Are you thinking about starting Mounjaro (tirzepatide)? It might help you reach your weight loss goals when diet and exercise changes alone aren’t giving you the results you’d hoped for. Mounjaro works to promote weight loss by mimicking two natural hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, to regulate your appetite and reduce food cravings. While on their own, lifestyle changes may result in losses of up to 10% body weight, people supplementing this with Mounjaro have reported losing around 20%. Stephen lost an incredible 35kg. Check out his Mounjaro success story.
Mounjaro needs to be prescribed by a registered clinician. This guide will take you through the different dosages of Mounjaro and how the dose you’re prescribed might change throughout your treatment journey.
Mounjaro dosage chart
Here’s what a typical treatment regimen with Mounjaro looks like. You’ll start off on the lowest dose (2.5mg). Then after four weeks, if you’re tolerating the medicine well, your clinician might increase your dose.
Mounjaro dosage schedule
If you were new to weightlifting, you wouldn’t walk into the gym and pick up the heaviest dumbbell right away. Instead, you’d start on something lighter, and increase the load gradually.
The same principle applies to dosing for Mounjaro, a weekly injection that works by making you feel full. You first take a small amount to give your body time to adjust to the new medicine, before eventually moving on to higher strengths.
When you start taking it, you’ll be on the lowest dose—2.5mg. Generally speaking, higher doses mean you’ll see a stronger effect.
Provided that you don’t get any troublesome side effects, the dose will be increased from 2.5mg every four weeks until you reach what’s called the maintenance dose.
Why do you need to follow a Mounjaro dose schedule?
You would increase your dose gradually (a process that doctors call “titration”) to move on to higher strengths of Mounjaro, so it could have a greater effect.
Everyone taking Mounjaro will increase their dose at least once after they’ve spent their four weeks on 2.5mg.
But remember: a higher dose isn’t always better. Mounjaro still works very well at lower strengths, and for some people, moving up might bring on side effects such as nausea and diarrhoea.
Here’s a typical Mounjaro dosage schedule in a bit more detail:
Mounjaro 2.5mg
Everyone taking Mounjaro starts here, on the lowest available strength. The aim is for your body to get used to the medicine before it can handle more potent doses. This helps reduce the risk of side effects.
Mounjaro 5mg
After your first four weeks, you’ll be bumped up to 5mg, the next strongest dose. For some people, this works just fine as their maintenance dose. In one trial, called SURMOUNT-1, people taking 5mg weekly lost an average of 15% body weight after 72 weeks.
Mounjaro 7.5mg
If you’ve been tolerating Mounjaro okay so far, your prescriber may suggest moving up to an even stronger dose: 7.5mg. You’ll stay on it for four weeks before potentially progressing to 10mg.
Mounjaro 10mg
At week 12, your dose might be dialled up to 10mg. In SURMOUNT-1, people who had 10mg as their maintenance dose lost 19.5% of their body weight on average after using Mounjaro for 72 weeks—which translated into a mean loss of 22.2kg.
Mounjaro 12.5mg
Four weeks later, you could move on to 12.5mg—the second highest dose available.
At this point, you’re at the 16-week mark of using Mounjaro alongside healthy changes to your lifestyle. And you’re well on your way to building habits that last.
Mounjaro 15mg
This is it: you’ve reached the highest dose of Mounjaro. In another trial, SURMOUNT-4, most people made it to this dose.
And to quote SURMOUNT-1 again: Those on this dose lost 20.9% body weight on average after 72 weeks. Though you can never know for sure how Mounjaro will affect you personally until you take it.
You can’t take more than 15mg once a week because this is the maximum maintenance dose of Mounjaro. Taking more than 15mg might cause severe side effects.
Mounjaro maintenance dose: what is it?
This is the strength of the medicine that delivers the intended effects (without causing side effects). Usually, it’s the dose you’ll stay on for the rest of your time taking Mounjaro.
Because all bodies are different, the maintenance dose can differ from person to person. But don’t worry, your prescriber will help you figure out yours. If you’re not seeing the results you hoped for on your current maintenance dose of Mounarjo, speak to your clinician.
Mounjaro’s ‘5th dose’ or ‘extra dose’
The so-called "Mounjaro fifth dose" isn’t actually an extra dose of the medicine.
It’s referring to the amount of liquid that’s left in the injector pen after you’ve used your four doses. There’s 3ml of liquid per pen and each dose is 0.6ml.
The extra amount that’s left is used as a buffer, to ensure there’s enough liquid available for all four injections (you lose a tiny bit of liquid when you prepare the pens for use). This leftover liquid isn’t enough for another dose. Nor is it carefully measured, so we can’t say for sure how much, or how little, Mounjaro is in it.
What to do if you’re struggling with your current Mounjaro dose?
If you’re struggling with your current Mounjaro dose, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before making any changes. Some side effects, like nausea or digestive discomfort, might improve as your body adjusts to the medication. You can also try eating smaller meals, staying hydrated and avoiding high-fat or greasy foods, which might help manage these symptoms.
But if your side effects persist, your doctor might recommend adjusting your dose or exploring other options. It’s also worth talking to your doctor if you’re not seeing the results you’d hoped for on your current dose.
Which Mounjaro dose is most effective for weight loss?
All doses of Mounjaro work well to promote weight loss. But research shows that higher doses tend to result in greater weight loss.
But it’s important to remember that everyone’s body responds differently, and that lower doses can still work really well for weight loss, especially when paired with a balanced diet and regular exercise. You might like to read more on what research shows about average weight loss on Mounjaro week by week.
Getting started on Mounjaro
It’s not easy to take the leap and try something new for weight loss. Particularly when it comes to using new medication. You might have a sense of uncertainty, stress, or doubt about how it could affect you.
Everyone’s journey is unique to them, but what matters most is that you make an informed decision. Medicines like Mounjaro can be a great option if you’ve already tried to make lifestyle changes but didn’t see the results you hoped for. But they aren’t a quick fix. Research shows that you need to stay on them for at least a year to see the most benefit.
If you are wanting to try Mounjaro, we’re here for you every step of the way. In our weight loss programme, you can get weekly medication plus ongoing support from our team of experts—plus access to an app to help you stay on track. Find out if you’re eligible by filling out this short form, it will take about five minutes.
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