Weight Regain After Stopping Mounjaro

Weight regain after stopping Mounjaro is a sad fact for people who spend their money on costly weight loss medicines, and avoid eating their favorite meals for the whole year.

Ozempic and Mounjaro were thought to lower our “genetic setpoint” body weight. However, they are not miracle drugs.

The only intervention that helps you lose weight and maintain weight loss for a long is gastric bypass surgery.

Even people who have had gastric sleeve surgery had to convert it to gastric bypass after some time as the stomach stretches itself to accommodate more food.

The SURMOUNT 4 study demonstrated 20.9% weight loss at week 36 and people who continued it until week 52 lost another 5.5% body weight.

However, those who were switched to a placebo medicine after week 36, regained weight at week 55. The weight regain was very significant.

Key points of the SURMOUNT 4 Study:

The research aimed to understand how Tirzepatide, along with diet and exercise, affects the maintenance of weight loss in obese or overweight people.
The study involved 783 participants in a 36-week open-label period, receiving tirzepatide. Afterward, 670 participants were randomly assigned to either continue Tirzepatide or switch to a placebo for 52 weeks.
Participants on Tirzepatide showed a significant mean weight reduction of 20.9%, while those on placebo experienced a weight gain of 14.0% from week 36 to week 88.
Withdrawal of Tirzepatide led to substantial weight regain.
The results showed that Tirzepatide helped maintain weight loss, with some achieving significant reductions. It also improved factors like blood sugar, insulin, and quality of life.

Weight Regain After Stopping Mounjaro:

Ozempic and Mounjaro are potent weight-loss drugs. However, when there is a debate about Ozempic vs Bariatric Surgery or Mounjaro vs Bariatric Surgery, the one question that Mounjaro and Ozempic proponents can not answer is “For How Long?”

For how long are you going to take the drug?
For life?
Does that mean you are going to regain weight after you stop it?

The answer is YES! Until now, we were elusive and we thought these drugs might lower our “genetic set point“, however, the results of the study showed otherwise.

Tirzepatide has received approval in several countries, such as the US, EU, and Japan, and it is administered once a week through subcutaneous injection.

Its approved uses include the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the US and the UK.

In a study published this week, researchers found out that in people with obesity or overweight, withdrawal from Tirzepatide resulted in significant weight regain, while those who continued taking the medication maintained and even increased their initial weight reduction. [ref]

This is an important notice for people looking to lose weight but unsure how their body will respond after they stop it.

Study methodology:

The purpose of the SURMOUNT-4 study was to examine tirzepatide’s efficacy as a weight-management drug.

Participants had to be at least eighteen years old and have a BMI of 30 or higher (or a BMI of 27 with complications related to weight).

The study occurred at 70 sites across Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan, and the US.

It consisted of a 36-week open-label phase, where participants received Ttirzepatide, followed by a 52-week double-blind phase with some participants switching to a placebo.

Tirzepatide was administered weekly, with dosage adjustment. Participants who reached the maximum tolerated dose were then randomly assigned to either continue Tirzepatide or switch to a placebo.

Throughout the study, ethical principles were followed, informed consent was obtained, and participants received guidance for a healthier lifestyle.

How much weight do people regain after stopping Mounjaro?

Tirzepatide significantly decreased body weight from weeks 36 to 88 by 5.5%, however, after stopping mounjaro, people started regaining weight.

Those who were switched to a placebo noticed a 14.0% increase in body weight.

In comparison to 16.6% of placebo participants, 89.5% of Tirzepatide participants maintained at least 80% of their body weight loss at week 88.

Tirzepatide also demonstrated improvements in various health factors and patient-reported outcomes.

Tirezepatide steadily outperformed the placebo during the whole trial, demonstrating improvements in cardiometabolic parameters and notable weight reduction thresholds (at least 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%).

According to the study’s findings, Tirzepatide helps people with obesity and weight-related problems maintain their weight loss and enhance their general health.

Adverse events and side effects reported in the study

Users of Tirzepatide experienced frequent side effects during the trial, mostly related to digestion, such as nausea (35.5%), diarrhea (21.1%), constipation (20.7%), and vomiting (16.3%).

Notably, the majority of these gastrointestinal issues in the Tirzepatide group were mild to moderate and showed a gradual decrease over time.

In the double-blind phase, 60.3% of Tirzepatide users reported adverse events, slightly higher than the 55.8% reported by placebo users.

The most common adverse events included COVID-19 and gastrointestinal problems.

In the Tirzepatide lead-in period, 7.0% of users discontinued treatment due to adverse events, primarily linked to gastrointestinal issues.

During the double-blind period, Tirzepatide caused 1.8% of treatment discontinuations, while placebo led to 0.9%.

Major adverse events were reported in 2.0% of participants during the lead-in period and 3.0% during the double-blind period, with no deaths attributed to the study drug.

Pancreatitis, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer were not reported.