Different mg of Mounjaro: Every Dose Explained (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

What are the different mg of Mounjaro?

There are six licensed strengths of Mounjaro: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg. Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine made by Eli Lilly. In the UK it is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes. It comes as a pre-filled multi-dose pen (KwikPen) in six strengths: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg.¹

These are not six different medicines or six different levels of quality. They are the same active ingredient at stepped amounts, so that the body can adjust gradually. The licensed pens are the only strengths that exist, and anything described as an in-between amount is outside the licence.

02 · Your decision

Which dose is right for me?

Your prescriber decides your dose with you, based on how you respond and tolerate treatment. Everyone starts Mounjaro on 2.5mg once a week. This starting dose is about letting your body adjust, not about weight loss itself. The dose can then rise after at least four weeks at the earliest, depending on how you respond and tolerate it.¹¹¹

So you do not pick a strength from a menu the way you might pick a coffee size. If you are new to treatment, you will begin at the bottom of the ladder whatever your weight. If you are already on treatment elsewhere and switching, your prescriber will review your current dose and history as part of the consultation. Our guide to how the strengths compare and the page on levels of treatment cover the same ground from other angles.

Your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40 (standard price £169.99), and every later order is £25 off the standard price. You can see every strength on the Mounjaro pen page, with current prices, and every strength is in stock. If you want to see how a prescriber would approach your case, our weight loss clinic explains the free consultation, which is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber.

03 · Safety

Can I choose my own dose or skip steps?

No. Dose changes should come from your prescriber, not from guesswork or from what someone else is taking. The licensed ladder rises in set steps at set minimum intervals, and the pens are built to deliver those doses only. Skipping straight to a high strength is not how the licensed ladder works, and a pen is not designed to be split or stretched.

Altering doses outside the licence means unknown dosing accuracy and no safety data.¹

If a step feels too big, tell your prescriber. Holding a dose for longer is a normal, licensed option, and it is far safer than improvising with the pen yourself.

04 · What each strength does

What each Mounjaro strength is for

Each strength is a step on a ladder rather than a separate product. The ladder exists because the body needs time to get used to the medicine, particularly the digestive effects, and because people differ widely in the dose they need.

The 2.5mg pen is the starting strength. Its job is to introduce your body to the medicine, so do not judge treatment by what happens on it. Some people notice appetite change early, others feel almost nothing, and both are normal.

The 5mg pen is the first step up and the first strength many people associate with measurable progress. It is also one of the common places to settle. A prescriber may be perfectly happy to keep someone on 5mg for as long as it is working and tolerable, because there is no requirement to climb the ladder.

The 7.5mg pen is an intermediate step. Some people find that their response is good enough at 5mg and never need it; others pass through it on the way to a higher dose. Your prescriber can hold you on this dose if that suits your response.

The 10mg pen is another common maintenance dose.

The 12.5mg pen is the last step before the maximum. People reach it if 10mg has not produced enough response and side effects remain manageable. The 15mg pen is the highest licensed dose, a maximum of 15mg weekly, and again plenty of people choose to stay there once they get there because it works for them.

Many people settle at a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg — higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the right pace.¹

That is why the ladder is gradual and why no one is asked to jump to the top. If you want to see the physical differences between the devices themselves, our page on the different Mounjaro pens explains how the KwikPen presents each strength.

One practical reminder: Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. It is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary.¹¹

05 · How titration works

How titration works, step by step

Titration is the process of raising the dose gradually. After the starting weeks on 2.5mg, the dose increases to 5mg, and can then step up by 2.5mg at a minimum of four-week intervals (7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg) up to a maximum of 15mg weekly, depending on how you respond and tolerate it.¹

Notice the phrases "at a minimum" and "depending on how you respond". The ladder describes the quickest permitted pace, not the pace you are required to follow. A prescriber can keep you on any step for longer. Many people take longer than the minimum, and that is a normal, sensible choice rather than a failure to keep up.

Each KwikPen contains four weekly doses. When you finish a pen, your prescriber reviews how things have gone before the next strength is supplied. Repeat orders with us re-check suitability, and there is no auto-shipping, so nothing is sent without that review.

