Tirzepatide Headaches: Why, How Long They Last, What Helps

The tirzepatide labels do not list headache as a side effect. What people mean by it: pain in the head.

Zepbound facts at a glance

Time it remains in your body

Its half-life is 5 to 6 days. After 5.5 d, half is gone, and about 3% remains after five half-lives (27.5 d).

Body weight lost in its main trial

In SURMOUNT-1 over 72 weeks, 20.9% of body weight was reported, compared with 3.1% on placebo.

Costs over time

In US dollars, the monthly price points are the list price and self-pay offers, each taken from the maker's price page.

Headache does not appear on the Mounjaro label. The label reports these five side effects more often than any others.

Adverse Reactions in Pool of Placebo-Controlled Trials Reported in 5% or more of MOUNJARO-treated Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Table 1)
Side effect	Placebo	Mounjaro 5 mg	Mounjaro 10 mg	Mounjaro 15 mg	More than placebo, 15 mg
Nausea	4%	12%	15%	18%	+14 points
Diarrhea	9%	12%	13%	17%	+8 points
Decreased Appetite	1%	5%	10%	11%	+10 points
Vomiting	2%	5%	5%	9%	+7 points
Dyspepsia	3%	8%	8%	5%	+2 points

Each label describes its own trials, which included different groups of people. Think of it as a rough guide.

You will also see Foundayo in the table of pill forms.

Headache across GLP-1 labels
Medicine	Highest rate in the label	Dose group	Placebo	People in the trials
Wegovy	14%	2.4 mg	10%	Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management)
Saxenda	13.6%	all doses	12.6%	Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management)
Victoza	11%	1.2 mg	7%	Adults with type 2 diabetes
Foundayo	9%	9 mg	7%	Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management)
Byetta	9%	all doses	6%	Adults with type 2 diabetes
Ozempic	Not listed	–	–	–
Rybelsus	Not listed	–	–	–
Mounjaro	Not listed	–	–	–
Zepbound	Not listed	–	–	–
Trulicity	Not listed	–	–	–