If you are new to this

Five things worth understanding before you pick a programme. Ten minutes now saves a lot of confusion in month two.

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1. These are prescription medicationsBoth drugs need a clinician who has taken a real history. Anyone selling them without a prescription is not a bargain — the FDA issued more than 55 warning letters to online sellers in September 2025.
2. You start low and climb slowlyThe starting dose is not a treatment dose. Expect two to four months before you reach the doses used in the trials. The dose ladder →
3. Most people get some gut upset, and most of it settlesTrouble clusters after each dose increase. What is normal, week by week →
4. The advertised price is usually not the priceMemberships, dose-based pricing and oral tiers advertised as if they were injections all inflate the real figure. What everyone really charges →
5. Most low-cost shots are compounded, and that has rulesCompounded medication is not FDA-approved, and the framework narrowed again in 2026. What the rules say →

The two drugs, in a sentence each

Tirzepatide — A single weekly injection that activates two gut hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1, rather than one. In SURMOUNT-1, adults with obesity lost an average of 19.5% of body weight on 10 mg and 20.9% on 15 mg over 72 weeks.

Semaglutide — A weekly injection that activates the GLP-1 receptor, slowing stomach emptying and reducing appetite signalling. In STEP-1, adults on 2.4 mg lost an average of about 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks.

How to choose between them →

Where to go next

Our ranking for first-timers →

Prices verified 2026-09-18. Nothing here is medical advice.