Tirzepatide Safety Profile

Common Side Effects

Injection site reactions occur in patients taking tirzepatide, as reported by the American Diabetes Association, with elevated heart rate also being a common side effect 1, 2
The American Society of Anesthesiologists notes that GLP-1 receptors are found in various parts of the central nervous system, including the hippocampus, neocortex, spinal cord, and cerebellum, which may be related to the neurological effects of tirzepatide 2

The American Diabetes Association recommends using caution in people with kidney disease when initiating or increasing the dose of tirzepatide due to potential risk of acute kidney injury, and also notes that pancreatitis has been reported in clinical trials 1
The American Diabetes Association advises monitoring for potential consequences of delayed absorption of oral medications and notes that tirzepatide may cause cholelithiasis and gallstone-related complications, with a black box warning for risk of thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents 1

The American Society of Anesthesiologists suggests starting at a low dose and titrating upward slowly to minimize gastrointestinal side effects when prescribing tirzepatide 2
The American Diabetes Association recommends monitoring patients for potential drug interactions, particularly with medications that have a narrow therapeutic index, and advises patients using oral hormonal contraception to use or add a non-oral contraception method for 4 weeks after initiation and dose escalations 1