Mounjaro is a drugs used to assist handle blood sugar ranges in folks with kind 2 diabetes.
This drug might be efficient for each decreasing A1c ranges and serving to with weight administration.
Nonetheless, many individuals are unclear about its potential unwanted side effects and the way it could have an effect on their on a regular basis lives.
This text will clarify the whole lot you could know concerning the unwanted side effects of Mounjaro.
Desk of Contents
What’s Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is the primary drugs in a drug class referred to as GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists. (GLP-1 receptors and GIP receptors are particular proteins on cells that obtain messages to assist management insulin launch and blood glucose administration.)
It’s FDA-approved to enhance blood sugar management in folks with kind 2 diabetes together with a nutritious diet and train.
How does Mounjaro work?
Mounjaro works in a couple of key methods to assist folks with diabetes. Firstly, it helps management blood sugar ranges by making the pancreas launch insulin solely when blood sugar is excessive, which reduces the danger of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
It additionally will increase insulin sensitivity, serving to the physique use insulin extra successfully, and stops the liver from releasing an excessive amount of sugar into your bloodstream.
Moreover, Mounjaro helps with weight administration by decreasing starvation and slowing down digestion, making folks really feel fuller for longer.
Wish to study extra? Learn: Every thing You Have to Know About Mounjaro.
What are the unwanted side effects of Mounjaro?
Mounjaro can have some main unwanted side effects, particularly while you first begin taking the medicine.
Widespread unwanted side effects
The next are widespread unwanted side effects that will vary from gentle to average to extreme:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Belching
- Heartburn
- Urge for food loss
- Gasoline
- Abdomen ache
- Constipation
- Weight reduction
- Speedy coronary heart price
Study extra concerning the drugs’s weight-loss properties in: Can Mounjaro Assist You Lose Weight?
Uncommon unwanted side effects
Though uncommon, extra extreme problems could embrace:
- Thyroid tumors, together with most cancers
- Pancreatitis
- Gallbladder illness
- Low blood sugar ranges, particularly when you take insulin or one other drugs that promotes the discharge of insulin
- Critical allergic reactions
A number of of those extra extreme unwanted side effects can result in everlasting well being problems and demise if not handled rapidly.
Name your physician instantly or search emergency medical consideration when you:
- Develop a fever
- Expertise adjustments or worsening of your imaginative and prescient
- Begin feeling weak or develop ache after taking the medicine
- Assume you’re having an allergic response and are experiencing hassle respiration or a rash after taking the medicine
Moreover, Mounjaro shouldn’t be utilized in folks with a private or household historical past of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or in these with a number of endocrine neoplasia 2 (MEN2) syndrome.
The medication features a boxed warning — probably the most severe warning from the FDA — concerning the danger of thyroid most cancers.
For extra details about Mounjaro’s potential unwanted side effects, see the prescribing info.
Word: Following the approval of a drugs by the FDA, the company continues to watch its unwanted side effects. Must you expertise any antagonistic results from utilizing Zepbound, you’re inspired to report them to the FDA by their MedWatch program.
Does Mounjaro make you drained?
Tiredness was not reported as one of many unwanted side effects of the medication in scientific trials.
Nonetheless, unwanted side effects resembling nausea, vomiting, lack of urge for food, and pancreatitis might be related to fatigue. Tiredness may also be an indication of low blood sugar.
How are you going to lower the unwanted side effects of Mounjaro?
After beginning this medicine, it’s regular to expertise gentle to average unwanted side effects — particularly in the course of the first few weeks.
Keep hydrated and hold blood sugars inside a wholesome vary
Should you’re coping with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, just be sure you’re staying hydrated by consuming loads of water and getting electrolytes.
Being dehydrated will increase the danger of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which might be deadly if not handled rapidly.
Verify your blood sugar usually to guarantee that your ranges are staying inside a wholesome vary.
Proceed to take all different diabetes drugs as prescribed.
