GLP-1 weight loss, with the workup most clinics skip.

The active molecule — semaglutide or tirzepatide — is the same as in the branded products. The difference is that compounded medications are prepared by a licensed 503A pharmacy under your physician's prescription, rather than manufactured by Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly. Compounded drug products are not reviewed for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. We use licensed U.S.-based pharmacies and your physician reviews every prescription personally.

Tera Fe patients on the GLP-1 program lose an average of about 15% of their body weight at 12 months, and most see the first movement within 3–4 weeks. That said — averages aren't you. Your response depends on your baseline metabolism, your underlying hormone picture, how you eat and move, and how your provider titrates the dose. We set your individual target during enrollment.

The most common side effects are mild-to-moderate nausea, constipation, reflux, and fatigue — especially in the first 4–6 weeks of a dose increase. They usually resolve or become manageable with dose adjustment and hydration, and we start low and titrate slowly for exactly that reason. Rare but more serious side effects include pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, and kidney injury; these are reviewed in detail during your enrollment visit and flagged on every follow-up.

Some weight regain is common when any weight-loss intervention stops — including diet, surgery, and GLP-1 medications. The research suggests regain is minimized when patients (a) taper off slowly rather than stop abruptly, (b) hold on to lean muscle mass during the loss phase, and (c) address any underlying hormonal driver that contributed to the weight in the first place. Our protocol is designed around all three.

Tera Fe's weight management program is cash-pay. Most commercial insurance does not cover compounded medications; our pricing (starting at just $300/mo) is usually less than the out-of-pocket cost of brand-name GLP-1s without insurance. FSA and HSA funds can typically be used for eligible portions of care — we'll provide documentation.

Many of our patients come to us already on a GLP-1 and frustrated with plateaus, side effects, or a clinic that isn't paying attention. We'll pick up where you are, run the labs, review your dose, and adjust. We do not accept transfers mid-supply — you'll need to finish or stop your current supply before we ship anything new.

For many patients, yes — and often it works better than either alone. Weight gain after forty is frequently a hormonal story (thyroid, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone) layered on a metabolic one. Dr. Allen's team is uniquely equipped to treat both at once. Add HRT to your quiz answers and we'll show you a combined protocol.