# Stopping or taking a break

> Talk to your doctor first, say the NHS and the leaflets. The NHS adds don’t stop suddenly, and your doctor may suggest reducing your dose gradually. Mounjaro’s, Wegovy’s and Ozempic’s leaflets say not to stop without talking to your doctor, and with type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro’s and Ozempic’s say blood sugar can rise.

Canonical: https://jabwise.app/guides/stopping-or-pausing. Sources checked 12 October 2026. General information, not medical advice: follow your prescriber.

## In their own words

What each source says about stopping, quoted as written.

- **NHS**: On stopping: "Talk to your doctor if you want to stop using tirzepatide, and do not stop suddenly." ([NHS: Tirzepatide](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/tirzepatide/))
- **Mounjaro**: On stopping: "Do not stop using Mounjaro without talking with your doctor. If you stop using Mounjaro, and you have type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar levels can increase." ([Mounjaro KwikPen patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15481/pil))
- **Wegovy**: On stopping: "Do not stop using this medicine without talking to your doctor." ([Wegovy FlexTouch patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/13800/pil))
- **Ozempic**: On stopping: "Do not stop using this medicine without talking to your doctor. If you stop using it, your blood sugar levels may increase." ([Ozempic patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9748/pil))
- **Rybelsus**: On stopping: "Do not stop using this medicine without talking to your doctor. If you stop using it, your blood sugar levels may increase." ([Rybelsus 3, 7 and 14mg patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/11507/pil))

## After a last dose

How long semaglutide stays after a last dose, per its product information.

- **Ozempic**: After the last dose: "With an elimination half-life of approximately 1 week, semaglutide will be present in the circulation for about 5 weeks after the last dose." ([Ozempic product information (SmPC)](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9750/smpc))
- **Wegovy**: After the last dose: "With an elimination half-life of approximately 1 week, semaglutide will be present in the circulation for approximately 7 weeks after the last dose of 2.4 mg." ([Wegovy product information (SmPC)](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102093/smpc))

## Worth knowing

- **Gradually, perhaps**: If you want to stop, the NHS says talk to your doctor first; they may suggest reducing your dose gradually.
- **Blood sugar**: If you have type 2 diabetes, the NHS says stopping could affect your blood sugar. It says don’t stop suddenly.
- **Missed more than one jab?**: The NHS semaglutide page says contact your doctor for advice if you miss more than one of your weekly injections.
- **Planning a baby**: Wegovy and Ozempic say stop at least 2 months before trying for a baby; the NHS says 4 weeks for tirzepatide.

## Questions

### Can I just stop?

The NHS says talk to your doctor if you want to stop, and do not stop suddenly. Mounjaro’s, Wegovy’s and Ozempic’s leaflets say not to stop without talking to your doctor.

### How do I start again after a break?

The patient leaflets don’t cover it. Wegovy’s product information for prescribers says that if more doses are missed, reducing the starting dose for re-initiation should be considered. The NHS semaglutide page says contact your doctor if you miss more than one injection.

### Does Mounjaro stay as long?

Its product information gives a half-life of approximately 5 days, against about a week for semaglutide, but doesn’t say how many weeks it stays after a last dose.

## In Jabwise: Take a break

When you pause, Jabwise pauses too. Tap Pause on the Take a Break card and reminders go quiet, nothing counts as missed, and the diary rests until you tap Resume. It pauses the app, not your treatment.

## Getting real advice

- **A pharmacist, your doctor or NHS 111**: If you’re not sure how to use your medicine, or a side effect bothers you or won’t go away. NHS 111 if you think you might be having serious side effects, or you’ve used too much. [NHS: Semaglutide](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/semaglutide/), [NHS: Tirzepatide](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/tirzepatide/), [NHS 111 online](https://111.nhs.uk/)
- **Report a side effect**: Anyone can, not only doctors. [Yellow Card (UK)](https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/), [MedWatch (US)](https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program)

## Sources

- [NHS: Semaglutide](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/semaglutide/)
- [NHS: Tirzepatide](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/tirzepatide/)
- [Mounjaro KwikPen patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15481/pil)
- [Wegovy FlexTouch patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/13800/pil)
- [Ozempic patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9748/pil)
- [Rybelsus 3, 7 and 14mg patient leaflet](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/11507/pil)
- [Ozempic product information (SmPC)](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9750/smpc)
- [Wegovy product information (SmPC)](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/102093/smpc)
- [Mounjaro product information (SmPC)](https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15481/smpc)