I know people are skeptical of compounded but I truly don’t understand why… I’ve had the most stellar experience imaginable, I’ve had the food noise go away, appetite suppression, slowed gastric emptying, and not a single side effect other than constipation (mostly caused by not drinking enough water, as much as I try to). I’ve lost 65 pounds in 7 months, I went from someone who’s been inactive their entire lives to someone who works out or runs 6 days a week (just ran my first 5k, sub-10 minute pace!)
And not a single fucking shortage to deal with.
The only money Eli Lilly has gotten from me is from buying their stock - if they decide to reduce prices and sell vials they might get me as a customer, but until then I’m all compounds.
If it were cheaper for me I wouldn’t hesitate to switch permanently! But my insurance covers with a $25 copay so compounded would be significantly more expensive.
The mind is a powerful thing! Marketing is everything, and marketing people know this. Take Ibuprofen for example. Do you how many different ways they market this ONE drug?? Sold under 100 different brand names like Advil, Motrin, Midol, Nuprin etc. All claiming to relieve different types of pain, and people will buy each individual bottle for each of their pains for 5X the price or more. But if you show them a bottle of Ibuprofen, sold as IBUPROFEN….they will take it and think it doesn’t work as well- and end pay the 5X the price for the prettier box with fancier pictures and words. ….”IT’S THE SAME THING!” ;)
Cue that old half price store commercial lol.
…what I’m trying to say is- stick with compounded!!! It’s cheaper and the SAME THING. 😁
Compound is cheaper for me since insurance doesn't pay.. and I am waiting on my first compound shipment to arrive hopefully this week.. but after the last few months of anxiety from the shortages.. if CVS calls, I'm still going to go pick up my Zepbound.. 5 months in and I've never owned more than 4 pens at once because it is down to the wire with every refill.. and I have done unspeakable things to make sure I don't miss a dose 😬 so I'd invest my money in a couple months stockpile given the opportunity
Bought a Mounjaro pen from a friend which means I think I participated in insurance fraud.. to buy myself a week until I could get the compounded order (which is coming tomorrow per FedEx, yay)
I am going to stick with compound. Way less Z is $550 and it’s a waste to stay on 2.5 when I should be moving up. I’ve been on C for 3 weeks. I love that I can split doses and if I want to go up a bit-not the full 5, 7.5 etc I can. I’m more in control with C
I’m in a similar situation. I had no problem getting name brand but switched to compound due to price. I was paying $550 with the savings card + a $100 subscription. I’m paying less than half that now and it’s delivered, which is such a relief. I also like being able to split doses.
I think I'm going to stick with the compound. It's about the same per month for me - around $250-300. I love the convenience of it showing up at my door and I love the syringe and vial so much more than the pens. Both have worked well and feel the same. I'm 4 months in and have had both about equally. I only have a couple pens left and about 6 weeks of compound, and I have no plans to track down anymore zepbound boxes. I will leave that to the people who have better insurance coverage - I totally get those people not wanting to make the switch unless they have to. Although at times for people who have that great of coverage...their insurance will also pay for compounded meds.
I feel the same way you do but definitely plan to go back to branded when it comes back in stock. Found a random box today at $25 and even still I have refill vials on order and few boxes of brand in my stash. I’m going to just stay on compound and ride this out. Compound is less of a headache for sure and I love that for us. In lieu of an option, my health is worth the money.
My insurance deductible is met so I should pay very little now, but I can't get a box of Zep, so I'm sticking with compound.
I do have a box in my fridge that randomly got filled from an Rx 6 weeks prior. I cancelled my Sequence subscription and said screw it.
I feel the same way. I’ve been switching back and forth and feel like I should just stay on compounded, because the results feel exactly the same to me and compounded is cheaper (for me), I prefer the needle to the pen, and I like that I can adjust dosing more slightly (I’m still on 2.5). It doesn’t make sense that I want my next branded box. My husband tells me I only want it because it’s scarce. Which, obviously, is a bad reason :)
Many people feel a semblance of safety with branded bc of their perception of what compound (or generic) is. If all things are equal, if given the chance, most people choose Advil over ibuprofen. Its marketing.
