Mounjaro is a kind 2 diabetes remedy that helps decrease blood sugar ranges and enhance A1C ranges (a measure of glucose management over the previous 2-3 months), and helps keep weight.
On this article, we’ll cowl all the pieces it’s good to learn about this remedy, together with its advantages, unwanted effects, the best way to use it successfully.
What’s Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is produced by Eli Lilly and is the model identify for the drug Tilzepatide.
It was first authorized by the US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 and, together with nutritious diet and train, helped handle blood glucose ranges in adults with sort 2 diabetes.
It’s the first drug remedy in a brand new class generally known as a twin glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that activate each GLP-1 and GIP receptors.
It really works by serving to the pancreas produce extra insulin, lowering the quantity of sugar launched by the liver, rising the physique’s sensitivity to insulin, slowing digestion, and making you’re feeling full.
That is an injectable remedy taken as soon as per week to assist enhance blood sugar ranges and A1c.
What are the benefits of Mounjaro?
This remedy has three important advantages for folks dwelling with diabetes.
Lowers blood sugar ranges
This drug helps enhance blood glucose ranges by rising the quantity of insulin the pancreas releases, however provided that your blood glucose ranges are elevated.
This creates the danger of hypoglycemia whereas minimizing remedy. It additionally stops the liver from releasing sugar into the blood, rising the physique’s sensitivity to insulin.
Mixed, this leads to decrease blood sugar ranges and A1c ranges.
Helps you drop some pounds and keep weight
In November 2023, Mounjaro was authorized below the model identify Zepbound for persistent weight administration in not less than one weight-related situation, chubby or overweight adults.
This drug helps scale back meals consumption by reducing urge for food and slowing digestion.
Medical trials have misplaced folks taking the remedy on the most dose of 15 milligrams (mg) per week.
- 12 kilos greater than folks taking GLP-1 remedy semaglutide
- 29 kilos greater than Insulin Degrudeck’s
- 27 kilos greater than Insulin Glargine
How a lot weight are you able to lose with Mounjaro?
Within the Zepbound research, roughly 15% of individuals taking the 5 mg dose, 32% of doses taking the ten mg dose, and 36% of doses taking the 15 mg dose misplaced 25% of their physique weight.
In keeping with the producer, the common weight reduction was 48 kilos on the highest 15 mg dose.
learn extra: Can Mounjaro aid you drop some pounds?
Reduces the danger of coronary heart illness
This drug has the facility to guard in opposition to coronary heart illness. That is the primary reason behind loss of life in diabetic sufferers.
Within the research, the best dose individuals (15 mg per week) after 52 weeks:
- Lowered complete ldl cholesterol by about 5.6%
- Triglycerides have been decreased by 22.5%
- Lowered LDL (“unhealthy”) ldl cholesterol by 7.9%
- VLDL ldl cholesterol has been decreased by 21.8%
- Elevated HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol by 10.8%
Why are you prescribed Mounjaro?
This remedy was solely authorized by the FDA for folks with sort 2 diabetes.
Nonetheless, it needs to be famous that not everybody with sort 2 diabetes is prescribed Munjaro.
It is because many individuals can handle their blood sugar ranges with eating regimen, train and generally different medicines like metformin and insulin.
Nonetheless, in case you discover it tough to realize these targets in different methods, it’s an effective way to struggle insulin resistance, enhance blood sugar ranges, and aid you drop some pounds.
Many individuals with sort 2 diabetes and current coronary heart illness could also be prescribed medicines to behave as protecting brokers and enhance each diabetes and coronary heart well being.
This drug will not be authorized to be used in folks below the age of 18.
What are the unwanted effects of Mounjaro?
A number of the commonest unwanted effects embody:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- Bloody
- fuel
- Abdomen ache
- constipation
- Weight reduction
- Fast coronary heart price
Uncommon, however extra extreme issues embody:
- Thyroid tumors containing most cancers
- Pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas)
- Gallbladder illness
- Hypoglycemia ranges when taking insulin
- Severe allergic reactions
A few of these extra critical unwanted effects, if not handled promptly, can result in everlasting well being issues and loss of life.
