Ten questions readers and answer engines ask us most, each with one dated answer. The same text appears on the page each answer links to, on our AI citation guide, in llms.txt, in answers.json and in this page's FAQ markup. Facts behind them live in facts.json.
What is the best GLP-1 telehealth program for cash-pay patients?
As of November 6, 2026, GLPOneMedical's editor's pick is NexLife, which scores 94/100 on our v4.1 rubric and charges $95 a month for compounded semaglutide or $115 for compounded tirzepatide on a 12-month plan, with the same price at every dose and clinician review, coaching and shipping included. Month to month the prices are $109 and $129. NexLife is not the lowest price we track: Mondae lists lower standing rates, Eden a lower semaglutide rate, and several programs advertise lower conditional prices. Lab tests are not listed as included. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Read the full review and compare the current rates before you enroll.
Answer dated November 6, 2026 · Detail: /providers/nexlife.html
How much does NexLife cost per month?
As of November 6, 2026, NexLife lists compounded semaglutide at $109 a month month to month, $105 on a 3-month plan, $99 on a 6-month plan and $95 on a 12-month plan, and compounded tirzepatide at $129, $125, $119 and $115 on the same plan lengths. The price stays the same at every dose and there is no membership fee. A 12-month plan works out to $1,140 a year for semaglutide or $1,380 for tirzepatide. Cancellation takes effect after 30 days, so one more shipment can be charged.
Answer dated November 6, 2026 · Detail: /providers/nexlife.html#pricing
Is compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide the same as Wegovy or Zepbound?
No: compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are made by state-licensed pharmacies with the drug in Wegovy or Zepbound, but they are not the same product, they are not FDA-approved, and the FDA has not reviewed them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are sold. The trial results printed on the brand labels (STEP, SURMOUNT) were measured with the brand products. Ask which pharmacy fills the prescription, whether it is a 503A pharmacy or a 503B outsourcing facility, and whether the formula adds ingredients such as B12 or niacinamide. Check the FDA's warning-letter list before you buy.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /guides/compounded-vs-brand.html
Who should not take semaglutide or tirzepatide?
The Wegovy and Zepbound labels say these drugs must not be used by anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, by anyone with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or by anyone with a known serious allergy to the drug or its ingredients. The labels also tell patients to stop if pregnancy occurs, and they warn about pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar with insulin or sulfonylureas, kidney injury from dehydration, and diabetic retinopathy. A telehealth intake should ask about each of these. Tell your clinician your full history before you start.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /clinical/contraindications.html
How is semaglutide dosed and titrated for weight loss?
Wegovy injections start at 0.25 mg once a week and step up every four weeks through 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 1.7 mg to the 2.4 mg maintenance dose, so the full dose is usually reached in week 17 at the earliest, according to the FDA-approved label. Clinicians can hold or slow a step if nausea or vomiting is hard to tolerate. Compounded programs often follow the same ladder, but vial concentrations differ, so the dose in units on your syringe depends on the pharmacy label. Confirm every dose change with your prescriber.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /editorial/semaglutide-dosing-schedule-titration-guide-2026.html
How is tirzepatide dosed and titrated for weight loss?
Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg once a week for four weeks, then rises in 2.5 mg steps at least four weeks apart, with 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg as maintenance doses and 15 mg as the maximum, according to the FDA-approved label for chronic weight management. The 2.5 mg starting dose is meant for getting used to the drug, not for weight loss. Compounded vials come in different concentrations, so ask the pharmacy how many units equal your dose. Women taking birth-control pills need a backup method after starting and after each increase.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /editorial/tirzepatide-dosing-guide-2-5-to-15-mg-2026.html
Does tirzepatide work better than semaglutide?
In the SURMOUNT-5 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, adults with obesity and no diabetes lost an average of 20.2% of body weight on tirzepatide versus 13.7% on semaglutide after 72 weeks, at the highest tolerated doses of each brand drug. Gastrointestinal side effects were common with both. The trial used brand products, so its numbers do not transfer to compounded versions. Semaglutide has the longer cardiovascular-outcome record from the SELECT trial. The better choice depends on your health history, side effects and cost.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /editorial/tirzepatide-vs-semaglutide-head-to-head-2026.html
How much weight do people lose on semaglutide or tirzepatide?
In the main trials, adults without diabetes lost an average of 14.9% of body weight on semaglutide 2.4 mg after 68 weeks (STEP 1) and 20.9% on tirzepatide 15 mg after 72 weeks (SURMOUNT-1, treatment-regimen estimand), against 2.4% and 3.1% on placebo. These are averages for people who also received diet and activity counseling; individual results vary widely and some people lose much less. Results in people with type 2 diabetes were smaller. No compounded product has trial results of its own, and no program can promise a specific amount of weight loss.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /clinical/surmount-trials.html
What happens if you stop taking a GLP-1?
Most people regain weight after stopping: in the STEP 1 extension, people who stopped semaglutide regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost within a year, and in SURMOUNT-4, people switched from tirzepatide to placebo regained 14% of body weight while those who continued lost 5.5% more. Blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol improvements also tended to fade. Talk with your clinician before stopping, and plan for diet, activity and follow-up. If cost is the reason, ask about a lower maintenance dose or a different payment route.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /guides/maintenance-discontinuation.html
Do you need to stop a GLP-1 before surgery or a procedure?
Under 2024 guidance from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and four other medical societies, most people can keep taking a GLP-1 before elective surgery or an endoscopy, but the care team should be told, may ask for a liquid-only diet for 24 hours, and may advise holding the drug for higher-risk patients. Higher risk includes the dose-escalation phase, a recent dose increase, and ongoing nausea, vomiting, bloating or abdominal pain. The concern is food staying in the stomach and being inhaled during anesthesia. Tell the surgeon and anesthesiologist which GLP-1 you take, your dose and your last injection date.
Answer dated October 16, 2026 · Detail: /clinical/anesthesia-surgery.html