clock: Effects of Weight Loss Drugs on Infertility
As weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegoby and Munjaro become more popular, some women are looking more closely at whether the drugs can affect their chances of getting pregnant.
Winter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh told Good Morning America that she and her husband have had four previous miscarriages in order to have children. When the couple decided to switch to in vitro fertilization (IVF), Mitchell Rohrbaugh said she hit a new obstacle when her doctor told her she needed to lose 40 pounds before starting IVF. Told.
“I just kept thinking to myself, are you insane? I’m not a small person,” she said. “I’m a plus size woman.”
To lose weight, Mitchell Rohrbaugh said she turned to Ozempic, one of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help produce insulin and help lower the amount of sugar in the blood. These drugs work by slowing the movement of food through the stomach and suppressing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Ozempic, made from a compound called semaglutide, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe it off label for weight loss.
After using Ozempic for five months, Mitchell Rohrbaugh said she lost 40 pounds.
She stopped taking drugs and started fertility treatments. Mitchell Rohrbaugh said she later had a successful IVF and produced a viable embryo.
“When I got the call ‘Hi Winter, I have good news,’ I never thought I would hear that,” Mitchell-Rohrbaugh said.
What You Need to Know About Weight Loss Drugs and Fertility
Semaglutide, the compound used by Ozempic and Wigoby, and tirzepatide, the compound used by Munjaro, are relatively new to the market and have been used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity within the last five years. has been approved by the FDA and is still being studied. Exactly how it affects women of childbearing age needs to be investigated, experts say.
“We need to gather information and make sure it’s safe and works for us in this indication,” says a California-based board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. , Dr. Richard Paulson, told GMA.
The FDA notes in the safety profiles of Ozempic, Wegoby and Munjaro that there is “insufficient data” available and that they should not be taken during pregnancy.
of FDA also explains The drug can cause weight loss, and “weight loss does not provide any benefit to the pregnant patient and may harm the fetus,” he said.
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The agency recommends stopping treatment at least two months before planning a pregnancy.
Stopping medication should be done under the supervision of a healthcare provider, just as it should be when starting medication, experts say.
If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking any of these drugs, contact your health care provider to help you transition off the medication and to ensure that you receive proper maternal care.
FDA plans to monitor exposure of women to semaglutide (in Wegovy and Ozempic) during pregnancy. The agency says affected pregnant women and their health care providers should contact the drug’s manufacturer.
Medications such as Ozempic, Munjaro and Wegoby before pregnancy are very effective in helping people with type 2 diabetes lower blood sugar levels and reach a healthy weight, according to Dr. can be important for successful pregnancies. She is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she serves as co-director of the Pregnancy Diabetes Program.
More Information: Is Ozempic Safe to Take During Pregnancy or Trying to Get Pregnant? Expert Opinion
“Poor management of diabetes during pregnancy has been shown to result in: [adverse] At GMA earlier this year, Lassie noted that those risks could include miscarriage, birth defects, stillbirth, pre-eclampsia, etc. The key is to control blood sugar and hemoglobin,” he said. Her A1c before and during pregnancy. ”
Lassie said there are not enough long-term studies at this time to know how the drug affects fertility.
“We just don’t know,” she said, adding, “but we do know that when people improve things like blood sugar control, they generally have lower miscarriage rates and better fertility.”
