Tirzepatide
Two Pathways. One Weekly Routine.
Tirzepatide is a prescription weight loss injection, given once a week under the skin. It is prescribed within a doctor-supervised plan for adults whose weight has begun to affect their health.
It acts on GIP and GLP-1, two hormones released by the gut when you eat, where most weight loss injections act on GLP-1 alone. Acting on both, it quietens hunger, keeps food in the stomach for longer and brings on fullness earlier in a meal. It supports a lower-calorie diet and an active routine rather than replacing them.
A weekly option for adults ready for a supervised, long-term plan.
Your first step is an in-person consultation, where your doctor goes through your health history, any medicines you take, your weight and what you hope to achieve, then decides whether tirzepatide is right for you.
If it is, you're shown how to inject it yourself under the skin of the stomach, thigh or upper arm, rotating the site each week. The dose starts low and is increased gradually, which helps limit side effects.
Before you start, you'll go through the likely side effects and your review schedule.
Sessions needed: A single injection each week, done at home, plus clinic reviews where your doctor checks how you're doing and adjusts the dose.
Results Timeline: A quieter appetite is often the first sign. The scale tends to move steadily over several months as the dose is stepped up, and the pace differs for each person.
Maintenance: This is a long-term plan. Weight often comes back once the medicine stops, so the routines you build while on it carry the result forward, with your doctor guiding each stage.
A weekly step, guided by regular review.
Nothing needs to heal between doses. The most common side effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, reduced appetite and stomach discomfort. They are usually short-lived and ease as the body adjusts, which is why the dose is increased slowly. Mild redness at the injection site can occur. Less common risks, such as gallstones and pancreatitis, are explained at your consultation. Raise anything that worries you with your doctor.
Aftercare tips:
- Eat slowly and keep portions small
- Stay well hydrated, especially if you have stomach upsets
- Build regular movement into your week
- Follow the aftercare notes provided after your treatment
- Attend your follow-up review so your doctor can check your progress
- Steady weight loss when paired with diet and movement
- A smaller appetite and less urge to snack
- Fullness that arrives earlier and lasts longer
- Just one injection a week
- A plan your doctor fine-tunes at each review
When will I see results? Many people notice their appetite shift within the first few weeks, with weight loss building over the months that follow. Individual results differ.
Tirzepatide may suit adults who:
- Have a BMI of 30 or more
- Have a BMI of 27 or more along with a weight-related condition
- Have tried diet and exercise without results that last
- Want medical support while they change how they eat and move
It isn't right for everyone, and it isn't used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Your doctor confirms whether it suits you. To compare it with semaglutide, see our Weight Loss Injections (GLP-1) page.
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