Everything You Need to Know About Mounjaro

Mounjaro is a comparatively new kind 2 diabetes drug that lowers blood sugars and helps enhance A1c ranges.

It additionally helps those that take it to lose or preserve their weight.

On this article, we’ll cowl every part you could learn about Mounjaro, together with its advantages, unintended effects, and the best way to use it successfully.

What’s Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is produced by Eli Lilly and is the model title for the treatment tirzepatide.

It was first permitted by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA in 2022 to assist handle blood sugar in adults with kind 2 diabetes, together with a nutritious diet and train.

It’s the first treatment in a brand new drug class often known as twin glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, activating each the GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

It really works by serving to the pancreas produce extra insulin, lowering the quantity of sugar launched by the liver, rising the physique’s sensitivity to insulin, and slowing digestion, making you are feeling full longer.

It’s an injectable treatment taken as soon as per week to assist enhance blood sugar ranges and A1c (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months).

What are the advantages of Mounjaro?

Mounjaro has three essential advantages for individuals dwelling with diabetes:

Lowers blood sugars 

Mounjaro helps enhance blood sugar ranges by rising the quantity of insulin the pancreas releases — however solely when your blood sugar is rising.

This makes the danger of low blood sugar whereas taking the treatment minimal. It additionally stops your liver from releasing sugar into the blood and will increase your physique’s sensitivity to insulin.

Mixed, this ends in decrease blood sugars and A1c ranges.

Aids in weight reduction or weight upkeep 

In November 2023, Mounjaro was permitted underneath the model title Zepbound for persistent weight administration in chubby or overweight adults with at the very least one weight-related situation.

The drugs helps scale back meals consumption by reducing urge for food and slowing digestion.

In scientific trials, individuals taking the drug on the most dose of 15 milligrams (mg) per week misplaced:

• 12 kilos greater than these taking the GLP-1 treatment semaglutide
• 29 kilos greater than these on insulin degludec
• 27 kilos greater than these on insulin glargine

How a lot weight do you lose on Mounjaro?

In research on Zepbound, the weight-loss model of Mounjaro, roughly 15 p.c of members taking a 5-mg dose, 32 p.c of these taking a 10-mg dose, and 36 p.c of these taking a 15-mg dose misplaced 25 p.c of their physique weight. On the very best 15-mg dose, weight reduction was a mean of 48 kilos, in response to producer Eli Lilly.

Learn extra in: Can Mounjaro Assist You Lose Weight?

Lowers threat of coronary heart illness 

This treatment has the facility to guard in opposition to coronary heart illness, which is the primary reason behind dying for individuals with diabetes.

In research, after 52 weeks, members on the very best dose of Mounjaro (15 mg per week):

• Lowered their complete ldl cholesterol by about 5.6 p.c
• Lowered their triglycerides by 22.5 p.c
• Lowered their LDL (“dangerous”) ldl cholesterol by 7.9 p.c
• Lowered their VLDL ldl cholesterol by 21.8 p.c
• Elevated their HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol by 10.8 p.c

Why would you be prescribed Mounjaro? 

Mounjaro is just FDA-approved for individuals who have kind 2 diabetes.

However be aware that not everybody with kind 2 diabetes might be prescribed Mounjaro.

It’s because many individuals are capable of handle their blood sugar ranges with food regimen, train, and generally with different medicines resembling metformin or insulin.

Nonetheless, it’s an effective way to fight insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and help in weight reduction in the event you’re having problem reaching these objectives by different strategies.

Many individuals who’ve kind 2 diabetes and current coronary heart illness might also be prescribed Mounjaro to behave as a protecting agent and enhance each diabetes and coronary heart well being.

The drugs just isn’t permitted to be used in individuals underneath 18 years of age.

What are the unintended effects of Mounjaro? 

The most typical unintended effects embrace:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Fuel
• Abdomen ache
• Constipation
• Weight reduction
• Fast coronary heart fee

Though uncommon, extra extreme issues might embrace:

• Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
• Pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas)
• Gallbladder illness
• Low blood sugar ranges, in the event you take insulin
• Critical allergic reactions

A number of of those extra extreme unintended effects can result in everlasting well being issues and dying if not handled rapidly.

Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration in the event you:

• Develop a fever
• Expertise modifications or worsening of your imaginative and prescient
• Are feeling weak or in ache after taking the treatment
• Suppose you’re having an allergic response

Get a extra detailed overview in: Mounjaro Facet Results: What You Have to Know.

Do I would like to vary my food regimen?

When taking Mounjaro, adjusting your food regimen can enhance the treatment’s effectiveness and reduce unintended effects. It’s useful to keep away from meals and drinks excessive in added sugars, overly fatty, fried, or greasy meals, and to devour alcohol moderately, or in no way, relying on particular person well being suggestions.

Specializing in unprocessed, complete meals resembling lean proteins, wholesome fat, and low-glycemic greens can enhance the drug’s effectiveness in managing blood sugar ranges.

For extra detailed steering, learn: What Meals to Keep away from on Mounjaro.

Mounjaro doses

Mounjaro comes as a liquid resolution inside prefilled, disposable pens. You inject the drug subcutaneously (underneath your pores and skin) as soon as per week.

You may take the drugs with or with out meals. Every dose is given in a single-dose pen to forestall overdosing.

The completely different dosing choices accessible are:

• 2.5 mg per week (for the primary 4 weeks as a beginning dose)
• 5 mg per week
• 7.5 mg per week
• 10 mg per week
• 15 mg per week

Upkeep doses can vary anyplace from 5 mg per week to fifteen mg per week, to be decided by you and your physician.

Learn extra: Mounjaro Dosing Information: How A lot Ought to You Take?

How a lot Mounjaro do I take? 

This may fluctuate by particular person and can rely in your well being historical past, well being objectives, and life-style.

Nonetheless, most docs will begin sufferers on 2.5 mg as soon as per week. You will need to take your injection on the identical day every week.

After 4 weeks, in the event you’re not having hostile unintended effects, your physician might enhance your dose to five mg, administered as soon as weekly.

For those who’re nonetheless having blood sugar spikes with no hostile unintended effects, your physician might enhance your dose to 7.5 mg as soon as weekly or as excessive as 15 mg as soon as weekly. The utmost dose is 15 mg taken as soon as weekly.

By no means take two Mounjaro doses throughout the identical week.

What occurs in the event you take an excessive amount of Mounjaro? 

Taking an excessive amount of of this treatment may cause severe hostile unintended effects.

These can embrace debilitating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdomen ache, and even low blood sugar (particularly in the event you’re additionally on insulin), which might change into deadly if not handled instantly.

Don’t take two doses of Mounjaro inside three days of one another.

Name your physician straight away or search emergency medical consideration in the event you’ve by accident taken an excessive amount of of this treatment.

Can I miss a dose of Moujaro?

For those who miss a dose, it’s OK to take it just a few days late.

Nonetheless, in the event you missed your dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) in the past, simply skip that week’s dose and take your subsequent frequently scheduled dose on time.

You’ll not expertise insulin resistance or weight achieve from one missed dose.

Attempt to not miss doses frequently, nevertheless, because the treatment is only when taken constantly.

The way to inject Mounjaro

• Examine the liquid within the pen visually earlier than injecting.
• Don’t use the pen if there are any particles or discoloration current.
• Earlier than injecting, clear the injection web site with a rubbing alcohol swab.
• Change the injection web site every week to forestall accidents underneath the pores and skin or scar tissue from growing.
• Word that Mounjaro is usually injected underneath the pores and skin within the thigh, stomach, or higher arm.
• Speak to your physician about the perfect locations so that you can inject and the best way to rotate injection websites.
• All the time throw the pen needle and pen away after every dose in a sharps-safe container.

Since Mounjaro pens are available single doses, you’ll undergo 4 per 30-day provide, so there isn’t any must hold the pen after use.

Be taught extra in: Mounjaro Injection: The place and The way to Inject.

Who shouldn’t take Mounjaro? 

Evidently, don’t take this in the event you don’t have a prescription.

It isn’t beneficial to be used if you’re pregnant, planning on changing into pregnant, or if you’re breastfeeding.

It is usually not beneficial for individuals with out diabetes, with prediabetes, or with kind 1 diabetes with out the steering of a doctor.

Be taught extra in: Can You Take Mounjaro if You Have Kind 1 Diabetes?

Mounjaro is just FDA-approved for individuals 18 years and older.