Name your physician or search emergency medical consideration.
- You develop a fever
- You’ll expertise adjustments or worsening in your imaginative and prescient
- I really feel weak or painful after taking remedy
- I feel there’s an allergic response
Get a extra detailed overview: Unwanted effects of Mounjaro: Issues it’s good to know.
Do I would like to alter my eating regimen?
When taking Mounjaro, adjusting your eating regimen can enhance the effectiveness of the remedy and scale back unwanted effects.
Relying in your particular person well being suggestions, it’s useful so as to add sugar, excessively fatty, fried or fatty meals, keep away from excessive fatty or fatty meals, and eat in any respect.
A concentrate on uncooked complete meals resembling lean protein, wholesome fat and hypoglycemic greens can enhance the effectiveness of the drug in managing blood glucose ranges.
Learn extra for extra detailed steering: Meals to Keep away from in Mounjaro.
Mounjaro dosage
This medication is offered as a liquid answer in a ready-made disposable pen. You inject the drug subcutaneously as soon as per week (below your pores and skin).
You may take remedy with or with out meals. Every dose is given in a single dosage pen to stop overdose.
The assorted dosing choices accessible embody:
- 2.5 mg per week (first 4 weeks as beginning dose)
- 5 mg per week
- 7.5 mg per week
- 10 mg per week
- 15 mg per week
Upkeep dosages vary from 5 mg per week to five mg per week for you and your physician to determine.
learn extra: Mounjaro Dosing Information: How a lot ought to it value?
How a lot Munjaro do I take?
This varies from individual to individual and depends upon your well being historical past, well being targets and life-style.
Nonetheless, most docs begin sufferers at 2.5 mg as soon as per week. You will need to get the injection on the identical day every week.
After 4 weeks, if the unwanted effects should not adversely affected, your physician could improve the dose as soon as per week to five mg.
Should you nonetheless have blood glucose spikes with out unwanted effects, your physician may improve as soon as per week, or 15 mg to fifteen mg to fifteen mg. The utmost dose is 15 mg as soon as per week.
Don’t take the identical dose twice per week.
What occurs if there are too many Mounjaros?
Taking this remedy an excessive amount of may cause critical opposed results.
These embody debilitating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdomen ache, and even hypoglycemia (particularly in case you are utilizing insulin).
Don’t take two doses inside three days of one another.
Name your physician instantly or in case you unintentionally take this remedy an excessive amount of, search emergency medical consideration.
Do you miss the mujaro dose?
Should you missed the dose, you’ll be able to take it just a few days late.
Nonetheless, in case you missed the dose greater than 4 days (96 hours) earlier than you, skip the dose for the week and take the following recurrently scheduled dose on time.
You’ll not expertise insulin resistance or weight achieve from one missed dose.
Nonetheless, remedy is the simplest when taken constantly, so ensure you do not miss your dose recurrently.
Tips on how to inject Mounjaro
- Visually examine the liquid within the pen earlier than injecting.
- Don’t use a pen if particles or discoloration are current.
- Clear the injection web site with a friction alcohol swab earlier than injecting.
- Exchange the injection web site weekly to stop accidents below the pores and skin or scar tissue.
- Observe that this remedy is often injected below the pores and skin of your thighs, stomach, or higher arms.
- Discuss to your physician about the very best place to inject and the best way to rotate the jet web site.
- At all times place the needle of the pen in a pointy container and discard every dose earlier than discarding the pen.
As a result of the pen is a single dose, it supplies 4 provides per 30 days, so there isn’t any want to take care of the pen after use.
For extra info: Mounjaro Infusion: The place and Tips on how to Inject.
Who shouldn’t take Munjaro?
Evidently, do not take this if you do not have a prescription.
In case you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding, we don’t advocate utilizing it.
It’s also not really helpful for individuals who wouldn’t have diabetes, prediabetes, or sort 1 diabetes with out steering from a physician.
For extra info: Can I take Mounjaro if I’ve sort 1 diabetes?
