Mounjaro and Alcohol: 6 Things to Know About This Interaction

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Sometimes starting a new course of treatment - often a medication - may also require changes to your diet or lifestyle. Perhaps one of the most common of these changes is to cut back on how much or how often you drink alcohol. This is true for various medications, including Mounjaro (tirzepatide) - a once-weekly injection for Type 2 diabetes.

You may not need to avoid alcohol completely with Mounjaro. But there are several things to keep in mind if you decide to drink.

1. Alcohol doesn't directly interact with Mounjaro, but it's best to avoid or limit alcohol while taking it

Alcohol and Mounjaro don't directly interact with each other. This means that alcohol doesn't change how your body absorbs or breaks down Mounjaro. But that doesn't mean it's safe to drink while using this medication. This is because alcohol use could raise the risk of common Mounjaro side effects and other health risks, as well as result in fewer treatment benefits.

What about 1 or 2 drinks?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Everyone's risks with mixing Mounjaro and alcohol are different. Mounjaro's manufacturer hasn't studied whether any specific amount of alcohol is safe to have with the medication.

It's best to check with your endocrinologist (diabetes specialist) first. They can let you know if it may be OK for you to have an occasional drink or two while using Mounjaro. Be honest with them about how much alcohol you drink and how often. This information will help them come up with the best answer for you. And they can help you safely reduce your alcohol use if you're interested in doing so.

2. Alcohol can worsen certain common Mounjaro side effects

Mounjaro has a number of common side effects. Several are digestion related, such as:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Stomach pain

• Constipation

But these symptoms can also happen just from drinking alcohol. And like Mounjaro, alcohol can slow down how fast your stomach empties. So mixing Mounjaro and alcohol can make these digestive issues worse.

It's important to note that these side effects are more likely to happen when you first start Mounjaro, or shortly after raising your dosage. So combining Mounjaro and alcohol may cause worse side effects during these specific times. But keep in mind that there's always a risk of digestive side effects with this combination, no matter how long you've been using Mounjaro.

3. Mounjaro and heavy alcohol use both carry a risk for pancreatitis and kidney damage

Drinking alcohol has both short- and long-term effects. In particular, heavy drinking can cause pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas) and kidney damage. Although rare, these two serious complications have also been reported with Mounjaro.

Drinking heavily while taking Mounjaro may raise your risk of pancreatitis or kidney damage. People with a history of these issues may have a greater risk of developing them. What's more, the digestive side effects discussed above can lead to dehydration. And dehydration raises your risk of kidney damage with Mounjaro and alcohol even further.

4. Alcohol can raise your risk of low blood glucose with Mounjaro

Compared to some diabetes medications, Mounjaro has a lower chance of causing low blood glucose (sugar). But it's still possible. Alcohol can also lower your blood glucose if you have diabetes. Combining Mounjaro and alcohol can raise your risk of this side effect.

Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can become dangerous or, in severe cases, life threatening. It's important to know how to treat it if it happens to you. And it's best to avoid situations or substances (such as alcohol) that could trigger hypoglycemia, if possible.

5. You may lose some of Mounjaro's benefits if you're drinking alcohol regularly

Mounjaro's potential benefits are still being explored. But notably, this medication can cause significant weight loss. For many people, this aligns with their overall health or diabetes treatment goals.

On the flip side, drinking alcohol regularly can lead to weight gain. This is because alcohol can slow down your metabolism and add calories to your diet. So if part of the reason you're taking Mounjaro is for its weight-loss benefits, alcohol can make it harder to lose weight or keep it off.

6. You may not have the same desire to drink alcohol while taking Mounjaro

It's also possible that using Mounjaro might lower your desire to drink alcohol. If you've noticed this change since starting Mounjaro, you're not alone. Scientists are starting to understand why this may happen for some people.

When you drink alcohol, your body releases a hormone called dopamine. Dopamine triggers the reward system in your brain. This gives you a good feeling and encourages you to repeat an action.

Mounjaro acts like two gut hormones found naturally in the body: glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Mounjaro attaches to receptors (binding sites) for GIP and GLP-1, and acts like your natural hormones would.

These receptors are found in many areas of the body, including your brain. Some of the receptors in your brain play a role in balancing your appetite. When Mounjaro stimulates them, you feel fuller for longer.

There are also GIP and GLP-1 receptors in the brain's reward center. When Mounjaro attaches to them, your brain may release less dopamine than usual. This could mean that less dopamine is available to trigger your brain's reward system. And this may lead to less of a desire to drink alcohol.

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