Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pharmaceutical medication.
Zepbound is an injectable medication that's FDA-approved for weight loss. The manufacturer's official website suggests that Zepbound helps users "Lose Weight And Keep It Off."
The generic form of Zepbound is called tirzepatide, and we'll use these terms interchangably throughout this article, because they refer to the same active drug ingredient.
But is Zepbound proven in clinical studies to cause weight loss? And if so, how much weight loss is possible? Does the drug cause side effects? And how do real patients rate and describe its effects?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies on Zepbound to determine whether or not the drug is effective for weight loss.
We'll compare the drug's efficacy to other popular weight loss medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro, and feature unsponsored patient reviews.
Does Zepbound Cause Weight Loss?
Zepbound has been studied in many clinical trials for its effects on weight.
A 2022 clinical trial on obese individuals found that after 72 weeks of use, Zepbound caused an average body weight loss of 15%.
This equates to 45 pounds of weight loss for an individual with a baseline weight of 300 pounds.
Zepbound is also effective in individuals who have already lost weight through lifestyle changes.
A clinical trial on overweight and obese individuals published in the Nature Portfolio journal concluded that Zepbound "provided substantial additional reduction in body weight in participants who had achieved ≥5.0% weight reduction with intensive lifestyle intervention."
Based on the available research, we consider Zepbound use likely to result in weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, which is unsurprising given that the drug is FDA-approved for those indications.
Zepbound vs. the Competition
Wegovy and Mounjaro are two of the most commonly-prescribed injectable weight loss drugs.
A comparative study published in the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism journal reported that Zepbound was more effective than Wegovy for weight loss.
As we documented in our does Mounjaro cause weight loss article, Mounjaro contains the same active drug ingredient, at the same doses, as Zepbound.
Therefore, we consider Mounjaro and Zepbound equally likely to be effective.
Based on the available research we could locate, we would recommend that patients interested in pharmaceutical weight loss treatments speak with their doctor about Zepbound or Mounjaro rather than Wegovy.
Real People Try Zepbound
A TikTok creator named Elissa Lorenn shared her experience after one week on Zepbound:
@elissalorenn heres what ive noticed week 2 on tirzepatide ✨ #tirzepatide #tirzepatideweightloss #zepbound #mounjaro #mounjarojourney #mounjaroweightloss #weightloss ♬ original sound - Elissa Lorenn
A TikTok creator named "veryvarine" claims to have lost over 30 pounds using Zepbound:
@veryvarine Hungover, sunburnt & exhausted injection this morning from the beach 🫣 still down 2 pounds this week though even though im on vacation! #fyp #glp1 #weightloss #zepbound #fypシ #tirzepatide #tirzepatideweightloss #onederland ♬ drowning (edit) - Antent & vowl.
Does Zepbound Cause Side Effects?
Zepbound has the potential to cause side effects.
The drug's FDA label contains a "black box" warning indicating that the medication causes thyroid tumors in rats, and it's unknown whether or not the same effect may occur in humans.
A 2023 medical review documented that higher doses of Zepbound were associated with greater risk of side effects.
Mild side effects such as nausea and vomiting were common, although the drug also caused death in rare (<1%) cases, for reasons such as severe hypoglycemia and pancreatitis.
Our Clean Weight Loss Picks
There are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.
Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top fiber pick because it's certified organic, provides 7 g of fiber per serving and costs under $1.85 per serving at the time of updating this article.
MCT oil was shown in a meta-study to cause more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. This equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.
Performance Lab MCT Oil is our top MCT oil pick because it's certified organic.
Ginger intake "significantly decreased body weight" according to a 2019 meta-study on ginger and weight loss that analyzed data from 14 clinical trials.
Pique La Ginger is our top ginger product, because it's an organic tea in convenient crystallized form, and all that's needed is to pour the powder into a glass and add hot water.
All three of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of additive ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
We are not suggesting that any of the products referenced in this section are as effective as Zepbound, or any other FDA-approved medication. Rather, we're sharing options that patients who prefer not to take a prescription medication can discuss with their doctor.
Patients Rate Zepbound
Drugs.com is a website that allows prescription medication patients to rate and review the drugs they're taking.
We cannot verify the accuracy or authenticity of any reviews on this site.
Zepbound has been reviewed over 30 times on Drugs.com at the time of publishing this article, with an average review rating of 9.2 out of 10.
A top positive review comes from a user named "Lori" who gave the medication a 10/10 rating, and claims to have lost a significant amount of weight while using it:
"Thank you Zepbound for showing me what being full was. It's a whole new feeling. I have more pep in my step. Four weeks in, over 20 pounds lost. Bring on the 2024 weight loss journey!! (2.5 dose, going up next shot)"
A top negative review is written by a user named "sherri" who gave the medication a 4/10 rating, and seems unhappy with the weight loss:
"I have been on Zepbound for two months and have lost only 9 pounds...I have no side effects from the drug or overeating."
Nine pounds of weight loss in two months equates to an annualized pace of 54 pounds of weight loss, which is significant in our opinion.
Will You Regain Weight After Quitting?
A YouTube creator named Dr. Dan has a video on potential weight regain after use of Zepbound is discontinued:
What Does Zepbound Cost?
We typically recommend that patients speak with their doctor about the generic version of drugs, because as we discussed in our orlistat reviews article, clinical research has shown generics to be equally effective to brand-name drugs.
However, at the time of publishing this article, there doesn't appear to be a generic version of Zepbound available in the US because of how recently the drug was approved by the FDA.
The retail price of Zepbound is currently around $1,050 for four doses according to GoodRx.
The drug manufacturer's website has a Savings Page that claims to help patients spend as little as $25 if they qualify.
