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GLP-1 tool

Tirzepatide dose calculator

Tirzepatide has six label doses, but only 5, 10 and 15 mg are maintenance doses for weight; the rest are steps on the way up.

Clinician review pending Updated

How to use it

  1. Step 1Pick Zepbound or Mounjaro.
  2. Step 2Enter how many weeks it's been since your first dose.
  3. Step 3Say whether you're tolerating your current dose.
  4. Step 4Read the label step for your week and the earliest week for the next step.

Explainer · 0:22

START LOW 2.5 mg weeks 1 to 4 Not a maintenance dose it's there to let your stomach adjust STEP UP SLOWLY 2.557.51012.515 mg each step: 4+ weeks SIDE EFFECTS FOLLOW THE STEPS +2.5 mg+2.5 mg+2.5 mg+2.5 mg flare, then settle how often nausea is reported IT'S OK TO HOLD 7.5 mg · held on-label, common 0:22 · voiced · captions on
GLP-1 doses start low. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg, a starter dose that gives your gut time to adjust.
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Why GLP-1 doses go up slowly
Read the transcript
  1. GLP-1 doses start low. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg, a starter dose that gives your gut time to adjust.
  2. After at least 4 weeks, your prescriber may step it up by 2.5 mg, up to a maintenance dose of 5, 10 or 15 mg.
  3. Stomach side effects like nausea often flare for a few days after each increase, then settle on the same dose.
  4. Staying on a dose longer is common and allowed by the label. Never increase faster than your prescription says.

The label ladder

DoseFastest scheduleRole
2.5 mgWeeks 1 to 4Starter, not a maintenance dose
5 mgWeeks 5 to 8Maintenance option
7.5 mgWeeks 9 to 12Step
10 mgWeeks 13 to 16Maintenance option
12.5 mgWeeks 17 to 20Step
15 mgWeek 21 onHighest label dose

For Mounjaro (type 2 diabetes), 5 mg to 15 mg can all be maintenance doses. Each step is at least 4 weeks.

Label math only

This shows where the fastest label schedule would put you, not what you should take. Holding a dose longer is common and on-label. We don't publish syringe unit conversions for vials; that needs a pharmacist. See tirzepatide dosage and Zepbound dosage.

Prefer a chart? See Zepbound weight-loss by start weight: precomputed tables for common inputs.

More glp-1 tools

GLP-1 weight-loss projection

Expected loss by drug, dose and week, from trial data

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GLP-1 dose schedule

Your titration calendar with calendar export

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Side-effect timeline

What the label reports at your dose step and week

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GLP-1 cost and savings

List, self-pay and savings-card prices side by side

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TDEE on a GLP-1

Your calorie needs vs what you actually eat now

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Weigh-in tracker

Log weekly and compare with the trial curve

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Common questions

What is the starting dose of tirzepatide?

Both Zepbound and Mounjaro start at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks.

How long until I can go up to 5 mg?

The label allows an increase after at least 4 weeks on 2.5 mg, if your prescriber decides to.

What is the maximum tirzepatide dose?

15 mg once a week for both Zepbound and Mounjaro.

Can I stay on 5 mg?

Yes. 5 mg is a label maintenance dose for weight management, and many people stay there.

Sources

  1. DailyMed: FDA prescribing information (search by drug name)
  2. Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). NEJM 2022

Clinician review pending. Drafted from primary sources and waiting for sign-off by a licensed clinician (MD, DO or PharmD) before launch. Every number is checked against its source. Drug facts are re-checked quarterly, prices monthly and whenever a label changes. How we review · Report an error