Mounjaro is a sort 2 diabetes drug that lowers blood sugar ranges, helps enhance A1c ranges (a measure of blood sugar management over the previous two to 3 months), and helps keep weight.
This text explains all the things it’s good to find out about this drug, together with its results, unintended effects, and easy methods to use it successfully.
What’s Munjaro?
Mounjaro is manufactured by Eli Lilly and is the model title of the drug tirzepatide.
It was first permitted by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 to assist handle blood sugar ranges in adults with sort 2 diabetes, together with a nutritious diet and train.
It’s the first drug in a brand new class of medicine often called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor twin agonists, which means that each GLP-1 receptors and GIP receptors Prompts each our bodies.
It helps the pancreas produce extra insulin, reduces the quantity of sugar launched by the liver, will increase the physique’s sensitivity to insulin, and slows down digestion, making you’re feeling fuller longer.
It’s an injection drug taken as soon as every week to enhance blood sugar ranges and A1c.
What are the advantages of Munjaro?
This remedy has three essential advantages for individuals with diabetes:
decrease blood sugar ranges
This drug improves blood sugar ranges by rising the quantity of insulin launched by the pancreas, however provided that blood sugar ranges are elevated.
This minimizes the chance of hypoglycemia whereas taking the drug. It additionally stops the liver from releasing sugar into the bloodstream and will increase the physique’s sensitivity to insulin.
Mixed, they decrease blood sugar and A1c ranges.
Helps shed weight or keep weight
In November 2023, Mounjaro was permitted below the commerce title Zepbound for persistent weight administration in obese or overweight adults with a minimum of one weight-related illness.
This drugs helps scale back meals consumption by lowering urge for food and slowing digestion.
In medical trials, individuals who took the drug at a most dose of 15 milligrams (mg) per week misplaced the next signs:
- 12 kilos greater than these taking the GLP-1 drug semaglutide
- 29 kilos heavier than individuals taking insulin degludec
- 27 kilos heavier than these taking insulin glargine
How a lot weight can I lose with Munjaro?
In a examine of Zepbound, a weight-loss model of Mounjaro, roughly 15 p.c of contributors who took 5 mg, 32 p.c of contributors who took 10 mg, and 36 p.c of contributors who took 15 mg misplaced 25 p.c of their physique weight. decreased. About their weight.
On the highest dose of 15 mg, weight reduction averaged 48 kilos, in keeping with the producer.
See under for extra data. Can Munjaro assist you to shed weight?
Reduces threat of coronary heart illness
This drug has the facility to stop coronary heart illness, the primary killer of diabetics.
Within the examine, contributors who took the best dose (15 mg per week) had the next outcomes after 52 weeks:
- Diminished whole ldl cholesterol by roughly 5.6%
- Triglycerides decreased by 22.5%
- Lowered LDL (“dangerous”) ldl cholesterol by 7.9 p.c
- Diminished VLDL ldl cholesterol by 21.8%
- HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol elevated by 10.8 p.c
Why is Munjaro prescribed?
This remedy is permitted by the FDA just for sufferers with sort 2 diabetes.
Nevertheless, it is very important notice that not all sort 2 diabetics are prescribed Munjaro.
It is because many individuals can handle their blood sugar ranges with weight loss program, train, and generally different medicines corresponding to metformin or insulin.
Nevertheless, it’s a good way to fight insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and help weight reduction for those who discover it tough to attain these targets with different strategies.
Many individuals with sort 2 diabetes and pre-existing coronary heart illness may be prescribed this remedy to behave as a protecting agent and enhance each diabetes and coronary heart well being.
This drug shouldn’t be permitted to be used in individuals below 18 years of age.
What are the unintended effects of Munjaro?
The most typical unintended effects are:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- bloating
- fuel
- abdomen ache
- constipation
- weight reduction
- quick coronary heart fee
Though uncommon, extra severe issues could happen, together with:
- Thyroid tumors together with most cancers
- Pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas)
- gallbladder illness
- Taking insulin lowers blood sugar ranges
- extreme allergic response
A few of these extra extreme unintended effects can result in everlasting well being issues or loss of life if not handled promptly.
