Tirzepatide FAQs

Tirzepatide / Mounjaro is a single molecule that activates two receptors in the brain that tackle a few process that aid in both controlling blood glucose and and aid in weight loss.

• GIP = glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide
• GLP-1 = glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)

Both GIP and GLP-1 are natural incretin hormones. GIP decreases how much you eat and increases energy expenditure, which naturally results in weight loss. That, with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, may result in greater positive effects on blood glucose and body weight. The medication also slows gastric emptying (meaning how long the food stays in the stomach before heading to the small intestine) — the result is feeling full sooner while eating and staying full for a prolonged period (versus without the medication). Source

Our protocol includes:

• Tirzepatide or Mounjaro injection titrated to your custom needs and administered by your NP subcutaneously (into the fat of the abdomen, thigh, or bicep). 
• Anti-nausea IM medication injection or orally (if needed)
• Digestion & metabolism support oral supplements
• Digestion & metabolic support IM injection
• NP check-in, accountability, and support

Be in touch to learn the cost of this protocol, which will vary based on volume of the medication needed, as well as your exact health situation (some may be eligible for insurance coverage.) The protocol also may include discounts on other VIVA Wellness services that directly benefit the tirzepatide or mounjaro weight loss experience. This information is available during your initial weight loss consultation — book here.

It’s really not! Those are the branded names, but the drug tirzepatide is the same. If you do have documented Type 2 Diabetes, insurance may cover Mounjaro for you. Mounjaro is FDA-approved for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, and is also now being fast tracked for approvals for weight loss and obesity. Tirzepatide is the generic name of Mounjaro.

The length of each protocol varies by weight loss goal, health, ability to adhere to the protocol, etc. You could theoretically be on it for as few as 3 months (minimum), but as far as we know at this point, you could remain on the protocol until you reach your goal weight or to maintain it without drastic lifestyle change or deprivation.

VIVA Wellness is an open-minded, client experience, health focused, Nurse Practitioner guided wellness clinic. Taking any medication comes with risks, but that’s why we go into depth about your health history to ensure that we can properly dose any medications that you may be a good fit for. While the medication has less side effects as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.), some do experience side effects. See the next question.

Mounjaro / tirzepatide is FDA-approved for Type 2 Diabetes and we are monitoring its fast-tracking for its weight loss approvals. That does not mean that if you do not have Type 2 Diabetes it is unsafe or not acceptable to take, however. More here.

There may be! Because the medication is influencing quite a few processes in the body, the potential for side effects exists but will vary by individual. If experienced, these do usually decline with time as the body adjusts: nausea, Digestive disturbances (constipation or diarrhea), abdominal discomfort (gas, bloating), low energy, fatigue, detox symptoms, blood sugar changes, emotion, mood, and hormonal changes. Our NPs slowly increase the dosage over time to minimize what side effects you may experience.

This is why having a NP-managed medical weight loss program, including frequent check ins and dosing (including administration of the injections themselves), can revolutionize the way you feel as you receive tirzepatide or Mounjaro, which may ultimately influence the results you experience.

We don’t want to lead anyone astray with our response, so we like to only determine ideal candidates within the walls of our clinic. We also know those with pancreas issues are not a good fit, right out the gate!

Mounjaro may be covered by your insurance for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. This means insurance will only cover Mounjaro for those with documented type 2 diabetes but could potentially be covered for obesity in coming months. So, if you are a Type 2 Diabetic, (A1c 6.5 or higher and you have insurance) we can prescribe the Mounjaro to you.

Assuming you are deemed a good fit with our Nurse Practitioners, our office works with compounding pharmacies to bring clients access to tirzepatide. So even if you aren't diabetic, but would benefit from tirzepatide for weight management, we got you covered!

While we’re not totally sure and our suppliers don’t really share that information, what we do know is that it does target an additional hunger center in the brain and offers less side effects. So what we’re led to believe is that there is greater demand and until the suppliers are able to catch up with market demand, the cost remains higher.

Maybe that feels right to you, but that doesn’t sit right with us. We want to check in with you, we want to provide accountability, simply put, we want to know you before and during your use!

Our protocol is built with quality of life in mind, and so it has built-in considerations for your whole body’s health. A drug like this, as mentioned above with the side effects, is rewiring quite a few components of how it relates to and processes food, and so we like to be sure that we are doing everything we can to accommodate the body and make that adjustment period comfortable.

We have a strong understanding of other services that complement use of Mounjaro or tirzepatide (and semaglutide, Wegovy, Ozempic, too) that not only facilitate, and jumpstart in some case, the effectiveness of the medication, but truly work to help you feel better.

Everybody is different.

Studies say it takes anywhere from 20 to 90 days to wire new habits, but generously if it took years to form a habit, it may take a bit longer to reform stubborn habits, too! So that said, we can’t make guarantees, but we do hope that while under the medication our clients are taking time to explore their tendencies, looking at how they’ve previously used food other than simply nourishment, and begin to make changes within their lives and lifestyles that would make these habits harder to return too, with new habits staying more compelling. We personally believe that if you feel incredible on tirzepatide, you are very unlikely to want to go back to previous habits that did not set you up for success.

Again, every single body is so unique, so there’s no way to guarantee results, let alone permanent results, with anything. We suggest our clients embrace curiosity and open-mindedness as they look to tend to their whole body experience no matter what weight loss or health journey they are on.