Printable reference
Tirzepatide dosage chart
The FDA-labelled 2.5 to 15 mg escalation ladder, the four-week minimum interval, and the maintenance language that differs between Mounjaro and Zepbound. Printable.
- Starting dosage
- 2.5 mg once weekly
- Increment
- 2.5 mg
- Minimum interval
- At least 4 weeks
- Adult maximum
- 15 mg once weekly
- Steps on the ladder
- 6 (2.5 → 15 mg)
- Earliest week at 15 mg
- Week 21
- Zepbound maintenance
- 5, 10, 15 mg
- Mounjaro maintenance
- None named on the label
Find your dose in the left column of the first table. The week band beside it is the EARLIEST that rung can be reached if every step is taken at exactly four weeks — it is not a schedule you are behind on. Both labels say "at least 4 weeks on the current dose", and "at least" has no upper bound.
Then read across to your product. The ladder is identical for Mounjaro and Zepbound; what the rung means is not. Zepbound names 5, 10 or 15 mg as maintenance dosages for weight reduction and 10 or 15 mg for obstructive sleep apnoea, so 2.5, 7.5 and 12.5 mg are titration steps rather than destinations — those cells are greyed. Mounjaro names no maintenance dosage anywhere in its label, so no Mounjaro cell is greyed: any rung can be where you stop.
The second table is the mg-to-units correspondence for each approved strength, and it has a counter-intuitive answer: the unit count never changes. A single-dose pen or vial is 0.5 mL whether it holds 2.5 mg or 15 mg, so every one of them is 50 units on a U-100 scale. Only the concentration moves.
Tirzepatide dose escalation schedule — Mounjaro and Zepbound
One ladder, two labels. The week band is the earliest a dose may be reached, not a deadline. Greyed cells are rungs that product does not approve as a place to stay.
| Dose | Earliest weeksif every step is 4 weeks | MOUNJAROtype 2 diabetes | ZEPBOUNDweight reduction | ZEPBOUNDobstructive sleep apnoea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg2500 mcg weekly | Weeks 1–4from week 1 | Starting dosageonce weekly | Initiation onlynot a maintenance dosage | Initiation onlynot a maintenance dosage |
| 5 mg5000 mcg weekly | Weeks 5–8from week 5 | Escalation stepif more control needed | Maintenance dosagenamed in section 2.2 | Titration stepnot a maintenance dosage |
| 7.5 mg7500 mcg weekly | Weeks 9–12from week 9 | Escalation stepif more control needed | Titration stepnot a maintenance dosage | Titration stepnot a maintenance dosage |
| 10 mg10000 mcg weekly | Weeks 13–16from week 13 | Escalation steppaediatric 10+ maximum | Maintenance dosagenamed in section 2.2 | Maintenance dosagenamed in section 2.2 |
| 12.5 mg12500 mcg weekly | Weeks 17–20from week 17 | Escalation stepadults only | Titration stepnot a maintenance dosage | Titration stepnot a maintenance dosage |
| 15 mg15000 mcg weekly | Week 21 onwardfrom week 21 | Escalation stepadult maximum | Maintenance dosagenamed in section 2.2 | Maintenance dosagenamed in section 2.2 |
Mounjaro section 2.1, verbatim: "The recommended starting dosage of MOUNJARO is 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly… If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose." Zepbound section 2.1, verbatim: "The recommended starting dosage of ZEPBOUND for all indications is 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks. The 2.5 mg dosage is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage… After 4 weeks, increase the dosage to 5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly." No Mounjaro cell is greyed because the Mounjaro label names no maintenance dosage — the word "maintenance" does not appear in that document at all, so this chart does not print one. Mounjaro caps paediatric patients aged 10 years and older at 10 mg once weekly; Zepbound has no paediatric dosage, so the two Zepbound columns are adults only throughout.
Every approved strength in mg, mg/mL and syringe units
What each presentation actually contains. The strength changes down the column; the injection volume does not, which is why the unit count never moves.
