What is tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide (Zepbound brand) is used for weight loss, to help lose weight and keep weight off. Tirzepatide works for weight loss by decreasing appetite and slowing the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, which may make you feel full more quickly and for a longer period of time. Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection given under the skin using a pen (autoinjector).
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is FDA-approved for weight loss in adults with obesity or who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems. Zepbound helps you to lose weight and maintain weight loss and should be combined with diet and exercise.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro brand) is used for type 2 diabetes to help improve blood sugar levels. In type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide decreases blood sugar levels by helping release insulin when blood sugar levels are high, lowering the amount of sugar the liver makes, and slowing food movement through the intestines. Mounjaro should be used together with diet and exercise.
It is not known if tirzepatide can be used in people who have had pancreatitis. Tirzepatide should not be used in people who have type 1 diabetes.
Mounjaro and Zepbound both contain the same active ingredient, tirzepatide and are made by Eli Lilly and Company. They are both available as single-dose pens in the same strengths 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg,15 mg per 0.5 mL.
How does tirzepatide work?
Normally, when we eat, natural hormones called GIP and GLP-1 are released by the gut. These hormones increase insulin release, suppress appetite, slow gastric emptying, and increase the feeling of fullness. Tirzeptide works like our natural hormones GIP and GLP-1 by activating the GIP and GLP-1 receptors.
Tirzepatide is a GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. Tirzepatide works (mechanism of action) by activating both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors.
What are the side effects of tirzepatide?
Common tirzepatide side effects
The most common tirzepatide side effects include abdominal pain, burping, constipation, diarrhea, dyspepsia, fatigue, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hair loss, hypersensitivity reactions, injection site reactions, nausea, and vomiting, which affects 5% or more patients.
Stop using this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have:
- signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; feeling light-headed; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; or
- pancreatitis with symptoms of severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea, and vomiting.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- severe stomach problems;
- eye side effects or vision changes, including blurry vision or blurred vision;
- signs of a thyroid tumor symptoms may include swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, or if you feel short of breath;
- gallbladder problem with symptoms including chalky-colored stools, stomach pain after eating, nausea, heartburn, bloating, and severe upper stomach pain that may spread to your back;
- low blood sugar symptoms may include headache, hunger, weakness, sweating, confusion, irritability, dizziness, fast heart rate, or feeling jittery or
- kidney problems with little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, feeling tired or short of breath.
This is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What should I do if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose of tirzepatide take the missed dose as soon as you remember it, if within 4 days after the missed dose. However, if it has been more than 4 days since your last dose, then skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not inject two doses within 3 days of each other.
What happens if I overdose?
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at Poison Help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
What are the ingredients in tirzepatide?
Active ingredient: tirzepatide
Mounjaro Inactive ingredients: sodium chloride, sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate, and water for injection. Hydrochloric acid solution and/or sodium hydroxide solution may have been added to adjust the pH.
Information about taking Tirzepatide.
Inform your doctor about all medications, vitamins, and supplements, as they may interact with tirzepatide. Birth control pills might be less effective, so use alternative contraception. Tirzepatide can increase low blood sugar risk with other diabetes medications.
Dosing and Frequency
The dosing schedule increases slowly every week until reaching the maximum dose. A dose is given once a week, taken on the same day each week, any time of day, with or without food. It is a subcutaneous injection, self-administered, in the fatty abdominal area or thigh.
IMPORTANT: THIS PRODUCT FOLLOWS A TITRATION SCHEDULE. ALL NEW PATIENTS MUST START WITH ‘week 1’ DOSE. AFTER MONTH 1, THE DOSAGE PER INJECTION INCREASES GRADUALLY IN MONTH 2, 3, 4, and 5. LASTLY THE MAINTENANCE DOSE CAN BE ONGOING DEPENDING ON YOUR GOALS
Tirzepatide Dosing information
| Condition | Initial Dose | After 4 Weeks | Maintenance Dose | Maximum Dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Loss (Adult) | 2.5 mg subcutaneously once a week | Increase to 5 mg subcutaneously once a week | 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg subcutaneously once weekly | 15 mg subcutaneously once a week |
| Diabetes Type 2 (Adult) | 2.5 mg subcutaneously once a week | Increase to 5 mg subcutaneously once a week | Increase in 2.5 mg increments as needed for glycemic control | 15 mg subcutaneously once a week |
Comments: The 2.5 mg dosage is for starting of treatment and is not intended for glycemic control. The day of weekly administration can be changed, if necessary, as long as the time between the 2 doses is at least 3 days (72 hours).
How should I use tirzepatide?
You should follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your pharmacist or doctor to explain any part you do not understand. It is important to use this medicine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection given under the skin (subcutaneous) using a pre-filled single-dose pen.
Mounjaro controls type 2 diabetes but does not cure it. It may take four weeks or longer before you see the full benefit of this medicine. Continue to take this medicine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking this medicine without talking to your doctor.
For more detailed instructions with diagrams, on how to give Mounjaro, click here
How do I Inject the Medication?
You will need your medication syringe and an alcohol swab. Wash your hands. Clean the injection site with the alcohol swab. Pinch the injection site to create a firm surface. Inject at least two inches away from the belly button on either side. Insert the needle into the skin between the index finger and thumb at 90 degrees. Using a slow and constant pressure, push the plunger rod until it reaches the bottom. Gently pull the syringe out of the skin. Alternate injection sites between either side of the stomach, back of the arm, or thigh. Subcutaneous injections will typically cause very little pain because it is only injected directly under the skin. Video tutorials are also available online for injecting subcutaneous injections.
Storage
- Store in the refrigerator between 36⁰F to 46⁰F (2⁰C to 8⁰C).
- Do not freeze. Do not use if frozen.
- Store the single-dose pens in the original carton until use to protect them from light.
- If needed, each single-dose pen can be stored at room temperature up to 86⁰F (30⁰C) for up to 21 days.