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Medicated weight loss

Mounjaro

HOW IT WORKS
GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist that suppresses appetite, reduces cravings and improves blood sugar

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a medicine authorised in the EU for weight management in certain groups of people. It was first developed for type 2 diabetes and is now also authorised for adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition.4

Taken once a week through a simple injection, it works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.

What do clinical trials show for Mounjaro?

Clinical trial results are set out in section 5.1 of the summary of product characteristics. You can read the full document in the EMA's product information (EPAR) or, in Spain, in CIMA (AEMPS).

How does Mounjaro work?

Mounjaro targets two pathways in the body:

  • Reduces appetite: controls hunger by acting on hormones that signal fullness
  • Improves insulin response: helps the body release insulin when blood sugar is high
  • Slows digestion: food stays in the stomach longer, so you feel full for longer
  • Long-lasting: a half-life of about five days allows once-weekly injections
Dose titration

Every dose, and what it is for

The dose is increased gradually (dose titration) so your body can adjust and side effects stay manageable. Not everyone needs the highest dose; your maintenance dose depends on how you respond.

2.5 mgStarting dose

Injected under the skin once a week for 4 weeks. Starting dose.

5 mgFirst maintenance

Once a week. First maintenance dose, reviewed by your doctor.

7.5 mgStep up

Once a week, after at least 4 weeks at 5 mg, if appropriate.

10 mgMaintenance

Once a week. Maintenance dose.

12.5 mgHigher maintenance

Once a week, only if clinically appropriate.

15 mgHighest dose

Once a week. Highest maintenance dose.

The Hi Doctor fee covers the consultation and your doctor's reviews. The medicine itself is paid at your pharmacy, and its price depends on the country, the dose and your health system.

How the dose moves

The titration ladder

Four weeks at each step, and never a step up without a review.

2.5 mgWeeks 1–4

The starting dose. Low on purpose, so your body can adjust.

5 mgWeeks 5–8

The first maintenance dose, held for at least four weeks.

7.5–10 mgMonths 3–4

Stepped up 2.5 mg at a time, only if you are tolerating it.

12.5–15 mgMonth 5 onwards

Higher maintenance, reached only where it is appropriate.

Results vary. Your doctor can hold you at any step, or step you back down.

Your first months

Mounjaro: what to expect

Weeks 1–4

Starting dose: 2.5 mg

A low weekly dose lets your body adjust. Mild nausea is common and usually settles.

Months 2–4

Stepping up

Your doctor reviews each 4-week cycle and increases the dose only if you're tolerating it well.

Months 4–6

Maintenance dose, if the doctor considers it appropriate

Weight loss builds gradually and varies from person to person, alongside diet and activity.1

Month 6+

Maintenance

You and your doctor decide the long-term dose, or a plan to step down.

Results vary. Your doctor adjusts the plan at every review.

Who is eligible for Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is recommended for managing weight as part of a plan that includes a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. You may be eligible if you have:

  • A BMI of at least 30 kg/m², or
  • A BMI of 27 to 30 kg/m² with at least one weight-related condition
  • You shouldn't take Mounjaro if you: are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2, have severe gut disease, or are allergic to tirzepatide.

How to use Mounjaro

A pre-filled pen you use once a week, on the same day, at any time and with or without food. You can inject in these areas:

  • Stomach: at least 5 cm from your belly button
  • Thighs: the front of the thigh
  • Upper arm: the back of the arm, if someone else injects
Read the instructions for use packed with your pen first. Check the pen before use and rotate the injection site each week. Your doctor or pharmacist can show you how to use your specific device.
Weight-loss medicines work while you take them. Your doctor reviews your progress at every renewal.

Other authorised medicines for weight management

Other medicines authorised in the EU for weight management contain liraglutide, orlistat or semaglutide. The doctor assesses which one, if any, is appropriate.

