How to Use Retatrutide GLP-3 | Dosage, Timing, and Usage Guidelines

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00][music] [music] >> Welcome back everyone. This is your first time here. My name is Adam D'Agostino, [music] the Peptide Professor.

[00:00:17]Today's topic is a continuation of my last video on Retatrutide, where we discussed this peptide's mechanisms of action and its various benefits, including weight loss, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing visceral fat, improving HbA1c and blood sugar, and enhancing nutrient partitioning.

[00:00:39]Next, we're going to discuss the dosing protocol.

[00:00:43]The recommended dosage for Retatrutide varies quite widely depending on the individual use case.

[00:00:48]Much like other incretin-based therapies, Retatrutide follows a titration model, also known as stepwise dose escalation.

[00:00:57]This simply means the dose is gradually increased over time to improve tolerability and decrease gastrointestinal side effects.

[00:01:06]Instead of starting patients at the full therapeutic dose right away, clinicians gradually increase the dosage over several weeks.

[00:01:15]This approach has become the standard recommended protocol for GLPs because high doses right out of the gate often lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other issues, which are often severe enough for patients to discontinue treatment. Titration helps the body adapt to the drug's effects on digestion, appetite regulation, and metabolic hormone signaling.

[00:01:39]Gradual escalation reduces the likelihood of GI side effects that can occur when metabolic hormones change too rapidly. A typical titration schedule in clinical trials included gradual increases approximately every 3 to 4 weeks, allowing participants to progress from a low introductory dose toward higher therapeutic levels.

[00:02:01]This process supports metabolic adaptation and improves medication adherence. Since Retatrutide activates three metabolic hormones simultaneously, researchers needed to test multiple dosing levels to understand how different amounts affect weight loss, appetite regulation, and metabolic improvements.

[00:02:21]Clinical trials investigating Retatrutide have evaluated a range of doses to determine the optimal balance between effectiveness and tolerability.

[00:02:31]In phase two trials involving adults with obesity, several weekly doses were studied, which I'll outline here.

[00:02:38]And of course, as you already know, this is not medical advice.

[00:02:43]If you are taking any medications and are unsure about potential contraindications, please consult your doctor or health care provider.

[00:02:53]For individuals with obesity, type two diabetes, or those who need to lose significant body weight for other health reasons, a dosage of 8 to 12 mg per week has shown to be most effective.

[00:03:06]We'll refer to this as the aggressive dosing protocol, and in this instance, the titration schedule over the course of 16 weeks might look something like this.

[00:03:16]During weeks 1 to 3, a starting dose of 2 to 3 mg per week.

[00:03:22]In weeks 4 to 6, increase to 4 to 6 mg per week.

[00:03:28]In weeks 7 to 9, use a dosage of 6 to 8 mg per week.

[00:03:34]In weeks 10 to 12, increase to 8 to 10 mg per week.

[00:03:40]Now, at this point, it's usually a good idea to evaluate progress and determine the next steps.

[00:03:46]One option would be to increase to the 10 to 12 mg range for the final four-week phase, Whereas the alternative would be to start gradually decreasing back down over the course of the next 4 weeks.

[00:03:59]In this case, if our week 12 doses 10 mg, then the final 4 weeks will look like this.

[00:04:06]Week 13 is 8 mg.

[00:04:09]Week 14 would be 6 mg.

[00:04:12]Week 15 is 4 mg.

[00:04:15]And the final week is 2 mg.

[00:04:18]This equates to a reduction of about 20 to 25% per week over the final month of use.

[00:04:25]For people who are not obese and only looking to lose a moderate amount of weight, a dosage of 4 to 6 mg per week is more appropriate.

[00:04:35]We'll refer to this as the moderate dosing protocol.

[00:04:39]And in this instance, the titration schedule over the course of 16 weeks might look like this.

[00:04:46]In weeks 1 to 3, starting at 1 to 2 mg per week.

[00:04:51]For weeks 4 to 6, increase to 2 to 3 mg per week.

[00:04:57]In weeks 7 to 9, use a dosage of 3 to 4 mg per week.

[00:05:03]For weeks 10 to 12, increase to 4 to 6 mg per week.

[00:05:09]The gradual reduction over the final 4 weeks would be 4, 3, 2, and finally 1 mg in week 16.

[00:05:20]The third and final dosing schedule is for people who are not overweight and primarily want to take advantage of the many health benefits which Retatrutide can offer aside from just weight loss.

[00:05:31]We'll refer to this as the mild dosing protocol.

[00:05:35]And typically this utilizes a dosage of 1 to 3 mg per week.

[00:05:41]Since the dose is much lower than the moderate and aggressive protocols, we don't really need as much of the stepwise escalation as we did in previous strategies.

