Tirzepatide Dosage for Weight Loss: How Much Do You Need?
Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro®, an injectable type 2 diabetes and weight loss medicine. Dosing can be a bit confusing, as your dose will change in your first few months on the medicine.
Tirzepatide dosage for weight loss follows a dose escalation scheme. That means your dose starts low and is gradually increased until you reach a maintenance dose.
The starting dose of tirzepatide for weight loss is 2.5mg (milligrams), and the maximum weekly dose is 15mg.
Let’s look at the month-by-month tirzepatide dosing schedule. We’ll also discuss what to do if you miss a dose and who can take tirzepatide in the United Kingdom.
Does Tirzepatide Work for Weight Loss?
Yes, tirzepatide can lower your appetite, help you feel fuller, and reduce food cravings. This medication mimics both GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). Alongside diet and exercise changes, the injectable medicine can help promote weight loss.
In a clinical trial of tirzepatide — funded by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro® — participants taking 15mg of tirzepatide lost an average of about 21 percent of their baseline body weight over 72 weeks.
You can also get a clearer picture of how results tend to progress by reviewing a detailed Mounjaro weight loss by week breakdown.
Lower doses were also effective. Those taking a 5mg dose lost an average of 15 percent of their baseline body weight within the same timeframe.
Participants also made diet and exercise changes alongside taking the medication.
In the UK, tirzepatide is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to help people in the obesity and overweight BMI (body mass index) ranges lose weight. It’s also licensed as a type 2 diabetes medicine to help control blood glucose (blood sugar levels).
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Who Can Get a Tirzepatide Dose for Weight Loss?
You may be eligible for Mounjaro® for weight loss if you have:
A body mass index of 30 or more
A BMI of 27 or more with a weight-related health condition
Weight-related health conditions include:
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Type 2 diabetes
Dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fat levels, like high cholesterol)
Cardiovascular disease
Obstructive sleep apnoea
Mounjaro® is available through the NHS, but at the moment, it’s only available for those who have the highest need for the medicine. Currently, that includes people with a BMI of 40 or more and at least four of the weight-related health conditions listed above.
If your BMI is less than 40 and you have at least four of these conditions, you may still be eligible for Mounjaro® on the NHS depending on your ethnicity.
NHS availability also depends on your location, and there are sometimes long waiting times.
If you meet the original prescribing criteria and the medication is suitable for you, you can get Mounjaro® privately.
You can use telemedicine platforms like Hers to connect with UK-registered clinicians trained in weight management. If eligible, you can get a Mounjaro® prescription online.
What Is the Dose of Tirzepatide for Weight Loss?
Now let’s discuss tirzepatide dosage for weight loss. Tirzepatide injections are given once weekly.
The maximum dose of tirzepatide for weight loss is 15mg. However, this isn’t the dose you’ll start on right away. Your GP (general practitioner) or private provider will start you on a low dose of 2.5mg.
The tirzepatide starting dose is much lower than the maximum dose. So your GP or private provider will increase your weekly dose of tirzepatide in 2.5mg increments every four weeks.
Gradually increasing the dose of your medication over time is called dose escalation. Using a dose escalation strategy helps your body to get used to tirzepatide and can help reduce side effects as you adjust to the medicine.
Over time, you’ll reach the dose you’ll continue to take going forward. This is called a maintenance dose. How high your tirzepatide dose goes depends on your tolerability (how your body reacts to each dose). The recommended maintenance doses for tirzepatide are 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg.
Tirzepatide Dosage Chart
The tirzepatide dosage chart below shows the dosing schedule used when you take tirzepatide for weight loss or type 2 diabetes. The asterisk (*) indicates that a tirzepatide dose is also a recommended maintenance dose, so you may stay on this dose instead of increasing it further.
