Mounjaro is a kind 2 diabetes drug that lowers blood sugars, helps enhance A1c ranges (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months), and assists with weight upkeep.
On this article, we’ll cowl every little thing it’s essential find out about this medication, together with its advantages, unwanted effects, and how one can use it successfully.
What’s Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is produced by Eli Lilly and is the model identify for the medicine tirzepatide.
It was first authorized 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 medicine in a brand new drug class often called 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, reducing the quantity of sugar launched by the liver, rising the physique’s sensitivity to insulin, and slowing digestion, making you’re feeling full longer.
It’s an injectable medicine taken as soon as per week to assist enhance blood sugar ranges and A1c.
What are the advantages of Mounjaro?
This therapy has three essential advantages for folks residing with diabetes:
Lowers blood sugars
The drugs 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 chance of low blood sugar whereas taking the medicine 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.
Helps with weight reduction or weight upkeep
In November 2023, Mounjaro was authorized beneath the model identify Zepbound for power weight administration in chubby or overweight adults with not less than one weight-related situation.
The drugs helps scale back meals consumption by reducing urge for food and slowing digestion.
In scientific trials, folks taking the drug on the most dose of 15 milligrams (mg) per week misplaced:
- 12 kilos greater than these taking the GLP-1 medicine 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 % of individuals taking a 5-mg dose, 32 % of these taking a 10-mg dose, and 36 % of these taking a 15-mg dose misplaced 25 % of their physique weight.
On the best 15-mg dose, weight reduction was a mean of 48 kilos, in line with the producer.
Learn extra in: Can Mounjaro Assist You Lose Weight?
Lowers threat of coronary heart illness
This medicine has the ability to guard towards coronary heart illness, which is the primary explanation for dying for folks with diabetes.
In research, after 52 weeks, individuals on the best dose (15 mg per week):
- Lowered their whole ldl cholesterol by about 5.6 %
- Lowered their triglycerides by 22.5 %
- Lowered their LDL (“unhealthy”) ldl cholesterol by 7.9 %
- Lowered their VLDL ldl cholesterol by 21.8 %
- Elevated their HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol by 10.8 %
Why would you be prescribed Mounjaro?
This remedy is simply FDA-approved for individuals who have kind 2 diabetes.
However be aware that not everybody with kind 2 diabetes shall be prescribed Mounjaro.
It is because many individuals are capable of handle their blood sugar ranges with weight-reduction plan, train, and typically with different medicines similar to metformin or insulin.
Nonetheless, it’s a good way to fight insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and assist in weight reduction in case you’re having problem reaching these objectives by different strategies.
Many individuals who’ve kind 2 diabetes and current coronary heart illness may be prescribed the drug to behave as a protecting agent and enhance each diabetes and coronary heart well being.
The drugs just isn’t authorized to be used in folks beneath 18 years of age.
What are the unwanted effects of Mounjaro?
The commonest unwanted effects embrace:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Fuel
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Weight reduction
- Speedy coronary heart charge
Though uncommon, extra extreme issues could embrace:
- Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
- Pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas)
- Gallbladder illness
- Low blood sugar ranges, in case you take insulin
- Severe allergic reactions
A number of of those extra extreme unwanted effects can result in everlasting well being issues and dying if not handled shortly.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration in case you:
- Develop a fever
- Expertise modifications or worsening of your imaginative and prescient
- Are feeling weak or in ache after taking the medicine
- Assume you’re having an allergic response
Get a extra detailed overview in: Mounjaro Aspect Results: What You Have to Know.
Do I would like to alter my weight-reduction plan?
When taking Mounjaro, adjusting your weight-reduction plan can enhance the medicine’s effectiveness and reduce unwanted 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 sparsely, or by no means, relying on particular person well being suggestions.
Specializing in unprocessed, entire meals similar to 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
This medicine comes as a liquid answer inside prefilled, disposable pens. You inject the drug subcutaneously (beneath your pores and skin) as soon as per week.
You possibly can take the drugs with or with out meals. Every dose is given in a single-dose pen to stop overdosing.
The completely different dosing choices out there 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 wherever 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?
It will fluctuate by individual and can rely in your well being historical past, well being objectives, and way of life.
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 case you’re not having adversarial unwanted effects, your physician could improve your dose to five mg, administered as soon as weekly.
When you’re nonetheless having blood sugar spikes with no adversarial unwanted effects, your physician could improve 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 doses throughout the similar week.
What occurs in case you take an excessive amount of Mounjaro?
Taking an excessive amount of of this medicine could cause severe adversarial unwanted effects.
These can embrace debilitating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdomen ache, and even low blood sugar (particularly in case you’re additionally on insulin), which might turn out to be deadly if not handled instantly.
Don’t take two doses inside three days of one another.
Name your physician straight away or search emergency medical consideration in case you’ve by accident taken an excessive amount of of this medicine.
Can I miss a dose of Moujaro?
