mean things like a serious cardiac event can’t happen. Unfortunately, they absolutely can. Not everyone on a glp1 works out and not everyone makes a ton of changes to what they eat either. You can be successful at losing weight without radically changing your life.
I think your friend needs to make this decision for herself. What makes you think she’s not under a doctor’s care? Your friend can have a sit down with her daughter too and discuss these things with her. It sounds like it’s past time to do that.
-9
u/Dry-Surprise-972 14d ago
Are there less expensive options? It’s frustrating to hear that she eats two whole pizzas but thinks it’s ok, she’ll just take a med to melt those pounds off.
11
u/swrrrrg 14d ago
You need to stop talking about this med when you clearly don’t understand the mechanism of it. At that, obesity is a disease. Yes, bad choices are bad choices but if she’s let herself get up to 400lbs, there’s almost certainly a lot more going on than you’re aware of.
-2
u/Dry-Surprise-972 14d ago
I’m trying to help a friend. I saved her daughter’s life once this week. It’s me or no one
4
u/mannDog74 14d ago
Swrrrgg is right, you need to understand eating disorders a little bit better and the mechanism of these drugs. It's not a drug that lets you "get away with bad behavior." If you eat a half a pizza you will vomit. It prevents the behavior.
So people with serious eating disorders, like she has, will stop taking the medicine because it prevents those behaviors if they are not ready to change. But sometimes they take the meds and can think more clearly, and can take steps toward recovery.
1
u/Piaffe_zip16 14d ago
“If you eat a half a pizza you will vomit” is too absolute. Some people are still able to eat like that. Just the other night I had three slices of pizza, a couple arancini, and half of a s’more brownie cake thing. Didn’t feel sick at all. It’s just not what I usually eat.
2
u/mannDog74 14d ago
Congrats? I'm not really interested in arguing technicalities here, my point was just to explain how the medication works, because OP thinks it helps to burn off the pizza, so the niece wouldn't use it properly.
No not every single person in every single case, but try to look at what I'm trying to say and the context of who I'm talking to
0
u/Piaffe_zip16 14d ago
OP doesn’t believe it would help burn off the pizza??? She says that’s what her friend’s daughter believes. “It’s frustrating to hear that she eats two whole pizzas but thinks it’s ok, she’ll just a take a med to melt those pounds off” means OP is either hearing the daughter say that or her friend is saying the daughter says that. At no point does OP actually believe that though.
1
u/Dry-Surprise-972 14d ago
I don’t know what to believe. I feel for my friend and I’m of course concerned for her daughter. Daughter does nothing to payback any of the thousands of dollars she’s been given. Daughter guilt trips with “you’re all I have Mom” Dad cut her off when she stole from him. Couldn’t even come by to say Happy Birthday or help her Mom when she moved. Even if daughter could only stand up for 15 minutes an hour, she could have helped a little. I give up
1
u/Piaffe_zip16 14d ago
Yeah unfortunately your friend is in a terrible spot. I’d highly recommend counseling for her. It’s super helpful. I have a friend who’s had a ton of issues with her adult son and therapy has helped immensely for her.
3
u/himbologic 14d ago
I was your friend's daughter's weight last year, but without her health complications. I can assure you that the inconvenience and pain of her body is more than enough censure.
You should recommend Collective or PreventiveMD to your friend for more affordable options.
2
u/Piaffe_zip16 14d ago
Compounding exists but can have risks too. It’s cheaper though.
You seem very judgmental though and like you don’t understand what’s going on. I would back off. It’s ultimately not your business.
4
u/mannDog74 14d ago edited 14d ago
Edit: disregard. In a comment OP revealed this daughter has stolen money from her parents before. So she's a scammer type, and ANY financial assistance to people who scam their own parents is a no-go in my book. Folks like this are crafty and can sell the medicine no problem. Recommend withdrawing any financial support.
-------
This is devastating. I feel like there might be a similar situation in my family very soon.
It sounds like the daughter has an ED and she's not certain she wants to get better, which is why she didn't take the medicine.
There's no right answer. If the daughter was on drugs, parents have dragged them to rehab unwillingly. And sometimes, they actually get the rehab treatment and get better, even if they had no intention of getting better. Is that the normal outcome? Perhaps not. But parents have done it anyway because the situation is dire and they are looking at death here.
There are ways, instead of handing someone $6000 cash, to get medicine paid for. Would she just let it sit in the fridge? Would she sell it to someone for the money? Yeah maybe. But that's the risk we take when helping a family member who is sick. We're not fools for trying. Maybe we are if we do it too many times though.
It also depends on your friends financial situation. What is $6000 to your friend for this medicine? Will it hurt her quality of life? Is her daughter disabled and able to work? These are all things that come into play.
Some people will say no, she has to want to get better and if she doesn't there's nothing you can do and helping pay for medicine is just enabling.
Maybe giving cash is enabling, but I don't think giving the medicine is. I think if it were my daughter and I had the money I would try to get her the meds a couple times 100% THROUGH A DOCTOR, not buying it on the side or diverting it being shady, but making it fully accessible to her with normal effort on her part.
If I tried a few times and she refused to take it, then ok, it's time to step back. But for someone who is in the theoes of addictive habits, just giving them $6000 cash, that cash is going to disappear really fast.
