Tirzepatide dosage chart
The weekly tirzepatide schedule from the prescribing information and the units to draw for common vial strengths. Written by our clinical team in Mission Viejo, California.
Medically reviewed by Lindsay Short, NP-BC, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner · last reviewed October 2026
Tirzepatide dosage schedule in the prescribing information
This is the escalation schedule in the US prescribing information for Zepbound. Each step follows at least four weeks on the previous dose. Your prescriber sets the actual pace, and many patients stay on a lower dose that works for them. It is reference information, not a plan to follow on your own.
| When | Weekly dose | Role in the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | 2.5 mg | Starting dose, not a treatment dose. |
| Weeks 5 to 8 | 5 mg | Maintenance option. |
| Weeks 9 to 12 | 7.5 mg | Escalation step. |
| Weeks 13 to 16 | 10 mg | Maintenance option. |
| Weeks 17 to 20 | 12.5 mg | Escalation step. |
| Week 21 onward | 15 mg | Maintenance option, and the maximum dose. |
Tirzepatide dosage chart in units
For compounded vials drawn up with a U-100 syringe. Find your prescribed dose on the left and the concentration printed on your vial along the top.
| Prescribed dose | 5 mg/mL vial | 10 mg/mL vial | 20 mg/mL vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 25 units (0.25 mL) | 12.5 units* (0.125 mL) |
| 5 mg | 100 units (1 mL) | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 25 units (0.25 mL) |
| 7.5 mg | 150 units (1.5 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 75 units (0.75 mL) | 37.5 units* (0.375 mL) |
| 10 mg | 200 units (2 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 100 units (1 mL) | 50 units (0.5 mL) |
| 12.5 mg | 250 units (2.5 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 125 units (1.25 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 62.5 units* (0.625 mL) |
| 15 mg | 300 units (3 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 150 units (1.5 mL)more than a 1 mL syringe holds | 75 units (0.75 mL) |
100-unit (1 mL) syringes are usually marked every 2 units; 30- and 50-unit syringes every unit.
* Not a whole unit, so it falls between the marks on most syringes. Do not round it on your own: ask your prescriber or pharmacist how to measure it.
Vial at a different strength, or a label that shows a total like 30 mg/2 mL? Use the tirzepatide dosage calculator, which converts any strength and explains brand Zepbound and Mounjaro vials.
Compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide are not FDA-approved. They are prepared by a licensed pharmacy for an individual patient, and their strength varies from pharmacy to pharmacy, which is exactly why the concentration on your own label is the number that matters. Brand pens (Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic) deliver a fixed dose and need no conversion.
Why the schedule is so slow
Tirzepatide acts on two receptors, GLP-1 and GIP. Both slow stomach emptying and reduce appetite, and gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea are most common while the dose is being increased. The label's minimum of four weeks at each step is there to give the body time to adjust.
In SURMOUNT-1, the trial behind tirzepatide for weight management, the climb to the top dose was finished by week 20, and weight loss continued for months after the top dose was reached. Much of the weight loss happens at a steady dose, not during the climb.
What our clinicians check before any dose change
A dose change is a clinical decision made at a check-in, never something to do on your own. These are the things our licensed medical professionals look at.
Whether and when to move up a step is decided with your prescriber at a check-in, based on how you are tolerating the current dose and how your weight is responding. The label sets the floor: at least four weeks at each step. Staying on a dose is not failing.
Stop and call your clinician
- Severe abdominal pain, especially pain that spreads to the back.
- Pain in the upper right abdomen after fatty meals.
- Vomiting that stops you keeping fluids down for a day or more.
- Pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant.
- A planned procedure with anesthesia or an endoscopy: tell the team doing it that you take tirzepatide.
Choosing a maintenance dose
There is no single best maintenance dose. The usual aim is the lowest dose at which weight is stable at goal and appetite is controlled without daily side effects. That is a decision you make with your prescriber, and it can change over time.
Common mistakes with the dosage chart
- Skipping the 2.5 mg start. It exists to limit early side effects, not as a treatment dose.
- Climbing through a plateau. Two or three weeks without scale movement is normal at any dose.
- Copying units from someone else's chart. Units depend on the vial strength, which varies.
- Stopping abruptly at goal. Weight tends to return after stopping; plan maintenance with your prescriber.
Answers before you book
What is the standard tirzepatide dosage schedule?
Per the US prescribing information, 2.5 mg once weekly for four weeks, then increases of 2.5 mg after at least four weeks on each dose, up to a maximum of 15 mg. The maintenance doses are 5, 10 or 15 mg, and your prescriber decides the pace.
How many units is each tirzepatide dose?
It depends on the vial strength. On a 10 mg/mL vial, 2.5 mg is 25 units, 5 mg is 50 units, 7.5 mg is 75 units and 10 mg is 100 units on a U-100 syringe. The chart above covers 5 and 20 mg/mL too.
Can the schedule go faster than every four weeks?
Not under the label. Each step is at least four weeks on the previous dose, and slower is common. Faster increases mainly bring more nausea and more people stopping treatment.
What if I miss a dose?
The prescribing information says to take it within four days of the missed dose; if more than four days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on your regular day. After a longer gap, ask your prescriber how to restart.
Is Zepbound dosing different from Mounjaro?
The steps are the same: both are tirzepatide, starting at 2.5 mg and rising in 2.5 mg steps at least four weeks apart, to a maximum of 15 mg. What differs is the approval. Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management, with maintenance doses of 5, 10 or 15 mg, and for obstructive sleep apnea with obesity at 10 or 15 mg. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes.
Sources and references
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) prescribing information, DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) prescribing information, DailyMed
- Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med, 2022. PubMed
- FDA: FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss
Want a clinician to check your plan?
Book a free GLP-1 consultation by video from anywhere in California, or in person in Mission Viejo. Labs and medication pickup are at the clinic. No insurance needed.