Don’t use the drugs in the event you or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or you probably have A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome kind 2 (MEN 2).

Don’t use it if you’re allergic to tirzepatide or any of the opposite components within the treatment.

Speak together with your physician you probably have questions or considerations about beginning Mounjaro.

How do I cease taking my Mounjaro?

There are a selection of causes that you could be need to cease taking this medication.

For instance, perhaps you’re experiencing hostile unintended effects, you don’t like how the treatment makes you are feeling, or it’s gotten cost-prohibitive.

Speak together with your physician earlier than stopping any diabetes treatment, together with this one.

What occurs once you cease taking Mounjaro?

Your physician will in all probability need you to wean your dose earlier than stopping it fully. Insulin resistance, meals cravings, blood sugar ranges, and weight might creep again up when you cease taking it.

You’ll want to have a plan in place, such instead treatment, train, or food regimen routine, to assist fight any rebound results it’s possible you’ll expertise.

When you’ve got misplaced weight on this medication, it’s possible you’ll must hold taking it indefinitely to forestall the load from coming again.

Can Mounjaro substitute insulin? 

No. Mounjaro just isn’t insulin, neither is it an insulin substitute. Fairly, it acts as a complement to insulin remedy (in the event you take insulin.)

For those who’ve just lately been prescribed this medication, don’t cease taking your different diabetes medicines until your physician has particularly instructed you to.

Mounjaro lowers blood sugars over time, nevertheless it doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars in the best way that insulin can.

For those who usually take insulin for meals, you’ll need to proceed to take action.

For those who’ve been on the treatment for a number of months, it’s possible you’ll discover that your insulin wants are progressively lowering.

Nonetheless, this not often fully takes away the necessity to take insulin to your diabetes.

Can I take Mounjaro with different diabetes medicines? 

This may rely upon what different medicines you’re taking.

Typically, Mounjaro will be taken alongside medicines like metformin and/or insulin, if prescribed on the identical time.

Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be mixed with GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.

GLP-1 receptor agonists embrace:

All the time discuss together with your physician in the event you’re not sure of how any medicines you’re taking will work together with any new medicines you’re contemplating taking.

Learn extra about how Mounjaro compares to Ozempic in: Ozempic vs. Mounjaro: Which One Ought to You Select?

Does Mounjaro have to be refrigerated? 

No. The drugs will be left unrefrigerated for as much as 21 days, so long as the temperature by no means exceeds 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius).

Mounjaro needs to be saved at a temperature between 36 and 46 levels Fahrenheit (2 and eight levels Celsius).

Ensure it doesn’t get any hotter than 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius), and by no means freeze the pens.

All the time hold your Mounjaro pen in its authentic casing to guard it from daylight.

How do I get a prescription for Mounjaro? 

When you’ve got kind 2 diabetes, communicate together with your physician if you would like a prescription for this treatment.

For those who don’t have kind 2 however stay with one other type of diabetes and are coping with insulin resistance, discuss together with your physician about your therapy choices.

Additionally communicate together with your physician in the event you do not need any kind of diabetes however wish to safely drop some weight. There are FDA-approved weight reduction medicines that could be a very good match and received’t have the identical unintended effects as Mounjaro/Zepbound.

For instance, Wegovy (semaglutide) is FDA-approved for weight reduction in adults who’re overweight or chubby and have at the very least one weight-related situation (resembling kind 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).

Discover out extra about how Wegovy and Mounjaro examine in: Wegovy vs. Mounjaro: What Is the Greatest Choice?

How a lot does Mounjaro price?

In response to Eli Lilly, the checklist value of the drugs is about $1,023 per fill, equaling a month’s provide (4 injector pens).

Most individuals with medical health insurance don’t pay the checklist value. Insurance coverage protection for the treatment varies.

Ultimate ideas

Mounjaro’s dual-action mechanism gives a promising strategy to not solely managing blood sugar ranges but in addition addressing weight administration, a typical problem for many individuals dwelling with diabetes. Encouraging scientific outcomes additionally present potential cardiovascular advantages.

You will need to strategy this drug with an understanding of its particular advantages and potential unintended effects. As with all treatment, the choice to make use of Mounjaro needs to be made in shut session with a healthcare supplier, making certain a personalised and secure strategy to diabetes administration.