BPI no add / ProRX / Apothecary Review
As a long-time user and original “no add” BPI user, I wanted to take a moment to share my review of Apothecary.
TLDR: Apothecary good, drink your water, and keep tabs on your hair even if you aren’t shedding!
First, I am very, very happy with Apothecary. Tirzepatide has never completely eliminated my appetite, so for me it’s about balancing suppression vs side effects:
• Is the Tirz “tirzing” = consistent appetite suppression
• Are the side effects affecting my quality of life?
• Is the fatigue livable?
Here is my rating:
• BPI no additives (12/2024–2/2026) — “Mary Poppins” … practically perfect in every way :)
◦ Occasional heartburn and constipation
• ProRx (2/2026–4/2026) — honestly felt awful physically
◦ My BP was constantly dropping, I had heart palpitations, developed leg pain, and the anxiety felt like I was going to come out of my skin
• Apothecary (5/2026–current) — smooth rider / good suppression
◦ Similar to BPI with mild nausea. No BP sensations or anxiety. Heart palpitations are gone.
After the ProRx experience, I truly thought I would either have to go to a no-preservative brand $$$ or quit altogether. I had to lower my ProRx dose from 10mg, to 5mg twice weekly, and then 7mg weekly. It was brutal. Ironically, lowering my dose caused significant gas for me.
Fifty410 was very helpful offering me Hallandale if I had the right address location. I was almost ready to order H when Apothecary dropped.
It arrived within a week. I just took my 4th shot on it and am back up to 10mg and feeling stable. No strong side effects. Sometimes I still get the Tirz chills — it lets me know it’s working! For me, I am back to my “normal.”
HOWEVER, these are things I personally deal with after being on Tirz for 18 months:
• Dehydration: I feel dry. Like, inside dry. Like something is squeezing my natural moisture out of me like a loofah. I have interstitial cystitis and cannot drink electrolytes without them setting off my bladder. The mucus membranes in my body are much drier than before starting this journey, so things like nasal drip get stuck in the back of my throat because the mucus feels thick. My intimate tissues are also affected. I have been on BHRT for years and practically bathe in estrogen, so it’s a battle. I drink lots of water, but it’s still a struggle staying moisturized from the inside out.
• Hair follicle shrinking: I had zero shedding this entire journey. Prior to starting in 2024, I took pictures of my scalp and shedding cycles because I only wash my hair twice a week and have very long, thick hair. Initially, I noticed my scalp itching at the crown. It’s not an area I normally see in the mirror. In January 2026, I noticed my ponytail was thinner, but I just had my hair layered and wasn’t sure if anything was happening. I don’t wear hats because my hair is too thick and the top layer makes the hat ride up.
We were in Utah skiing and I wanted a souvenir hat. I put it on and it stayed put for the ride to the hotel. Again, I wasn’t thinking anything other than my hair looked flat and I blamed it on dry air. Then I noticed the hair on the crown/back of my head was standing up in a way I had never seen before. I grabbed a mirror and realized the area had considerably thinned and a large cowlick appeared with a wide part.
I made a dermatology appointment. Ferritin was high normal and vitamin D was in the 20s. The dermatologist diagnosed androgenic alopecia. Really?? I can’t prove correlation, but the timing and progression strongly line up. She prescribed Nizoral shampoo, topical zinc, and a very low dose of Minoxidil. Unfortunately, I had a severe neurologic response to the Minoxidil.
I’m going to try the iRestore helmet thing. Update TBD.