Search medical consideration instantly when you’re so nauseous that you simply’re not in a position to hold down meals or drink. Untreated low blood sugar might be extraordinarily harmful, particularly when you take insulin.
Stick to dull meals at first
Handle nausea by sticking to dull meals resembling toast, rice, bananas, and applesauce.
Additionally drink loads of clear liquids, resembling heat soups and broths.
Study extra about this medicine and weight loss plan in: What Meals to Keep away from on Mounjaro.
Eat smaller, extra frequent meals
You might also discover it useful to eat smaller, extra frequent meals. Cease consuming as soon as you’re full, even when you appear to be consuming lower than regular.
Decrease your dose or discover an alternate medicine
Speak to your physician if the unwanted side effects you’re experiencing are extreme sufficient to disrupt your each day life.
Should you can not go to high school, work, or conduct regular actions, your physician could counsel both tapering your dose or discovering an alternate medicine
Go for over-the-counter drugs
After consulting together with your physician, you can too take over-the-counter (OTC) nausea medicine resembling dimenhydrinate (model names Dramamine and others) or get a prescription for ondansetron (Zofran) till your unwanted side effects subside.
Does taking extra Mounjaro make unwanted side effects worse?
Mounjaro is dose-responsive. Because of this taking extra of the medicine may have an even bigger impact in your blood sugar ranges and weight.
Nonetheless, this additionally means that you could be be extra more likely to expertise unwanted side effects the extra you’re taking.
You need to by no means take extra Mounjaro than you’re prescribed. Your physician could improve your dose as your physique will get used to the medicine.
Learn extra: Mounjaro Dosing Information.
Are unwanted side effects anticipated?
Sadly, many individuals do expertise a number of unwanted side effects when taking Mounjaro.
In scientific trials, almost one in 5 individuals skilled both nausea, diarrhea, or decreased urge for food when taking the medicine.
Different unwanted side effects resembling vomiting and constipation had been much less widespread.
How lengthy do the unwanted side effects final?
Some unwanted side effects could also be momentary and final just a few days or even weeks. Speak to your physician in case your unwanted side effects final various weeks or worsen.
Your physician can work with you to decrease your dose or discover an alternate medicine.
Do it’s important to take Mounjaro with meals?
No. Not like insulin, Mounjaro doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars and might be taken both with or with out meals.
The vital factor is that you simply take your Mounjaro on the identical day on the identical time every week.
Who mustn’t take Mounjaro?
Mounjaro will not be appropriate for everybody, together with folks with out diabetes, pregnant or breastfeeding girls, and people with a historical past of sure thyroid cancers or allergic reactions to the drug’s components.
Study extra about who mustn’t take this medicine in: Every thing You Have to Know About Mounjaro.
Are there alternate options to Mounjaro?
Sure. Communicate together with your physician if Mounjaro will not be working for you.
There are various alternate options you may attempt, together with metformin or medicines within the drug courses referred to as GLP-1 agonists or sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors.
Metformin model names embrace:
- Fortamet
- Glucophage
- Glucophage XR
- Glumetza
- Riomet
- Riomet ER
Study extra in: Every thing You Have to Know About Metformin.
GLP-1 receptor agonists embrace:
SGLT-2 inhibitors embrace:
Communicate together with your physician about what class and kind of medicine could be greatest for you.
Learn extra about how Mounjaro compares to Ozempic in: Ozempic vs. Mounjaro: Which One Ought to You Select?
Last ideas
Mounjaro’s effectiveness for blood sugar administration and weight reduction gives one other robust possibility for the administration of kind 2 diabetes.
Nonetheless, the array of potential unwanted side effects, starting from gentle gastrointestinal points to extra severe circumstances like thyroid tumors, necessitates a cautious and knowledgeable method.
It is very important have open and ongoing communication together with your healthcare crew concerning the dangers and advantages when deciding whether or not so as to add this drugs to your therapy routine.
Prompt subsequent article: Every thing You Have to Know About Mounjaro.