Do weight loss pills make birth control less effective?

After a few weeks, there has been a flood of stories about people miraculously getting pregnant using drugs like Ozempic and Monjaro. Part of the apparent explosions may be on the grounds that terrible weight can work on your fertility by directing your menstrual cycle, especially assuming you have PCOS. Still, it could also be the fact that monjaro can make birth control pills less compelling.

Research has shown that tericeptide, which is promoted as both Monjaro and Zipbound, affects how birth control pills accumulate in the body, potentially leading to faster pregnancy. . Tirzepatide's drug label clearly warns patients on the pill to switch to non-oral contraceptives or to use booster forms of contraception, yet we have little insight into this. How these drugs work with contraception. Kit spoke with three OB/GYNs—Dr. Anne Frese of Mount Sinai's Division of Perplexing Family Planning, Dr. James A. Griffo of NYU Langone's Fruitful Place, and Dr. Rachel A. McConnell of Columbia College's Pregnancy Center—for more.

How do weight loss drugs make birth control pills less effective?

Tirzepatide induces weight loss by dialing back how long it takes food to leave the body, and this component of gastrointestinal fatigue can also affect how birth control pills work. . A review examining the relationship between tirezapatide, delayed gastric emptying, and contraception found that after a 5-mg dose of tirazetaide, the amount of oral contraceptives in the body decreased by about 20%.

Because Teraceptide's contraceptive effect occurs after your most memorable infusion and each time you measure yourself, the FDA recommends that you either switch to non-oral contraception (such as an IUD) or a barrier. Include strategies (such as condoms). About a month after starting Mounjaro or increasing your share.

According to Dr. Ferris, in no case does semaglutide (Ozempic and Vigovi) reduce the effectiveness of contraception. "The information is insufficient, yet patients on Ozempic can be assured that their pills are probably working admirably," she says.

It is not exactly clear why this is a problem with terceptide and not with semaglutide. "We have a lot of research here, surprisingly," says Dr. Ferris.

One possible hypothesis, according to Dr. McConnell, is that it has something to do with the way that taropeptides affect two stomach chemicals, GLP-1, which controls glucose and appetite, and GIP, which releases insulin. , while semaglutides such as Ozempic and Vigovi only work on the former.

Are different types of contraception affected?

Birth control pills are only processed by the gastrointestinal tract, so different types of birth control, such as inserts or IUDs, are not affected by taking tirazeptide, Dr. McConnell says, all things being equal. can be used from It's confusing to think that arrangement B might be affected, yet Dr. Griffo urges alertness for good measure. "Injections can be a problem, the same with birth control pills," he says.

Should my PCP talk to me about this?

In fact, they should. However, in the event that your prescribing doctor has not addressed contraceptives before going on Monjaro, make sure you initiate these discussions. Your PCP should tell you about your medical history, your reproductive plans, what contraceptives you've tried before, and your likes and dislikes. .

Can weight loss drugs interact with other medications?

According to Dr. McConnell, there are no reports of weight loss drugs interfering with a variety of medications. However, she will not be able to stop this opportunity. "Anything you're taking orally, you can't be sure that it's going to have an effect," she says. On the off chance that you have questions about how these drugs may cooperate with different medications, make sure you discuss your interests with your PCP.

What else do we know about what these drugs mean for flourishing?

The most effective way to prevent pregnancy, in case your fertility is adversely affected by excess weight, is shedding pounds — whether through use of Ozempic, Monjaro, or another technique — says Dr. Ferris. can work on your chances of getting pregnant, according to She adds that these drugs may improve ovulation outcomes, especially for overweight patients who are unable to ovulate due to PCOS.

When you have a high BMI plus polycystic ovaries and you lower their BMI, they start to ovulate," says Dr. Griffo. They couldn't get pregnant, and now they're out of nowhere."

What do we know about weight loss drugs and pregnancy?

The FDA recommends stopping these medications about two months before trying to conceive. The organization is tracking data on people who get pregnant on these drugs, which could ideally mean we'll have more careful information later. Meanwhile, according to Dr. Griffo, what is clear is that experts cannot say whether these prescriptions are safe during pregnancy or what they mean for infants. Although animal studies show that semaglutides can cause birth defects, Dr. Griffo says they don't guarantee what happens in people. He encourages patients to stay away from questions in the prime trimester, the most dangerous time of pregnancy. "We advise patients: don't do anything we don't have a vague idea of the solution to, on the grounds that you may have challenges we can't measure.