GLP-1 & incretin

Tirzepatide

Large trials + label

Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist.

SubQIntermediateFDA approvedfat lossappetite controlmetabolic health

Also known as Mounjaro · Zepbound

At a glance

Dose summary

Typical dose5 mg

Range2.5 mg–15 mg

FrequencyWeekly

Half-life~5 days

ScheduleOnce a week

Cycle lengthNot cycled

RouteSubQ

Experience levelIntermediate

Evidence gradeLarge trials + label

ApprovalFDA approved

Where the dose comes fromAn approved product label

Reconstitution

What to draw, at the usual vial

A 20 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 10.00 mg/mL. A typical 5 mg dose is 0.500 mL — pull the plunger to 50 units on a U-100 syringe.

Concentration10.00 mg/mL

Draw volume0.500 mL

U-100 units50 units

Doses per vial4

Same dose, other vial sizes

Vial	Water	Concentration	Draw	Units	Doses
10 mg	2 mL	5.00 mg/mL	1.000 mL	100 units	2
20 mg	2 mL	10.00 mg/mL	0.500 mL	50 units	4
30 mg	2 mL	15.00 mg/mL	0.333 mL	33.3 units	6
40 mg	2 mL	20.00 mg/mL	0.250 mL	25 units	8

The highlighted row is the one quoted above: the smallest listed vial that holds at least four typical doses. Change any of it — a different vial, more or less water, a different dose — on the reconstitution calculator, which draws the syringe to true U-100 graduations.

Titration

Step-up ladder

This compound is escalated rather than held flat. Each step is a fixed number of weeks before the next increase — the side effects cluster in the days after a step, not at the top of the ladder.

Step	Weeks	Dose	Note
1	1–4	2.5 mg	starting dose
2	5–8	5 mg	—
3	9–12	7.5 mg	—
4	13–16	10 mg	—
5	17–20	12.5 mg	—
6	21–24	15 mg	maximum

Full ladder: 24 weeks from the starting dose to the top step.

Mechanism & evidence

What it is, and what is known

Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. Head-to-head trials show larger average weight loss than semaglutide. FDA approved under brand names.

Tolerability

Reported side effects

Nausea and vomiting, worst after a dose increase
Constipation or diarrhoea
Injection site reactions
Fatigue

Hard stops

Do not use this if

Pregnancy, possible pregnancy, or breastfeeding
Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or MEN2
History of pancreatitis
Existing thyroid disease

These are flags, not a screening. They do not replace a conversation with a clinician who knows your history.

Handling

Storage

Sealed powder, refrigerated24 months

After reconstitution, refrigerated56 days

Keep it cold, keep it dark, and label the vial with the date you mixed it. Discard anything cloudy or past the window above.

Where it shows up

Protocols using this compound

Tirzepatide + Tesamorelin5 mg · once a weekThe same idea as Retatrutide + GH Pulse, built from the two compounds in their classes that actually have FDA labels: weekly tirzepatide for the weight loss, daily tesamorelin for visceral fat and the GH axis. It is the conservative version of the muscle-sparing stack - better documented on both sides, more expensive, and with a clearer glucose problem to watch.

References

Sources

Educational information only, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, changing, or stopping anything.