Name your physician or search emergency remedy if:
- have a fever
- expertise adjustments or worsening of imaginative and prescient
- Feeling drained or in ache after taking drugs
- Assume you may have an allergic response
For a extra detailed overview, see under. Munjaro unintended effects: what it’s good to know.
Do I want to vary my weight loss program?
When taking Munjaro, adjusting your weight loss program can improve the effectiveness of the drug and scale back unintended effects.
Avoiding meals and drinks which can be excessive in sugar, meals which can be too fatty, fried, and greasy, and consuming alcohol moderately or by no means, relying in your private well being suggestions, can assist.
Specializing in unprocessed, entire meals corresponding to lean proteins, wholesome fat, and low-glycemic greens can improve the effectiveness of medicines in managing blood sugar ranges.
Learn under for additional steering. Meals to keep away from in Munjaro.
Munjaro dosage
This remedy comes as an answer in a prefilled, disposable pen. The drug is injected subcutaneously (below the pores and skin) as soon as every week.
You may take the medication with or with out meals. To stop overdose, every dose is run in a single-dose pen.
The completely different dosing choices obtainable are:
- 2.5 mg/week (first 4 weeks as beginning dose)
- 5mg per week
- 7.5mg per week
- 10mg per week
- 15mg per week
Upkeep doses vary from 5 mg to fifteen mg per week and are decided by you and your physician.
learn extra: Munjaro Dosage Information: How A lot Ought to I Take?
How a lot Munjaro ought to I take?
This varies from individual to individual and is dependent upon your well being historical past, well being targets, and life-style.
Nevertheless, most medical doctors begin their sufferers on 2.5 mg as soon as every week. It is very important inject on the identical day each week.
After 4 weeks, if there aren’t any unintended effects, your physician could improve your dose to five mg, given as soon as every week.
You probably have no unintended effects however your blood sugar ranges proceed to spike, your physician could improve your dose to 7.5 mg as soon as every week, or as much as 15 mg as soon as every week. The utmost dose is 15 mg as soon as every week.
Don’t take twice in the identical week.
What occurs for those who take an excessive amount of Munjaro?
Taking an excessive amount of of this drug could cause severe unintended effects.
These can embody debilitating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and even hypoglycemia (particularly for those who additionally use insulin), which might be deadly if not handled instantly.
Don’t take twice inside 3 days.
When you by chance overdose on this remedy, name your physician or search emergency remedy instantly.
Is it okay if I neglect to take Moujaro?
When you miss a dose, it’s okay to take it a number of days later.
Nevertheless, for those who miss a dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) in the past, skip that week’s dose and take your subsequent frequently scheduled dose on time.
Lacking a dose won’t trigger insulin resistance or weight acquire.
Nevertheless, medicines are simplest when taken constantly, so watch out to not neglect to take them frequently.
Munjaro injection methodology
- Visually test the liquid within the pen earlier than injecting.
- Don’t use if the pen has particles or discoloration.
- Earlier than injecting, clear the injection web site with a rubbing alcohol swab.
- Change the injection web site weekly to stop injury and scar tissue improvement below the pores and skin.
- Notice that this remedy is normally injected below the pores and skin within the thigh, stomach, or higher arm.
- Ask your physician about the very best place to inject and easy methods to rotate the injection web site.
- After administration, be sure you get rid of the pen needle and pen in a sharps-safe container.
For the reason that pens are single-dose, there is no such thing as a have to retailer the pens after use, as you’ll deplete 4 for every 30-day provide.
See under for extra data. Munjaro injection: the place and easy methods to inject it.
Who shouldn’t take Munjaro?
For sure, don’t take it and not using a prescription.
Not really useful to be used if pregnant, planning being pregnant, or breastfeeding.
It is usually not really useful for individuals with out diabetes, prediabetes, or sort 1 diabetes until directed by a physician.
See under for extra data. Can I take Munjaro if I’ve sort 1 diabetes?
