Tirzepatide Dosage Chart: The FDA Label Schedule, Step by Step
Tirzepatide dosage chart: units per dose by vial size, plus the FDA-approved Mounjaro and Zepbound schedule - starting dose, titration and maximum dose.
The short version
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) has one FDA-approved dosing schedule. It starts at 2.5 mg for four weeks, then rises in 2.5 mg steps no sooner than every four weeks, up to a 15 mg maximum. A prescriber manages that titration against how the person tolerates and responds to it. It is not a number to copy from a vial label or a forum post.
- The approved schedule starts at 2.5 mg once weekly and tops out at 15 mg once weekly, titrated no faster than every 4 weeks.
- This is the only dosing FDA has reviewed; a compounded or "research" vial follows nobody's reviewed schedule.
- Reconstitution arithmetic for a vial is separate from the dose itself. Use the dosage calculator for that math.
Tirzepatide dosage chart
The FDA-approved Tirzepatide product is dosed as its label directs and a prescriber sets the dose. For vials that need mixing, this is each label dose in units on a U-100 insulin syringe, by vial size.
5 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 2 |
| 5 mg | 100 units | 1 mL | 1 |
10 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
| 5 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 2 |
| 7.5 mg | 75 units | 0.75 mL | 1 |
| 10 mg | 100 units | 1 mL | 1 |
Full 10 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
15 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 16.5 units | 0.165 mL | 6 |
| 5 mg | 33.5 units | 0.335 mL | 3 |
| 7.5 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 2 |
| 10 mg | 66.5 units | 0.665 mL | 1 |
| 12.5 mg | 83.5 units | 0.835 mL | 1 |
| 15 mg | 100 units | 1 mL | 1 |
Full 15 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
20 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 12.5 units | 0.125 mL | 8 |
| 5 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
| 7.5 mg | 37.5 units | 0.375 mL | 2 |
| 10 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 2 |
| 12.5 mg | 62.5 units | 0.625 mL | 1 |
| 15 mg | 75 units | 0.75 mL | 1 |
Full 20 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
30 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 8.5 units | 0.085 mL | 12 |
| 5 mg | 16.5 units | 0.165 mL | 6 |
| 7.5 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
| 10 mg | 33.5 units | 0.335 mL | 3 |
| 12.5 mg | 41.5 units | 0.415 mL | 2 |
| 15 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 2 |
Full 30 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
40 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 6.5 units | 0.065 mL | 16 |
| 5 mg | 12.5 units | 0.125 mL | 8 |
| 7.5 mg | 19 units | 0.19 mL | 5 |
| 10 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
| 12.5 mg | 31.5 units | 0.315 mL | 3 |
| 15 mg | 37.5 units | 0.375 mL | 2 |
Full 40 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
50 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 5 units | 0.05 mL | 20 |
| 5 mg | 10 units | 0.1 mL | 10 |
| 7.5 mg | 15 units | 0.15 mL | 6 |
| 10 mg | 20 units | 0.2 mL | 5 |
| 12.5 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
| 15 mg | 30 units | 0.3 mL | 3 |
Full 50 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
60 mg vialwith 1 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 4 units | 0.04 mL | 24 |
| 5 mg | 8.5 units | 0.085 mL | 12 |
| 7.5 mg | 12.5 units | 0.125 mL | 8 |
| 10 mg | 16.5 units | 0.165 mL | 6 |
| 12.5 mg | 21 units | 0.21 mL | 4 |
| 15 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 4 |
Full 60 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
100 mg vialwith 5 mL water
| Dose | Units | Volume | Doses per vial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 12.5 units | 0.125 mL | 40 |
| 5 mg | 25 units | 0.25 mL | 20 |
| 7.5 mg | 37.5 units | 0.375 mL | 13 |
| 10 mg | 50 units | 0.5 mL | 10 |
| 12.5 mg | 62.5 units | 0.625 mL | 8 |
| 15 mg | 75 units | 0.75 mL | 6 |
Full 100 mg vial page: other water volumes, mixing, storage →
U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL), to the nearest half unit. Arithmetic only. Other numbers: peptide calculator. Every label dose for every compounded vial strength: compounded tirzepatide dosage chart.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) has one dosing schedule that has been through FDA review. This page states it with nothing extrapolated and nothing from a compounding pharmacy’s own protocol. Background on the molecule, its approval and its boxed warning is on the main tirzepatide page.
Tirzepatide dosage: the approved schedule
| Step | Dose | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 2.5 mg once weekly | Weeks 1-4 |
| Titration | 5 mg once weekly | From week 5, after at least 4 weeks on 2.5 mg |
| Titration | 7.5 mg, then 10 mg, then 12.5 mg once weekly | Each after at least 4 weeks on the prior dose |
| Maximum | 15 mg once weekly | From week 21, if titration proceeds at the minimum pace |
Every increase follows the same rule: at least four weeks on the current dose before the next one. The label leaves room for a prescriber to hold a dose longer if tolerability calls for it. The schedule is a floor on how fast the dose can rise, managed by whoever is prescribing it, not a fixed calendar.