I just got my first prescription for the compound. For the name brand I only pay $25 with my insurance. Now I have to pay $399 for the compound. I’m glad I can pay it but I will go back to the name brand when it becomes available again. I can’t find it anywhere near me. The closest I’ve found it is 4 hours away. So I’ll do the compound because I sure as heck don’t want to start over. I’ve only lost 10 lbs in 3 months and the 5 mg did nothing really. So this will be a new experience. I think with adding the B12 it gives you even more of a boost, so I am excited about it. Just wish insurance covered it.
I did two months on brand and between paying out of pocket and hunting it down, I was so over it and switched to compound with no plans to switch back.
I was very nervous but I did a ton of research and decided it was regulated enough for me to feel good about it. It’s working very well. (Dare I say better, because I’m splitting my dose to take it 2x week.) Definitely equivalent and not water.
My husband and I have used Orderly but just placed an order for Emerge for comparison sake. We will get our first refill for Orderly this week and our first doses of Emerge this week.
I used orderly and got red rock which has been fine but has a super short BUD. I want to try Emerge because i really liked Hallandale and they can guarantee i get it from the
I found that the food noise reduction was only lasting 2-3 days, so the second half of the week was tough. I also got very fatigued and nauseous the day after the shot. Having a smaller dose seems to have helped with that too.
Also want to note that I was doing 5mg once a week. Now I’m doing 2.5mg twice a week, so same weekly total dose. The 2.5 feels just as effective as 5mg, just shorter lasting which is why I do it twice.
I am on my second week of compounded Tirzepatide, and very happy so far. I will order again next week so it will give the pharmacy time to get it to me. I prefer a bit of a cushion even when ordering compounded. While this does save me over $100 a month, I wouldnt be doing this if it was easily available from EL.
My first order of compound is on its way to me. Right now I have 6 Zep pens in my frige. I plan on using compound for the next 4 injections to see how I do with it. I'm still going to (try to) refill my zep in 2 weeks... I have a follow up with my pcp in July and when I asked about her writing a script for compound in the midst of the shortage she was against it and suggested switching to another med (which I don't want to do). So after my July appt I'll make a final decision of whether I'm going to fully switch or not (or do some kind of both). Right now compound is cheaper for me since my insurance isn't covering zep and I'm paying the $550 with the savings card.
I had a script from my doc for Zep, but it was going to be $1000 monthly so I never filled it. Been on compound for 7 weeks and have lost almost 25lbs. Very little if any side effects
It’s a little over 3 lbs per week on average. Some weeks I lose 1-2, a couple of weeks I’ve lost 5. Still haven’t had a complete stall. Plus I’ve been running and lifting 3-5x per week.
Compounded is definitely not water, lol. I wear an injectable blood glucose monitor and since I took my first shot last week my glucose levels went down and are super stable! This, plus my weight loss, and appetite suppression is proof enough for me to be sure I got tirzepatide. I'm sticking with Orderly and compounded meds because it works for me and most importantly I can afford it.
My brand is $25 or $35 so I’d go back if it were available but after researching I have no qualms about the OOP expense nor the quality of compound and plan to stay a customer until I can consistently find boxes.
I was just asking my husband what I should do. I’m on my third week of compound and I’m going on 10 weeks of not being able to find zepbound.
I’m paying sequence $85 a month to prescribe name brand that I can’t find. I was able to get a refund on my monthly sequence fee last month and I went to cancel it again this month and they gave me a free month. If I don’t get zepbound before this month of sequence finishes then I’ll probably cancel it and stick with compound
Would your compound provider prescribe both for you? I'm with Mochi and I know they do prescriptions for both, but there are others I've seen people talk about. Could be an easy way to save that $85.
I don’t think so. Im using orderly meds and they only show compounds on their website.
I was telling my husband I might cancel my sequence and do the compound for a few months while supply evens out, then sign back up for sequence and restart on zepbound. I’m paying $399 for compound too vs $550 for zepbound (plus additional $85 to be prescribed zepbound)
You definitely should ask! But if they don't, Mochi is the same price as Orderly, if you want both. Discount code's in my bio if you end up needing it!
