Tirzepatide Dosage Schedule: The Label Chart in mg, Weeks and Syringe Units
Tirzepatide dosage chart: the label schedule and the units at three vial strengths
Each row is one step of the schedule in the Zepbound prescribing information (sections 2.1, 2.2 and 3). The Mounjaro label uses the same doses and the same branded strengths. The three unit columns are plain arithmetic for a compounded or research vial at that concentration: units on a U-100 syringe = dose in mg / (mg per mL) x 100. They are arithmetic, not dosing advice.
| Weekly dose | When, on the label schedule | Role on the Zepbound label | Branded multi-dose vial or KwikPen (0.6 mL a dose) | Units at 10 mg/mL | Units at 5 mg/mL | Units at 2.5 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | Weeks 1 to 4 | Start only: "not approved as a maintenance dosage" | 10 mg/2.4 mL (4.17 mg/mL) | 25 units (0.25 mL) | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 100 units (1 mL) |
| 5 mg | From week 5 | Maintenance option | 20 mg/2.4 mL (8.33 mg/mL) | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 100 units (1 mL) | 200 units (2 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
| 7.5 mg | Week 9 at the earliest | Step on the way up | 30 mg/2.4 mL (12.5 mg/mL) | 75 units (0.75 mL) | 150 units (1.5 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 300 units (3 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
| 10 mg | Week 13 at the earliest | Maintenance option (also for sleep apnoea) | 40 mg/2.4 mL (16.7 mg/mL) | 100 units (1 mL) | 200 units (2 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 400 units (4 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
| 12.5 mg | Week 17 at the earliest | Step on the way up | 50 mg/2.4 mL (20.8 mg/mL) | 125 units (1.25 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 250 units (2.5 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 500 units (5 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
| 15 mg | Week 21 at the earliest | Maintenance option and the maximum | 60 mg/2.4 mL (25 mg/mL) | 150 units (1.5 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 300 units (3 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 600 units (6 mL), more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
Week numbers are the earliest the label allows. The label wording is "after at least 4 weeks on the current dose", so 4 weeks is a minimum, not a deadline. The branded single-dose pens and vials hold every strength in 0.5 mL and the multi-dose vials and KwikPens in 0.6 mL per dose, because the concentration rises with the dose. With an unlabelled vial the volume, and so the units, depend on how it was mixed. For any other vial size or water volume, the tirzepatide calculator on peptulator.com runs the same formula.
What the label says, word for word
Zepbound, section 2.1: "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." Then: "After 4 weeks, increase the dosage to 5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. The dosage may be increased in 2.5 mg increments, after at least 4 weeks on the current dose."
Zepbound, section 2.2: "The recommended maintenance dosage is 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg, injected subcutaneously once weekly." For obstructive sleep apnoea it is 10 mg or 15 mg, and "The maximum dosage of ZEPBOUND for all indications is 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly."
Mounjaro, section 2.1: "The recommended starting dosage of MOUNJARO is 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly." Then: "If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose." The maximum is 15 mg once weekly in adults and 10 mg once weekly in children aged 10 and older.
Both labels give the same reason for the slow climb: follow the escalation "to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions". The Zepbound label adds that the maintenance dose should be chosen on "treatment response and tolerability", and that if a maintenance dose is not tolerated, a lower maintenance dose can be considered. Tirzepatide reaches steady state after 4 weeks of weekly dosing on both labels, which lines up with the 4 week minimum per step.
Best vendor for glp 2 right now: Amino Club
30mg vial, $59.99 per vial ($2.00 per mg), list price checked 2026-09-08. The vendor Bureau readers order from most this year, lowest price per mg on most of what we track, batch COA on every product page. Partner code 100 at checkout takes 20% off a first order there, and keeps the order counted for the Bureau. Research use only.
Check price at Amino Club Compare all vendorsZepbound and Mounjaro dosing side by side
| Label point | Zepbound | Mounjaro |
|---|---|---|
| Approved for | Weight reduction and long term maintenance in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight related condition; moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity | Blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes (adults and children aged 10 and older); lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk |
| Start | 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks | 2.5 mg once weekly |
| Steps | 5 mg after 4 weeks, then 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose | 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose, if more glucose control is needed |
| Maintenance | 5, 10 or 15 mg (weight); 10 or 15 mg (sleep apnoea) | No list of maintenance doses |
| Maximum | 15 mg once weekly | 15 mg once weekly in adults; 10 mg in children aged 10 and older |
| Missed dose | Take within 4 days (96 hours), otherwise skip | Same rule |
| Changing the injection day | Allowed if doses are at least 3 days (72 hours) apart | Same rule |
| Half-life | About 5 to 6 days | About 5 days |
| Steady state | After 4 weeks of weekly dosing | After 4 weeks of weekly dosing |
Calculate your draw for tirzepatide
Enter the vial strength, the bacteriostatic water you added and your dose, and get the exact mark on the syringe. Free, no signup, and the result comes with a link you can share or save.
