Stopping Mounjaro: What Happens Week by Week and How to Taper
Agree a plan with your prescriber before you stop Mounjaro. What you are trying to keep: in SURMOUNT-1, people on tirzepatide 15 mg weekly lost 20.9% on average over 72 weeks.
- Average loss, top dose
- 20.9%
- On placebo
- 3.1%
- Trial length
- 72 weeks
- Trial
- SURMOUNT-1
A quick look at Mounjaro
Its half-life is about 5 days. After 5 d, half is gone, and after five half-lives (25 d), about 3% remains.
In SURPASS-1, which lasted 40 weeks, people with type 2 diabetes lost 7.8 kg, while those on placebo lost 1 kg.
Monthly figures in US dollars cover the list price and self-pay offers. Each comes from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, pricinginfo.lilly.com.
Stopping Mounjaro: the numbers first
Testing of Mounjaro focused mainly on blood sugar. These weight trials used Zepbound, 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 type 2 diabetes who also have obesity or overweight |
| SURMOUNT-2 | Tirzepatide 15 mg weekly | 14.7% | 3.2% | 72 | Adults with type 2 diabetes who also have obesity or overweight |
These results are drawn from SURMOUNT-1 (FDA label (DailyMed)) and SURMOUNT-2 (PubMed).
Keeping off the weight you have lost
- Talk to your prescriber first so your plan covers follow-up visits and any other medicines.
- Continue the eating habits you built while taking the drug. Include protein at each meal, smaller portions, and fewer sugary drinks.
- Keep moving. Strength training helps you hold onto the muscle you have.
- Agree in advance on the change that means you call your prescriber, and weigh yourself on a set schedule.
- If you take it for diabetes, ask what your blood sugar plan will look like after you stop.
In the trials, how many people stopped?
| 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).