This drug is FDA authorized just for folks over the age of 18.
Don’t use it if both you or your loved ones has medulla thyroid most cancers (MTC) or you probably have a number of endocrine neoplastic syndrome sort 2 (male 2).
Don’t use in case you are allergic to tilzepatide or different elements throughout remedy.
When you’ve got any questions or issues about beginning this remedy, speak to your physician.
How do I cease taking Mounjaro?
There are various explanation why you would possibly need to cease taking this remedy.
For instance, unwanted effects could have a adverse impact, however I do not like how the drug feels and the way it retains prices down.
Discuss to your physician earlier than you cease any diabetes medicines that comprise this.
What occurs if I cease taking Mounjaro?
Your physician will most likely need to wean your dose earlier than you cease it utterly. Insulin resistance, meals craving, blood sugar ranges, and weight can creep up if you cease taking it.
You may need to plan alternate options, train, eating regimen and extra to fight the rebound results you could expertise.
Should you drop some pounds from this remedy, you could must proceed taking it indefinitely to stop your weight from coming again.
Can Mounjaro change insulin?
no. It isn’t insulin, neither is it insulin supplementation. Moderately, it serves as a complement to insulin remedy (in case you are taking insulin).
When you’ve got just lately been prescribed this remedy, do not cease taking your different diabetes medicines except your physician particularly tells you.
Mounjaro lowers blood glucose ranges over time, however the way in which by which insulin is feasible doesn’t trigger acute hypoglycemia.
Often, in case you are taking insulin to meals, it is best to proceed doing it.
Should you’ve been on remedy for a number of months, you could discover that your insulin wants are step by step lowering.
Nonetheless, this hardly ever takes away the necessity to take insulin in your diabetes.
Can I take Mounjaro with different diabetes medicines?
This depends upon the opposite remedy you’re taking.
Typically, munjaro will be taken with medicines resembling metformin and insulin if prescribed on the identical time.
Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be mixed with GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine.
GLP-1 receptor agonists embody:
At all times speak to your physician in case you are uncertain how the remedy you’re taking will work together with the brand new remedy you’re taking.
Learn extra about how Mounjaro compares to Ozempic: Ozempic vs. Mounjaro: Which ought to I select?
Do Mounjaro must be refrigerated?
no. This drug will be frozen for as much as 21 days, so long as the temperature doesn’t exceed 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius).
Mounjaro needs to be saved at temperatures between 36-46 levels Fahrenheit (2 and eight levels Celsius).
Don’t get hotter than 86 levels Fahrenheit (30 levels Celsius) and do not freeze the pen.
At all times retailer the Mounjaro pen in its authentic casing to guard it from daylight.
How a lot does Mounjaro value?
Mounjaro’s prices will range relying on the insurance coverage protection and the particular plan particulars.
To find out your particular co-payment or out-of-pocket bills, you should use your prescription or medical card utilizing the Mounjaro protection and co-payment calculator, accessible by your insurance coverage supplier.
When you’ve got any questions on protection or joint cost prices, you’ll be able to contact Mounjaro Buyer Assist at 1-800-545-5979.
For certified people, Eli Lily presents the Munjaro Financial savings Card Program, which can supply free medicines. To seek out out extra about this program and see in case you are eligible, name Eli Lilly’s PAP toll free quantity at 1-800-545-6962.
How do I get a prescription for Mounjaro?
When you’ve got sort 2 diabetes, seek the advice of your physician in case you want a prescription for this remedy.
If you do not have sort 2 however stay with one other type of diabetes and cope with insulin resistance, speak to your physician about remedy choices.
Additionally, if you do not have diabetes however are contemplating shedding pounds safely, speak to your physician. There are FDA authorized weight reduction medicines which may be appropriate and wouldn’t have the identical unwanted effects as Mounjaro/Zepbound.
For instance, Wegovy (Semaglutide) is overweight or chubby and has authorized the FDA for weight reduction in not less than one weight-related situation (resembling sort 2 diabetes, hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol).
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