Open the tirzepatide calculator peptulator.com, the Bureau's independent toolMaintenance doses: 5, 10 or 15 mg
The Zepbound label names three maintenance doses for weight: 5, 10 and 15 mg. The 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg strengths exist so the dose can climb in 2.5 mg steps, but they are not on the maintenance list. The doses come from SURMOUNT-1, which randomised 2,539 adults without diabetes to 5, 10 or 15 mg or placebo for 72 weeks, including a 20 week dose escalation period (Jastreboff 2022, PMID 35658024).
| Arm in SURMOUNT-1 | Mean weight change at 72 weeks | Lost 5% or more | Lost 20% or more | Stopped for adverse events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo | -3.1% | 35% | 3% | 2.6% |
| 5 mg | -15.0% | 85% | Not reported in the abstract | 4.3% |
| 10 mg | -19.5% | 89% | 50% | 7.1% |
| 15 mg | -20.9% | 91% | 57% | 6.2% |
The step from 5 mg to 10 mg added 4.5 percentage points of average weight loss; the step from 10 mg to 15 mg added 1.4. That is the trial average, not a prediction for one person. What the label and the trial say about staying on a dose after the weight comes off is in tirzepatide maintenance dose, and what the 72 weeks looked like is in tirzepatide before and after.
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Build your stack, 2 minutesMissed dose and changing your injection day
The rule is the same on both labels (Zepbound section 2.3, Mounjaro section 2.1): "If a dose is missed, instruct patients to administer ZEPBOUND as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) after the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day." The weekly day can be moved "as long as the time between the two doses is at least 3 days (72 hours)." Neither label tells you to double up or restart the schedule after one missed dose.
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Compounded tirzepatide dosage in units
A compounded or research vial has no prescribing information of its own, so the milligram schedule people quote for it is the branded one above. The only thing that changes is how a milligram dose turns into a mark on the syringe, and that depends entirely on the concentration of the mixed vial. The same 5 mg is 50 units at 10 mg/mL, 100 units at 5 mg/mL and 200 units at 2.5 mg/mL. A number of units on its own, without the concentration, says nothing about the dose.
The worked formula: units on a U-100 syringe = dose in mg / concentration in mg per mL x 100. For 7.5 mg from a vial at 10 mg/mL that is 7.5 / 10 x 100 = 75 units. This site does not recommend a dose; the figures are the label doses run through the arithmetic. Research peptides are sold for research use only.
Three other pages cover the parts this one does not repeat. The full two way conversion, including reverse lookups such as how many mg 20 or 40 units is, is in tirzepatide units to mg. How much bacteriostatic water goes into a 30 mg vial, and what that does to the concentration, is in how much BAC water for 30mg tirzepatide. The regulatory position of compounded product is in compounded tirzepatide.
What this costs at Amino Club
Amino Club codes the GLP compounds: semaglutide is GLP-1 SM, tirzepatide is GLP-2 TR and retatrutide is GLP-3 RT. List prices on 2026-09-08, before any code; Amino Club is the vendor Bureau readers order from most and the lowest per-mg price we track on most of these. Partner code 100 at checkout takes 20% off a first order there, and keeps the order counted for the Bureau. Research use only.
Tirzepatide (GLP-2 TR) 30mg · $59.99How the label says to inject it
Once weekly, at any time of day, with or without meals. Inject under the skin of the abdomen or thigh, or have another person inject into the back of the upper arm, and rotate the site with each dose. With vials, use a new syringe and needle every time; the label gives the example of a 1 mL syringe that can measure a 0.5 mL or 0.6 mL dose. On Mounjaro with insulin, the two go in as separate injections and are never mixed. Site choice and a rotation pattern are in where to inject tirzepatide, and general technique in the injection guide.
