Where is the best place to inject Mounjaro?
Mounjaro can be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of three main areas:
- The stomach (below the waist to above the hip bone), except for a 2-inch circle around the belly button
- The top of the thighs
- The back of the upper arms (between the elbow and shoulder)
How do you inject Mounjaro?
If you are injecting Mounjaro yourself, you can inject it into the stomach or thighs. If someone else is helping you inject your dose, they can inject it into the stomach, thighs, or back of the upper arms. Your prescriber can help you choose a site that works best for you to inject Mounjaro.
Mounjaro is available in two options that you can use at home: single-use vials where you need to draw the medication up yourself into a syringe, and pre-filled pens. A healthcare professional will provide training on how to give yourself injections.
Before injecting Mounjaro, make sure to wash your hands and clean the site with an alcohol wipe. This helps lower your risk of getting an infection.
Single-dose vials:
- Prepare your dose by removing the cap from the vial, wiping it with an alcohol swab, and drawing up your dose with a syringe.
- Pinch up a fold of skin and insert the needle straight in (90-degree angle) or at a 45-degree angle. Once the needle is all the way in, push down on the plunger to inject the medication. Keep the needle in for 5 seconds to make sure you have injected all of the medication.
- Pull out the needle at the same angle and place it in a container safe for needles (e.g., sharps container).
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Pre-filled pen:
- Check the pen to make sure it isn’t frozen, cloudy, or contains particles.
- Remove the base cap and place the clear base flat against your skin where you will inject the medication.
- Unlock the pen by turning the lock ring. Then, press and hold the injection button for up to 10 seconds. The first click signals the injection has started. The second click means the injection is finished.
- Remove the pen from your skin and place it into a sharps container or other container safe to dispose of needles.
How often should I rotate injection sites?
The injection site should be changed each week. This is to allow the area to heal after each injection. Keep track of where you injected your Mounjaro dose last so you don’t use the same site twice in a row. Injecting into the same area too often can lead to a side effect called lipohypertrophy (a lump under the skin).
Is it better to inject Mounjaro in the thigh, stomach, or back of the upper arms?
It doesn’t matter which of the three injection sites that you choose to inject Mounjaro. It will work whether you inject it into the thigh, stomach, or back of the upper arms. Remember to rotate the injection site each week.
References
Mounjaro [package insert]. Revised 09/2023. Eli Lilly and Company - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) https://www.drugs.com/mounjaro.html
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Drug information
- Mounjaro Information for Consumers
- Mounjaro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Mounjaro (detailed)
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