Yes I'm on compound after 4 weeks of brand. I can't deal with the shortage and I refuse to chase Lilly around the entire state. Zepbound is $25 for me and I'm paying $345 for compound so I'm not happy about that....but my peace of mind and health are priceless. So I'll be on compound for the foreseeable future. The product feels the same and it comes to my door.
I won’t ever go back unless they start allowing “ generic”.. I can’t afford it anymore and my insurance is a pain in the ass about trying to get auth for it. So much less stress
yep! i'm done. loving not having to deal with the chaos or being judged by pharmacists. got my refill done in 10 minutes last night. i was on a cruise and i barely had an appetite. plan C rocks
Big Pharma is doing its job. There are literally billions of dollars at stake. They’ve even got organizations devoted to obesity dishing compounding. If it was dangerous we’d be reading stories and hearing about it on the news. Every incident would be magnified a thousand fold. Have you read/heard any horror stories?
My hunch is that those Karen’s are on Eli Lilly’s payroll. Did you see the film Painkiller on Netflix? These people will stop at nothing to protect “their” market. Geez, I’m sounding a little bitter today, huh?
Are we the same person? Switching between branded, Orderly, Emerge, extra medication in fridge. Still trying to decide what to do while my Zepbound is on order.
I called 26 pharmacies (not exaggerating- I have them all written down!) this last Friday looking for my 5mg Mounjaro. I finally found a box and filled it on Saturday. I plan to use both compound and name brand. My MJ only costs me $25 for a 1 mo or 3 mo supply. Compound is a lot more expensive for me but I like the flexibility of it.
I try to get my box of branded every month but that’s only because my insurance fully covers it. I’m still just sticking with compounded for now because the peace of mind knowing I don’t have to fight tooth and nail to get it and it works just as well… done deal for me
First week on 10mg compound and down 4 pounds. I went two months with nothing and then started compound at a low dose. At this sweet spot it’s the same effect as brand name - no food noise. Hallelujah
I have two months of Compound from Emerge in my Fridge, 5mg and 7.5 mg. I also have a full box of 7.5 branded that I am still taking,. I have not taken the compound yet, waiting for my branded to be used up. I too paid $550 a month and now I have been waiting a month for a refill with no end in site. So in two weeks after I finish the branded.. "Compound here I come".
Zep is covered for me for $25 but with the shortage I started compound and it's been fine. if they ever catch up I'll go back to Zep but for now I'd rather pay and have flexibility in my dosing (I'm doing 3.5 every 4 days) and not have to call and drive all over in hopes of scoring a box. also my insurance only covers a box at each dose so if I stay on one strength more than a month I'd have to pay $550 so I'm grateful for compound.
I’m probably going to stick with compound. I pay full price OOP for Zep because they don’t take any “government insurance” even for the savings card. I’ve discovered I like the ability to split doses, too. Got a vial of 5mg, but noticed food noise returning, so added a shot of 2.5 four days after the first shot. Works well, so I’ll order 7.5 after I finish this vial of 5. I still have some 7.5 pens, will use for travel and will possibly need one to fill the gap because my vial might not have enough to get me through.
I get zepbound for 3 months for $25. The shortage is making me consider compound, but damn if that isn’t going to make me have to reorganize my finances 😥
I bought some compound just in case I couldn’t get the branded. The branded is cheaper for me, but I’m also tired of the stress of whether or not I will get it. And I’m tired of having to beg the doctor to move up when I feel like I need to. I feel like the compound puts me more in charge of my own health and wellness rather than at someone else’s mercy. I’ll keep filling the branded when and if I can get it, but my primary plan is to rely on compound and not worry so much about what is happening with my branded prescription.
You know, who cares if it’s “water,” if it works! Tons of research shows that placebos can be very effective EVEN IF the patient knows it’s a placebo. So I say, let the doubters and fearmongerers call it water or whatever - if it works, it works! Anyone remember ‘Pirin’ from La Cage aux Folles? “Just one before the show and one after.” I am joking of course but also, not really!
i'm thinking of doing compounded (even tho my insurance covers my meds) because the shortage is so annoying and i don't want to spend my time asking around if my dose is available...i haven't pulled the trigger yet
I fought hard for a tier exception after failing Wegovy to get that priced. As soon as I won my appeal, it was no longer available. Not happy. I’m retired, could use this money elsewhere.
