Tirzepatide Muscle Loss: How Common, How Long It Lasts
The tirzepatide labels do not list muscle loss as a side effect. What people mean by it: losing muscle along with fat while losing weight.
- In the label
- Not listed
- Most common in the label
- Nausea 18%
Zepbound in brief
Half-life 5 to 6 days: after 5.5 d half is gone, and after five half-lives (27.5 d) about 3% is left.
SURMOUNT-1 reported 20.9% of body weight at 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% on placebo.
In US dollars, the monthly price points cover the list price as well as self-pay offers, all taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), Eli Lilly 1 2, cnbc.com.
What the Mounjaro label lists instead
The Mounjaro label does not list muscle loss. It does list these five side effects most often.
| 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 |
Source: Mounjaro label (DailyMed).
Source: FDA label (DailyMed).