If you step up after 4 weeks on each of 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg and 10mg, your first four pens cost £959.96 at standard prices. A new customer's first order is £40 less and every later order is £25 less. Your own route may differ, because you might stay longer on a step or settle earlier.

What happens at each step

At each step, your prescriber looks at three things: how you have responded, how you have tolerated the dose, and whether the next step is needed. If response is good and effects are mild, there may be no reason to go higher. If side effects are troublesome, the dose can be held. If response is limited and you are tolerating treatment well, the next step becomes reasonable.

This predictability is part of why the ladder is built the way it is. You are never asked to make a leap whose size you cannot see.

You can also change your weekly injection day if needed, as long as there are at least 3 days between two doses.¹ That flexibility matters on a ladder where timing matters, because a sensible routine helps you avoid missed doses as the strengths rise.

What if I stop at a given dose?

If you stop, the medicine leaves your system slowly. Tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes roughly 4–5 weeks to clear the system — there is no way to speed this up, and nothing needs doing while it clears.¹ If you later restart after a long gap, speak to your prescriber, who will decide where on the ladder to begin rather than assuming you can resume at your old strength.

The ladder is also why two people who are both "on Mounjaro" can be talking about very different experiences. One may be at the start and another may be at maintenance, with a different pen in the fridge and a different set of effects. When comparing notes with anyone, always ask which strength they are on.

06 · Choosing a maintenance dose

Choosing your maintenance dose

The maintenance dose is the strength you stay on once titration is over, and it is chosen by response and tolerance rather than by a target number on the box. Many people settle at a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg — higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the right pace.¹

That framing is worth dwelling on because it cuts against a common assumption. It is easy to assume that the top strength is the "proper" dose and the lower ones are stepping stones to be endured. The licence provides a maximum, not an expectation, and the dose that is right for you is the one that works with the fewest problems.

How a prescriber decides

A prescriber weighs several things together. They look at the weight-loss trend over the weeks rather than any single weigh-in, because early loss includes water weight and day-to-day readings jump about. They also look at appetite, how you feel after injections, and whether you are able to stay on a reduced-calorie diet with more physical activity, since the medicine is meant to work alongside those, not instead of them.

Treatment response is reviewed by your prescriber: if you have lost less than 5% of your starting weight after 6 months on the highest dose you can tolerate, your prescriber will discuss whether continuing or stopping is right for you.¹ Notice that this check is tied to the highest tolerated dose, which may not be the top of the ladder. It is a conversation, not an automatic cutoff.

Holding a dose for longer

If a new dose is hard to tolerate, prescribers can hold the current dose longer before stepping up — a legitimate part of treatment rather than a sign that something has gone wrong. It is also much safer than altering doses yourself, which would mean unknown dosing accuracy and no safety data.

Equally, there is nothing wrong with staying on a modest strength if it keeps you moving in the right direction. Our piece on why Mounjaro prices differ explains why the figures you see can vary between providers.

Setting a realistic pace

Weight loss on Mounjaro is gradual by design. The first weeks on 2.5mg are an adjustment phase and losses are usually modest; most measurable progress builds from 5mg onward, month by month. Trials measured results at 72 weeks — think in months, not days, and judge progress by trend, not individual weigh-ins.¹

This is the main reason to avoid chasing the next strength too quickly. A dose step is not a reward for impatience; it is a clinical decision made when the current dose has had time to show what it can do. Giving each strength its proper turn tends to give a clearer picture of what you actually need.

07 · Results at different doses

What the trials show at different doses

SURMOUNT-1 followed people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.²

These are trial averages — individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.² Trial averages do not predict your own result. Some people respond strongly at a modest strength, while others need more. The numbers describe groups, not individuals.

Reading the numbers sensibly

The trial also reports how many people reached particular milestones. At 72 weeks, 85% of participants on 5mg, 89% on 10mg and 91% on 15mg had lost at least 5% of their body weight. Half of participants on 10mg and 57% on 15mg lost at least 20% of their body weight.²

For a worked example of what a percentage means in kilograms: for someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg. That is an arithmetic illustration of a trial average, not a forecast of your own outcome, and it took the full trial duration to accumulate.

