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.

Honestly? Nobody can tell you that up front, and you should be skeptical of any clinic that does. In the manufacturers' phase 3 trials of the branded products at top maintenance doses, average weight change was roughly 15% on semaglutide and roughly 20% on tirzepatide — but those are trial averages under trial conditions, not a prediction about you. Your response depends on your baseline metabolism, your underlying hormone picture, how you eat and move, and how carefully your provider titrates the dose. We set a realistic individual target with you during enrollment, and we revisit it monthly against what your body is actually doing.

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.