Zepbound dosage: How to use & how to inject Zepbound

To minimize side effects, Zepbound®, the newest injectable weight loss medication, is usually prescribed with a stepped dosage schedule. With stepped dosing, a patient starts at a low dose and gradually increases the amount of medication over several months to achieve the maximum benefits from the drug while minimizing side effects.

In this guide, we’ll explain what that looks like and how patients typically take Zepbound for weight loss.

Who is Zepbound for and how does it work? 

Zepbound (tirzepatide) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as a weight care treatment in November 2023. 

In a 72-week clinical trial, people with obesity or excess weight who took Zepbound along with a reduced-calorie diet lost an average of about 20% of their body weight. In a 2024 cohort study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, patients taking tirzepatide lost significantly more weight over 12 months than patients taking semaglutide.

Zepbound is one of three receptor agonist drugs that have been FDA-approved for weight loss. While Zepbound is a dual agonist which targets two hormones—glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)—the two other drugs only target one hormone, GLP-1. 

Zepbound is approved for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more or for people with a BMI of at least 27 and a weight-related medical condition like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. (Use our free BMI calculator to see what your BMI is.) 

Like Saxenda® (liraglutide) and Wegovy® (semaglutide), two other receptor agonist weight loss drugs, Zepbound stimulates GLP-1 receptors in the body to help reduce appetite, slow the movement of food through the digestive tract, and change how the body uses energy. Medications that stimulate GLP-1 receptors can be very effective for chronic weight management because of the various ways they affect body processes involving appetite and weight. 

But Zepbound also activates the GIP receptors, which have a similar effect. Stimulating both of these hormone receptors makes Zepbound even more effective for weight management than the GLP-1 medications for some people. 

How do you take Zepbound?

Zepbound is a subcutaneous injection, which means the injection is given under the skin. There are two options. One is a prefilled injector pen with a very thin needle to inject the medication into the fatty tissue just beneath your skin. 

The best injection sites are parts of your body that have more subcutaneous fat, such as your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Instructions for Zepbound advise changing the injection site each week to avoid bruising, thickening, or pits in the skin as well as injection site irritation. You can take your weekly dose at any time of day, with or without food. But you should take it on the same day each week. 

Eli Lilly and Company, Zepbound’s manufacturer, offers the drug in prefilled single-dose pens. You’ll get four pens in a package, enough for four weeks of medication. The pens make it easy to give yourself injections, especially if you’ve never done it before, since you don’t need to see or handle a needle, and the dose is already pre-measured. With a single-dose pen, you’ll place the pen against your skin and press and hold the button, and the needle will inject automatically. (Make sure you read the full instructions before using your single-dose pen.)

The second option for taking Zepbound comes in single-dose vials. In August 2024, Lilly began offering the 2.5 mg and 5 mg doses of Zepbound in single-dose vials through Lilly Direct, its online pharmacy. In February 2025 Lilly added 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses in single-dose vials. Like the pens, each vial contains a single dose of the medication, and you’ll get four vials at a time for four weeks of medication. The vials may be more affordable than the pens if your insurance doesn’t cover Zepbound. Lilly’s prices are $349 for four weeks of the starting dose (2.5 mg) and $499 for a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose. The 7.5 mg dose is $599 per month, and the 10 mg dose is $699 per month. Lilly does offer savings programs that expire in 2025, and a Self Pay Journey Program that can help reduce the cost of Zepbound. 

To use the vial version of Zepbound, patients draw the medication from the vial using a needle and syringe and then inject themselves. Lilly has detailed instructions on how to do this on its website, but it’s advised to discuss the process with your health care provider to make sure you understand how to use a needle and syringe if you are prescribed the Zepbound vials. 

What’s the Zepbound dosing schedule? 

Zepbound typically starts at a low dose and gradually increases over a few months. Your health care provider can continue to adjust your dose until you experience the desired effect. The therapeutic dose may be different for different people. 

Your provider may also adjust your dose if you experience side effects. Starting at a lower dose gives your body time to adjust to the medication, which can help reduce side effects. It may take four to six months to reach your maintenance dose. 

The typical dosing schedule recommended by Eli Lilly is as follows: 

• Take 2.5 mg once per week for 4 weeks. 
• Take 5 mg once per week for 4 weeks.
• Assess side effects and weight loss. 
  
  • If you are tolerating the drug well and seeing the desired weight loss, your provider may have you continue taking 5 mg once per week. 
  • If you are tolerating the drug well but not having the desired effects, your provider may increase your weekly dose to 7.5 mg for 4 weeks and reassess. 

The dose can continue to be increased by 2.5 mg every four weeks, up to a maximum dosage of 15 mg a week, until you are losing weight at the desired rate with minimal side effects. The expected maintenance dose is between 5 mg and 15 mg per week. 

What should you do if you miss a dose of Zepbound? 

If you miss a dose of Zepbound, you should take it as soon as you remember, as long as it’s within four days of when you were supposed to take it. If it has been more than four days since your missed dose, skip it and wait until your next scheduled dose. Never take two doses of Zepbound within three days (72 hours) of each other.

Are the side effects of Zepbound related to the dose? 

Zepbound side effects are more common when taking or transitioning to higher doses. Your health care provider will work with you to adjust your dose to help minimize side effects. 

The most common side effects for GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medications including Zepbound are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and acid reflux. More serious but less common side effects include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and worsening of diabetic eye disease. And those with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasias should not use them. Read details about side effects and risks for Zepbound here and for other medications by name on our dedicated medication page.

What’s the best way to determine whether Zepbound is right for you and to optimize your dosage to meet your goals? Get medical advice from a health care provider specializing in obesity care. At Found, you can speak with a licensed health care practitioner who understands the latest research on obesity medicine to help you decide your best treatment options..

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Found is not affiliated with Eli Lilly and Co., the owner of the registered trademark Zepbound®, nor is it affiliated with Novo Nordisk A/S., the owner of the registered trademarks Wegovy®, Ozempic®, and Saxenda®. The content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosing or treating any health condition, or for determining actual costs incurred. Always follow your health care provider’s instructions to ensure safe and effective management of your health conditions. Certain medications are only FDA-approved to treat conditions other than weight but may be prescribed to help aid in weight loss. Prescriptions are up to a medical provider’s discretion. For key risk information by drug, visit the Found medication page.