When you miss a dose, it’s OK to take it a number of days late.
Nonetheless, in case you missed your dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) in the past, simply skip that week’s dose and take your subsequent often scheduled dose on time.
You’ll not expertise insulin resistance or weight acquire from one missed dose.
Attempt to not miss doses often, nevertheless, because the medicine is only when taken persistently.
How one can inject Mounjaro
- Test 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 stop accidents beneath the pores and skin or scar tissue from growing.
- Observe that this medication is usually injected beneath the pores and skin within the thigh, stomach, or higher arm.
- Speak to your physician about the very best locations so that you can inject and how one can rotate injection websites.
- At all times throw the pen needle and pen away after every dose in a sharps-safe container.
For the reason that pens are available in single doses, you’ll undergo 4 per 30-day provide, so there isn’t a must preserve the pen after use.
Study extra in: Mounjaro Injection: The place and How one can Inject.
Who shouldn’t take Mounjaro?
For sure, don’t take this in case you don’t have a prescription.
It isn’t really helpful to be used in case you are pregnant, planning on changing into pregnant, or in case you are breastfeeding.
It is usually not really helpful for folks with out diabetes, with prediabetes, or with kind 1 diabetes with out the steering of a doctor.
Study extra in: Can You Take Mounjaro if You Have Sort 1 Diabetes?
This medicine is simply FDA-approved for folks 18 years and older.
Don’t use it in case you or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or when you’ve got A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome kind 2 (MEN 2).
Don’t use it in case you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of the opposite elements within the medicine.
Speak along with your physician when you’ve got questions or considerations about beginning this remedy.
How do I cease taking my Mounjaro?
There are a selection of causes that you could be wish to cease taking this medication.
For instance, perhaps you’re experiencing adversarial unwanted effects, you don’t like how the medicine makes you’re feeling, or it’s gotten cost-prohibitive.
Speak along with your physician earlier than stopping any diabetes medicine, together with this one.
What occurs whenever you cease taking Mounjaro?
Your physician will in all probability need you to wean your dose earlier than stopping it utterly. Insulin resistance, meals cravings, blood sugar ranges, and weight could creep again up when you cease taking it.
It would be best to have a plan in place, such as a substitute medicine, train, or weight-reduction plan routine, to assist fight any rebound results you might expertise.
In case you have misplaced weight on this medication, you might must preserve taking it indefinitely to stop the load from coming again.
Can Mounjaro change insulin?
No. It isn’t insulin, neither is it an insulin substitute. Quite, it acts as a complement to insulin remedy (in case you take insulin).
When you’ve not too long ago been prescribed this medication, don’t cease taking your different diabetes medicines until your physician has particularly informed you to.
Mounjaro lowers blood sugars over time, but it surely doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars in the best way that insulin can.
When you usually take insulin for meals, you have to to proceed to take action.
When you’ve been on the medicine for a number of months, you might discover that your insulin wants are steadily reducing.
Nonetheless, this hardly ever utterly takes away the necessity to take insulin on your diabetes.
Can I take Mounjaro with different diabetes medicines?
It will rely upon what different medicines you’re taking.
Typically, Mounjaro may be taken alongside medicines like metformin and/or insulin, if prescribed on the similar time.
Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be mixed with GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
GLP-1 receptor agonists embrace:
At all times speak along with your physician in case 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 should be refrigerated?
No. The drugs may 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 must be saved at a temperature between 36 and 46 levels Fahrenheit (2 and eight levels Celsius).
Make sure that it doesn’t get any hotter than 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius), and by no means freeze the pens.
At all times preserve your Mounjaro pen in its authentic casing to guard it from daylight.
How a lot does Mounjaro price?
The price of Mounjaro can fluctuate relying in your insurance coverage protection and particular plan particulars.
To find out your particular co-pay or out-of-pocket prices, you need to use your prescription or medical card with the Mounjaro protection and co-pay calculator out there by your insurance coverage supplier.
In case you have questions on protection or co-pay prices, you’ll be able to contact Mounjaro buyer help at 1-800-545-5979.
For individuals who qualify, Eli Lilly gives a Mounjaro Financial savings Card program which will present free medicine. To study extra about this program and see in case you are eligible, name Eli Lilly’s PAP toll-free at 1-800-545-6962.
How do I get a prescription for Mounjaro?
In case you have kind 2 diabetes, converse along with your physician if you need a prescription for this medicine.
When you don’t have kind 2 however reside with one other type of diabetes and are coping with insulin resistance, speak along with your physician about your therapy choices.
Additionally converse along with your physician in case you don’t have any kind of diabetes however wish to safely shed pounds. There are FDA-approved weight reduction medicines which may be a superb match and gained’t have the identical unwanted effects as Mounjaro/Zepbound.
For instance, Wegovy (semaglutide) is FDA-approved for weight reduction in adults who’re overweight or chubby and have not less than one weight-related situation (similar to kind 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).
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