Coming off

Tapering off Wegovy or Mounjaro: what it means and what to ask

By the Steadie team · Updated 11 October 2026 · 2 minute read

The short version

Tapering means coming down through lower doses before stopping, rather than stopping from your current dose.
Wegovy steps up from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg a week (7.2 mg for some people); Mounjaro from 2.5 mg to 15 mg a week. A taper would move back down those steps.
There's little trial evidence yet on whether tapering helps keep weight off. Whether to taper, and how, is for you and your prescriber.
Whatever you decide, the habits you build while the medicine is still working are what carry you afterwards.

What tapering means

When people talk about tapering a GLP-1, they mean coming down through lower doses over some weeks before the last injection, instead of stopping from the dose they're on. Some prescribers suggest it; others plan a straight stop. Both happen in UK practice.

Steadie never advises on doses, tapering or stopping. Any change to your medicine is a decision for you and your prescriber, who knows your health and your dose.

The UK dose steps

Both medicines start low and step up every four weeks or more, so the body can get used to them. Knowing the steps makes a conversation about coming down easier to follow.

Wegovy (semaglutide), once a week: 0.25 mg, then 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Since January 2026 the UK regulator has also approved 7.2 mg for some adults with obesity, after at least four weeks on 2.4 mg.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide), once a week: 2.5 mg, then 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg, going up by 2.5 mg at a time.

Your own dose may sit at any of these steps. Some people stay on a lower dose because it works well for them or because of side effects.

What the evidence says

The big trials looked at what happens when the medicine stops: in the STEP 1 extension, people regained about two-thirds of the weight they'd lost within a year of stopping semaglutide, and in SURMOUNT-4 people switched from tirzepatide to a placebo regained about 14% of their body weight over a year. You can see what those averages mean at your numbers with our weight regain calculator.

Those trials compared stopping with carrying on. They didn't test a gradual taper against a straight stop, and there isn't strong trial evidence yet either way. Anyone who tells you a taper definitely prevents regain is going further than the research.

What the research does support is the routine around the medicine: protein, strength exercise, regular meals and support for at least a year after treatment ends, which is what NICE recommends.

Questions to ask your prescriber

Would you suggest coming down gradually, or stopping from my current dose? Why?
If we taper, what would the steps be, and how long would each last?
What should I look out for, and when should I get in touch?
What follow-up will I have in the year after my last dose?
If my weight starts to come back, what are my options?

There are more in questions to ask before stopping.

Using a taper well

If you do come down gradually, the weeks of a taper are a good time to practise the routines that will carry you afterwards, while appetite is still partly quietened:

Build each meal around protein, about 25 to 30 g. See protein after a GLP-1.
Put two short strength sessions in the diary each week. See strength training after a GLP-1.
Learn your rough maintenance number with the maintenance calorie calculator.
Notice your hungriest time of day and plan a snack for it.

The same routines matter just as much if you stop at once. See tapering vs stopping all at once.

Common questions

Should I taper off Wegovy or Mounjaro?

That's a decision for you and your prescriber. Some prescribers suggest coming down through lower doses; others plan a straight stop. There isn't strong trial evidence yet that one keeps weight off better than the other.

What are the Wegovy doses in the UK?

Wegovy is weekly and steps up from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Since January 2026, 7.2 mg is also approved for some adults with obesity after at least four weeks on 2.4 mg.

What are the Mounjaro doses in the UK?

Mounjaro is weekly and goes from 2.5 mg up to 15 mg in steps of 2.5 mg: 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.

Does tapering stop weight coming back?

It hasn't been shown to in large trials. What helps most is the routine around it: protein, strength exercise, regular meals, everyday activity and support for a year after treatment.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Steadie never gives advice about medication, doses or stopping treatment: talk to your prescriber, GP or pharmacist about those. In an emergency, call 999. Read how we write guides in our editorial policy.