Mounjaro is a comparatively new sort 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 the whole lot you might want to 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 identify for the medicine tirzepatide.
It was first authorised by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA in 2022 to assist handle blood sugar in adults with sort 2 diabetes, together with a nutritious diet and train.
It’s the first medicine 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 medicine 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 primary advantages for folks residing 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 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 leads to decrease blood sugars and A1c ranges.
Aids in weight reduction or weight upkeep
In November 2023, Mounjaro was authorised underneath the model identify Zepbound for power weight administration in obese or overweight adults with a minimum of one weight-related situation.
The drugs helps cut back meals consumption by decreasing 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 median 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 medicine has the facility to guard in opposition to coronary heart illness, which is the primary reason behind demise for folks with diabetes.
In research, after 52 weeks, individuals on the best dose of Mounjaro (15 mg per week):
- Lowered their whole ldl cholesterol by about 5.6 %
- Lowered their triglycerides by 22.5 %
- Lowered their LDL (“dangerous”) 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?
Mounjaro is barely FDA-approved for individuals who have sort 2 diabetes.
However be aware that not everybody with sort 2 diabetes will probably be prescribed Mounjaro.
It’s because many individuals are capable of handle their blood sugar ranges with food plan, train, and generally with different drugs reminiscent of metformin or insulin.
Nevertheless, it’s an effective way to fight insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and assist in weight reduction in the event you’re having problem reaching these targets by different strategies.
Many individuals who’ve sort 2 diabetes and current coronary heart illness may additionally be prescribed Mounjaro to behave as a protecting agent and enhance each diabetes and coronary heart well being.
The drugs will not be authorised to be used in folks underneath 18 years of age.
What are the unintended effects of Mounjaro?
The most typical unintended effects embrace:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Gasoline
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Weight reduction
- Speedy coronary heart charge
Though uncommon, extra extreme problems 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
- Severe allergic reactions
A number of of those extra extreme unintended effects can result in everlasting well being problems and demise if not handled rapidly.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration in the event you:
- Develop a fever
- Expertise adjustments 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 Facet Results: What You Have to Know.
Do I want to vary my food plan?
When taking Mounjaro, adjusting your food plan can enhance the medicine’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 eat alcohol sparsely, or by no means, relying on particular person well being suggestions.
Specializing in unprocessed, entire meals reminiscent of 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 medication with or with out meals. Every dose is given in a single-dose pen to forestall overdosing.
The totally 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 differ by individual and can rely in your well being historical past, well being targets, and way of life.
Nevertheless, 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 improve your dose to five mg, administered as soon as weekly.
When you’re nonetheless having blood sugar spikes with no hostile unintended effects, your physician might 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 Mounjaro doses throughout the similar week.
What occurs in the event you take an excessive amount of Mounjaro?
Taking an excessive amount of of this medicine could cause critical 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 develop into deadly if not handled instantly.
Don’t take two doses of Mounjaro inside three days of one another.
Name your physician instantly or search emergency medical consideration in the event you’ve unintentionally 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.
Nevertheless, 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 acquire from one missed dose.
Attempt to not miss doses frequently, nonetheless, because the medicine is best when taken persistently.
Methods 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 website with a rubbing alcohol swab.
- Change the injection website every week to forestall accidents underneath the pores and skin or scar tissue from creating.
- Notice that Mounjaro is usually injected underneath 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 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 in single doses, you’ll undergo 4 per 30-day provide, so there is no such thing as a have to maintain the pen after use.
Be taught extra in: Mounjaro Injection: The place and Methods to Inject.
Who shouldn’t take Mounjaro?
For sure, don’t take this in the event you don’t have a prescription.
It’s not really helpful to be used in case you are pregnant, planning on turning into pregnant, or in case you are breastfeeding.
It is usually not really helpful for folks with out diabetes, with prediabetes, or with sort 1 diabetes with out the steering of a doctor.
Be taught extra in: Can You Take Mounjaro if You Have Sort 1 Diabetes?
Mounjaro is barely FDA-approved for folks 18 years and older.
Don’t use the medication in the event 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 sort 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 issues about beginning Mounjaro.
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, possibly you’re experiencing hostile unintended effects, you don’t like how the medicine makes you are feeling, or it’s gotten cost-prohibitive.
Speak along with your physician earlier than stopping any diabetes medicine, together with this one.
What occurs while you cease taking Mounjaro?
Your physician will most likely need you to wean your dose earlier than stopping it utterly. 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 as a substitute medicine, train, or food plan routine, to assist fight any rebound results you could expertise.
You probably have misplaced weight on this medication, you could have to maintain taking it indefinitely to forestall the burden from coming again.
Can Mounjaro substitute insulin?
No. Mounjaro will not be insulin, neither is it an insulin alternative. Slightly, it acts as a complement to insulin remedy (in the event you take insulin.)
When you’ve lately been prescribed this medication, don’t cease taking your different diabetes drugs except your physician has particularly advised you to.
Mounjaro lowers blood sugars over time, nevertheless it doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars in the way in which 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 could discover that your insulin wants are steadily lowering.
Nevertheless, this not often utterly takes away the necessity to take insulin on your diabetes.
Can I take Mounjaro with different diabetes drugs?
It will rely upon what different drugs you’re taking.
Usually, Mounjaro could be taken alongside drugs like metformin and/or insulin, if prescribed on the similar time.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be mixed with GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs.
GLP-1 receptor agonists embrace:
All the time speak along with your physician in the event you’re uncertain of how any drugs you’re taking will work together with any new drugs you’re contemplating taking.
Learn extra about how Mounjaro compares to Ozempic in: Ozempic vs. Mounjaro: Which One Ought to You Select?
Does Mounjaro must be refrigerated?
No. The drugs could 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).
Make certain it doesn’t get any hotter than 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius), and by no means freeze the pens.
All the time maintain your Mounjaro pen in its unique casing to guard it from daylight.
How do I get a prescription for Mounjaro?
You probably have sort 2 diabetes, converse along with your physician in order for you a prescription for this medicine.
When you don’t have sort 2 however stay 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 the event you shouldn’t have any sort of diabetes however need to safely shed extra pounds. There are FDA-approved weight reduction drugs that could be a great match and gained’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 obese and have a minimum of one weight-related situation (reminiscent of sort 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).
Discover out extra about how Wegovy and Mounjaro evaluate in: Wegovy vs. Mounjaro: What Is the Greatest Possibility?
How a lot does Mounjaro value?
In line with Eli Lilly, the record worth of the medication is about $1,023 per fill, equaling a month’s provide (4 injector pens).
Most individuals with medical health insurance don’t pay the record worth. Insurance coverage protection for the medicine varies.
Closing ideas
Mounjaro’s dual-action mechanism presents a promising strategy to not solely managing blood sugar ranges but additionally addressing weight administration, a standard problem for many individuals residing 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 every medicine, the choice to make use of Mounjaro needs to be made in shut session with a healthcare supplier, making certain a customized and protected strategy to diabetes administration.
