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 every part it’s essential to learn about Mounjaro, together with its advantages, unwanted side effects, and the right way to use it successfully.
What’s Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is produced by Eli Lilly and is the model title for the treatment tirzepatide.
It was first accepted by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA in 2022 for individuals with sort 2 diabetes.
Mounjaro is the primary treatment out there within the US that prompts each the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist and GIP receptors.
It’s an injectable treatment taken as soon as per week to assist enhance blood sugar ranges and A1C.
What are the advantages of Mounjaro?
Mounjaro has three essential advantages for individuals 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 treatment minimal. It additionally stops your liver from releasing sugar into the blood.
Mixed, this leads to decrease blood sugars and A1C ranges.
Aids in weight reduction or weight upkeep
Mounjaro is commonly prescribed “off-label” (with out FDA approval) for individuals to assist in weight reduction.
It’s at present being studied for FDA approval as a weight reduction treatment.
Mounjaro helps scale back meals consumption by reducing urge for food and slowing digestion.
In medical trials, individuals taking Mounjaro on the most dose of 15 mg per week misplaced:
- 12 kilos greater than members on the GLP-1 treatment (semaglutide)
- 29 kilos greater than these on insulin degludec
- 27 kilos greater than these on insulin glargine
Lowers danger of coronary heart illness
This potent treatment has the ability to guard in opposition to coronary heart illness which is the primary explanation for dying for individuals with diabetes.
In research after 52 weeks, members on the best dose of Mounjaro (15 mg per week):
- Lowered their complete ldl cholesterol by about 5.6 %
- Lowered their triglycerides by 22.5 %
- Lowered their LDL ldl cholesterol by 7.9 %
- Lowered their VLDL by 21.8 %
- Elevated their HDL by 10.8 %
Why would you be prescribed Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is simply FDA-approved for individuals who have sort 2 diabetes.
Not everybody with sort 2 diabetes shall be prescribed Mounjaro.
It’s because many individuals are in a position to handle their blood sugar ranges with food regimen, train, and generally with insulin remedy.
Nevertheless, it’s a good way to fight insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and support in weight reduction if you happen to’re struggling to handle your diabetes by yourself.
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.
Mounjaro isn’t prescribed to individuals beneath 18 years of age.
What are the unwanted side effects of Mounjaro?
The most typical unwanted side effects embody:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Fuel
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Weight reduction
- Speedy coronary heart fee
Though uncommon, extra extreme issues could embody:
- Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
- Pancreatitis
- Gallbladder illness
- Low blood sugar ranges, if you happen to take insulin
- Critical allergic reactions
A number of of those extra extreme unwanted side effects can result in everlasting well being issues and dying if not handled rapidly.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration if you happen to:
- Develop a fever
- Expertise modifications or worsening of your imaginative and prescient
- In case you are feeling weak or in ache after taking the treatment
- For those who assume you’re having an allergic response
Mounjaro doses
Mounjaro comes as a liquid resolution inside prefilled, disposable pens. You inject the drug subcutaneously (beneath your pores and skin) as soon as per week.
You may take Mounjaro with or with out meals. Every dose is given in a single-dose pen, to stop overdosing.
The completely different dosing choices out there are:
- 2.5 milligrams per week (for the primary 4 weeks as a beginning dose)
- 5 milligrams per week
- 7.5 milligrams per week
- 10 milligrams per week
- 15 milligrams per week
Upkeep doses can vary wherever from 5 mg per week to fifteen mg per week and shall be selected by you and your physician.
How a lot Mounjaro do I take?
This can range by affected person and it’ll rely in your well being historical past, well being objectives, and way of life.
Nevertheless, most docs will begin sufferers on 2.5 mg as soon as per week. It is very important take your Mounjaro on the identical day every week.
After 4 weeks, if you happen to’re not having adversarial unwanted side effects, your physician could improve your dose to five mg, administered as soon as weekly.
For those who’re nonetheless having blood sugar spikes with no adversarial unwanted side effects, your physician could improve your dose to 7.5 mg as soon as weekly or as excessive as 15 mg as soon as weekly.
The utmost dose of Mounjaro is 15 mg taken as soon as weekly.
By no means take two Mounjaro doses inside the similar week.
What occurs if you happen to take an excessive amount of Mounjaro?
Taking an excessive amount of Mounjaro may cause severe adversarial unwanted side effects.
These can embody debilitating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdomen ache, and even low blood sugar (particularly if you happen to’re additionally on insulin) which might turn out to be deadly if not handled instantly.