Tirzepatide dose |
Starting dose of 2.5mg weekly |
After 4 weeks, increase to 5mg weekly* |
After 4 weeks, increase to 7.5mg weekly * |
After 4 weeks, increase to 10mg weekly* |
After 4 weeks, increase to 12.5mg weekly* |
After 4 weeks, increase to 15mg weekly* |
How Do You Take Tirzepatide for Weight Loss?
Tirzepatide injections typically come in pre-filled injection pens. Each injection pen contains multiple fixed doses of tirzepatide. For example, for your first month, you’ll have one pre-filled injection pen with four 2.5mg doses of tirzepatide inside.
You take tirzepatide as a subcutaneous injection. That means it’s injected just under the skin rather than into the muscle. You’ll inject it yourself once a week.
There are a few places you can inject tirzepatide, including your:
Stomach (abdomen)
Thigh
Upper arm
To prevent injection site reactions like bruising, you might want to rotate your tirzepatide injection site each week.
Don’t worry if any of this sounds confusing. When you first start tirzepatide, a healthcare professional will show you how to prepare and inject the medication.
What If I Miss a Dose of Tirzepatide for Weight Loss?
You’re supposed to take tirzepatide on the same day each week, at any time of day. But what if you miss your weekly dose of tirzepatide?
If you miss a single dose of tirzepatide, take your missed dose as soon as possible within 96 hours (four days).
If it’s been more than four days since your missed dose, skip the dose and take your next dose on your regular injection day. Don’t double up on doses.
Contact your GP or private provider if you’re unsure what to do.
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What Are the Side Effects of Tirzepatide for Weight Loss?
Tirzepatide has several common side effects. Many affect the digestive system and tend to be mild to moderate in severity. Clinical trials reported that gastrointestinal side effects were more common during dose escalation (after increasing the dose).
The most common side effects of Mounjaro® are:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Abdominal pain
Other side effects can include:
Fatigue
Burping
Dizziness
Dyspepsia (indigestion)
Hypersensitivity reactions (allergic reactions)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) when used with diabetes medicines like metformin
There are also more serious side effects associated with Mounjaro®. Although these are rare, they can include:
Acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Gallstones
Gallbladder disease
Inflammation of the gallbladder
Check with your GP to see whether tirzepatide might be safe and suitable for you.
Significant Side Effects From Tirzepatide for Weight Loss
What if you have significant side effects while taking tirzepatide for weight loss? A 2024 review noted that up to seven percent of people in tirzepatide clinical trials discontinued it due to side effects.
If you have very bothersome side effects from tirzepatide, solutions are available. Those include:
A lower dose. Your GP or private provider may want to lower your dose to see if that helps reduce your side effects. Or they might keep you on your current dose for longer before increasing it to a higher dose.
Non-prescription or prescription medicines. These can help with gastrointestinal side effects. If eligible, you can get ondansetron (generic for Zofran®) as part of your Hers weight loss treatment plan at no extra cost. It’s an oral anti-nausea medicine.
Another weight loss medication. Mounjaro® isn’t your only option. You might find that Wegovy® (semaglutide), Saxenda® (liraglutide), or oral weight loss tablets suit your body better.
Contact to your GP or prescribing healthcare provider if any side effects are troubling you. They can let you know the best course of action.
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Tirzepatide Dosage for Weight Loss: What to Remember
Here’s a summary of what we covered about tirzepatide dosing for weight loss:
Tirzepatide follows a dose escalation schedule. The starting dose is usually 2.5mg weekly, and the maximum dose is 15mg.
This tirzepatide dosing schedule has been shown to be effective for weight reduction, along with healthy eating and exercise.
If you experience substantial side effects that don’t subside over time, your GP or private provider might adjust your dose or suggest a lower maintenance dose of 5mg or 10mg.
Tirzepatide isn’t right for everyone. If it’s not working for you, there are other weight loss strategies to try, including different medications.
If you’re interested in Mounjaro® or other prescription weight loss medications, start with our free online assessment.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your GP about the risks and benefits of any treatment.