Compounded tirzepatide vial for microdosing

Filled by a licensed US pharmacy we chose. See which one

Microdosing

Microdose tirzepatide

Tirzepatide + B12, lower weekly doses

Tirzepatide at doses below the standard schedule, set with a Seattle provider and filled by a licensed US pharmacy we chose.

$166.33/month

With the 3-month plan. $179 month to month.

  • Online or video visit with a Seattle provider
  • Medication from a pharmacy we chose
  • Follow-ups in your patient portal, as often as you'd like

On a full dose now? Your provider can work out a lower dose with you if it's right for you. How switching works

You only pay if a provider prescribes.

Injection supplies come with every order.

Every prescription gives 50 meals a month to those in need.

What it is

What microdosing is

Microdosing means taking tirzepatide at lower doses than the standard schedule, often 2.5 mg a week or less, and moving up slowly or not at all.

Gentler startSensitive to side effects

A lower dose and slower changes are how providers usually handle nausea and other stomach side effects.

MaintenanceHolding steady after a goal

Some people move to a lower dose once they've reached where they want to be.

Stepping downComing off a full dose

Moving down gradually, with your provider, instead of stopping all at once.

Same medication as our standard tirzepatide, prescribed at lower doses. See standard tirzepatide

Finding the right dose, with your provider

There's no set microdose schedule. Your provider picks a starting dose with you and adjusts it based on how you feel and what you're working toward.

Standard weekly doses, and where microdosing sits

  • Where you start

    Your provider picks a starting dose based on your history and goals, often at or below 2.5 mg a week.

  • Moving slowly

    Changes are smaller and further apart than the standard schedule. Some people stay at one low dose.

  • If you want more

    If a microdose isn't doing enough, your provider can move you to standard tirzepatide.

  • How you talk it through

    Message your provider in your patient portal, or book a video visit at no extra cost.

Standard dose steps from the FDA prescribing information for Zepbound (tirzepatide). Microdose schedules are set by your provider.

Switching to BrightSide

Do you know which pharmacy made your tirzepatide?

Many online GLP-1 platforms don't say which pharmacy makes their medication.

BrightSide offers high-quality treatment from pharmacies we grade and choose, prescribed by providers in Seattle.

"Consumers who purchase compounded drugs online, such as through online pharmacies and telehealth platforms, may not know the identity of the compounder that produced the drug"

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Ask your current providerBrightSide
Which pharmacy made it?A licensed US pharmacy we choseNamed on our pharmacy network page.
Can you look the pharmacy up?YesOur pharmacy network page names each one and its licenses.
Who prescribed it?Arora Health, SeattleA physician-led medical group. Every visit is reviewed by a licensed provider.
How do you reach your provider?Your patient portalMessage your provider as often as you'd like, or book a video visit at no extra cost.
Does your order give back?50 meals a monthEvery prescription gives to those in need through Feeding America.

Step down from where you are

On a full dose now? Tell us what you take. Your provider can work out a lower dose with you if it's right for you.

An example. Your provider reviews your history and current dose before prescribing.

Coming from semaglutide?

Semaglutide and tirzepatide doses don't convert one to one. Your provider works out your starting dose with you.

Been a while since your last dose?

After a longer break, your provider may suggest restarting low and building back up.

  1. Tell us what you take now

    The medication, your dose and when you took your last one.

  2. A Seattle provider reviews it

    They can set a lower dose with you if it's right for you.

  3. Your pharmacy fills it

    A licensed US pharmacy we chose fills your prescription and ships it to your door.

You only pay if a provider prescribes.

The research

What the research does and doesn't show

Microdosing hasn't been tested in randomized clinical trials. The large trials behind tirzepatide studied the brand-name drug Zepbound on the standard dose schedule, and compounded tirzepatide was not the drug studied.

Not yet studied

Tirzepatide microdosing

No randomized trials have tested tirzepatide microdosing for weight loss or maintenance. A 2026 study of health records said prospective trials are needed to know whether microdosing helps.

Murugadoss et al., Biology Methods and Protocols, 2026, as reported by Epocrates, September 2026.
What is known

Zepbound by dose

15 mg20.9%
10 mg19.5%
5 mg15.0%
Placebo3.1%

Average weight loss after 72 weeks in 2,539 adults. The lowest dose in this trial was 5 mg. The FDA label calls 2.5 mg a starting dose, not a maintenance dose.

SURMOUNT-1. Jastreboff et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2022.

Results from Zepbound trials do not predict results with compounded tirzepatide at any dose. Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA approved. Individual results vary.

Month one

What to expect in your first month

The first month is about finding a dose that feels right. Here's what happens, in order.

  1. Before week 1Your medication arrives

    Your pharmacy ships your vial with injection supplies. Put it in the refrigerator when it arrives and follow the storage directions on the label.

