Beauty Blog
My Friend Is Taking 5 Units... I'm Taking 20! Am I Taking Too Much?
This is one of the most common questions we hear. The short answer? Probably not.
The number of "units" on your syringe doesn't tell us how much medication you're actually taking.
Think of it like orange juice concentrate. You can have the same amount of orange juice in a small glass of concentrate or a large glass that's been diluted with water. The volume is different, but the amount of orange juice can be exactly the same.
Compounding pharmacies use different concentrations of tirzepatide. One pharmacy may package 5 mg in a much smaller volume than another. That means one person might inject 5 units while another inj ects 20 units—and both are receiving exactly the same dose.
That's why comparing syringe units with friends (or social media) simply doesn't work.
What matters is the number of milligrams (mg) you're receiving—not the number of units on the syringe.
Everyone Responds Differently. Even if two people are taking the exact same dose, their results may look completely different. Some patients lose weight quickly on a very low dose and stay there for months. Others need gradual dose increases before they achieve the same appetite control. Age, metabolism, insulin resistance, lifestyle, and even genetics all play a role. The goal is to find the lowest effective dose that controls appetite, supports healthy weight loss, and minimizes side effects.
Several years ago, semaglutide changed the landscape of medical weight loss. It remains an excellent medication and is still appropriate for some patients. Today, however, we've largely transitioned to tirzepatide for most of our patients. Tirzepatide works on two different hormone receptors (GLP-1 and GIP) instead of just one. In clinical studies, this has translated into greater average weight loss, better appetite control, and, for many patients, fewer gastrointestinal side effects than semaglutide.
That doesn't mean tirzepatide is the right choice for everyone. Some patients do better on semaglutide, and certain medical or insurance situations may make it the better option.
That's why we don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
At Gilded Palm, we monitor your progress, adjust your dose based on how your body responds, and focus on helping you achieve sustainable, healthy results—not simply increasing the number on your syringe.
So the next time someone asks, "How many units are you taking?"... Just smile and remember: Units aren't the dose. Milligrams are.
