Where is the best place to inject Mounjaro?
When it comes to injecting Mounjaro, the best place is whichever approved spot feels most comfortable for you.
Everyone’s different, and the right choice can depend on a few factors, like whether you want to minimise side effects, find the least painful area, or have someone else administer the injection.
Read on as we answer all these questions and provide more details about the different injection sites.
Three key takeaways:
- Mounjaro should always be injected into areas with lots of fatty tissue, like the stomach, thigh or upper arm.
- You should rotate your injection sites to help reduce side effects and irritation.
- Be careful to avoid injecting in bruised and scarred areas, muscles and near the belly button.
Where can I inject Mounjaro?
You can inject Mounjaro into your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm. The manufacturer, Eli Lilly, has approved these three areas.
You should always avoid injecting Mounjaro in the following areas:
- Scarred, bruised or irritated skin
- Muscles – this is a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection, and not an intramuscular injection.
One clinical study showed that injecting in the thigh can potentially reduce side effects by 25% compared to the abdomen. However, fewer people recorded appetite suppression in this injection site.
This study has limitations, as it only measured the responses of 54 patients, all of whom had a wide range of BMIs (18.5 to 45), which is not a very large study group.
Injecting into the stomach
The stomach or abdomen is the most common place people inject Mounjaro. It's the easiest spot to access when self-injecting, and pharmacists often recommend this site because there is a higher likelihood of fatty tissue, making it safer to inject.
However, it is important to remember that if you are going to inject around your stomach, you should avoid injecting within two inches of your belly button.
This is because there is less fatty tissue around your navel, which means that your absorption of the treatment can be slower and the delivery inconsistent. Not just this, but it can also lead to irritation and lumps around the area, which can cause discomfort.
Injecting into the thigh
Many also prefer to inject Mounjaro into their thigh, as it is easy to access. If you choose to inject in your thighs, you will likely have a larger surface area than the upper arm, which gives you more options for changing up the injection site.
Injecting into your thigh is easy. Choose a spot in any of the four locations on the front of your thigh, usually in the middle third.
Be careful not to jab yourself too aggressively and hold the injection in for up to 6-7 seconds to ensure all of the treatment has been absorbed.
We’ve summarised how to take your Mounjaro in 8 easy steps for more advice.
If you are concerned about any potential bruising or discomfort, the thigh may not be the best spot, especially as it can rub against clothing and cause irritation.
Injecting into the upper arm
Injecting into the upper arm can be pretty tricky if you are administering the treatment yourself; this is why it is often the least common spot to inject.
However, if for any reason you are unable to inject yourself, this is a good alternative if you have someone else who is willing to inject the treatment for you. It is important to avoid injecting the treatment into any muscles in your arm; always aim for fatty tissue, usually on the back of the arm.
Most effective place to inject Mounjaro
All of the approved injection sites are effective for absorption, and there is a negligible difference in how the body circulates the treatment.
In clinical studies, people reported stronger appetite suppression when injecting in the stomach, but this does not prove that it is a more effective injection site than the others.
Comfort and safety considerations
Least painful place to inject
There is no one least painful place to inject, though people tend to report experiencing less pain in areas with more fat, such as the stomach. However, it is important to note that this varies from person to person.
You should consider changing the injection site between your weekly doses to prevent irritation. For example, you can break up the injections in the stomach into four different locations (imagine a cross going down the centre of your belly button to create four different injection sites).
What happens if you inject Mounjaro in the wrong place?
In most cases, if you accidentally inject in the wrong area, then this is not likely to cause any serious harm. However, you should seek medical advice if you experience severe pain, swelling or any unexpected side effects.
What happens if you inject in the same spot every time?
If you inject in the same spot, you risk irritating the skin around the area, which may cause pain, rashes, or swelling. You should rotate weekly between injections.
FAQs
Does the Mounjaro injection hurt?
The Mounjaro injection does not hurt most people, as the needle provided with the pen is so small that it cannot be felt. If, however, you are concerned about injecting yourself, local anaesthetic creams can help give you the confidence you need.
How long after injecting Mounjaro do side effects start?
Side effects can begin a few days after injection, but most will fade in one to two weeks. If you have any persistent side effects, you should contact your healthcare provider for further advice, as you may need to stop treatment.
For more information about side effects, read our guide.
Can you inject Mounjaro in the bum?
Injecting in your rear is not an approved site by the manufacturer, so we would not advise injecting here.
What’s the best site for reducing side effects?
The inner thigh is the best injection site to reduce side effects, although this has a higher risk of reduced effectiveness.
Sources