This drug is permitted by the FDA just for individuals 18 years of age and older.
Don’t use for those who or anybody in your loved ones has had medullary thyroid most cancers (MTC) or in case you have a number of endocrine neoplasia syndrome sort 2 (MEN 2).
Don’t use it in case you are allergic to tirzepatide or some other elements within the drug.
You probably have any questions or considerations about beginning this remedy, please seek the advice of your physician.
How do I cease taking Munjaro?
There are a number of the reason why you may wish to cease taking this remedy.
For instance, chances are you’ll be experiencing dangerous unintended effects, you do not like how your remedy makes you’re feeling, or the price of your remedy is prohibitive.
Seek the advice of your physician earlier than discontinuing any diabetes remedy, together with this one.
What occurs if I cease taking Munjaro?
Your physician will most likely ask you to cease taking it earlier than you cease taking it utterly. Insulin resistance, urge for food, blood sugar ranges, and weight could rise once more once you cease taking it.
It is a good suggestion to have a plan in place, together with various medicines, train, and weight loss program to take care of any rebound chances are you’ll expertise.
When you shed weight with this remedy, chances are you’ll have to proceed taking it indefinitely to keep away from gaining the load again.
Can Munjaro substitute insulin?
No, it isn’t insulin or an insulin substitute. Reasonably, it acts as an adjunct to insulin remedy (in case you are taking insulin).
You probably have not too long ago been prescribed this remedy, don’t cease taking your different diabetes medicines until your physician tells you in any other case.
Though Munjaro lowers blood sugar ranges over time, it doesn’t trigger acute hypoglycemia like insulin.
When you usually take insulin for meals, you must proceed to take action.
You probably have been taking the remedy for a number of months, chances are you’ll discover that your want for insulin regularly decreases.
Nevertheless, diabetes hardly ever utterly eliminates the necessity to take insulin.
Can I take Munjaro with different diabetes medicines?
This is dependent upon different medicines you’re taking.
On the whole, Munjaro might be taken with medicines corresponding to metformin and insulin if they’re prescribed on the identical time.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be utilized in mixture with GLP-1 receptor agonists.
GLP-1 receptor agonists embody:
In case you are uncertain about how a drugs you’re taking could work together with a brand new remedy you’re contemplating taking, be sure you seek the advice of your physician.
For extra data on the comparability between Munharo and Ozempic, please see the next article: Ozempic vs. Munjaro: Which one do you have to select?
Does Munjaro must be refrigerated?
no. The remedy might be saved with out refrigeration for as much as 21 days so long as the temperature doesn’t exceed 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius).
Munjaro needs to be saved at a temperature of 36 to 46 levels Fahrenheit (2 to eight levels Celsius).
Watch out to not exceed 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius) and keep away from freezing the pen.
All the time retailer your Mounjaro pen in its authentic case to guard it from daylight.
How a lot does Munharo price?
Mounjaro prices range relying on insurance coverage protection and particular plan particulars.
To find out your particular copayments or deductibles, you need to use your prescription or medical card with the Mounjaro Protection and Copay Calculator obtainable out of your insurance coverage firm.
You probably have any questions on protection or copays, please contact Mounjaro Buyer Assist at 1-800-545-5979.
Eli Lilly affords the Mounjaro Financial savings Card program, which might present free remedy for many who qualify. To study extra about this program and to see for those who qualify, name Eli Lilly’s PAP toll-free at 1-800-545-6962.
How can I get a prescription for Munjaro?
You probably have sort 2 diabetes, speak to your physician about prescribing this remedy.
If you do not have sort 2 however have one other type of diabetes and are coping with insulin resistance, speak to your physician about remedy choices.
Additionally, if you do not have diabetes however wish to shed weight safely, speak to your physician. There are FDA-approved weight reduction medicines that do not have the identical unintended effects as Mounjaro/Zepbound and could also be appropriate.
For instance, Wegovy (semaglutide) is FDA-approved for weight reduction in adults who’re overweight or obese and have a minimum of one weight-related illness (corresponding to sort 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).
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