Maintenance dose depends on the indication:
- Weight management: 5, 10 or 15 mg weekly.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea: 10 or 15 mg weekly.
- Type 2 diabetes: up to 15 mg weekly.
Missed dose
A missed dose can be given as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose, per the label. Past that window, skip it and resume the regular weekly schedule. Do not double up.
Reconstitution and injection math
Tirzepatide dosing is stated in milligrams, and a prefilled pen delivers that directly. If you are working from a multi-dose vial, converting a milligram dose into an injection volume is a separate question from the dose itself. Use the dosage calculator for that math rather than doing it by hand.
What is not established
- No published human study varies this schedule. The titration above is the schedule FDA reviewed and approved. No study tests a faster titration, a different way of choosing the maintenance dose, or dosing outside these steps.
- Compounded or “research” tirzepatide has no reviewed schedule of its own. A protocol attached to a compounded vial has not gone through the review that produced the table above. The vial is a different product from the one the FDA label describes.
Tirzepatide side effects and who should not use it
The full contraindication, boxed warning and adverse-reaction detail lives on the main tirzepatide page. In short, it is contraindicated with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. The most common reactions are gastrointestinal: nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation. They are most frequent during dose increases.
Related
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound): the full label
- Coming off a GLP-1: what happens when you stop
- Dosage calculator
- Are peptides safe?
How levels build up week to week: tirzepatide half-life calculator.
Where to get Tirzepatide legally
Tirzepatide is an FDA-approved prescription medicine, so the legal route is a licensed prescriber, in person or by telehealth, and a licensed pharmacy.
With a prescription, Zepbound 2.5 mg costs $299 a month self-pay from Eli Lilly (as of 3 October 2026).
Every legal route for tirzepatide, with dated prices →
How telehealth prescribing works, what it costs and what to check: telehealth peptide prescribing and what compounded versions cost.
Research-labelled tirzepatide (not the approved medicine)
These checked vendors sell a research-labelled version. It has not been reviewed by FDA, is labelled not for human use, and is tested only as the seller chooses.
1.Next Level Pharm
Tirzep GLP-2 5 mg vial
- No FDA warning letter found
- Names its testing lab
- Batch COAs published
- Takes card payment
2.Spartan Peptides
GLP-2(Tirz) 10 mg vial
- No FDA warning letter found
- Names its testing lab
How research-labelled tirzepatide differs, and what FDA has said →
Common questions
What is the starting dose of tirzepatide?
The FDA label sets the starting dose at 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly for four weeks. This applies to every approved indication under both brand names, Mounjaro and Zepbound. The starting dose is below the level needed for a therapeutic effect on blood glucose or weight. It exists to let the body adjust before the dose increases.
How does the tirzepatide dose increase over time?
After the first four weeks at 2.5 mg, the label says the dose rises to 5 mg once weekly. It may then rise further in 2.5 mg steps, with at least four weeks on the current dose before each increase. At that pace the schedule is 2.5 mg (weeks 1-4), 5 mg (weeks 5-8) and 7.5 mg (weeks 9-12). Then comes 10 mg (weeks 13-16), 12.5 mg (weeks 17-20), and 15 mg from week 21. A prescriber can hold a dose longer than four weeks if tolerability calls for it.
What is the maximum tirzepatide dose?
The label sets 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly as the maximum dose for every approved indication. Maintenance doses for weight management are 5, 10 or 15 mg weekly; for obstructive sleep apnoea they are 10 or 15 mg weekly.
What if a tirzepatide dose is missed?
The label says to give the missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and resume with the next regularly scheduled dose.
Can the dosing schedule be sped up to reach the effective dose faster?
The label does not describe that. It is a question for the prescriber managing the titration, not something to decide from a schedule on a page. The four-week minimum between increases exists because the trial data behind the approval used that pace, and gastrointestinal side effects are most common during dose increases.
Does a compounded or "research" tirzepatide vial follow this same schedule?
Not necessarily, and no regulator has reviewed a schedule for one. This titration schedule is specific to the FDA-approved product. A compounded vial has not gone through the review that set it, and FDA has documented dosing errors in the compounded tirzepatide supply specifically.
References (2 sources)
Bibliographic detail is fetched from PubMed, not written by me - so a citation here cannot drift from the paper it names. Study design comes from PubMed's own tags rather than my judgement.
- 1.ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection - full prescribing information, dosage and administration section: starting dose, titration schedule, maximum dose, missed-dose instructions.- DailyMed, National Library of Medicinelabel
- 2.MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection - full prescribing information, dosage and administration section for the type 2 diabetes indication.- DailyMed, National Library of Medicinelabel