Zepbound

Order a Zepbound Pen for Weight Loss

When available, you will be able to request to buy Zepbound weight loss pens in the UK, online, from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. This is a prescription weight loss treatment which is manufactured by Eli Lilly.

It is not yet known when Zepbound will be available in the UK. Wegovy is from the same family of drug, and is licensed for weight loss use in the UK.

What is Zepbound?

Zepbound is a weight loss treatment used for people with a body mass index (BMI) over 30. It is an injection pen which contains the medicine tirzepatide. The Zepbound pen is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly.

It can also be used for people with a BMI over 27 who have also been diagnosed with weight-related medical problems. These include:

• Diabetes type 2
• High cholesterol
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• High blood pressure

How does it work?

Zepbound contains the active ingredient tirzepatide. Tirzepatide is from a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonsts. This is a class of drug which helps regulate hunger and is released by the intestines after a meal. 

Due to being similar to GLP-1, Zepbound regulates appetite causing you to feel fuller and less hungry. This can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight. Focussing on eating a reduced-calorie diet will further enhance the benefits of Zepbound.

Is it for me?

Zepbound should only be used to help with weight loss if you have already tried and failed to lose weight through exercise and diet alone. It is not currently available to buy in the UK, however there are other GLP-1 drugs which are availble. These incude Saxenda, Wegovy and Ozempic.

How effective is it?

When using Zepbound pens to suppress appetite, you can expect to lose a around 15-20% of your initial body weight after completing treatment. 

Dose

Zepbound comes as an injectable pen. It is injected once weekly subcutaneously. The usual injection sites will be the upper arm, upper thigh or abdomen. 

The recommended starting dosage of Zepbound is 2.5 mg weekly for four weeks. After a month, doses are then increased in 2.5 mg increments, as tolerated, up to a maximum of 15 mg once weekly.

While increasing the dose if you find the side effects problematic for two weeks or more you should discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist.

Alternatives

The preferred and safest method of losing weight is via a healthy diet and increased physical exercise.

The NHS offers a 12-week weight loss plan for patients. Further information from the NHS is available for exercise and diets.

Other GLP-1 drugs available in the UK as an alternative to Zepbound include

• Wegovy
• Saxenda
• Ozempic

For many people, the thought of injecting a treatment is not quite for them. There are more traditional weight loss pills available from our weight loss service, such as Orlistat. This contains 120mg of the drug, and  works by preventing 1/3rd of the fat from the food you eat from being absorbed.

Summary

Side effects

The most common side effects with Zepbound affect the digestive system. These can include things like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Most patients should see these effects subside after a few days.

Other common side effects include:

• Feeling weak or tired
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Injection site reactions such as bruising, pain or a rash

Warnings

Interactions with other medicines

Some medicines can interact with Zepbound such as:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinning medication) such as warfarin
• Anti-diabetic medication such as sulfonylureas and insulin
• GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Victoza

Other conditions and Zepbound

Zepbound can be dangerous in certain conditions so it is especially important to mention if you have:

• Heart failure
• Aged 75 years or older
• Severe renal (kidney) disease
• Severe hepatic (liver) disease
• Pancreatitis

Author

	Name	Hywel McGlinchy
	Role	Clinical Pharmacist
	Qual.	Masters of Pharmacy
	About	Hywel started with Simple Online Pharmacy in 2020. He's responsible for helping review and author accurate site content. He works with our GPs to make sure all aspects of the medicines are covered.
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