The starting dose of compounded tirzepatide in this clinic's published schedule is 2.5 mg, injected under the skin once a week. On the three vial strengths used in this article, 2.5 mg is 13 to 15 units on the syringe. The dose only moves up if the first dose is not working and is not causing serious side effects.
This article explains the published schedule and how the numbers work. It is not a dose recommendation. Your prescribing provider sets your dose.
What is the starting dose of compounded tirzepatide?
The clinic's published tirzepatide schedule starts at 2.5 mg, once a week, injected subcutaneously (just under the skin) in the belly fat region. Every vial program on the tirzepatide pricing and programs page uses the same starting amount, whichever pharmacy the vial comes from.
The starting dose is lower than the doses that come later on purpose. It is the first step of the schedule. The clinic's rule is to stay at your current dose for as long as it is working, so if 2.5 mg is curbing your appetite and you are losing weight, there is no need to move up.
Compounded tirzepatide is made by a compounding pharmacy for an individual prescription. The FDA states that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, which is why the schedule in this article is the clinic's own and your prescribing provider has the final say.
How many units is a 2.5 mg dose?
It depends on how strong the liquid in your vial is. A vial with more milligrams in each millilitre needs fewer units to reach 2.5 mg. On a standard insulin syringe, 100 units equals 1 millilitre, so the units are the milligrams you want divided by the strength of the vial, times 100.
Pick a step below to see how many units each of three vials from the clinic's pricing page needs. Step 1 is the starting dose.
The dose ladder, in units
Tap a step. The bars show units on the syringe for each vial (the scale is 0 to 100 units).
Step 1, 2.5 mg: 13 to 15 units, depending on the vial.
Figures match the clinic's published dosing schedules. Example only. Your prescribing provider sets your dose.
| Step | Weekly dose | Wells, 16.6 mg per ml | OptioRx, 17.65 mg per ml | ReViveRx 40 mg kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (start) | 2.5 mg | 15 units | 14 units | 13 units |
| 2 | 5 mg | 30 units | 28 units | 25 units |
| 3 | 7.5 mg | 45 units | 42 units | 38 units |
| 4 | 10 mg | 60 units | 57 units | 50 units |
| 5 | 12.5 mg | 75 units | 71 units | 63 units |
| 6 (maximum) | 15 mg | 90 units | 85 units | 75 units |
The full explanation of how each vial's strength changes the draw is in how many units of tirzepatide to draw, by vial strength. To work out a different strength, use the GLP-1 vial calculator.
How does the dose step up from 2.5 mg?
The clinic's published schedule moves in this order: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg, which is the maximum. Each step is a separate decision, not an automatic countdown.
The clinic's published rule has two parts:
- Stay if it is working. If the medication is curbing your appetite and you are losing weight, you stay at your current dose for as long as it keeps working.
- Move up only if it is not. The dose is only increased after at least two weeks, and only if the medication is not working and is not causing serious side effects.
That second part matters. Moving up a step is not a milestone to reach. A higher dose is not a better result in itself, and it is a conversation to have with your prescribing provider before you change anything. If you are unsure which quantity of tirzepatide to plan around, the quantity planner lays out how many milligrams each vial holds.
How does this compare with the brand-name label?
The brand-name product, Zepbound, also starts at 2.5 mg once a week. Its FDA-approved label says to inject 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, and then to increase the dose in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks until the maintenance dose is reached. The label lists 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg once weekly as the maintenance doses for weight reduction, and 15 mg as the maximum. You can read it on DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine's label database.
So the starting amount is the same, and the steps use the same dose levels. The wording about timing is different: the brand-name label gives a fixed 4 weeks at each step, while the clinic's published rule leaves the timing to how you are responding and what your provider decides. If you have a question about which applies to you, ask your prescribing provider. Do not mix the two schedules yourself.
When and where do I inject?
The clinic's schedule says to inject once a week, subcutaneously, in the belly fat region. The brand-name label adds that the weekly dose can be taken at any time of day, with or without food, and that the injection site should be rotated each week. The label's sites are the abdomen, the thigh, or the back of the upper arm if another person gives the injection.
Pick a day of the week that suits your routine and keep it. A fixed day is easier to remember than a moving one.
What should I expect in the first weeks?
The brand-name label lists the most common side effects as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion, injection site reactions and fatigue. These are what the clinical trials reported, and they are the reason the schedule starts low. Everyone reacts differently, so what you notice may be more or less than this list.
Tell your prescribing provider if a side effect is severe or does not settle. The clinic's own guide to the early weeks is on the titration and side effects page.
Why does 2.5 mg look different on different vials?
The dose in milligrams never changes with the vial. What changes is how much liquid carries that dose. The vials on the clinic's pricing page hold the drug at different strengths, so a 2.5 mg starting dose measures out as 15, 14 or 13 units.
That is also why you should never copy a unit number from someone else's schedule. Always match the units to the strength written on your own vial label, and check them with your clinic if the label does not match what you were told. If your vial or pharmacy changes, your units change even though your dose in milligrams stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
What is the starting dose of compounded tirzepatide?
In this clinic's published schedule the starting dose is 2.5 mg, injected subcutaneously once a week. Your prescribing provider sets your dose.
How many units is 2.5 mg of tirzepatide?
On the three vials used in this article, 2.5 mg is 15 units (Wells, 16.6 mg per ml), 14 units (OptioRx, 17.65 mg per ml) or 13 units (ReViveRx 40 mg kit). Check the strength on your own vial label.
How long do I stay on the starting dose?
The clinic's published rule is to stay at your current dose for as long as it is working, and to increase only after at least two weeks if the medication is not working and is not causing serious side effects. The brand-name label uses 4 weeks at 2.5 mg before the first increase. Your prescribing provider decides which applies to you.
Is the starting dose the same for compounded and brand-name tirzepatide?
The starting amount is the same, 2.5 mg once a week. The timing of later steps is worded differently, and compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, so the clinic's schedule is its own.
Why do the units change from vial to vial?
Each vial holds the medication at a different strength. A stronger vial needs fewer units to deliver the same 2.5 mg, so the dose in milligrams stays the same while the units on the syringe change.
What if I miss my injection day?
The brand-name label says to take a missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours), and to skip it and wait for the next scheduled day if more than 4 days have passed. Ask your prescribing provider whether the same applies to your vial.
Where on the body do I inject?
The clinic's schedule says the belly fat region. The brand-name label lists the abdomen, thigh or back of the upper arm, and says to rotate the site with each dose.
More from this guide series
Next step
If you would like to talk through a starting plan with the clinic, start the free intake form. The clinic will contact you to schedule an appointment, and your prescribing provider will set your dose.