Don’t take two doses of Mounjaro inside three days of one another.
Name your physician immediately or search emergency medical consideration if you happen to’ve by chance taken an excessive amount of Mounjaro.
Can I miss a dose of Moujaro?
For those who miss a dose of Mounjaro, it’s okay to take it a number of days late.
Nevertheless, if you happen to missed your dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) in the past, simply skip that week’s dose and take your usually scheduled dose on time.
You’ll not expertise insulin resistance or weight achieve from one missed dose.
Attempt to not miss doses usually, nevertheless, because the treatment is simplest when taken persistently.
Methods to inject Mounjaro
Examine the Mounjaro 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 web site with a rubbing alcohol swab.
Change the injection web site every week to stop accidents beneath the pores and skin or scar tissue from creating.
Mounjaro is often injected beneath the pores and skin within the thigh, stomach, or higher arm.
Discuss to your physician about the most effective locations so that you can inject and the right way to rotate injection websites.
At all times throw the pen needle and pen away after every dose in a sharps-safe container.
Since Mounjaro pens are available single doses, you’ll undergo 4 per 30-day provide, so there isn’t a must hold the pen after use.
Who shouldn’t take Mounjaro?
Don’t take Mounjaro if you happen to don’t have a prescription.
It isn’t advisable to be used if you’re pregnant, planning on changing into pregnant, or if you’re breastfeeding.
It isn’t advisable for individuals with out diabetes, with prediabetes, or with sort 1 diabetes with out the steerage of a doctor.
Mounjaro is simply FDA-approved for individuals 18 years and older.
Don’t use Mounjaro if you happen to or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or if in case you have A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome sort 2 (MEN 2).
Don’t use Mounjaro if you’re allergic to tirzepatide.
Discuss along with your physician if in case you have questions or issues about beginning Mounjaro.
How I do cease taking my Mounjaro?
There are a lot of causes that you could be need to cease taking Mounjaro.
For instance, possibly you’re experiencing adversarial unwanted side effects, you don’t like how the treatment makes you’re feeling, or it’s gotten cost-prohibitive.
Discuss along with your physician earlier than stopping any diabetes treatment, together with 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 could creep again up when you cease taking Mounjaro.
You’ll want to have a plan in place, such as a substitute treatment, train, or food regimen plan to assist fight any rebound results you might expertise.
Can Mounjaro substitute insulin?
No. Mounjaro isn’t an insulin substitute however acts as a complement to insulin remedy (if you happen to take insulin.)
For those who’ve just lately been prescribed Mounjaro, don’t cease taking your different diabetes medicines until your physician has particularly informed you to.
Mounjaro lowers blood sugars over time, however it doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars in the best way that insulin does.
For those who usually take insulin for meals, you have to to proceed to take action.
For those who’ve been on Mounjaro for a number of months, you might discover that your insulin wants are steadily reducing.
Nevertheless, this hardly ever utterly takes away the necessity to take insulin in your diabetes.
Can I take Mounjaro with different diabetes medicines?
This can rely on what different medicines you’re taking.
Usually talking, you possibly can take Mounjaro with medicines like metformin and/or insulin, if you happen to’ve been prescribed the entire medicines on the similar time.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t mix Mounjaro with different GLP-1 medicines or SGLT-2 inhibitor medicines.
At all times speak along with your physician if you happen to’re not sure of how any medicines you’re taking will work together with Mounjaro earlier than beginning Mounjaro or another new diabetes treatment.
Does Mounjaro have to be refrigerated?
No. Mounjaro 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 ought to be saved at a temperature between 36-46 levels Fahrenheit (2-8 levels Celsius).
Ensure Mounjaro doesn’t get any hotter than 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius).
By no means freeze Mounjaro pens.
At all times hold your Mounjaro pen in its unique casing to guard it from daylight.
How do I get a prescription for Mounjaro?
Discuss along with your physician in order for you a prescription for Mounjaro.
They need to be capable of write you a prescription For those who’re scuffling with weight reduction and insulin resistance and have sort 2 diabetes.
For those who should not have sort 2 diabetes however stay with one other type of diabetes and are scuffling with insulin resistance, speak along with your physician about your remedy choices.
Join along with your physician if you happen to should not have any sort of diabetes and want to safely shed weight.
There are FDA-approved weight reduction medicines which may be a great match and received’t have the identical unwanted side effects as Mounjaro.
For instance, Wegovy, which is FDA-approved for weight reduction, is an choice.