[00:05:51]In this case, you would start at around 0.5 to 1 mg and increase by only 0.5 mg each week, or you could simply maintain that original dose, which is considered a low maintenance dose, throughout the period of use.

[00:06:08]As you can see, there are many different strategies for using this peptide, and each person will in fact respond differently.

[00:06:16]Retatide has a half-life of approximately 6 to 8 days, which does support once weekly dosing.

[00:06:22]However, the incidence of side effects is generally higher with this method.

[00:06:27]Some people do well with once weekly injections, while others prefer a split dosing schedule instead.

[00:06:34]I generally do recommend split dosing to most of my clients, which would simply be using two to three injections per week instead of one large dose.

[00:06:44]For example, if your weekly dose is 6 mg, but let's say you typically experience side effects after using that amount, splitting the dose into three separate injections of 2 mg each would be more appropriate.

[00:06:59]These are typically administered on alternating days, such as Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday as an example.

[00:07:08]Regardless of the dosing strategy, Retatide should be used first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

[00:07:14]Alternatively, it can be administered at other times of day as long as it's about 2 hours after eating and 30 minutes prior to a meal. It's best to avoid administering Retatide at night because of the potential for sleep disruption due to overstimulation.

[00:07:31]Generally speaking, you should use Retatide for a duration of about 12 to 16 weeks, or roughly 3 to 4 months, and then take about half that amount of time off.

[00:07:42]As I mentioned earlier, this can vary depending on the individual use case.

[00:07:47]Doing multiple 12-week cycles with 4-6 week breaks throughout the year is a more intelligent approach than continuous year-round use with no breaks. While clinical trials used this peptide for longer durations, it's always best to take periodic breaks from peptide use to avoid receptor attenuation.

[00:08:08]Many people lose sight of the fact that peptides are powerful signaling molecules. Therefore, chronic or continuous use year-round can actually diminish a receptor's signaling intensity and its ability to activate downstream mechanisms such as kinase activity.

[00:08:25]Research to date indicates that retatrutide is extremely safe and well-tolerated.

[00:08:31]With that being said, mild side effects are fairly common, particularly among people using large weekly doses.

[00:08:38]The most frequently reported symptoms during dose escalation include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, abdominal discomfort, and constipation.

[00:08:51]These effects tend to occur most often during the early titration phase when the medication is first introduced or when doses are increased.

[00:09:01]Clinical trial data suggests that gradual dose escalation helps reduce these symptoms and allows the body to adapt to changes in appetite regulation and digestion.

[00:09:10]As I mentioned earlier, the split dosing strategy mitigates these side effects in almost all cases.

[00:09:17]There are in fact a few known contraindications that are worth mentioning at this point.

[00:09:22]First is a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, also known as MTC.

[00:09:30]Along those same lines, the second contraindication is a personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, also known as MEN 2.

[00:09:41]The third contraindication is active gallbladder disease.

[00:09:46]So, therefore, if any of those three ring true for you, it would be best to avoid using Retatide.

[00:09:53]Again, if you're unsure, at the very least, consult your physician before use.

[00:09:58]In terms of safety, it's important to monitor certain metabolic and cardiovascular markers with periodic testing during use.

[00:10:06]This includes liver enzymes such as ALT and AST, blood pressure, lipid panel, blood glucose, and kidney function.

[00:10:16]Researchers are currently evaluating Retatide in phase 3 clinical trials, which are designed to confirm its long-term safety, effectiveness, and impact on cardiometabolic health.

[00:10:28]In summary, Retatide represents one of the most promising developments in obesity and metabolic disease research.

[00:10:36]By activating three metabolic hormone receptors simultaneously, GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, this peptide illustrates a new approach to regulating appetite, glucose metabolism, and energy expenditure.

[00:10:52]If ongoing trials confirm early results, Retatide could become one of the most powerful pharmaceutical tools in history for treating obesity and metabolic disorders.

[00:11:04]To wrap things up, just a quick reminder about some of the educational materials you can purchase through my website.

[00:11:11]I highly recommend grabbing the Essential Peptide Guide, as well as the Peptides Reference Chart.

[00:11:21]I also offer memberships on YouTube, which are tiered levels for bronze, silver, and gold.

[00:11:27]Bronze is the most basic level and provides access to [music] exclusive content on my channel.

[00:11:34]Silver and gold levels provide additional benefits such as discounts on various [music] nutrition products that I recommend, discounts on your first private consultation, as well as access to my blood work and biomarker analysis network.

[00:11:49]And for those of you who are looking for more personalized guidance, I offer monthly coaching as well.

[00:11:55]You can find the links for all of these in this video's description, as well as the channel's profile.

[00:12:01]Thanks again for all your support. I really appreciate it.

[00:12:12]>> [music]