r/zepbound_support

Hi! I’ve been on Zepbound for almost three months now. Almost immediately I experienced the weird side effect of not really liking coffee anymore. I cannot stress how devastating this was!! I live on coffee and espresso everyday, have since I was way too young to be drinking it! Thankfully I like tea but it’s just not feeling the same. The morning ritual feels gone. I’m curious if anyone else who experienced this side effect and what they drink now. Any good coffee alternatives that you like? Did the coffee come back (please please please tell me it does)?

Everybody, like many on Reddit totally new to Zepound. Tomorrow I am due for my 2nd injection. The first few days of taking the injection I had a slight headache and it went away within two days. Now, my appetite suppression is not that strong and I could still eat too many calories if I did not will myself not to eat. The first three days I had very little appetite and had to force myself eat. Is that how it works?

Also, are there any advantages/disadvantages to staying longer on a Zepound strength and not going forward each month? I am short and way about 310, that is so awful. If I stay at 2.5 longer than I should will I see no weight loss and no appetite suppression? TIA.

PS
This is also the first time I have posted on Reddit and I'm not yet sure how it works!

I’m new to the community and Zepbound. Day 2, 1st shot Monday evening 8:15. Didn’t sleep well, up with acid reflux. Morning nausea and vomiting. Taking Nausea Calm and it does help some. Slept better last night but my Oura ring detected “major signs” of something stressing my body. I felt a bit better this morning and had a piece of dry toast, half a banana and a cup of tea, didn’t keep it down. I’m going to try some bone broth and sip it. Having trouble getting in all the water even sipping it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I’m retired so I can deal with the issues. But I still have volunteer obligations and I take care of my very elderly mom and I need to be able to function somewhat. Thanks for any help, I’m worried.

I started taking Zepbound last Wednesday, so it kicked in on Thursday. So, it's been about five days.

Yes, I'm losing weight but I have zero interest in food. I've always eaten very healthy so I make myself eat. I've lost about 5 lbs. I want to eat more but can't get motivated.

The bad part is I'm so tired. I took four vacation days off from work---I had a ton of them. My stomach is not great. I cannot um, poop. Now, I'm taking (doctor said ok) stool softeners. Still not much. Sorry to be gross.

Constant acid reflux even with acid reduction tabs each day.

Am I going to start to feel better soon? Is this just a process?

Hello everyone I hope you all are having a nice day. Last night was my third shot and I'm nauseous. I started at 2.5 mg and the week after my first shot I was nauseous off and on.

Last week my second shot I had no effects whatsoever.... Then last night I took my third shot. I am so nauseous again. Any ideas why?

I drink about 100 oz of water a day I eat a ton of protein and I still don't feel great. How did you deal with it what tips or tricks can you recommend to me? Tia.

I use Zepbound vials from Lilly Direct. My provider prescribes it so that I can get multiple shots per vial. Lilly Direct requires you to refill within 45 days to maintain the $449 pricing, which I’ve been doing. However, I’ve built up a supply of vials and don’t really need to refill for awhile.

I spoke with Lilly Direct/Gift Health today because my provider had given them a fresh prescription last week. Because it would, technically, be my first fill on a new prescription, I inquired how long I could wait to actually fill it if I didn’t want to right away. I learned that Lilly tracks your refills by tracking you as a person, not based on whether your fill is a new fill or a refill. Once you start vials at 7.5mg or more, they look to make sure you have a fill every 45 days or you lose the pricing - even if your provider sends in a new prescription. (My 45 days is coming up next week, so I have to fill the new prescription.)

They did confirm there is a one-time courtesy override if you exceed 45 days, but it was clear it was only once. And they did not say, but the implication was that it still needed to be a reasonable amount of time after the 45 days.

The question I didn’t feel comfortable asking, but that I’m sure others have experience with, is how long you must wait after your last fill before you can be considered a ‘re-start’ and get the lower pricing again? For example, if you use Lilly Direct and go off the meds for a few months and then want to start again and get a new prescription, were you successful in getting the lower pricing again? I’m trying to determine what the waiting period is before your record clears and they will let you start over.

I was on Semaglutide from mid December 2022 to February 2026. I lost about 25 pounds in the first year and then my weight loss pretty much stalled but that was OK because I was at a good place. I also lost so much inflammation and didn’t even realize how good I could feel just from not having as much inflammation, —and the food noise was completely gone which for me is the key to everything.
About two years in I noticed that the inflammation started to creep back and now I definitely have it all back. And in February the food noise started to come back after 3 1/2 years and so I knew it was time to make a switch. In the past 2 months, I’ve gained 6 pounds.
My doctor put me on Zepbound and suggested starting at the 5 mg dose since I had been on Semaglutide for so long. But I was nervous about side effects because my lifestyle is super busy so I had her start me out at the 2.5.
I literally have felt nothing this past five weeks. I still have the food noise. I still am hungry, definitely not down any inflammation either.
Should I have started at the five? Those of you who have been on a semiglutide before a tirzepatide, what dose of tirzepatide did you start at??
Any info would be appreciated ☺️

Hey all,

I was prescribed zep by my endo and just picked it up. I’m terrified to take it lol. Please any words of encouragement would be helpful.

