Tirzepatide Microdose Injection

What is a tirzepatide microdose?

Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist: it mimics two gut hormones involved in appetite, fullness and blood-sugar regulation. GLP's standard program steps the dose up over several weeks to a maintenance dose. A microdose program stays below that: a smaller amount, held at a low step, adjusted by your clinician rather than stepped up on the usual timetable.

Lower-than-standard dosing is not an FDA-approved regimen and has no established evidence base of its own; the program page on GLP-1 microdosing explains what that means. The medication is compounded tirzepatide. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality.

GLP does not manufacture or compound any medication. Prescriptions are dispensed by independent, licensed U.S. pharmacies (RedRock Pharmacy, Health Warehouse, Precision Medicine, Triad Rx); which one fills your order depends on your treatment and your state.

How is the dose set at GLP?

A licensed clinician reviews your assessment and decides whether a lower-dose program is appropriate, whether the standard program fits better, or whether treatment is not indicated. If a microdose is prescribed, your clinician sets it, holds it, and adjusts it over time from your check-ins. The dose is never something you choose, and you do not move to the standard program unless your clinician decides to.

It is taken once a week, as an injection under the skin, on the same day each week, following the pharmacy's instructions for storage and use.

What side effects can occur at a lower dose?

Side effects can occur at any dose, and a smaller amount is not a guarantee of fewer. The most common side effects of tirzepatide are gastrointestinal: nausea, diarrhea, reduced appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and abdominal pain, along with injection-site reactions. They tend to appear in the early weeks and after a dose increase, which is why the dose is stepped up slowly and can be held when a step is not being tolerated.

Tirzepatide may cause serious side effects, including possible thyroid C-cell tumors, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, kidney problems with dehydration, and complications of diabetic retinopathy. Tirzepatide can also reduce how well oral birth control works around the start of treatment and after each dose increase, so tell your clinician everything you take. Message your care team about any symptom that concerns you; for a medical emergency, call 911.

Who should not take tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide is contraindicated in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, and in anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to it. Pregnancy, planning a pregnancy and breastfeeding rule treatment out. A history of pancreatitis or gallbladder disease, significant gastrointestinal conditions, type 1 diabetes, and medications that affect blood sugar all call for clinical judgment. None of these lists is exhaustive; that is what the assessment screens for, and why a clinician can say no.

What does $179 per 4 weeks include?

The price is billed every 4 weeks and confirmed before you pay. Check-ins and dose guidance are included, shipping is free and tracked in plain packaging, and you can message your care team between check-ins. Exactly what the price does and does not cover is shown before you pay. GLP is cash-pay: no insurance, no claims, no paperwork. There are no contracts; cancel with 72 hours' notice before your next billing date. Availability, pricing and treatment options vary by state.

Frequently asked questions

Related

• GLP-1 microdosing: what it is and what the evidence says
• Semaglutide Microdose Injection
• Tirzepatide Injections (standard program)
• Who should not take a GLP-1 medication?
• GLP-1 side effects: common, serious, and what helps
• What is a GLP-1? How this class of medication works