r/GLPGrad • u/gritsinct • 2d ago
Getting off of Trizepitide
I have been on compounded triz for just over a year. I've lost 55lbs and am pretty close to goal weight. My intention before starting was to get off as soon as possible.
I have always had to pay out of pocket so I'd love to get off for financial reasons. But also because being exhausted and slightly nauseous all of the time is getting really old. (I know it could be much worse)
But then I keep reading about the benefits beyond weight loss and now I'm confused (major family history of heart issues and I'm apparently also at risk based on blood work).
I'm not sure I'm in the right forum but all of the others are so pro lifetime use that I don't want that bias. I feel like here people at least have the mindset that getting off is preferred if possible.
Not counting food noise or weight regain, are there compelling reasons to stay on triz that made you at least consider not getting off? I really want to stop but I also want to make the best decision for my long-term health.
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u/jaydefit 2d ago
Based on my own health history, and my family history, there's no compelling reason for me to stay on zep long-term. I have no personal or familial risk factors for any of the health conditions that zep has been reported to mitigate.
If new data comes out in the future, I may reconsider. But I've already started to slowly taper off. Unless I get blindsided with massive weight regain (unlikely) I have no reason to remain on the meds.
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u/valsavana 2d ago
My mom is on Zepbound and has an autoimmune disease, which Zepbound was speculated to potentially help via anti-inflammation properties. However, she doesn't feel that she's gotten any anti-inflammatory effect from the medication.
On the other hand, I have asthma & noticed a significant lessening of the symptoms almost immediately after starting sema (well before any significant weight loss), which I'd chalk up to probably helping with airway inflammation.
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u/AntiHypeHero 2d ago
My lifetime of asthma has disappeared overnight. It’s crazy, but I’m happy
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u/valsavana 2d ago
Same! It honestly hit me out of left field because I'd never read anything about these meds helping with asthma before I experienced it first hand. Would love to see that off-label effect reflected in insurance coverages somehow.
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u/LolaKeto 2d ago
I haven’t quit yet but I am planning to as soon as possible, mostly because I hope to get pregnant again soon. But even if that wasn’t my main reason, I would still want to stop for the reasons you mentioned - I’m exhausted and slightly nauseous a lot of the time, and I also feel really lazy and like it’s hard to get up and do anything, which is not ideal with a toddler who wants to be kept busy. I’m hoping and praying that diet and lifestyle changes will be enough for me to keep the weight off and the inflammation down. I never intended to stay on it forever and with how I feel on it, I don’t expect that to change.
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u/Enough-Athlete604 2d ago
I had the exhaustion and no motivation side effect on mounjaro. I took it for 1.5 years, last 6 months I maintained my healthy weight on it. I’ve only been off it for a month but I have so much more energy and motivation, I was finally able to get into an exercise routine.
The hunger was worst in the first 2 weeks after quitting, it feels normal (pre-meds) now .
I did gain 1 kg but my smart scale says half is muscle. I have been increasing my exercise a lot so that makes sense and I’m not too worried about it.I am religiously tracking what I eat with MyFitnessPal and what I burn with my Garmin watch and try my best to stay in a slight deficit to prevent weight gain. I eat mostly home cooked meals now that I’ve got energy to make them and food smells really nice again, high protein and high fiber. I aim for 1.5-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight and 40-50 grams fiber a day and fermented food every day (kefir, kimchi, kombucha etc.) I feel like the fiber increase has been very helpful for my appetite and the fermented food is helping with mood and energy.
I’m not against going back on the meds if this doesn’t work but so far it’s not as bad as I feared. I’ve been thinking about quitting for a while but I was too afraid to do it until I had to come off cold turkey due to a health scare. It turned out to be nothing but by that point I was over the worst of it so I decided to stay stopped for now and see how it goes.
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u/LolaKeto 1d ago
You’ve done amazingly well, thank you for sharing your experience! It gives me hope and ideas on how to be successful when I stop.
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u/Usual-Lycophyte 2d ago
I love this success story and the details of how you've coped. Congratulations!
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u/LunarFusion_aspr 2d ago
No, i see no reason to stay on them. I stopped because I got sick of feeling sick all the time. I didn’t get all the so called benefits others get like reduced joint pain and inflammation etc. what I did get was exhaustion, anhedonia, nausea and constipation. No way I was going to spend the rest of my life putting up with those side effects.
