Mounjaro Not Working? The Checklist, in Order
Results vary a lot by dose and by person. In SURMOUNT-1, the average loss ran from 15% on tirzepatide 5 mg weekly to 20.9% on tirzepatide 15 mg weekly, against 3.1% on placebo. If you have lost little after several months on your full dose, talk to your prescriber.
- Average loss, top dose
- 20.9%
- On placebo
- 3.1%
- Trial length
- 72 weeks
- Trial
- SURMOUNT-1
Mounjaro in brief
Half-life is about 5 days: half is gone by 5 d, and by five half-lives (25 d) about 3% is left.
For SURPASS-1, people with type 2 diabetes lost 7.8 kg over 40 weeks, compared with 1 kg on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars include the list price and self-pay offers. Each comes from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, pricinginfo.lilly.com.
Mounjaro not working: the numbers first
Testing of Mounjaro focused mainly on blood sugar. These are the weight trials for Zepbound, which is the same medicine at a higher dose.
| Trial | Dose group | Average weight lost | Placebo or comparison | Weeks | Who was in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 5 mg weekly | 15% | 3.1% | 72 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 10 mg weekly | 19.5% | 3.1% | 72 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 15 mg weekly | 20.9% | 3.1% | 72 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| SURMOUNT-2 | Tirzepatide 10 mg weekly | 12.8% | 3.2% | 72 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes |
| SURMOUNT-2 | Tirzepatide 15 mg weekly | 14.7% | 3.2% | 72 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes |
Sources: SURMOUNT-1 (FDA label (DailyMed)), SURMOUNT-2 (PubMed).
Reasons it stalls, plus what helps
- Check your place on the dose steps. Lower doses led to less weight loss in every trial listed above.
- Add up the doses you missed or took late during the past month.
- Keep a record of the food and drinks you have over a few days. When portions get smaller, liquid calories and grazing pile up.
- Eat protein at every meal and continue strength exercise, so most weight you lose comes from fat.
- Look at your sleep and stress, because both affect appetite.
- Ask your pharmacist whether any of your other medicines can cause weight gain.
- Ask your prescriber about a thyroid test or blood sugar test, and whether to change medicines if your progress has stalled for months.
How many people stopped in the trials
| Trial | Dose group | What happened | Drug | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 5 mg weekly | Stopped for side effects | 4.3% | 2.6% |
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 10 mg weekly | Stopped for side effects | 7.1% | 2.6% |
| SURMOUNT-1 | Tirzepatide 15 mg weekly | Stopped for side effects | 6.2% | 2.6% |
Source: SURMOUNT-1 (PubMed).