  2. Week 1Your first injection

    Pick a day of the week you can stick with. The injection goes just under the skin of your stomach or thigh, or the back of your upper arm if someone else gives it. Switch spots each week.

  3. Weeks 1 to 4Getting used to your dose

    Your provider sets your starting dose. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation and an upset stomach can still happen at lower doses, most often at the start and after a change.

    Smaller meals, stopping when you feel full, less greasy food and more water all help. If side effects don't settle, message your provider in your patient portal.

  4. Around week 4Your dose check-in

    Your provider reviews how the first month went and decides with you whether to stay, adjust, or move to a standard dose.

Missed a dose?

Take it within four days. If it's been longer, skip it and take your next dose on your usual day.

On birth control pills?

Tirzepatide can make them less effective. Use a backup or non-pill method for four weeks after you start and for four weeks after each dose increase.

Get medical help right away

For severe stomach pain that won't go away, or signs of an allergic reaction like swelling of your face, lips or throat.

Dosing and side effect details from the FDA prescribing information for Zepbound (tirzepatide). Your provider's directions and your pharmacy label come first.

How it works

Choose how you meet your provider

StartPick a treatmentAnswer a few health questions online. No office visit and no insurance needed.
OnlineProvider reviewA Seattle provider reviews your answers and messages you if they have questions.
VideoMeet your providerBook a video visit if you'd rather talk it through face to face.
PrescriptionPay only if prescribedYour visit, online or on video, is included in the treatment price. If a provider doesn't prescribe, you're not charged.
DeliveryFilled and shippedThe pharmacy we chose for your treatment fills it and ships it to your door.
After deliveryOngoing careFollow up with your provider in your BrightSide patient portal as often as you'd like.
Who is behind it

Who fills it and who prescribes it

Your pharmacy

Our pharmacies

We grade the pharmacies we work with in five categories. More than eighty compounding pharmacies have been through our grading so far.

  • What we look atWho they are, what they can make, their record, where the ingredients come from and whether it works in practice.
  • Named on our siteOur pharmacy network page names each pharmacy that fills orders today and why we chose it.
  • Licensed US pharmaciesEvery prescription is filled by a licensed US pharmacy we chose.
See our pharmacies
Dr. Shannon AroraDr. Sean Arora
Your providers

Arora Health, Seattle

A physician-led medical group. A licensed provider reviews every visit and every dose change.

  • Dr. Shannon Arora, MDChief medical officer, Arora Health
  • Dr. Sean AroraFounder, Arora Health
Meet our medical team
Support

Support once you start

Your patient portalFollow up with your provider in your BrightSide patient portal as often as you'd like.
Video visitsBook a video visit with a provider at no extra cost.
A person, by emailEmail hello@jointhebrightside.com and a person answers.
Dr. Shannon AroraDr. Sean Arora

The same providers, after you start

A licensed provider from Arora Health in Seattle reviews every visit and every dose change. Questions about your dose, side effects or what comes next go to them in your patient portal.

Questions

Microdosing questions

Is microdose tirzepatide different from regular tirzepatide?

It's the same medication at lower doses, set by your provider.

Does microdosing work?

It hasn't been tested in randomized clinical trials, so no one can say how well it works for weight loss or maintenance. Your provider can talk through whether a lower dose or the standard schedule fits your goals.

Can I move from microdosing to a standard dose?

Yes. Your provider can move you to standard tirzepatide at any point.

I'm on a full dose now. Can I step down?

Tell us what you take now and your current dose. A licensed provider reviews it and can set a lower dose with you if it's right for you.

Is compounded tirzepatide the same as Zepbound or Mounjaro?

No. Zepbound and Mounjaro are FDA-approved drugs made by Eli Lilly. Compounded tirzepatide is made by a state-licensed pharmacy for one patient, from a prescription. It is not FDA approved, and the FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality.

Which pharmacy fills my prescription?

A licensed US pharmacy we chose. Our pharmacy network page names each pharmacy that fills orders today and its licenses.

How is it shipped?

Cold. Your pharmacy packs your medication to stay at the right temperature on the way to your door. Put it in the refrigerator when it arrives. If anything about your delivery looks off, email hello@jointhebrightside.com before you use it.

What if the provider says no?

You're not charged. Your card is only charged if a licensed provider prescribes your treatment.

Microdose tirzepatide, prescribed in Seattle

$166.33/month

With the 3-month plan. $179 month to month.

You only pay if a provider prescribes.

Important safety information

Tirzepatide may cause thyroid tumors. In studies in rats, tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumors. It is not known whether it causes these tumors in people. Do not use tirzepatide if you or a family member has ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

Other serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, low blood sugar, kidney problems, serious allergic reactions and, in people with type 2 diabetes, changes in vision. Tell your provider about every medication you take, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant. Tell your provider before any surgery or procedure that uses anesthesia or sedation.

Based on the FDA prescribing information for Zepbound (tirzepatide). Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA approved, and the FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality.