Tirzepatide dosage starts at 2.5 mg a week and climbs in 2.5 mg steps to 15 mg
Every tirzepatide product starts you at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks, then 5 mg. After that, your prescriber can add 2.5 mg at a time, with at least 4 weeks on each dose, up to 15 mg.
Zepbound and Mounjaro share these milligrams but attach different conditions to each step. A compounded vial uses the same milligrams with no FDA label of its own, and what you pay depends on the route.
- 2.5 mgyour starting dose for weeks 1 to 4
- 15 mgthe adult maximum on both labels
- $299 to $449Zepbound on LillyDirect, rising with your dose
- $499Mounjaro self-pay on LillyDirect at every strength
We read both FDA labels on DailyMed and LillyDirect's prices on October 15, 2026. Your prescriber sets your dose.
What is the tirzepatide dosing schedule on each label?
Both labels use the same six doses, and each puts its own condition on the climb.
| Earliest week | Dose, once weekly | Zepbound label | Mounjaro label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 2.5 mg | Starter dose, not a maintenance dose. | Treatment initiation, not intended for glycemic control. |
| 5 to 8 | 5 mg | First maintenance option for weight reduction. | The first treatment dose, after 4 weeks. |
| 9 to 12 | 7.5 mg | Step dose, not a listed maintenance dose. | Only if you need more glycemic control. |
| 13 to 16 | 10 mg | Maintenance option; lowest dose for sleep apnea. | Same condition; the pediatric maximum. |
| 17 to 20 | 12.5 mg | Step dose. | Same condition. |
| 21 and on | 15 mg | Highest maintenance option and the maximum. | Adult maximum. |
Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management and obstructive sleep apnea, and its label names 5, 10 and 15 mg as maintenance doses. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes, and its label raises the dose past 5 mg only if you need more glycemic control. The weeks column shows the fastest path either label allows.
We read the Zepbound label and the Mounjaro label on DailyMed on October 15, 2026. Brand pages: Zepbound dosage and Mounjaro dosage.
What does each tirzepatide dose cost you?
Your Zepbound price rises with your dose, your Mounjaro self-pay price stays the same, and many compounded programs charge one flat price.
| Dose | Zepbound, LillyDirect vial or KwikPen | Mounjaro, LillyDirect pen |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | $299 | from $499 |
| 5 mg | $399 | from $499 |
| 7.5 mg | $449$499 if you refill after 45 days | from $499 |
| 10 mg | $449$699 if you refill after 45 days | from $499 |
| 12.5 mg | $449$699 if you refill after 45 days | from $499 |
| 15 mg | $449$699 if you refill after 45 days | from $499 |
Both columns are the price of the medicine alone for a 28-day supply, before any telehealth fee. Zepbound's list price is $1,086 a month and Mounjaro's is $1,112.16. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes, so a weight-loss prescription for it is off-label.
Before you compare, check:
- The dose you will be on in three months, not the starting dose. A $299 first month can become $449 on Zepbound.
- Whether a compounded price is the same at every dose and includes the visit, shipping and supplies.
- That a compounded program names its pharmacy and tells you the concentration in mg per mL.
We checked LillyDirect's Zepbound prices and LillyDirect's Mounjaro prices on October 15, 2026.
Compounded tirzepatide at one price for every dose
These programs publish one price that stays the same as your dose climbs, from $209 a month. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
- 1Bodybuilding Health+7.2/10 · GoodChecked Oct 16, 2026; few independent reviews yet.Compounded Tirzepatide (1-month) · same price every month · checked 2026-09-03$209/moCheck price
- 2TMates6/10 · FairChecked Oct 16, 2026; few independent reviews yet.Compounded Tirzepatide (month-to-month) · same price every month · checked 2026-09-03$297/moCheck price
- 3GobyMeds6.4/10 · FairChecked Oct 18, 2026.Compounded Tirzepatide, 4-Week Supply · same price every month · checked 2026-10-18$299/4 weeksCheck price
- 4Enhance MD9.4/10 · ExcellentChecked Oct 16, 2026; some details not published.Compounded Tirzepatide (month-to-month) · same price every month · checked 2026-08-28$329/4 weeksCheck price
Sorted by verified flat price, not by who pays us. Program prices last checked October 18, 2026. We may earn a commission from partners, and it never changes a score. How we rank. Every tracked program, including per-dose pricing, is on cheapest tirzepatide.
What did each maintenance dose deliver in the trials?
In SURMOUNT-1, the step from 5 mg to 10 mg added more average weight loss than the step from 10 mg to 15 mg.
| Maintenance dose | SURMOUNT-1, no diabetes | SURMOUNT-2, type 2 diabetes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 15.0% | Not studied |
| 10 mg | 19.5% | 12.8% |
| 15 mg | 20.9% | 14.7% |
| Placebo | 3.1% | 3.2% |
SURMOUNT-1 randomised 2,539 adults without type 2 diabetes to a fixed maintenance dose for 72 weeks. SURMOUNT-2 enrolled adults with type 2 diabetes, tested only the 10 mg and 15 mg doses, and they lost less on average.
Stomach side effects rise with the dose, which is why the Zepbound label lists 5, 10 and 15 mg all as maintenance doses rather than 15 mg as the target. A group average does not predict your own result.
Results from SURMOUNT-1 in the New England Journal of Medicine and SURMOUNT-2 in The Lancet.
What does a compounded vial change about your dose?
Your prescription stays in milligrams, but the volume you draw depends on the concentration your pharmacy made.
A pen delivers a fixed dose. A compounded vial delivers whatever volume you draw, so two programs can both say "5 mg" and hand you different syringes. Your schedule is your prescriber's adaptation of a label, not a label, and no compounded formulation has trial data of its own.
Before your first compounded dose, ask:
- The concentration in mg per mL, and how many syringe units your dose is in that vial.
- Which pharmacy compounds it, and whether your price changes when your dose rises.
- What to do with leftover medicine when your dose changes.
Our compounded tirzepatide guide covers the regulatory side, and the Zepbound dosage page shows how the volume changes between brand containers too.
What if you miss a tirzepatide dose?
Both labels give you 4 days to take a missed dose.
- Within 4 days (96 hours)
- Take the missed dose as soon as you can, then go back to your regular weekly day.
- More than 4 days
- Skip it and take your next dose on your regular day.
- Changing your day
- You can, as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) separate two doses.
From section 2 of both labels on DailyMed, read on October 15, 2026.
Can you keep your tirzepatide dose if you switch providers?
Your new prescriber decides, and only a few programs say in public how they handle it.
Our dose-transfer table shows what each program we checked says about continuing your current dose, the proof it asks for and how long approval takes. A gap in doses or a change between brand and compounded medicine can change what a prescriber writes.
Tirzepatide dosage questions
What is the tirzepatide dosing schedule?
Both FDA-approved tirzepatide products, Zepbound and Mounjaro, start at 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, move to 5 mg, and can then rise in 2.5 mg steps with at least 4 weeks on each dose, to a maximum of 15 mg once weekly for adults. Each label attaches its own conditions to those steps.
What does each tirzepatide dose cost?
On LillyDirect, Zepbound costs $299 at 2.5 mg, $399 at 5 mg and $449 from 7.5 mg up when you refill within 45 days. Mounjaro self-pay starts at $499 a month at every strength. Many compounded programs charge one flat price at every dose, from $209 a month in our index; compounded tirzepatide is not FDA-approved. Prices checked October 15, 2026.
Is there a tirzepatide dosing calculator?
Our dosing schedule calculator lays out the week-by-week timeline for tirzepatide and semaglutide from the labels. It does not calculate units for a compounded vial, because that depends on the vial's concentration, which only the dispensing pharmacy states. Ask for the concentration in mg per mL before you draw a dose.
How is compounded tirzepatide dosed?
A compounded program prescribes the same milligrams the labels use, but from a vial rather than a prefilled pen, so the volume you draw depends on the concentration the pharmacy compounded. No compounded formulation has its own FDA label or trial data; your prescriber adapts the Zepbound or Mounjaro ladder.
What if I miss a tirzepatide dose?
Both labels say to take a missed dose within 4 days (96 hours), and otherwise to skip it and take your next dose on your regular day. You can change your weekly day as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) separate two doses.
Can I stay on 5 mg?
On Zepbound, 5 mg is a listed maintenance dose for weight reduction. On Mounjaro, the label raises the dose past 5 mg only if you need more glycemic control, so staying at 5 mg is within the label. Your prescriber decides.
Dosing statements come from the Zepbound and Mounjaro prescribing information on DailyMed, read October 15, 2026. Program prices come from our database, verified on the dates shown. This page gives you information, not medical advice; your prescriber sets your dose. There are 39 programs in our index; the ones above are the flat-price subset.