Limits of the evidence

The trial measured weight at 72 weeks, so it says little about the first weeks, when you are still on the lowest strengths. The figures also say nothing about how a particular dose felt to take, which is the other half of choosing a maintenance strength.

For comparison with other medicines, avoid setting numbers from different trials side by side as if they came from the same study. Different trials enrol different people and run on different designs, so a direct comparison is only valid where a single trial tested both medicines head to head.

What it cannot tell you is which strength you personally will need, and that is why the ladder and the review conversation exist. Our overview of the types of Mounjaro treatment gives wider context on how the medicine is used.

08 · Side effects when stepping up

Managing side effects during dose increases

Side effects are most likely to be noticed when you start and when the dose goes up, which is why the ladder is gradual. Mild nausea, altered appetite and tiredness in the first days after each injection are the commonest early effects and usually settle.¹ The 2.5mg starting weeks are about adjustment, and experiences differ widely: some people notice appetite change and early loss in week one, others feel little until a higher dose — both are normal.

It helps to expect a small bump after each step. There is no "best" time of day — Mounjaro works the same morning or evening, with or without food. What matters is the same day each week. Pick a day and time you will remember (many people choose a weekend morning so early side effects fall on days off) and stick to it.¹

What to do if a step is hard

If a step is hard, talk to your prescriber rather than pushing through or changing the dose yourself. That is the licensed route and it keeps your dosing accurate. With us, ongoing monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments by the prescribing team are part of the service, including side-effect support.

You should also read the patient information leaflet that comes with the pen, which lists the full range of side effects and when to seek help.¹³ If you notice a symptom that is new or worrying, discuss it with the prescriber. Anything that concerns you can also be reported through the Yellow Card scheme, which collects reports of suspected side effects from patients and professionals.¹⁹

Keeping perspective on the early weeks

Early loss includes water weight, so the trend over weeks matters more than any single weigh-in.¹ The same is true of how you feel. A rough first few days after a step can be followed by a calm stretch, so judge each dose across a few weeks rather than a single bad day. If effects remain heavy across several weeks, that is a reason to speak up, not a reason to endure silently.

It also helps to keep the other parts of treatment steady while the dose changes: the reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity that the medicine is meant to support. Changing everything at once makes it harder to tell what a dose is doing, for you or for your prescriber.

09 · Injecting each strength

How to inject each strength

The injection technique is identical at every strength, which is helpful because you learn it once. Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Licensed injection sites are the stomach area (at least 5cm from the belly button), the front of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm if someone else gives the injection. Rotate the site with each dose. Each KwikPen contains four weekly doses.¹

Follow the instructions that come with the pen for the exact steps. Needles, a sharps bin and injection guidance are included with every order, so you do not have to track down supplies separately.

Missed doses at any strength

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can within 4 days (96 hours) of the scheduled time, then carry on with your usual day. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose entirely and take the next one on your normal day — never take two doses within 3 days of each other.¹

The rule is the same whichever strength you are on, but the consequences of an error feel larger at higher strengths, so it is worth setting a reminder. Our free companion app, GLPTrackr, is built for tracking a GLP-1 journey and is available on iOS and Android.

Changing your injection day

You can change your weekly injection day if needed, as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since your last dose.¹ That gives you room to adapt to holidays, shift work or a new routine without disrupting the ladder. It is best to make the change at a time when you are not also stepping up a strength, so that any side effects are easier to read.

Read the leaflet for each new pen

Every new strength arrives with the same patient information leaflet, and it is worth rereading it when you move up because details such as site rotation and storage are easy to forget. The leaflet and the pharmacy are the right place to turn if something about the pen looks or feels wrong.¹³

10 · Storage and travel

Storing pens of every strength

All strengths are stored the same way. Keep Mounjaro pens in a fridge at 2–8°C and never freeze them. Once in use, a pen can be kept out of the fridge at a temperature not above 30°C for up to 30 days after first use, and must then be thrown away. Do not use a pen that has been above 30°C or has been frozen. Keep the pen cap on to protect it from light.

