What tirzepatide is
Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection that acts on two gut hormone receptors at the same time: GLP-1, the target of semaglutide, and GIP, a second hormone released after meals. Both hormones slow stomach emptying, improve the way the body handles insulin and reduce appetite. Acting on both appears to produce more weight loss than acting on GLP-1 alone.
It is sold under two brand names. Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, and for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes. The doctor prescribes the one that matches your diagnosis.
How our physicians prescribe it
Tirzepatide starts at 2.5 mg once a week for four weeks, then increases by 2.5 mg every four weeks as tolerated. The maintenance doses are 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg, and reaching 15 mg takes about 20 weeks. Many patients do well at 10 mg and never need the top dose. The doctor sets the pace at each monthly visit based on your weight loss and how you feel.
You give the injection yourself at home, under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm, on the same day each week. Our medical assistants teach you at the first visit.
In the trial that led to Zepbound's approval, adults without diabetes lost an average of about 15 percent of their body weight at the 5 mg dose and around 20 percent at the 10 mg and 15 mg doses over 72 weeks, compared with about 3 percent on placebo. Results vary, and diet and activity still matter. The full program is described on our medical weight loss page.
Does insurance cover it? Some commercial plans cover Zepbound for obesity with prior authorization, and most cover Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. Medicare does not cover medication for weight loss alone as of 2026, though Part D plans may cover Mounjaro for diabetes, and some cover Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea. Our front desk checks your plan and submits the prior authorization. If the medication is not covered, we explain self-pay options on the call. Read more about insurance and self-pay.
What to expect
- Before you come in, we verify your insurance and ask you to bring photo ID, your medication list and any recent lab results.
- At the consultation, the doctor reviews your history, checks weight, BMI and blood pressure, orders labs if needed, and confirms that tirzepatide is safe for you.
- The first dose follows once the prescription is approved. The medical assistant shows you how to use the pen, and you take the remaining doses at home.
- Monthly follow-up tracks weight and side effects, and the doctor decides whether to step the dose up or hold it. Visits can be at Davie or Boynton Beach.
Side effects and safety
The common side effects are the same as with semaglutide: nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, indigestion, fatigue, and sometimes a reaction at the injection site. They cluster around dose increases and usually ease within a couple of weeks.
Tirzepatide carries the same boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodent studies, and must not be used by anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2. Pancreatitis and gallbladder disease are uncommon but serious, so severe stomach pain that does not go away needs a call the same day. Taken with insulin or a sulfonylurea, it raises the risk of low blood sugar, and the doctor adjusts those first. It should not be used in pregnancy, and it can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills, so use a non-oral method for four weeks after starting and after each dose increase.
Semaglutide or tirzepatide: how the doctor chooses
Both are good medications. The doctor weighs:
- Coverage. Your plan's formulary often decides. If one is covered and the other is not, that usually settles it.
- Diabetes and heart disease. If you have type 2 diabetes, either can be prescribed under its diabetes brand. Semaglutide has proven benefit in reducing heart attack and stroke in people with established heart disease, which can tip the decision that way.
- How much weight you need to lose. Tirzepatide produced more weight loss on average, both in its own trials and in a head-to-head trial against semaglutide, so it is often the first choice when a large amount of weight is the goal.
- Previous experience. Patients who plateaued or had persistent nausea on semaglutide often do well after switching.
- Supply. Both have had shortages. We prescribe what you can reliably fill.
What is the difference between Zepbound and Mounjaro?
They contain the same drug, tirzepatide, in the same doses. Zepbound is approved for weight management and sleep apnea. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes. Your diagnosis and your insurer determine which one is prescribed.
Is tirzepatide better than semaglutide?
It produced more weight loss on average in trials, but individual results vary and semaglutide has its own advantages, including heart protection data and broader coverage on some plans.
Can I switch from semaglutide to tirzepatide?
Yes. The doctor stops one, starts the other at a low dose and builds up again. Many patients who stalled on semaglutide lose more after switching.
What if my insurance denies the prior authorization?
We appeal where there are grounds, and we explain the self-pay option if the appeal fails.
Which clinic offers tirzepatide?
Both. Davie serves Broward County and Boynton Beach serves Palm Beach County, and the same physicians run the program at each.