Switching From Ozempic to Mounjaro: Doses, Price, Side Effects, & More

You’ve been taking Ozempic® for some time, but now you’re wondering if Mounjaro® would better suit your needs. Maybe you haven’t gotten the desired results with Ozempic, or you’re hoping for fewer side effects. Or perhaps you’ve run into problems with medication shortages.

Here’s everything to know about switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro, including how the medications differ, doses, side effects, safety considerations, prices, and what to expect when making the switch.

Yes, if your medical provider evaluates your medical history, current needs, response to the current drug you’re on, and health goals, they can write you a prescription for Mounjaro instead of Ozempic.

Whatever the reason, switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro to treat type 2 diabetes and boost your weight loss efforts is something to discuss with your healthcare provider.

Ozempic and Mounjaro both belong to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (aka GLP-1 agonists or GLP-1s for short). GLP-1s are prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Ozempic and Mounjaro are both taken as once-weekly injections.

GLP-1s help lower blood sugar levels by boosting insulin production. With adequate insulin, your cells can absorb sugar from the food you eat, like they’re supposed to, so less glucose enters your bloodstream.

GLP-1s also interfere with glucagon production, a hormone that raises your blood sugar levels.

What’s more, they can slow digestion to make you feel fuller and prevent overeating, which can lead to weight loss.

Before switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro, you should know the main differences between the two medications.

Ozempic (Semaglutide)

Ozempic is a brand name of the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide. It’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat type 2 diabetes. Since Ozempic has been shown to promote weight loss in clinical trials, it’s also sometimes prescribed off-label to treat obesity. (Off-label use is when a drug is prescribed for something it’s not FDA-approved for.) Ozempic’s benefits also include a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and heart attack in people with type 2 diabetes.

Wegovy® is a higher-dose version of semaglutide prescribed for weight loss. It’s made by the same manufacturer as Ozempic, Novo Nordisk.

Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)

The active ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide. Like Ozempic, this medication is officially FDA-approved only for type 2 diabetes treatment.

But since studies have shown it aids in weight loss, it’s sometimes prescribed off-label to treat overweight or obesity, at the discretion of healthcare providers. 

Zepbound® is a version of tirzepatide that’s FDA-approved for weight loss. Eli Lilly is the pharmaceutical company that manufactures both Mounjaro and Zepbound.

See our guide to Ozempic vs. Mounjaro for more details.

Mounjaro and Ozempic are different drugs that help many people manage their blood sugar levels and weight. But is one more effective than the other? Maybe. 

Mounjaro vs. Ozempic 

A 2021 clinical trial sponsored by Eli Lilly with almost 1,900 participants compared the effects of semaglutide and tirzepatide on hemoglobin A1C levels. This is the portion of red blood cells coated with glucose, a marker that tells you your average blood sugar levels for the last three months.

The study found that tirzepatide was superior to semaglutide in lowering A1C levels over a three-month period.

Weight Management With GLP-1 Drugs

Even if you switch from Ozempic to Mounjaro, you may still need to take the medication indefinitely for weight management and to keep blood sugar levels under control.

If you have type 2 diabetes, you should only stop taking a GLP-1 medication under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Stopping these medications can lead to a dangerous increase in blood sugar levels. It can also lead to weight regain. 

You may be able to blunt some of those rebound effects by being super diligent with portion control and regular exercise and potentially taking another diabetes medication like metformin.

The first step in switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro is to let your healthcare provider know you’d like to change medications. If they think the latter could better fit your needs, they can give you a new prescription. 

You’d fill that prescription and cancel any refills for Ozempic.

Your healthcare provider will instruct you on the timing of the switch. They may recommend you start Mounjaro the week after you stop taking Ozempic.

If you’re ready to switch medications, there are a couple of critical things to understand:

• They’re different drugs. First, even though Ozempic and Mounjaro are drugs with a similar mechanism of action that provide similar results, they can’t be used interchangeably.

• Don’t double up on GLP-1 meds. Most people should take one at a time. 

Even if you’re currently on a higher dose of Ozempic, your provider might have you start on a low dose of Mounjaro, with the goal of slowly bringing you up to a stronger dose if needed.

Why? Since the drugs have different active ingredients, your healthcare provider will want to see how you respond to Mounjaro and whether you experience any concerning side effects from the new drug.

Ozempic vs. Mounjaro Starting Dose

When you started on Ozempic, you probably began with a weekly dose of 0.25 milligrams (mg) for four weeks. That may have been followed by higher doses of 0.5 to 2 milligrams.

Mounjaro is dosed differently, so don’t be surprised when you get your new dosing instructions. This GLP-1 medication usually starts at 2.5 milligrams for four weeks, followed by increases from 5 to 15 milligrams.

Even at a low dose, you might still get the results you want by switching to Mounjaro. 

A 2024 study sponsored by Eli Lilly looked at people who switched from semaglutide or dulaglutide (Trulicity®) to tirzepatide. They had better A1C control and reached their body weight targets on their new medication. And those results held even when taking the tirzepatide maintenance dose of 5 milligrams.

It’s vital to follow the dosing instructions for whatever drug you’re taking. But if the side effects feel like too much, definitely let your provider know.

This one’s important. Higher doses of Mounjaro are more likely than higher doses of Ozempic to cause nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and other potential side effects.

Switching meds can trigger a new set of side effects as your body gets used to the drug.

Keep in mind that the most common side effects with many new meds are often temporary. Still, you might find that the side effects you experienced with Ozempic return when you start Mounjaro.

Quick disclaimer: Allergic reactions are always a small possibility when taking a new drug with a different active ingredient.

Other things to consider when pondering a switch are cost and insurance coverage. If you have type 2 diabetes, your insurance provider will likely offer similar coverage for both medications.

Your copay and out-of-pocket costs should also be roughly the same for each drug. 

But there have been shortages of both medications, so supply problems could affect your cost.

Hers offers affordable, personalized weight loss programs for women. A healthcare provider on the Hers platform may prescribe compounded GLP-1 medications, metformin, or other science-backed weight loss medications.

Thinking about switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro? Here’s what to keep in mind:

• They’re both GLP-1 agonists but different drugs. If your blood sugar levels are in a healthy range and you’re seeing the weight loss results you want with Ozempic, you may not need to switch to Mounjaro.

• Mounjaro might be better for blood sugar control and weight loss. However, if your A1C targets aren’t being met or you’re not experiencing the weight loss you wanted — or perhaps you’ve hit a weight loss plateau — a switch to Mounjaro may be warranted.

• All health factors should be considered. A 2020 report for healthcare professionals sponsored by Novo Nordisk suggested that while blood sugar control and weight loss are two important considerations, you and your provider should also look at changes in your cardiovascular risk status as a reason to switch weight loss drugs.

There are many Ozempic alternatives for weight loss. A different medication could help lower your risk for cardiovascular events like heart attack and other serious health problems.

But before switching from Ozempic to Mounjaro, get medical advice from a healthcare professional. When it comes to obesity and type 2 diabetes, an individualized treatment plan is crucial for getting the best possible outcomes.

You can also explore weight loss programs offered through our telehealth platform. Get started with our free assessment.