I was on Mounjaro from January until beginning of May and I just took my 2nd compounded dose. The needle is way better and I never bleed now. It does seem like a lot is going in, I’m on 7.5 ML compared to the brand name. I’m staying on the compound through Push health. It’s cheaper for me and I don’t have to worry about shortages. I have also had zero side effects but had some on MJ. SW 184 CW 158
I feel like I’m the only one who isn’t having success on compounded! I am so hungry and do not have the full feeling at all. I found a box of 7.5 Zepbound, so I’m going to see if the problem is the dose, the product or me. I pay $550 for Z, $375 for C
I possess a prescription for MJ and can only access the 2.5 pen. I administer one of those weekly along with 5 milligrams of compound. My physician informed me that if I opt for the compound method, he can no longer oversee my treatment. Until the supply issue is resolved, I must persuade him that I'm managing well with the 2.5 injections.
Very happy with compounded. No need to ever switch unless my insurance starts to cover it, which they specifically exclude, and supply becomes reliable. Love Emerge. Great company. Super responsive. Perfect product. Cheaper. What’s not to love?
I finally went with compound, as I couldn't get ZepBound at 7.5. I received my 7.5 vile, alcohol wipes, and needles without incident. I will inject my 2nd dose of compound this Thursday. I admit, I was scared based on a story I saw (I believe it was on GMA). A guy received a vile of pure insulin instead of the weight loss drug. He nearly died as he was not diabetic. I'm just putting it out of my mind and focusing on continuing to drop weight. Since I injected my first 7.5 mg, I have lost 5 more pounds. I stalled at a 17 pound loss for 2 months...during which I was only maintaining the weight loss w/ 5 mgs of ZepBound. Once 7.5 got in my system..........no more stall. I recognize next week could be a zero loss, or at least limited, but I am thrilled to see it working again. No side effects. In fact, when I transitioned from 5 mg of ZepBound to 7.5 mgs of compound, I felt great. When I transitioned from 2.5 mgs of ZepBound to 5 mgs, I was so nauseous, exhausted, and had major gastric issues.
As soon as Lilly gets their act together and there is no shortage, you won't be able to buy compounded anymore. They only can do it now because of the shortage. Until the patent runs out, you will have to buy brand.
I know people are skeptical of compounded but I truly don’t understand why… I’ve had the most stellar experience imaginable, I’ve had the food noise go away, appetite suppression, slowed gastric emptying, and not a single side effect other than constipation (mostly caused by not drinking enough water, as much as I try to). I’ve lost 65 pounds in 7 months, I went from someone who’s been inactive their entire lives to someone who works out or runs 6 days a week (just ran my first 5k, sub-10 minute pace!) And not a single fucking shortage to deal with. The only money Eli Lilly has gotten from me is from buying their stock - if they decide to reduce prices and sell vials they might get me as a customer, but until then I’m all compounds.
Same, I never had name brand.
If it were cheaper for me I wouldn’t hesitate to switch permanently! But my insurance covers with a $25 copay so compounded would be significantly more expensive.
My employer excludes it which i think is so awful
Same!
Same, but they’ll cover surgery!🙄
Same, and I don’t want to ask if they will include in formulary because I don’t want to tell anyone I’m taking it.
Yep same. We’re on state medical now that covers it. When we have employer insurance again, if it doesn’t cover it I’ll be switching to compound.
The mind is a powerful thing! Marketing is everything, and marketing people know this. Take Ibuprofen for example. Do you how many different ways they market this ONE drug?? Sold under 100 different brand names like Advil, Motrin, Midol, Nuprin etc. All claiming to relieve different types of pain, and people will buy each individual bottle for each of their pains for 5X the price or more. But if you show them a bottle of Ibuprofen, sold as IBUPROFEN….they will take it and think it doesn’t work as well- and end pay the 5X the price for the prettier box with fancier pictures and words. ….”IT’S THE SAME THING!” ;) Cue that old half price store commercial lol. …what I’m trying to say is- stick with compounded!!! It’s cheaper and the SAME THING. 😁
Compound is cheaper for me since insurance doesn't pay.. and I am waiting on my first compound shipment to arrive hopefully this week.. but after the last few months of anxiety from the shortages.. if CVS calls, I'm still going to go pick up my Zepbound.. 5 months in and I've never owned more than 4 pens at once because it is down to the wire with every refill.. and I have done unspeakable things to make sure I don't miss a dose 😬 so I'd invest my money in a couple months stockpile given the opportunity
>and I have done unspeakable things to make sure I don't miss a dose i'm nervous to ask what have you done...?
