Mounjaro and alcohol: What are the risks of combining them?
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist used to help certain people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar.
Although the prescribing information for Mounjaro does not explicitly recommend avoiding alcohol, mixing the two can lead to several health risks, including:
Mounjaro works by helping your body release more insulin, which lowers your glucose levels. Alcohol also causes low blood sugar.
If you combine Mounjaro with alcohol, especially if you also take other diabetes medications, such as insulin, your blood sugar can drop too low. This can cause symptoms like dizziness, confusion, shakiness, and fainting.
Mounjaro causes digestive side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These issues can cause your body to lose too much fluid, leading to dehydration.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes your body to excrete fluids from your body through increased urine output.
When you combine the potential fluid loss from Mounjaro’s side effects with the diuretic effect of alcohol, it can put stress on your kidneys. This can lead to kidney injury, which may require medical treatment.
Mounjaro slows down how quickly your stomach empties. Because alcohol can irritate the stomach and liver, mixing them may make Mounjaro’s digestive side effects worse.
Mounjaro carries a warning for pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. Since heavy alcohol use is also hard on the pancreas, combining them increases your risk of serious abdominal pain and permanent damage.
Anecdotal reports suggest that Mounjaro and similar drugs may help reduce alcohol cravings. This may be helpful for people who have difficulty managing their cravings.
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More research into the relationship between alcohol cravings and GLP-1 drugs is necessary. Talk with your doctor if you’d like help to reduce your alcohol cravings.
If you have questions about drinking alcohol while taking Mounjaro, your doctor can give you advice tailored to your situation.
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