The 30 days (not above 30°C) refers to the pen once it is in use, which fits neatly with a pen that holds four weekly doses. A pen you have begun and are using weekly will usually be finished within that window, so the rule rarely causes trouble in normal routines.

Unopened pens

Unopened pens should be kept in the fridge and keep until the expiry date printed on the box. If an unopened pen has been out of the fridge, check with the pharmacy before using it rather than relying on a remembered day limit — figures circulating online often come from other countries' labels.¹ Check the leaflet too, which is the authoritative UK reference for the product you have been sent.¹³

On delivery, our pens travel in free next-day tracked delivery with discreet, temperature-controlled packaging. Put your pens into the fridge as soon as they arrive, unless you are starting the pen right away.

Travelling with a higher strength

You can fly with Mounjaro. Carry pens in hand luggage (hold luggage can fall below freezing), ideally in a cool bag with the prescription label or a copy of your prescription. In-use pens tolerate up to 30 days not above 30°C, so most holidays need no special arrangements; for hot climates use an insulated pouch. Check destination rules for travelling with prescription injectables before you fly.¹

Strength makes no difference to these rules. A 15mg pen and a 2.5mg pen are stored and carried identically, which means you do not need to relearn anything as you climb the ladder.

If a pen looks wrong

Never use a pen that has been frozen, and do not use one that you suspect has been mishandled. Contact the pharmacy for advice. Dispensed prescription medicines cannot be returned except where the item is faulty, damaged or wrong, in which case you should contact us within 3 days of receiving it.

Only buy from a registered pharmacy. Ours is registered with the GPhC, number 9012878, and the register is public so you can check any pharmacy yourself. Supply comes from official LillyDirect, which means Mounjaro direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution and genuine KwikPens, with every strength stocked. Beware anyone offering to supply Mounjaro without a consultation or prescription.¹²

11 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹

12 · NHS, private and costs

NHS or private: how access works

Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions). Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting.⁴⁶

Whichever route you take, the strengths and ladder are the same, because they come from the same licence. If you are prescribed Mounjaro through the NHS, your clinician will use the same stepped approach. If you go privately, a GPhC-registered prescriber does the same. The NHS guide to tirzepatide is a useful independent reference.⁵

Planning costs across the ladder

Because you move through strengths, your monthly cost changes over time. Standard prices per pen are £169.99 at 2.5mg, £218.99 at 5mg, £279.99 at 7.5mg, £290.99 at 10mg, £319.99 at 12.5mg and £329.99 at 15mg, checked 10 October 2026. Those are the prices before discounts. A new customer saves £40 on their first order with code FIRST40 at any dose, and an automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25).

If you step up after 4 weeks on each dose, your first four pens (2.5mg to 10mg) cost £959.96 at standard prices. A first year costs £2,711.88 if you stay on 5mg after your 2.5mg starting pen, up to £3,599.88 if you step up through every dose to 15mg. For settling at 7.5mg, 10mg or 12.5mg, use the monthly price for that strength rather than a year figure. All of these are before the new-customer and reorder discounts.

Across the UK pharmacies we track, Mounjaro pens range from £143.96 to £339.00 depending on dose and provider, checked 10 October 2026. Only the price and the strength differ; what you are buying is the same tirzepatide.

How ordering works

Ordering has a few simple steps. First, you complete a free online consultation, a short health questionnaire with no charge and no obligation. Second, a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full. Third, our registered pharmacy dispenses and dispatches, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm, and delivery is free next-day tracked, with Saturday delivery £14.99.

Payment can be by Visa or Mastercard, Klarna or pay-monthly options, with no subscriptions. Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, at support@everydaymeds.co.uk, through the account portal chat, or on 0333 207 0413. Over 100,000 customers have been supported on their weight loss journey, which is a measure of service volume rather than any promise about results.

If you would like to see current strengths and begin a consultation, visit the Mounjaro pen page. The NHS prescription charge in England is £9.90 per item for those who pay it, but that applies to NHS prescriptions only and does not apply to private treatment.