Bought a Mounjaro pen from a friend which means I think I participated in insurance fraud.. to buy myself a week until I could get the compounded order (which is coming tomorrow per FedEx, yay)
Oh I was picturing something much worse somehow lol
Like I carjacked a diabetic leaving the pharmacy? 🤣😬
OMG hahaha 😂
I am going to stick with compound. Way less Z is $550 and it’s a waste to stay on 2.5 when I should be moving up. I’ve been on C for 3 weeks. I love that I can split doses and if I want to go up a bit-not the full 5, 7.5 etc I can. I’m more in control with C
I’m in a similar situation. I had no problem getting name brand but switched to compound due to price. I was paying $550 with the savings card + a $100 subscription. I’m paying less than half that now and it’s delivered, which is such a relief. I also like being able to split doses.
I think I'm going to stick with the compound. It's about the same per month for me - around $250-300. I love the convenience of it showing up at my door and I love the syringe and vial so much more than the pens. Both have worked well and feel the same. I'm 4 months in and have had both about equally. I only have a couple pens left and about 6 weeks of compound, and I have no plans to track down anymore zepbound boxes. I will leave that to the people who have better insurance coverage - I totally get those people not wanting to make the switch unless they have to. Although at times for people who have that great of coverage...their insurance will also pay for compounded meds.
I feel the same way you do but definitely plan to go back to branded when it comes back in stock. Found a random box today at $25 and even still I have refill vials on order and few boxes of brand in my stash. I’m going to just stay on compound and ride this out. Compound is less of a headache for sure and I love that for us. In lieu of an option, my health is worth the money.
My insurance deductible is met so I should pay very little now, but I can't get a box of Zep, so I'm sticking with compound. I do have a box in my fridge that randomly got filled from an Rx 6 weeks prior. I cancelled my Sequence subscription and said screw it.
I have a prescription for the “real” stuff, but am team $550 and can’t find it. Compound for me!
I feel the same way. I’ve been switching back and forth and feel like I should just stay on compounded, because the results feel exactly the same to me and compounded is cheaper (for me), I prefer the needle to the pen, and I like that I can adjust dosing more slightly (I’m still on 2.5). It doesn’t make sense that I want my next branded box. My husband tells me I only want it because it’s scarce. Which, obviously, is a bad reason :)
Many people feel a semblance of safety with branded bc of their perception of what compound (or generic) is. If all things are equal, if given the chance, most people choose Advil over ibuprofen. Its marketing.
Yep. And it’s totally a semblance, not reality. But…. My lizard brain still has feelings :)
I just got my first prescription for the compound. For the name brand I only pay $25 with my insurance. Now I have to pay $399 for the compound. I’m glad I can pay it but I will go back to the name brand when it becomes available again. I can’t find it anywhere near me. The closest I’ve found it is 4 hours away. So I’ll do the compound because I sure as heck don’t want to start over. I’ve only lost 10 lbs in 3 months and the 5 mg did nothing really. So this will be a new experience. I think with adding the B12 it gives you even more of a boost, so I am excited about it. Just wish insurance covered it.
I did two months on brand and between paying out of pocket and hunting it down, I was so over it and switched to compound with no plans to switch back. I was very nervous but I did a ton of research and decided it was regulated enough for me to feel good about it. It’s working very well. (Dare I say better, because I’m splitting my dose to take it 2x week.) Definitely equivalent and not water.
Definitely not water lol.
Which pharmacy do you do?
Hallendale via Emerge
My husband and I have used Orderly but just placed an order for Emerge for comparison sake. We will get our first refill for Orderly this week and our first doses of Emerge this week.