| Dose per injection | Single-dose pen or vial0.5 mL fill | Multi-dose vial or KwikPen4 × 0.6 mL | Label strength per mLmulti-dose, verbatim | U-100 unitssingle / multi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg2500 mcg weekly | 2.5 mg/0.5 mL5 mg/mL | 10 mg/2.4 mL2.5 mg per 0.6 mL | 4.17 mg/mLcomputed 4.1667 | 50 u60 u |
| 5 mg5000 mcg weekly | 5 mg/0.5 mL10 mg/mL | 20 mg/2.4 mL5 mg per 0.6 mL | 8.33 mg/mLcomputed 8.3333 | 50 u60 u |
| 7.5 mg7500 mcg weekly | 7.5 mg/0.5 mL15 mg/mL | 30 mg/2.4 mL7.5 mg per 0.6 mL | 12.5 mg/mLcomputed 12.5 | 50 u60 u |
| 10 mg10000 mcg weekly | 10 mg/0.5 mL20 mg/mL | 40 mg/2.4 mL10 mg per 0.6 mL | 16.7 mg/mLcomputed 16.6667 | 50 u60 u |
| 12.5 mg12500 mcg weekly | 12.5 mg/0.5 mL25 mg/mL | 50 mg/2.4 mL12.5 mg per 0.6 mL | 20.8 mg/mLcomputed 20.8333 | 50 u60 u |
| 15 mg15000 mcg weekly | 15 mg/0.5 mL30 mg/mL | 60 mg/2.4 mL15 mg per 0.6 mL | 25 mg/mLcomputed 25 | 50 u60 u |
Section 3 of both labels lists these same six strengths in these same presentations. The unit figures are what 0.5 mL and 0.6 mL come to on a U-100 insulin scale — they are here so you can sanity-check a draw, not as an instruction to use one: both labels tell you to use "a syringe appropriate for dose administration (e.g., a 1 mL syringe capable of measuring a 0.5 mL or 0.6 mL dose)". The "label strength per mL" column is quoted from section 3 and the figure beside it is computed from the fill volume, which is why the label's 4.17 mg/mL sits next to a computed 4.1667 and its 16.7 next to 16.6667: the label rounds, this chart does not. Pens dose themselves and cannot be drawn from.
The same ladder from a compounded vial, in U-100 syringe units
If your tirzepatide came as powder rather than a pen, the units depend entirely on the concentration you reconstituted to. Find your mg/mL across the top.
| Dose | 5 mg/mL0.05 mg per unit | 10 mg/mL0.1 mg per unit | 15 mg/mL0.15 mg per unit | 20 mg/mL0.2 mg per unit | 30 mg/mL0.3 mg per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg2500 mcg weekly | 50 u0.5 mL | 25 u0.25 mL | 16.75 u0.167 mL | 12.5 u0.125 mL | 8.25 u0.083 mL |
| 5 mg5000 mcg weekly | 100 u1 mL | 50 u0.5 mL | 33.25 u0.333 mL | 25 u0.25 mL | 16.75 u0.167 mL |
| 7.5 mg7500 mcg weekly | 150 u1.5 mL — over one barrel | 75 u0.75 mL | 50 u0.5 mL | 37.5 u0.375 mL | 25 u0.25 mL |
| 10 mg10000 mcg weekly | 200 u2 mL — over one barrel | 100 u1 mL | 66.75 u0.667 mL | 50 u0.5 mL | 33.25 u0.333 mL |
| 12.5 mg12500 mcg weekly | 250 u2.5 mL — over one barrel | 125 u1.25 mL — over one barrel | 83.25 u0.833 mL | 62.5 u0.625 mL | 41.75 u0.417 mL |
| 15 mg15000 mcg weekly | 300 u3 mL — over one barrel | 150 u1.5 mL — over one barrel | 100 u1 mL | 75 u0.75 mL | 50 u0.5 mL |
Greyed figures exceed 100 units and will not fit in one 1 mL U-100 syringe — that means the vial is too dilute for the dose, not that you should inject twice. Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA-approved and has no approved labelling, so this chart prints no compounded titration schedule and no compounded concentration standard: neither exists to cite. The doses above are the label rungs converted at concentrations compounders commonly supply, and the half-steps that circulate in compounding practice (1.25 mg, 3.75 mg) appear on no label and so appear nowhere here. The FDA has reported adverse events "related to patients prescribed compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide products in doses beyond what is in the FDA-approved drug label. This could mean using more product in a single dose, taking doses more frequently or increasing the amount more quickly (titration schedule)."
Where the two labels actually differ
Same molecule, same ladder, same maximum — and four dosing statements that are not the same. This is the part people get wrong.
| Label item | MOUNJAROtype 2 diabetes | ZEPBOUNDobesity and OSA |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dosage | 2.5 mg weeklyno stated duration | 2.5 mg weeklyfor 4 weeks |
| Reason to step up | Glycaemic controlonly if more is needed | Reach maintenanceresponse and tolerability |
| Increment and interval | 2.5 mg / ≥4 weeksidentical | 2.5 mg / ≥4 weeksidentical |
| Named maintenance dosage | None namedany rung can be the last | 5, 10, 15 mgweight reduction |
| OSA maintenance dosage | Not an indicationno OSA dosing | 10 or 15 mgweekly |
| Adult maximum | 15 mg weeklyidentical | 15 mg weeklyidentical |
| Paediatric dosage | 10 mg weekly maxage 10 and older | Not establishedno figure to print |
| Missed dose | Within 4 days (96 h)else skip it | Within 4 days (96 h)else skip it |
| Changing injection day | ≥3 days (72 h) apartbetween two doses | ≥3 days (72 h) apartbetween two doses |
| Renal impairment | No adjustmentincluding ESRD | No adjustmentincluding ESRD |
| Hepatic impairment | No adjustmentsection 8.7 | No adjustmentsection 8.7 |
Zepbound section 2.2, verbatim: "The recommended maintenance dosage is 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg, injected subcutaneously once weekly" for weight reduction and long-term maintenance, and "The recommended maintenance dosage is 10 mg or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly" for OSA. Mounjaro has no equivalent sentence; its escalation is conditional on glycaemic control and it stops there. Zepbound section 8.4, verbatim: "The safety and effectiveness of ZEPBOUND have not been established in pediatric patients" — which is why that cell states no number rather than borrowing Mounjaro's. Neither label contains a weight-based or mg/kg dose, so none is printed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the tirzepatide dosage schedule?
