GLP-1 Medications
Tirzepatide Dose Chart: 2.5mg to 15mg Titration Schedule
Tirzepatide dose chart for Mounjaro, Zepbound, and compounded vials — the 2.5mg to 15mg titration schedule, max dose, compounded starting dose, and split-dosing.
On this page
Tirzepatide steps up on a fixed schedule from a 2.5 mg starter dose to a 15 mg maximum, increasing by no more than 2.5 mg at a time and no sooner than every four weeks. That ladder is identical whether you're prescribed Mounjaro, Zepbound, or a compounded version — it's the same molecule and the same titration logic. The ramp exists because tirzepatide is a potent dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist that slows gastric emptying, and your GI system needs time to adapt at each level.
This is a reference page. The chart comes first.
Tirzepatide Dose Chart
| Step | Dose | When (earliest) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5 mg | Weeks 1-4 | Starter — GI acclimation only, not therapeutic |
| 2 | 5 mg | Weeks 5-8 | First maintenance dose |
| 3 | 7.5 mg | Weeks 9-12 | Titration step |
| 4 | 10 mg | Weeks 13-16 | Maintenance dose |
| 5 | 12.5 mg | Weeks 17-20 | Titration step |
| 6 | 15 mg | Week 21 onward | Maximum dose |
Every increase requires at least 4 weeks at the current dose first. The weeks shown assume the fastest possible schedule — in practice your prescriber may hold you longer at a step if it's working or if side effects need more time to settle. 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg are the primary maintenance doses; 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg are bridging steps that make the jumps gentler.
Same Drug, Two Brands (and Compounded)
Tirzepatide is sold under two brand names, plus compounded forms. The dose ladder above is the same for all of them:
| Mounjaro | Zepbound | Compounded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved for | Type 2 diabetes | Obesity, obstructive sleep apnea | Not FDA-approved as a product |
| Dose ladder | 2.5-15 mg | 2.5-15 mg | 2.5-15 mg (same target) |
| Format | Single-dose pen | Single-dose pen or vial | Multi-dose vial |
| Maker | Eli Lilly | Eli Lilly | Compounding pharmacy |
If you're weighing tirzepatide against semaglutide before settling on a dose plan, the head-to-head trial data is in semaglutide vs tirzepatide. For the deeper, dose-by-dose walk-through of the branded titration — including the SURMOUNT-1 weight-loss figures at each level — see the Mounjaro dosage guide.
What Each Dose Is For
2.5 mg (Weeks 1-4): Not therapeutic. Clinical trials showed minimal weight or glucose effect at 2.5 mg — its only job is to let your body adjust to the GI effects before the dose climbs to a level that does clinical work. Mild nausea here is normal.
5 mg (Weeks 5-8): The first dose with real clinical effect. This is the minimum maintenance dose, and some people stay here if it's meeting their goals.
7.5 mg and 12.5 mg: Bridging steps. They exist to make the jumps between the studied maintenance doses (5, 10, 15 mg) more gradual for tolerability. Your prescriber may pass through them quickly or hold you there.
10 mg (Weeks 13-16): For many people this is where efficacy and tolerability balance out. In SURPASS-2, tirzepatide 10 mg beat semaglutide 1 mg for both HbA1c and weight reduction in type 2 diabetes.
15 mg (Week 21+): The maximum. In SURMOUNT-1, the 15 mg cohort lost an average of 22.5% body weight at 72 weeks — the greatest effect, but also the highest rate of GI side effects. Not everyone needs or tolerates 15 mg, and that's fine.
Maximum Dose
The maximum approved tirzepatide dose is 15 mg once weekly. There is no approved dose above 15 mg for any brand or indication, and the increments to get there are capped at 2.5 mg per step. If 15 mg isn't producing the result you want, the answer isn't a higher dose — it's a conversation with your prescriber about whether tirzepatide is the right fit, not self-escalating past the studied ceiling.
Compounded Tirzepatide Dosing
Compounded tirzepatide uses the same 2.5 mg starting dose and the same ladder. What changes is the delivery: instead of a fixed-dose pen, you get a multi-dose vial and draw each dose in units on a syringe. The concentration varies by pharmacy, so the number of units that equals 2.5 mg at one pharmacy won't match another.
Two practical consequences:
- Confirm the conversion. Get the milligram-per-unit math from your provider or the pharmacy label before your first draw, so your units line up with the intended milligrams. The mechanics of drawing from a vial are the same as for any reconstituted injectable — see the peptide reconstitution guide for the unit math and worked examples.
- Titrate the same way. Compounding doesn't change the biology. Start at 2.5 mg, hold four weeks, step up by 2.5 mg. A vial doesn't license a faster ramp.
Splitting the Dose Into Twice a Week
A common question, especially among compounded-vial users: can you split the weekly dose into two smaller injections?
Here's the honest version. Tirzepatide was studied and approved as a once-weekly injection, and its half-life of roughly 5 days is what makes that schedule work — drug levels stay relatively steady between weekly doses. Some people split their weekly dose into two half-doses a few days apart to reduce the peak GI side effects that can follow a single injection. There is no clinical trial data on split dosing, it isn't on any label, and the steady-state behavior may differ from once-weekly. It's not inherently reckless, but it's an off-label change that belongs in a conversation with your prescriber — not something to start on your own based on a forum thread. If GI side effects are the reason you're considering it, slowing the titration is the studied lever.
Timing and Missed Doses
Tirzepatide is injected once weekly, same day each week, with or without food, any time of day.
Changing your injection day: allowed as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since your last dose.
Missed dose:
- 4 days (96 hours) or less since it was due: take it as soon as you remember, then resume your normal weekly schedule.
- More than 4 days late: skip it, and take your next dose on your regular day. Don't double up.
If you miss two or more consecutive doses — particularly at a higher dose — contact your prescriber before restarting. After a gap, re-exposure at a high dose can bring back strong GI effects, and your provider may restart you lower and re-titrate.
Pen vs Vial Formats
- Mounjaro and Zepbound single-dose pens: fixed-dose, one injection per pen, color-coded by strength. You can't dial them or combine them. A new prescription is written for each strength as you titrate. Injection mechanics are in how to inject Zepbound.
- Zepbound single-dose vials: a self-pay option for the lower doses; you draw the full single dose from the vial into a syringe.
- Compounded multi-dose vials: several weeks of doses in one vial, drawn in units — see the compounded section above.
Whichever format, rotate your injection sites so the tissue stays healthy across months of weekly shots — the quadrant approach is in the GLP-1 injection site rotation guide.
Why Tracking Titration Matters
Titration is hard to hold in your head: the dose changes on a schedule, side effects shift at each level, and the decision to step up or hold depends on data you only have if you recorded it. Worth logging at each step:
- Injection date and dose — confirms you're on schedule and how long you've held the current level
- Injection site — supports rotation
- GI symptoms and severity — shows your prescriber the adaptation curve at each dose (see GLP-1 side effects tracker)
- Appetite and weight trend — the signal you're titrating toward
Done Dose tracks all of this in one place, including your dose-level history — so when it's time to decide whether to move from 10 mg to 12.5 mg, you're reading a record instead of guessing. Set it up in under a minute.
For the GLP-1 alternative and how it doses, compare with the Ozempic dose chart.