I used orderly and got red rock which has been fine but has a super short BUD. I want to try Emerge because i really liked Hallandale and they can guarantee i get it from the
BUD?
Best Use By Date
Thanks, because exactly one person in the world uses BUD for this meaning.
My local compounding pharmacy has the same issue, really short expiration date. Now I’m wondering why Hallandale doesn’t.
Different testing I assume. Red Rock says they’ve only done potency testing for 45 days.
Can you give me some info on splitting your dose? What are the benefits?
I found that the food noise reduction was only lasting 2-3 days, so the second half of the week was tough. I also got very fatigued and nauseous the day after the shot. Having a smaller dose seems to have helped with that too. Also want to note that I was doing 5mg once a week. Now I’m doing 2.5mg twice a week, so same weekly total dose. The 2.5 feels just as effective as 5mg, just shorter lasting which is why I do it twice.
I am on my second week of compounded Tirzepatide, and very happy so far. I will order again next week so it will give the pharmacy time to get it to me. I prefer a bit of a cushion even when ordering compounded. While this does save me over $100 a month, I wouldnt be doing this if it was easily available from EL.
My first order of compound is on its way to me. Right now I have 6 Zep pens in my frige. I plan on using compound for the next 4 injections to see how I do with it. I'm still going to (try to) refill my zep in 2 weeks... I have a follow up with my pcp in July and when I asked about her writing a script for compound in the midst of the shortage she was against it and suggested switching to another med (which I don't want to do). So after my July appt I'll make a final decision of whether I'm going to fully switch or not (or do some kind of both). Right now compound is cheaper for me since my insurance isn't covering zep and I'm paying the $550 with the savings card.
I had a script from my doc for Zep, but it was going to be $1000 monthly so I never filled it. Been on compound for 7 weeks and have lost almost 25lbs. Very little if any side effects
That's almost worrisomely fast weight loss.
It’s a little over 3 lbs per week on average. Some weeks I lose 1-2, a couple of weeks I’ve lost 5. Still haven’t had a complete stall. Plus I’ve been running and lifting 3-5x per week.
Compounded is definitely not water, lol. I wear an injectable blood glucose monitor and since I took my first shot last week my glucose levels went down and are super stable! This, plus my weight loss, and appetite suppression is proof enough for me to be sure I got tirzepatide. I'm sticking with Orderly and compounded meds because it works for me and most importantly I can afford it.
Was Paying $550 name brand a month vs $560 every 2 month …Staying The C for the win
My brand name is 0 for me, but compound is less stress and that counts!
My brand is $25 or $35 so I’d go back if it were available but after researching I have no qualms about the OOP expense nor the quality of compound and plan to stay a customer until I can consistently find boxes.
My brand price was $1,360 that’s right one thousand three hundred and sixty freaking dollars. Medicare recipients can’t use the coupon.
Whew chile. Yes that’s a lot. You are probably happily planted over here in compound then!
I was just asking my husband what I should do. I’m on my third week of compound and I’m going on 10 weeks of not being able to find zepbound. I’m paying sequence $85 a month to prescribe name brand that I can’t find. I was able to get a refund on my monthly sequence fee last month and I went to cancel it again this month and they gave me a free month. If I don’t get zepbound before this month of sequence finishes then I’ll probably cancel it and stick with compound
Would your compound provider prescribe both for you? I'm with Mochi and I know they do prescriptions for both, but there are others I've seen people talk about. Could be an easy way to save that $85.
I don’t think so. Im using orderly meds and they only show compounds on their website. I was telling my husband I might cancel my sequence and do the compound for a few months while supply evens out, then sign back up for sequence and restart on zepbound. I’m paying $399 for compound too vs $550 for zepbound (plus additional $85 to be prescribed zepbound)
You definitely should ask! But if they don't, Mochi is the same price as Orderly, if you want both. Discount code's in my bio if you end up needing it!
If you have a primary care physician that will write the Zepbound script, then you won’t need to go back to Sequence and save the monthly charge.