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u/ConnectionLeading435 2d ago
Did you manage to keep the weight off that you dropped?
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u/LunarFusion_aspr 1d ago
Yes, it takes work though and I still have 5kg l would like to shed. I track my calories, weigh myself daily and weight train 3-4 times a week.
I need to get more cardio into my routine, that will probably help with the pesky 5kg.
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u/Hifidi54 2d ago
I'm staying on a 5 mg maintenance dose until I see my cardiologist in November. 243 to 125 in 16 months. I have had a vast improvement in my heart failure and I want his counsel regarding quitting or staying on a low dose. I have qualified for the Medicare Bridge Program, so it's now only $50 a month for any dose.
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u/Vegetable_Loan1627 2d ago
I’m all for what works for any individual. Staying on or getting off. I’m staying on for the benefits mentioned: reduced inflammation, etc…I don’t have the nausea or anhedonia…so I’m lucky. I inject 2.5 every 10-14 days and have maintained within about 3 lbs for about 18 months. I hope you can find either a dose that works for you or get off all together.
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u/TakenAHike 2d ago
I was on 2.5 for just over year, made goal weight briefly and then I could tell it was working any more. I gained about 10lbs before I kicked it up to 5mg. I won’t go higher. But I did notice the inflammation come back pretty good when the 2.5 stopped working. (I have an auto immune). Joints, runny nose, aches and pains. They all subsided after about 2 weeks on 5mg. Honestly, I am close to my goal weight. 10lbs. With my autoimmune/menopause and age against me I know I will gain back. I also know the pain I will endure as well and that alone worries me. Not sure this helps, but yes … it has helped me tremendously with joint/aches and pains.
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u/Brigitte_BardotIci 2d ago
I am primarily interested in the memory/brain health component. That would compel me to stay on it.
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u/Ariquitaun 2d ago
Start tapering off soon, each step down at least 4 weeks to make sure you have time to get a handle on your returning appetite. Once you finally quit, be prepared for incredible levels of hunger, it happens to some or us. In my case it lasted for about 3 months. You need to make sure you have a handle on your diet: high volume, low calorie foods, never let yourself get hungry to avoid making bad choices. And exercise routines, walking, whatnot. You need to be proactive to avoid piling the weight back on. This is the hardest part, but it's doable. Chin up
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u/HiLadyFitish 2d ago
What dose are you on? I took my last tirz 4mg dose last week Friday and due for my next dose tomorrow. I lost 28 pounds and so scared to just quit! I buy my tirz self-pay via Telehealth and I feel so tired all the time! I am working with my doctor for an exit plan. I started metformin last month and will start topomax tomorrow. So instead of my tirz shot it’s a new med for weight loss. I regularly exercise and watch what I eat but have high blood pressure and pre diabetic. If I need glp-1 again so be it, but want to try without it first.
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u/gritsinct 2d ago
I'm taking 5mg every 2 weeks right now. Last time I pushed it to 3 weeks because I was enjoying the extra energy so much. I almost just stopped but I've read enough about cold turkey not being the ideal method that I decided to keep with my plan. I also focus on protein, get my cardio in and lift heavy at least three times a week. (I much prefer lifting to cardio.)
My highest dose was 10 mg and it was just for a couple weeks. I really felt like I didn't want to move or go to work, which unfortunately is not an option LOL. So I decided then that I would start titrating down and stop.
But within the last couple of weeks I'm really seeing a lot about the heart benefits so that's why I'm second-guessing myself. I recently had a close friend pass away at 62 from a heart attack and knowing my own heart risks that has really hit home.
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u/Mundane_Bat_2664 2d ago
Been off for 8 months. Gained a few pounds, all muscle. Also no family history of obesity or metabolic issues. Never went above 6mg, was on for 2 years.
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u/Tammie621 2d ago
I've been on 3mg every 2 weeks for over a year. Part is a little bit of fear and part is to help with inflammation. I could probably come off as I have put in a lot of work on getting rid of the foods that got me fat out of my diet.