- Start at 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly, then increase in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. That gives the six-rung ladder 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg, with 15 mg the maximum in adults. Taken at the minimum interval every time, the earliest anyone reaches 15 mg is week 21. The ladder is identical for Mounjaro and Zepbound.
- Do Mounjaro and Zepbound use the same dosage chart?
- The same six strengths, the same 2.5 mg start, the same 2.5 mg increment and the same 15 mg ceiling — but not the same maintenance section. Zepbound names its maintenance dosages: 5, 10, 15 mg once weekly for weight reduction, 10 or 15 mg for obstructive sleep apnoea, and it states that "The 2.5 mg dosage is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage". Mounjaro names none. The word "maintenance" does not occur anywhere in the Mounjaro label, and its escalation happens only "if additional glycemic control is needed" — so on Mounjaro, any rung including 2.5 mg can be where treatment settles.
- How long do you stay on each tirzepatide dose?
- At least 4 weeks. Both labels say "after at least 4 weeks on the current dose", which is a floor and not a target — there is no upper bound in either document and nothing obliges anyone to keep climbing. Zepbound is more specific at the first step only: 2.5 mg "once weekly for 4 weeks", then increase to 5 mg. Zepbound also says to "Consider treatment response and tolerability when selecting the maintenance dosage" and, if a maintenance dosage is not tolerated, to consider a lower one.
- What is the maximum dose of tirzepatide?
- 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly in adults, for both Mounjaro and Zepbound. Mounjaro sets a separate maximum of 10 mg once weekly for paediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes. Zepbound has no paediatric dosage at all — safety and effectiveness have not been established in that population — so this chart prints no figure for it rather than reusing Mounjaro's.
- How many units is a tirzepatide dose on an insulin syringe?
- For the approved products the answer never changes, because the volume is fixed: every single-dose pen and single-dose vial holds 0.5 mL, which is 50 units on a U-100 scale, from the 2.5 mg presentation to the 15 mg one. Every injection from a multi-dose vial or KwikPen is 0.6 mL, which is 60 units. For compounded powder there is no fixed answer — 5 mg is 50 units at 10 mg/mL but only 16.75 units at 30 mg/mL. Read your own concentration before drawing.
- I missed a tirzepatide dose — what do the labels say?
- Both say the same thing. Administer the missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the regularly scheduled day, then resume the usual weekly schedule. The injection day can be changed if necessary as long as there are at least 3 days (72 hours) between two doses.
- Is there a tirzepatide dosage chart for compounded vials?
- Not an authoritative one, and this page will not invent it. Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA-approved and has no approved labelling, so there is no compounded titration schedule and no standard concentration to cite. What this chart does show is the six labelled doses converted to U-100 units at five concentrations compounders commonly supply — for example 2.5 mg is 25 units at 10 mg/mL and 8.25 units at 30 mg/mL. The half-step doses that circulate in compounding practice, such as 1.25 mg and 3.75 mg, appear on no label and so appear nowhere on this chart.
- Does tirzepatide dosing change for kidney or liver problems?
- No. Sections 8.6 and 8.7 of both labels state that no dosage adjustment is recommended for renal impairment — including end-stage renal disease — or for hepatic impairment, and that no change in tirzepatide pharmacokinetics was observed in either group. Mounjaro adds one instruction: monitor renal function when initiating or escalating doses in patients with renal impairment who report severe gastrointestinal reactions.
- Can I skip a step or go up faster than every 4 weeks?
- Neither label permits it: the increment is 2.5 mg and the interval is at least 4 weeks, and the escalation exists specifically "to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions". The FDA has reported adverse events, some requiring hospitalisation, connected to compounded GLP-1 products taken in doses beyond the approved label — including "increasing the amount more quickly (titration schedule)". Going slower is unremarkable; going faster is off-label.
Sources
- [1]MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection — full US prescribing information, Eli Lilly and Company. Section 2.1 recommended dosage and escalation; 2.2 important administration instructions; 3 dosage forms and strengths; 8.4 pediatric use; 8.6–8.7 renal and hepatic impairment. DailyMed set id d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0
- [2]ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — full US prescribing information, Eli Lilly and Company. Section 2.1 recommended dose escalation schedule; 2.2 recommended maintenance and maximum dosage; 2.3 missed dose; 3 dosage forms and strengths; 8.4 pediatric use. DailyMed set id 487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b
- [3]U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA’s Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss — dosing errors and doses beyond the approved label, including accelerated titration schedules
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Educational reference, not medical advice. Transcribes the FDA-approved dosage sections for Mounjaro and Zepbound; it does not select a dose, and it prints no figure the labels do not state. alphahealthfinder.com