Can You Take Ozempic With Other Medications?

Ozempic and other drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are touted as safe and effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and help overweight or obese patients lose weight. As these drugs grow in popularity, it is important for patients to understand how they interact with other medications, including other diabetes medications and oral prescription medications.

Ozempic (semaglutide) belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Sean Wharton, MD PharmDA clinical assistant professor at McMaster University School of Medicine in Hamilton, Ontario, told Verywell:

These drugs control blood sugar levels and help the pancreas release optimal amounts of insulin. It also suppresses appetite by slowing the digestive system, keeping patients feeling full longer.

Because GLP-1 receptor agonists affect insulin production, Ozempic’s safety information label states that patients should be advised about other medications they may be taking to treat diabetes, such as insulin and sulfonylureas. You will need to tell your health care provider. They will also need to disclose any other prescription, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

Taking Ozempic with Other Diabetes Medications

Insulin is the norm for people with type 1 diabetes, but people with type 2 diabetes may take insulin to manage their disease if their lifestyle and oral medications do not stabilize their blood sugar levels sufficiently. I have.

People taking Ozempic can also take insulin to manage type 2 diabetes. It warns of an increased risk of hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia) when used in combination with urea.

Taking Ozempic with insulin or a sulfonylurea can cause problems because you are essentially using two drugs that work to lower blood sugar levels. Andrea Swanson, PharmDLeslie Dunn, assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Toronto, told Verywell.

“Ozempic only stimulates insulin secretion after eating…so [you’re] “You’re in a state of high glucose and you just bring it down,” Swanson said. It can be a problem because it takes

Sulfonylureas work by encouraging the pancreas to release insulin to lower blood sugar levels, so they can cause the same problems as insulin in Ozempic users.

Dr. Swanson said patients who were taking high doses of insulin Before Patients taking Ozempic or experiencing hypoglycemia from the beginning may be instructed to reduce the amount of insulin they are taking if they are taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist. there is.

According to Wharton, using Ozempic to reduce the amount of insulin that can be injected is a good thing.Studies have shown that using a GLP-1 receptor agonist like Ozempic in combination with insulin can actually help People with type 2 diabetes. This is likely because taking drugs like Ozempic improves blood sugar levels over time, making patients less dependent on injectable insulin.

“If you have type 2 diabetes, who wants to use insulin? Nobody,” he said. “Fewer [insulin] The more you can take, the better.

Research published in journals diabetes spectrum Patients using a combination of GLP-1 receptor agonist and insulin were found to have better glycemic control and a lower risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. The authors say this combination offers a safe and effective alternative to basal bolus insulin, a regimen that uses both long-acting and short-acting insulin.

Taking Ozempic with Oral Medications

Ozempic delays stomach emptying. This means that food stays in your body longer. Ozempic’s makers investigated whether there were clinically relevant changes in the absorption of other drugs in patients using Ozempic as a result of this slowdown, Swanson said. , oral contraceptives, heart drugs, blood thinners, and cholesterol drugs.

“They didn’t see a problem with the targeted drugs,” she said.

Interaction may not be a big issue. However, Ozempic’s fairly common side effects include nausea and vomiting, which may prevent patients from suppressing other drugs. Tom Elliott, MBBS, FRCPCBCDiabetes medical director told Verywell.

People taking thyroid medication should take extra care when starting Ozempic.

“Thyroid drugs are drugs that are very dependent on how much they are absorbed. They are very dependent on their movement through the digestive tract,” Swanson said. “[Researchers] Additional monitoring with that drug is recommended. ”

By being able to see their own thyroid levels, Ozempic patients can monitor themselves between check-ins with their providers.

It is important for patients new to Ozempic to work with their healthcare provider and share any symptoms, problems, or concerns regarding thyroid levels, etc. Medications like Ozempic require observation and follow-up. It is never prescribed without.

But overall, based on what we know so far, taking Ozempic with other medications is relatively safe.

“There are no urgent drug interactions to watch out for,” Swanson said. “But with any drug there is always a need for caution and there are always side effects to consider.”