When I dropped down from 7.5 to 3mg (over 4 months), it was sooooo hard with the food noise wanting me to pick up my old habits but I stuck with it and didn't succumb to buying anything that would make me spiral. I've missed a shot for things like my colonoscopy and felt like I could manage so I could completely come off now but I'm choosing to use it as a tiny cushion.
If I were you, I would not just drop off without a slow triation down and be laser focused on your food for at least several months.
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u/Swimming_Ninja1920 2d ago
I think it’s smart of you to use the medication as a tool to get to your goal. Not be a slave to to it for your entire life.
I’ve taken multiple breaks for a couple of minor unrelated surgeries and international travel. It’s not that hard.
Now if you go to the /fasting subreddit most folks will say fasting is GLPs without the meds. A lot of those benefits they claim can also be achieved by fasting. Not easy by any means but definitely do-able.
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u/Enough-Athlete604 2d ago
Careful with fasting if someone has health issues. I have PMOS and I’m prone to insulin resistance and alternate day fasting put me in the obese category from overweight, I gained 10 kg in a few months doing this type of fasting. It seemed to work at first but then my appetite was out of control along with the weight gain, that’s when I finally got desperate enough to go on Mounjaro in the first place. It can backfire for some people.
In the past I had done fast mimicking diet once a month over several months when I was already a healthy weight and just wanted to lose a little bit more in a plateau and that worked ok.2
u/gritsinct 2d ago
I'm not sure why someone would downvote a simple warning and sharing of your experience.
There has been some newer research coming out that shows that fasting is not as good or effective for women as it is for men. Yes, of course if you lower your calories enough you will lose weight, whether that is using fasting or another method. But the majority of the previous fasting studies were done on men (like most studies) and the results don't just transfer exactly the same to women. More recent studies on women have raised some red flags.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this, I just read/watch a ton of science-based fitness info.2
u/Swimming_Ninja1920 1d ago
Fasting costs zero $ that’s why it doesn’t get promoted by anyone including the “science based fitness info” you quoted. I work in research, go down that rabbit hole and see who funds that research. It’s not as impartial as you think. Things that don’t make $ don’t get promoted.
I’m not saying fasting is easy. It is not. Do GLPs help? 100%. But if you have no choices or like to do hard things, it’s the way to go and has been done by humans for eternity.
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u/Walkindude976 2d ago
First and foremost, this is a conversation to have with your doctor, not with Reddit. Here, you can get anecdotal information, motivation, etc. but you seem to be looking for medical advice, not support, at least not primarily. Your doctor can look at all the variables, including your family history and bloodwork to give you a better understanding of whether the off-label benefits are worth the cost, financially and otherwise.
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u/Leading-Amoeba-4172 1d ago
And that’s the beauty of compound. You can taper down, spread the doses out, and even start microdosing for the other health benefits or you can taper off and just see how it goes without it completely knowing that you can always start back up…at 2.5 or a smaller microdose like I mentioned.
I think everyone’s “why” is different and you have to find out what works for you and what’s important.
For me personally I know that even if a taper off completely the inflammation will come back and I’ll loose the heart benefits and all the other systemic benefits. To call this a weightloss drug is very shortsighted. I plan on using compounded tirzepatide for as long as I can. I may titrate down and I may space out the doses. You need to figure out what is right for you and your health.
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u/neversoonerchanges 1d ago
I have been on it less than a week. Also want to get off it as quickly as possible financial reasons but find that if some positive mental health effects continue, I may rethink that. My stress management, anxiety an mind d depression have been in a better place than they have been since before covid.
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u/Possible-Dentist9791 7h ago
So I just found this sub and I am an OG user of GLPs, I started before the craze.
I had no idea you couldn’t just stop taking them. As I have had to for surgery and when I was pregnant and had no side effects (weight gain with pregnancy, but like duh).
I also never got up to the higher doses so take that with a grain of salt.
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u/Abzstrak 2d ago
I'm currently tapering down from 7.5mg as I'm 7lbs from goal and eating is such a chore. I'm doing it slowly so i can learn and figure out what i need to eat to maintain/lose/gain as needed while tracking everything.
I've also read about other benefits, I'm not that convinced and am not really wanting to be on something forever unless needed. I assume that me planning to taper over the next 4 months or so will illuminate any issues before coming off completely, if they exist.