Key takeaways

  • Mounjaro, a medication for managing blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, has a half-life of approximately 5 days. This means it takes about 30 days for the drug to be completely cleared from your system.
  • Stopping Mounjaro may cause your blood sugar levels to increase, as demonstrated in a study where participants’ HbA1c levels rose shortly after discontinuing the drug.
  • Consult with a healthcare professional before stopping Mounjaro to discuss how to safely discontinue using the drug and use of alternative medications if needed.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription medication that helps manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

After a dose of Mounjaro is injected under your skin, the drug may stay in your system for about 30 days. Stopping Mounjaro may lead to increased blood sugar levels. If you want to stop Mounjaro, it’s important to talk with a doctor first.

This article looks at the half-life of Mounjaro, how long Mounjaro stays in the body, and what happens when you stop using Mounjaro.

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Mounjaro’s half-life is 120 hours, or 5 days. It reaches peak concentration in blood plasma about 48 hours after the drug is injected.

The half-life is the time it takes for the initial concentration of the drug in your body to be reduced by half. Knowing the half-life helps a doctor determine how regularly you need to inject the drug, as well as how long the drug takes to clear from your body.

The half-life of a drug can vary with each person, though. Your age and health factors, such as chronic kidney disease, can affect a medication’s half-life.

It typically takes about 4 to 5 half-lives for a drug to almost completely clear from the body. Every time the current amount of drug in your body is reduced by half, it’s referred to as another half-life. For Mounjaro, it may take around 30 days for the drug to clear out of your system.

Mounjaro works to help manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Stopping the drug may cause blood sugar levels to increase.

If you miss a dose of Mounjaro, you will need to inject Mounjaro as soon as you can, as long as it is within 4 days of the missed dose. If it’s longer than 4 days, wait until the next regular scheduled day for your next dose. You can then resume your usual dosing schedule.

It’s important to note that if you skip a dose of Mounjaro, it may alter how effective the drug is for managing blood sugar levels.

Be sure to talk with your doctor before stopping Mounjaro. They can recommend how to safely stop using the drug and whether you need a different medication to help manage your blood sugar levels.

Study results

A small 2023 study looked at the effects of blood glucose levels after stopping tirzepatide. (Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro.)

After 52 weeks (about 12 months), tirzepatide led to improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, a marker of high blood sugar.

After 2, 4, and 6 months of stopping tirzepatide, levels of HbA1c increased again, shortly after participants stopped using the drug.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.