Storage: single-dose pens and vials can be kept at room temperature (up to 30°C) for a total of 21 days, and multi-dose vials and KwikPens are thrown away after 30 days or 4 weekly doses. The detail by form is in does Mounjaro need to be refrigerated and does Zepbound need to be refrigerated.
Side effects while the dose goes up
The Zepbound label reports that "The majority of nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea events occurred during dose escalation and decreased over time." Two practical points sit in the label too. Tirzepatide can make oral contraceptives less reliable, so the label advises switching to a non-oral method, or adding a barrier method, for 4 weeks after starting and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. And with insulin or a sulfonylurea the risk of low blood sugar rises, which is a reason the label suggests a prescriber may lower those doses. The rates by dose are in tirzepatide side effects, and tiredness is covered in does tirzepatide make you tired.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tirzepatide dosage schedule?
On the Zepbound label it is 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then 5 mg, then further 2.5 mg increases after at least 4 weeks on each dose: 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg. The earliest the schedule reaches 15 mg is week 21. Mounjaro uses the same 2.5 mg steps, taken only if more glucose control is needed.
What is the starting dose of tirzepatide?
2.5 mg injected under the skin once weekly. The Zepbound label says to stay on it for 4 weeks and states that the 2.5 mg dosage is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage. The first maintenance option is 5 mg.
What is the maximum dose of tirzepatide?
15 mg once weekly for adults on both the Zepbound and Mounjaro labels. The Mounjaro label caps children aged 10 and older with type 2 diabetes at 10 mg once weekly.
How many units is 2.5 mg of compounded tirzepatide?
It depends on the concentration of the vial, not on the dose alone. On a U-100 syringe, units equal the dose in mg divided by the mg per mL, times 100. So 2.5 mg is 25 units at 10 mg/mL, 50 units at 5 mg/mL and 100 units at 2.5 mg/mL. That is arithmetic, not dosing advice.
What are the maintenance doses of Zepbound?
For weight reduction and long term maintenance the label lists 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg once weekly, chosen on treatment response and tolerability. For obstructive sleep apnoea it lists 10 mg or 15 mg. The 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg doses are steps on the way up.
What happens if you miss a dose of tirzepatide?
Both labels say to 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 the usual day. The injection day can be changed as long as the two doses are at least 3 days (72 hours) apart.
Is Mounjaro dosing the same as Zepbound?
The strengths and the 2.5 mg steps are the same, and both stop at 15 mg for adults. The wording differs: Zepbound moves to 5 mg after 4 weeks and names 5, 10 or 15 mg as maintenance doses, while Mounjaro steps up only if additional glucose control is needed.
Sources
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information, DailyMed, Eli Lilly, revised 08/2026
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) prescribing information, DailyMed, Eli Lilly, revised 08/2026
- Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med 2022, PMID 35658024
- Tirzepatide dosage calculator, peptulator.com
Tirzepatide prices by vendor
| Vendor | Vial | Price | Per mg | Ships from | Testing / COA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amino Club Readers' pick | 30mg | $59.99 | $2.00 | US | Every batch runs an 8-assay panel at an ISO 17025 lab |
| PSPeptides | 10mg | $54.99 | $5.50 | US | Batch-specific COA on every product page |
| Apollo Peptide Sciences | 20mg | $125.99 | $6.30 | US | Third-party tested every batch |
| Ascension Peptides | 10mg | $105.00 | $10.50 | US | Batch-specific third-party COA |
| Pantheon Peptides | 5mg | $75.00 | $15.00 | US | Every batch tested by an independent lab |
Amino Club list price checked 2026-09-08, the others 2026-09-05; prices change, the link shows the live price. Readers' pick is the vendor Bureau readers have ordered from most this year; code 100 takes 20% off a first order there. PSPeptides prices checked 2026-09-08. Code PEPTIDEBUREAU takes 10% off at PSPeptides and keeps the order counted for the Bureau. Its largest vial is 60mg at $199.99 ($3.33 per mg), which is the cheaper way to buy it there. It is the only vendor here that ships outside the US. Ascension links open the vendor storefront rather than the product page. Bold row is the lowest price per mg among the vendors with a published vial size. Where a vendor sells several vial sizes, the table shows the smallest; larger vials are usually cheaper per mg.
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Build your stack, 2 minutesRelated on Peptide Bureau
How it compares molecule to molecule is in semaglutide vs tirzepatide, and what it costs is in tirzepatide cost.