People who use insulin, a hormone that controls how much sugar (glucose) is absorbed by cells, frequently experience weight gain as a side effect. This can be upsetting since keeping a healthy weight is crucial to your overall diabetes control plan.
In May 2022, the FDA approved Eli Lilly’s highly awaited Mounjaro (tirzepatide,) for treating type 2 diabetes, providing patients with a new treatment choice on the market.
Mounjaro is the first medication of its type. It has been deemed a game-changer by many medical experts in the larger field of endocrinology and metabolic health because it is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Learn more about Mounjaro’s promising GLP-1 class advancements and what the results of its clinical trials have to say about its potential to aid in weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese.
What Is Mounjaro?
Like other well-known GLP-1 drugs—such as Wegovy weight loss medication, Mounjaro is an injectable prescription medicine used along with diet and exercise to treat adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It’s a type of medicine called a GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist.
GIP decreases food intake and increases energy expenditure, resulting in weight loss. Combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, it may impact blood glucose and body weight more.
It is not known if Mounjaro is safe and effective for use in people who have had inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) or in children under 18 years of age.
Mounjaro is not for use in people with type 1 diabetes.
How Does Mounjaro Work?
As a dual-action GIP and GLP-1 molecule, Mounjaro activates the body’s GIP and GLP-1 receptors and helps to improve your diabetes health by increasing the production of insulin when your blood sugar rises, minimizing the risk of low blood sugar. It also reduces liver sugar production.
Additionally, Mounjaro slows down the rate at which your stomach empties food into your intestines. By doing this, you can manage your blood sugar levels after eating and help you feel fuller for longer, eat less, and lose weight.
How Should I Use Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm once a week, any time of the day. You can change the day of the week when you use Mounjaro as long as the interval between the 2 doses is at least 3 days (72 hours).
If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but no later than 4 days (96 hours) after the missed dose. Skip the missed dose if more than 4 days have passed and continue with your next dose on your regular day of the week. Don’t take 2 doses within 3 days of each other.
Do not mix insulin and Mounjaro in the same injection, but you may inject Mounjaro and insulin in the same body area (such as your stomach area), but not next to each other. It’s essential to change your injection area every week.
You may take Mounjano with or without food and use it exactly how your healthcare provider instructs you.
The recommended starting dosage of Mounjaro is 2.5 mg. After 4 weeks, doses may be increased in 2.5 mg increments, as tolerated, up to a maximum of 15 mg once weekly. A healthcare provider sets and monitors doses that may be adjusted to help patients meet their blood sugar, weight loss, and metabolic health goals.
How Does Mounjaro Support Weight Loss?
Taking Mounjaro slows down stomach emptying, so you feel fuller, eat less, and lose weight. Additionally, it affects the brain’s satiety and hunger signals, which inform you when to stop eating and result in weight loss.
While most FDA-approved drugs for obesity typically result in weight loss of between 5 and 12% of total body weight, Mounjaro’s clinical data show that participants lost between 5 and 22% of their total body weight or up to 52 pounds during a 72-week study. When combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, is one of the most effective ways to lose weight quickly and safely.
Who Should Not Use Mounjaro?
Do not use Mounjaro if:
- You or anyone in your family has ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
- You are allergic to tirzepatide or any of the ingredients in Mounjaro.
This drug is also contraindicated in the following conditions. You should consult your healthcare professional if you suffer from any of the following conditions before using Mounjaro.
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Dehydration
- Have stomach problems such as gastroparesis (Slowed emptying of your stomach) or problem digesting food
- Disease of the gallbladder
- You have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidney function
- You are pregnant or planning to get pregnant
- You are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
What Are the Possible Side Effects of Mounjaro?
The most common side effects of Mounjaro include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Indigestion
- Stomach pain
Mounjaro may also cause serious side effects, including:
- Hives
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Dizziness
- Fast heart rate
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Nervousness
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Hunger
- Pain in the upper right side of your abdomen
- Pain spreading to your back or below the shoulder blade
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Clay-colored stools
- Bloating of the abdomen
Mounjaro for Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss in Oklahoma
We are glad to announce that we now offer Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and weight loss/obesity in Oklahoma City and its environs. NP 2 Go Clinic has a group of knowledgeable nurse practitioners dedicated to providing their patients with the latest weight management tools. Our goal is to provide you with affordable self-pay options for weight-loss medication.
Schedule a virtual consultation with NP 2 GO Telehealth. During your appointment, our nurse practitioner will ask about all of your medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements. This is because Mounjaro may affect how some medicines work and vice versa.
Before prescribing Mounjaro, the nurse practitioner will also want to know if you’re taking other diabetes medications, including insulin or sulfonylureas, which could increase your risk of low blood sugar.
Know the medicines you take and keep a list before your scheduled appointment.
If you take birth control pills by mouth, our health provider will recommend another type of birth control for 4 weeks after you start Mounjaro and 4 weeks after each increase in your dose.
This is because birth control pills by mouth may not work as well while using Mounjaro.
If you meet the prescribing criteria, our nurse practitioner will write your prescription and send it to you and the pharmacy of your choice.
Get your Moungjaro today. Book a consult today with a provider who can write your prescription.