SLIM TLC® Supercharged!
SLIM TLC® Supercharged! Program Details
This version of SLIM TLC® is only available in Texas (if you live outside of Texas, your physician can prescribe the medicine, and recommend that you participate in SLIM TLC® without Meds).
SLIM TLC® Supercharged! is a more customized, hybrid program that combines the lowest effective and tolerated doses of both phentermine and compounded semaglutide to provide you with the most effective program overall, while minimizing the potential negative side effects of both (the most concerning of which, for most people, are associated with semaglutide – primarily nausea and muscle loss).
Negative side effects of phentermine may include (Important Safety Information found HERE):
- Elevated heart rate and/or blood pressure, a feeling of jitteriness, suicidal thoughts, new or worsening depression or anxiety, insomnia, sedation, numbness or tingling, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, or changes in the way food tastes.
- Contraindications to taking phentermine include: Pregnancy, nursing, treatment with other stimulants (e.g., ADHD medicines), an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), a history of cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, stroke, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension (your blood pressure and heart rate must be normal, i.e., <130/80, in order to receive a prescription – sometimes a blood pressure medicine must also be taken, until being able to wean off due to weight loss and/or your improved lifestyle), coadministration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), agitated states, or a history of drug abuse. If you have a history of "white coat hypertension," you must prove an average normal blood pressure from multiple outside readings.
- Also remember that tolerance may develop over time (decreasing response to the appetite suppressant effects).
Negative side effects of semaglutide may include (Important Safety Information found HERE):
- Uncommon: Pancreatitis (stop using the medicine and seek immediate care if you have severe pain in your upper stomach area that will not go away, with or without vomiting; you may feel the pain radiate from your abdomen to your back). It is not known if semaglutide can cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people.
- Not uncommon: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. To reduce the likelihood of these side effects, try to avoid fried and greasy foods, eat smaller and more frequent, blander meals with lots of fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (especially fruit and vegetable smoothies, and only when hungry), and stop eating when you feel full. Eating slowly and drinking clear, cool drinks can also help. Also, avoid artificial sweeteners, especially sugarless gum, because they produce gas, adding to stomach discomfort. The grand majority of patients who experience nausea will find that it slowly improves over time. Also increasing the dose of the medicine more slowly may help. And we can always prescribe nausea medicine if needed.
- Common: Muscle loss (minimized by taking a low dose and doing resistance exercises during your weight loss journey).
- Rarely: Gastroparesis, where your digestive system freezes up, and even suicidal thoughts. Please inform us and seek medical care immediately if you suspect or experience any of these.
- Contraindications to taking semaglutide include: Problems with your pancreas or kidneys, pregnancy, breastfeeding, planning to become pregnant or breastfeed, a past or family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
Prescription refills for phentermine are provided monthly, only at visits with the prescriber (in-office OR may be virtual/video only if you have a blood pressure cuff on hand to measure your pressure and heart rate during the visit).
FAQs (Frequently-Asked Questions)
How much does the SLIM TLC® Supercharged! program cost?
- There is a registration fee of $80 (only ages 18+ are eligible). Note: TLC Family Health members do not pay an additional registration fee.
- One-time required purchase of SLIM TLC Online: $19.99
- Monthly cost: $125; there are no contracts or commitments – stay with the program as long as you'd like, and change to one of the others whenever desired. NOTE: Members of TLC Family Health receive 35% off monthly costs (= $81.25/month).
- Visits with the prescriber (in-person or virtual/video available): Initial and all follow-up visits are included in the monthly fee. Note: Members of TLC Family Health pay their usual visit copay.
- Cost of initial and (up to) quarterly labs: $15-20 (total; add $18-20 if testosterone is checked)
- Cost of medicine: <$20/month for phentermine (depends on pharmacy you choose – usually the cash-pay monthly cost can be kept under $20 with a GoodRx coupon) and usually <$100/month for compounded semaglutide.
How is the compounded semaglutide administered, and how can I obtain it?
- It is (self-) administered subcutaneously, once weekly, usually into the belly fat (after pinching it between your fingers). Most patients learn to do it themselves, but you may have someone else administer it. Once we send in the prescription, the pharmacy should reach out to you to discuss cost or payment, after which the compounding pharmacy will ship semaglutide to you, with all the necessary instructions. Remember, we will only prescribe compounded semaglutide as long as Ozempic® and/or Wegovy® are on the FDA Drug Shortages list (one or the other is expected to stay there for quite a while, but no one can predict how long).
Are there any BMI (body mass index) requirements, and might my insurance pay for the medicine?
- Phentermine is only FDA-approved for those with a BMI >30 (or >27 if you have other comorbid conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and/or dyslipidemia). Insurance coverage would be denied if you are under those BMI values, and is frequently denied even if you meet those requirements (in which case we'd recommend paying cash, with a GoodRx coupon). However, we are comfortable prescribing it for anyone over age 18 with a BMI >25. We do not have any BMI requirements to prescribe semaglutide.
What happens when I reach my goal weight, or if I don't reach my goal weight by the end of the year?
- REMEMBER that every study has shown that any weight lost with the use of any medicine (or any weight loss program, for that matter) will return as soon as the medicine (or program) is stopped, UNLESS THE NECESSARY LIFESTYLE CHANGES ARE MADE – which is why we only prescribe medicine for weight loss as part of the SLIM TLC® lifestyle and weight management program (= instruction, support, accountability, guidance, troubleshooting), to give you the highest chance of maintaining the success you have achieved. When you reach your goal weight, you may continue the low-dose compounded semaglutide (the lowest, least frequent dosing necessary to maintain) as long as is felt necessary (and as long as it continues on the FDA Drug Shortages list). However, the closer you are to an ideal BMI (i.e., the further below a BMI of 25, e.g., <22-23), the more we may encourage you to try to switch to the SLIM TLC® without Meds option, which will save you money and decrease the risk for potential side effects!
What will happen if/when Ozempic® and Wegovy® fall off the FDA Drug Shortages list, or if I don't tolerate the medicine?
- There are many options: Switch to 1) SLIM TLC with Phentermine (only), 2) the name brand (Ozempic® or Wegovy®), 3) Mounjaro®/Zepbound®, 4) other medications that may help with weight loss, 5) SLIM TLC® without Meds, or 6) continue the SLIM TLC® System (via SLIM TLC® Online) all by yourself (or with your "TLC Trio").
Might my insurance pay for the medicine?
- Insurance does not cover compounded medicine, and rarely covers name-brand medicines for weight loss; but yours may cover the latter or phentermine if your BMI (body mass index) is >30, or >27 if you have comorbid conditions like diabetes.
Are semaglutide and phentermine safe to take long-term?
- Semaglutide is FDA-approved for long-term use. Phentermine is FDA-approved only for short-term use. It is taken daily (as tolerated) and tapered over the course of a few (maximum of six) months, then intermittently (20 doses per month) for a maximum total of one year.