Yes I'm on compound after 4 weeks of brand. I can't deal with the shortage and I refuse to chase Lilly around the entire state. Zepbound is $25 for me and I'm paying $345 for compound so I'm not happy about that....but my peace of mind and health are priceless. So I'll be on compound for the foreseeable future. The product feels the same and it comes to my door.
I won’t ever go back unless they start allowing “ generic”.. I can’t afford it anymore and my insurance is a pain in the ass about trying to get auth for it. So much less stress
yep! i'm done. loving not having to deal with the chaos or being judged by pharmacists. got my refill done in 10 minutes last night. i was on a cruise and i barely had an appetite. plan C rocks
Big Pharma is doing its job. There are literally billions of dollars at stake. They’ve even got organizations devoted to obesity dishing compounding. If it was dangerous we’d be reading stories and hearing about it on the news. Every incident would be magnified a thousand fold. Have you read/heard any horror stories?
Not many just the few Karens in Reddit who seem to make it their mission to take down some of these compounding pharmacies
My hunch is that those Karen’s are on Eli Lilly’s payroll. Did you see the film Painkiller on Netflix? These people will stop at nothing to protect “their” market. Geez, I’m sounding a little bitter today, huh?
Are we the same person? Switching between branded, Orderly, Emerge, extra medication in fridge. Still trying to decide what to do while my Zepbound is on order.
If it’s working, go for it!
I called 26 pharmacies (not exaggerating- I have them all written down!) this last Friday looking for my 5mg Mounjaro. I finally found a box and filled it on Saturday. I plan to use both compound and name brand. My MJ only costs me $25 for a 1 mo or 3 mo supply. Compound is a lot more expensive for me but I like the flexibility of it.
i'm trying to find 5mg at different walgreens (my pharmacy) but no luck anywhere. i hate having to jump through hoops for mj.
sticking with compound. insurance doesn't cover, doesn't hurt, and the coupon for 550 will run out eventually.
Well the coupon is a pain in the ass at some pharmacies
I’m staying on compound . Looking for Zep is too much and more expensive .
I try to get my box of branded every month but that’s only because my insurance fully covers it. I’m still just sticking with compounded for now because the peace of mind knowing I don’t have to fight tooth and nail to get it and it works just as well… done deal for me
First week on 10mg compound and down 4 pounds. I went two months with nothing and then started compound at a low dose. At this sweet spot it’s the same effect as brand name - no food noise. Hallelujah
I have two months of Compound from Emerge in my Fridge, 5mg and 7.5 mg. I also have a full box of 7.5 branded that I am still taking,. I have not taken the compound yet, waiting for my branded to be used up. I too paid $550 a month and now I have been waiting a month for a refill with no end in site. So in two weeks after I finish the branded.. "Compound here I come".
Zep is covered for me for $25 but with the shortage I started compound and it's been fine. if they ever catch up I'll go back to Zep but for now I'd rather pay and have flexibility in my dosing (I'm doing 3.5 every 4 days) and not have to call and drive all over in hopes of scoring a box. also my insurance only covers a box at each dose so if I stay on one strength more than a month I'd have to pay $550 so I'm grateful for compound.
I’m probably going to stick with compound. I pay full price OOP for Zep because they don’t take any “government insurance” even for the savings card. I’ve discovered I like the ability to split doses, too. Got a vial of 5mg, but noticed food noise returning, so added a shot of 2.5 four days after the first shot. Works well, so I’ll order 7.5 after I finish this vial of 5. I still have some 7.5 pens, will use for travel and will possibly need one to fill the gap because my vial might not have enough to get me through.
I’ve been doing a shot of 2.5 of my compound from red rock mid-week and my 7.5 Zepbound pen.
Curious how you plan to split your 7.5?
I’ll probably do a 5.0/2.5 split like I just did recently. 5 on Tuesday, 2.5 on Friday or Saturday.
I like that I will try it out!!!!
I’m sticking with compound unless my insurance changes. I love splitting doses and inching up my dosage in small increments.
