How Long Do GLP-1 Medicines Stay in Your System? Label Half-Lives

Short answer: The labels give an elimination half-life of about 1 week for semaglutide (Ozempic®, Wegovy®), about 5 to 6 days for tirzepatide (Mounjaro®, Zepbound®) and about 29 to 49 hours for orforglipron (Foundayo®). The Ozempic label says semaglutide “will be present in the circulation for about 5 weeks after the last dose.” A half-life describes how fast the amount of medicine in the body falls. It does not say how long you will feel effects, and it is an average from studies, not a prediction for you.

What is a half-life?

A half-life is the time it takes for the amount of a medicine in your body to fall by half. After one half-life, half is left. After two, a quarter is left, and so on. The labels call this the “elimination half-life” and report an average across the people in the studies.

What do the labels say about each medicine?

From Section 12.3 (Pharmacokinetics) of each label on DailyMed as of October 30, 2026:

Medicine (brand)	Label’s elimination half-life	What the label adds
Semaglutide (Ozempic)	Approximately 1 week	“Present in the circulation for about 5 weeks after the last dose”
Semaglutide (Wegovy injection and tablet)	Approximately 1 week	Present “for about 5 to 7 weeks after the last injectable dose” of the labeled strengths or the 25 mg tablet
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)	Approximately 5 days	The label says this enables once-weekly dosing
Tirzepatide (Zepbound)	Approximately 5 to 6 days	Reported in people with overweight or obesity, and with sleep apnea and obesity
Orforglipron (Foundayo)	Approximately 29 to 49 hours after an oral dose	Taken by mouth

The longer half-lives of semaglutide and tirzepatide are linked to how the molecules are built. The labels say a fatty acid chain lets them bind to a blood protein called albumin, which “prolongs the half-life.” For the pill and shot differences, see GLP-1 pills vs shots.

Does half-life tell you how long side effects or effects last?

No. The label figure measures the medicine in the blood, not how you feel. Side effects and effects can differ from person to person. Two label passages show why the half-life matters to clinicians:

• Overdose. The Zepbound label says “a period of observation and treatment for these symptoms may be necessary, taking into account the half-life of tirzepatide of approximately 5 days.” The Foundayo label says to consider contacting Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) in the event of an overdose.
• Planning a pregnancy. The Ozempic label says to discontinue the medicine in women at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy “due to the long washout period for semaglutide.” The Wegovy label says the same for planned pregnancy “to account for the long half-life of semaglutide.” Talk with your prescriber before stopping any medicine, and tell them if you are planning a pregnancy.

Does the amount in your body matter around surgery?

The labels warn about pulmonary aspiration (stomach contents entering the lungs) during general anesthesia or deep sedation in people taking GLP-1 medicines. Tell every clinician involved in a procedure that you use a GLP-1 medicine, and follow their instructions. This page does not tell you when to pause or restart one.

How can you keep your own record?

If you have an appointment, a surgery or a trip coming up, a simple log with your last shot date and which medicine you take gives clinicians a clear starting point. Weeko, a shot tracker coming to iPhone and Android, is being built around that kind of simple log. It is a logbook, not medical guidance. For the effects the labels list, see GLP-1 side effects, and for the basics, see What is a GLP-1?.

When to call your doctor

Call your prescriber before stopping a GLP-1 medicine, before a procedure that needs anesthesia or sedation, or if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. If you think too much medicine was taken, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or get emergency care.