FAQs

Your questions answered

About Mounjaro4 questions
Which medicines does Mounjaro interact with?
Mounjaro slows stomach emptying and can change how medicines taken by mouth are absorbed. With insulin or a sulfonylurea the risk of low blood sugar rises, and their dose may need adjusting. Tell your doctor about everything you take.
No. Mounjaro is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you could become pregnant, talk to your doctor about contraception before you start.
Take it as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on your usual day.
In the package leaflet in the box and in the summary of product characteristics, both in the EMA's product information (EPAR) and, in Spain, in CIMA (AEMPS).
Safety2 questions
Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and reduced appetite, usually mild to moderate and most frequent while the dose is being increased.
Tirzepatide delays stomach emptying and can affect the absorption of oral medicines. Tell your doctor which contraceptive you use so they can review the current product information and explain how to stay protected.
More questions16 questions
Tirzepatide is a dual receptor agonist (GLP-1 and GIP) which, in trials, shows larger average weight loss than mono-agonist GLP-1s in adults with obesity.
Not necessarily. It is a chronic treatment while it is beneficial and safe: the doctor reviews response every 3 months and decides with you whether to continue, adjust or stop. Discontinuation must be gradual and paired with a maintenance plan.
History of pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, family history of medullary thyroid cancer, pregnancy or plans to conceive, and current medication. Recent labs are also reviewed if provided.
Quarterly medical review through the private in-app chat, dose adjustments if side effects arise, and a new electronic prescription when applicable; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it.
Yes. Tirzepatide is the active ingredient, and Mounjaro is the brand name it is sold under in the European Union. In the United States the same molecule is also sold as Zepbound for weight management, but Zepbound is not authorised in the EU, so an EU prescription for tirzepatide will be written for Mounjaro. The European Medicines Agency authorised Mounjaro on 15 September 2022, and its licence now covers both type 2 diabetes and weight management in adults who meet the BMI criteria.
Weight tends to come back. In SURMOUNT-4, adults who had already lost a mean of 20.9% over a 36-week lead-in were randomly assigned either to keep taking tirzepatide or to switch to placebo. Between week 36 and week 88 the continued group changed by a further -5.5%, while the placebo group regained 14.0%. At week 88, 89.5% of the continued group had kept at least 80% of the weight lost during the lead-in, compared with 16.6% of the placebo group. Stopping is a decision to make with your prescriber.
No. The product information lists 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg as the recommended maintenance doses, so 5 mg and 10 mg are licensed end points in their own right and not only steps on the way up. In SURMOUNT-1 the 5 mg group had a mean body-weight change of -15.0% at 72 weeks, the 10 mg group -19.5% and the 15 mg group -20.9%. Gastrointestinal side effects were also more frequent at higher doses. Your prescriber decides where to stop, based on how you respond and how well you tolerate each step.
Write to your doctor in the private chat in your account: describe what you notice and when it started. The doctor can adjust the plan, pause it or suggest another option. If you have severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or chest pain, call 112 or go to an emergency department straight away.
It depends on what you take. List every medicine, supplement and herbal product in the questionnaire, including ones you use only occasionally. The doctor checks for interactions before prescribing, and your pharmacist checks again when you collect Mounjaro.
The doctor can consider another weight-management medicine authorised in the EU, or a plan built on nutrition and activity alone. Some people are better served by an in-person obesity clinic or by their own doctor, and the doctor explains why when that is the case.
Before each renewal the doctor reviews your weight, side effects and how you feel, and decides whether to continue, change the dose or stop. Changes are never automatic. You can also write in the private chat between reviews.
Yes. Hi Doctor runs 100 % online across the EU, so if you live in Madrid you can fill in the questionnaire and receive the medical review without travelling. The EU-licensed doctor issues the electronic prescription under Directive 2011/24/EU, and each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it; in Spain it is dispensed directly from the prescription QR.
Adults with BMI ≥ 30, or ≥ 27 with comorbidities (hypertension, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia). The doctor reviews your history, current medication and goals before proposing any treatment. It is not a cosmetic programme.
The private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Privada Electrónica) is issued by an EU-licensed doctor. It is a PDF carrying every field required by EU Directive 2011/24/EU (patient, prescriber with country of registration, active ingredient, dose). Each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it. In Spanish pharmacies it is dispensed from the QR; outside Spain, some pharmacies do not accept PDF prescriptions, and those that do dispense the locally marketed equivalent of the same active ingredient.
1) Fill in an online medical questionnaire in about 4 minutes. 2) The consultation fee for each area is listed on our pricing page. 3) An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and, if appropriate, issues an electronic prescription. 4) Collect it at the pharmacy you choose; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it. If the review is not approved, the applicable fee is refunded in full.
The consultation fee for each area is listed on our pricing page. Each includes a review by an EU-licensed doctor and an electronic prescription if approved. If the review is not approved, the applicable fee is refunded in full. Medication is paid for separately at the pharmacy at the price it sets.
Safety information

Mounjaro safety information

Always read the patient leaflet that comes with your medicine. Your doctor checks all of this during your consultation.

Don't use Mounjaro if

  • You are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • You or a family member have had medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2
  • You are allergic to tirzepatide or any ingredient

It may not be suitable if

  • You have had pancreatitis
  • You have severe stomach or bowel problems, such as gastroparesis
  • You have diabetic eye disease or take insulin or sulfonylureas

Starting dose

  • 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks
  • Increased in 2.5 mg steps, no sooner than every 4 weeks
  • Maximum 15 mg once a week

Common side effects

  • Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation
  • Reduced appetite, indigestion
  • Usually mild and improve over the first weeks; message your doctor if they don't

References

  1. Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med 2022;387:205–216.
  2. Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med 2021;384:989–1002.
  3. Lincoff AM et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes (SELECT). N Engl J Med 2023;389:2221–2232.
  4. European Medicines Agency. Mounjaro (tirzepatide): EPAR and summary of product characteristics.

Would you like to talk to a doctor about your weight?

Hi Doctor is an online medical consultation service. The doctor decides whether a treatment is appropriate, and which one.

How the consultation works
The clinical information on this page was reviewed by: Dr. Alejandro Infante, General medicine, on 27 July 2026. Barcelona College of Physicians, no. 080869277 View profile

If the doctor does not approve treatment, we refund the full amount. Every consultation is fully refundable. How refunds work