I think what worries me the most is using a medicine to lose weight (probably a societal taboo in the back of my brain) and also worried about thyroid cancer. I’m a medicinal professional so I understand all the mechanisms but just afraid to jump into it.

Please share your stories, any and all symptoms, pros, cons etc.

Thank you!!!!

42 yo female, Started Zepbound in November 2025 (was a compound semaglutide before that for many months but had difficulty tolerating). Total weight loss: 18.5 pounds.

I know this is more than nothing and within an acceptable range but 1) I have weight to lose. My goal is 80-100 lbs 2) I’m eating very small portions and high protein 3) to help it along for the last months I’ve started going to the gym at 5am 2-3 times per week, focusing on weight training 4) I’m paying $450 a month for Zepbound via Lily program 😳

The most I can lose is 0.5 to 1.0 a week and some weeks nothing at all. Any thoughts? What might I be doing wrong?

Zepbound 15 mg for 2 years and the last three months I’ve gained 10 pounds. I started at 170 pounds and now 158 but my lowest weight was 140. I am exercising 2/3 times a week in strength training and cardio other days I walk about a mile. Tracking calories I’m not great with but looking to improve. Any suggestions on getting back to losing. I fast 9 to 11:12pm and do eat 2x a day protein.
I have been under stress with work for a while since February and wondering if my cortisol levels have spiked as my stomach is getting more bloated. Any advice 🤗

Has anyone using the quik pen run into issues of a pen not dispensing?

I’ve used 4 quik pens to date with no issues. I started a new pen this evening and it isn’t dispensing. I followed instructions and the pen doesn’t have the normal clicking. I tried a new needle and that didn’t help. What I also noticed is that tip you install the needle on that red rubber insert is protruding, where it would usually be flat. I had another full pen that they had just sent and I thought maybe it was a faulty pen so I tried that pen and it has the same issue. I followed instructions and can’t figure out what the issue may be or a solution. Both pens are full with 4 doses, I just can’t get it to dispense.

I pay out of pocket thru Felix Canada. i contacted them, AI of course, they couldn’t help and recommended a Pharmacist consult but the first available appointment is not for a week. I’d appreciate and suggestions or tips someone may have.

I started Zepbound at the end of January and had really good results at 2.5mg (down 16 lbs so far).

But a few weeks ago, I suddenly started having severe nausea along with a really sensitive gag reflex. It’s gotten to the point where:

- I gag if I cough

- I struggle to swallow food because of the nausea

- I can’t brush my teeth or gargle without gagging

This wasn’t happening at all in the beginning, so I’m confused why it started now.

Has anyone experienced something like this? If so:

- Did it go away or did you have to stop?

- Were you able to continue at the same dose?

- Did changing your dosing schedule (like spacing it out longer than 7 days) help at all?

I’d really like to stay on it since it was working, but this side effect has been pretty intense.

Any advice or experiences would really help.

I tried the wegovy pill and it didn’t work for me. I’m wanting to switch to zepbound but my insurance denied it even after my doctor sent in an appeal. Where is everyone buying there’s from? I’m not sure if I should just get it directly from the website or not. It’s pretty expensive that way is my only concern.

I bumped up to 5mg last night. I couldn't get out of bed today. I snoozed my alarm a couple of times before resetting it for a couple hours later...then turned it off and got up at 8 pm. 24 hours after my shot, and 20 hrs after I went to bed. Anyone else experience anything this extreme? I'm pretty good at sleeping in, but this was crazy.

But they are denying me because my doctor put in the prescription for type 2 diabetes and Sleep Apnea. Blue Shield denied the prior auth saying that Zepbound is not authorized for diabetes. They said Mounjaro is approved for diabetes.

They also said they require me to be on a weight loss program that includes a low-calorie diet, physical activity, and behavior therapy (all three) for 6 months. They say it needs to be in my health records.

Should I try and appeal this decision or have the doctor prescribe mounjaro. Could my doctor just say that I've been in a program for 6 months to get them to approve it?

Hi,
I am self paying $449 monthly for 10 mg vial. I was told since my plan refused me , I should use Medicare. I tried that but I have original Medicare and it does not come with a drug plan. And all this while I thought Medicare should be my drug plan and it’s not.

When I was denied, the drug plan, Caremark, did not offer a reason, they just said my doctor should prescribe something else but my doc wants to know what the drug plan allows and I can’t get that information from them.
Is there a way I can appeal to my drug plan? Is the Medicare drug plan only attached to a Medicare advantage plan? I don’t even know how to get a script for compound or if I can go off it on to another medicine. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you for any hello you can give me

Just upped my dosage to 5.0. (Had zero issues with 2.5 mg but did not really lose any weight month 2). I was feeling uncomfortable all evening then around midnight vomited continuously copious amounts of undigested food. Dinner, lunch, and remains of food from 2.5 days ago.

It was horrible. How to stop this from happening? I had not eaten a greasy or heavy meal and no alcohol.

Also- I know this is how the drug works, but having undigested food in the stomach for ~3 days does not sound healthy.