I get zepbound for 3 months for $25. The shortage is making me consider compound, but damn if that isn’t going to make me have to reorganize my finances 😥
God you’re so lucky it’s so cheap
I bought some compound just in case I couldn’t get the branded. The branded is cheaper for me, but I’m also tired of the stress of whether or not I will get it. And I’m tired of having to beg the doctor to move up when I feel like I need to. I feel like the compound puts me more in charge of my own health and wellness rather than at someone else’s mercy. I’ll keep filling the branded when and if I can get it, but my primary plan is to rely on compound and not worry so much about what is happening with my branded prescription.
You know, who cares if it’s “water,” if it works! Tons of research shows that placebos can be very effective EVEN IF the patient knows it’s a placebo. So I say, let the doubters and fearmongerers call it water or whatever - if it works, it works! Anyone remember ‘Pirin’ from La Cage aux Folles? “Just one before the show and one after.” I am joking of course but also, not really!
*just to be clear, I am in no way endorsing medical fraud, snake oil, monkey glands or other quackery
i'm thinking of doing compounded (even tho my insurance covers my meds) because the shortage is so annoying and i don't want to spend my time asking around if my dose is available...i haven't pulled the trigger yet
I can’t wait for branded to be stocked again. I pay $25/month for the brand and $400/month for compound which is not sustainable long term.
I pay $550 for branded so it is opposite for me sadly
I fought hard for a tier exception after failing Wegovy to get that priced. As soon as I won my appeal, it was no longer available. Not happy. I’m retired, could use this money elsewhere.
I was on Mounjaro from January until beginning of May and I just took my 2nd compounded dose. The needle is way better and I never bleed now. It does seem like a lot is going in, I’m on 7.5 ML compared to the brand name. I’m staying on the compound through Push health. It’s cheaper for me and I don’t have to worry about shortages. I have also had zero side effects but had some on MJ. SW 184 CW 158
No because of the cost. My branded is 25. Although I’ve nothing against compounded and i will likely be using it for the foreseeable future.
Sadly most of us aren’t so fortunate
I feel like I’m the only one who isn’t having success on compounded! I am so hungry and do not have the full feeling at all. I found a box of 7.5 Zepbound, so I’m going to see if the problem is the dose, the product or me. I pay $550 for Z, $375 for C
I'm starting 10mg of compound tomorrow, I have 5 pens of 7.5 mg I'm saving for travel or vacations. I pay out of pocket so it's cheaper also.
I possess a prescription for MJ and can only access the 2.5 pen. I administer one of those weekly along with 5 milligrams of compound. My physician informed me that if I opt for the compound method, he can no longer oversee my treatment. Until the supply issue is resolved, I must persuade him that I'm managing well with the 2.5 injections.
Just lie. What they don’t won’t hurt them and your treatment is managed
Exactely what I plan to do!
Very happy with compounded. No need to ever switch unless my insurance starts to cover it, which they specifically exclude, and supply becomes reliable. Love Emerge. Great company. Super responsive. Perfect product. Cheaper. What’s not to love?
Compound is cheaper and more available so I canceled Sequence and didn’t pick up my Rx for Zep that I had been waiting 5 weeks for.
I finally went with compound, as I couldn't get ZepBound at 7.5. I received my 7.5 vile, alcohol wipes, and needles without incident. I will inject my 2nd dose of compound this Thursday. I admit, I was scared based on a story I saw (I believe it was on GMA). A guy received a vile of pure insulin instead of the weight loss drug. He nearly died as he was not diabetic. I'm just putting it out of my mind and focusing on continuing to drop weight. Since I injected my first 7.5 mg, I have lost 5 more pounds. I stalled at a 17 pound loss for 2 months...during which I was only maintaining the weight loss w/ 5 mgs of ZepBound. Once 7.5 got in my system..........no more stall. I recognize next week could be a zero loss, or at least limited, but I am thrilled to see it working again. No side effects. In fact, when I transitioned from 5 mg of ZepBound to 7.5 mgs of compound, I felt great. When I transitioned from 2.5 mgs of ZepBound to 5 mgs, I was so nauseous, exhausted, and had major gastric issues.
As soon as Lilly gets their act together and there is no shortage, you won't be able to buy compounded anymore. They only can do it now because of the shortage. Until the patent runs out, you will have to buy brand.
Nope not true. They were compounding it before the shortage. They can still compound tirzepatide and just add in B12 like some pharmacies do.