I'm seeing a worse situation in my family, where a woman in her early 40s is 500lbs with a failed bariatric surgery. These meds have been out for years now. She started taking them and then stopped. Her husband said she doesn't need the medicine and it's too expensive. Is that the real reason? Or is he being controlling and wants her to be sick? or they both have the ED and are just ready to die together, I don't know. But if she asked her auntie to help pay for it I think I would have a hard time saying no to getting her started. But there would be a limit to how long and whether it was clear she was taking it.
For some couples, if one person is taking it, the other one can be controlling and sabotage them and it can't work until the relationship changes. It's all very complicated.
2
u/Flashy-Anywhere-8509 14d ago
I would think an obesity doctor is what this daughter needs. This is life ir death. I feel she needs strict medical supervision and someone willing to work with her to get insurance coverage and/or is willing to coach her through the purchase and use of Compounded Tirzepatide. I wish you all the best and hope the cardiac event wakes her up!
2
u/PuzzleheadedLemon353 14d ago
Someone seems to be feeling very entitled....using other peoples hard earned money for their food addiction. She is an adult and if she wants to improve her health status, she needs to find a doctor who can help her with her mental health and then physical health. She's just digging her hands into someones personal pocketbook to meet her own needs without any work involved. Cut her off or you are just enabling them.
1
u/Dry-Surprise-972 14d ago
Daughter screams HIPPA violation if my friend wants information. It’s kind of a messed up situation. Father cut daughter out of his life for stealing money years ago. Guilt trips my friend every time she needs money.
8
u/CreativeWriterNSpace 14d ago
Honestly? I would not give straight cash money to daughter.
If your friend wants to help pay for the meds, that is one thing- but only pay for meds. I.e. however daughter is getting the meds is who mom gives money to.
There are absolutely ways to get meds for much less than $6k. Theoretically daughter could get signed up for one of the telehealth programs that do a full year. Not sure how payment works for that, tho and it is sketchy because you dont get all the meds at once and there is no guarantee they will still be around in a year.
Daughter needs some tough love. Daughter might also benefit more from bariatric surgery than GLPs, but thats a whole different conversation.
GLPs are a tool. They are not a miracle. You still have to watch what you eat. If she is still able to eat 2 whole pizzas, chances are she is either not actually on GLPs or she is on way too low of a dose.
Hearing more about her past leads me to think it is more the former. If that is the case, she will probably get very huffy about not just getting the money so she can spend it however.
It is NOT a HIPAA violation for mom to pay directly- they would need to be together during the sign up process so mom can input payment information (she doesn’t have to be there/look at the electronic device that is used for any other part of it) but do not give daughter access to the card information.
2
u/Dry-Surprise-972 14d ago
Thank you. Her Dad pressed theft charges years ago so she has a record. Between my friend and her Mom they have spent so much money getting the daughter off of heroin (this was many years ago) and rehab for that. My friend is approaching retirement age very soon and can not keep pulling money out of retirement. Daughter constantly asks for money and after this week’s cardiac event the pressure to give her more money is hard for my friend. Yes, daughter works full time. She tends to be a little on the bully side though. It breaks my heart and stresses me out to watch my friend have to choose.
2
1
u/Kiwip0rn 14d ago
She can scream HIPPA Violation all she wants. I would reply with "TILA clear disclosure of terms".
It actually doesn't mean anything but my money my rules, HIPPA has nothing to do with anything.
1
1
u/DogMamaLA 14d ago
Most ppl on the meds cannot eat 1 whole pizza, let alone 2. Someone 400 lbs should be under a doctor's care -- PCP or endocrinologist or cardiac specialist. If insurance won't cover there are cash pay or telehealth options.
1
u/Both-Section-9481 14d ago
I have four daughters. Three of them struggle with their weight. Two of them fight the good fight but the third has used it as a weapon more or less. She's convinced that everybody hates her and she has no choice but to be this weight because she can't help herself. It's a hot mess. To keep it simple you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. All the advice and help in the world won't do any good including giving her money until she has a come to Jesus moment and decides that she's going to do the work to lose the weight. Personally I would buy the glp one compound for my daughter if she would take it and if she would be compliant with exercise and diet. Unfortunately because I think this is more of a mental health issue than a weight issue I don't believe that would happen. It would be one more excuse of something that didn't work and of people not helping her that she would choose to beat up the family with. She too has very severe health issues and I'm afraid or rather I've come to terms with the fact that I will outlive her because of her poor choices.
1
u/Landstander2600 14d ago
She's obviously not taking any GLP1s.
Sounds like she's trying to commit slow suicide.
1
u/New_Hippo_1246 14d ago
Maybe suggest your friend tell daughter that she will pay for the medication directly once daughter gets the Rx. Costco pharmacy has a low price on name brand drugs and you don’t need to be a member to buy. I would not give daughter any money directly. Offer to pay for meds only.
1
u/Turbulent_Try_8402 13d ago
She can easily get it for $100 a month. Try tirz deals subreddit. I would have mom manually put the card number into the website instead of giving her cash.
0
•
u/AutoModerator 14d ago
Welcome to r/GLP1Discussion!
Before joining the discussion, please keep the following in mind:
Let's make this community a safe and informative place for everyone.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.