Can you take Mounjaro with the contraceptive pill?

Ready to take the next step? See if you're eligible for expert-led weight loss support.

You shouldn't take the contraceptive pill at the same time as Mounjaro. Find out why and what to do instead.

If you want to start using Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injections for weight loss, you should let your healthcare team know about other medications you're taking.

That's because Mounjaro can interact with some medications and cause side effects or decrease the effectiveness of either drug. For example, taking Mounjaro along with certain diabetes drugs can increase the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).

Mounjaro is also known to interact with oral contraceptive medications ('the pill') and make them work less effectively.

This means women risk unwanted pregnancy if they're sexually active and take Mounjaro along with oral contraceptives.

In this guide, we show you what to do if you're already taking oral contraceptives and you want to start taking Mounjaro. We also explain why Mounjaro might affect these kinds of drugs.

What Mounjaro's manufacturer says to do

Mounjaro's manufacturer, Eli Lilly, provides two options for those taking oral contraceptives who want to start using Mounjaro.

The first option is to stop taking the contraceptive pill and switch to another type of contraception while using Mounjaro.

For example, you could start using condoms, contraceptive injections, an IUD (coil) or any safe combination of contraceptive methods. As long as you don't take the contraception orally (as a pill), Mounjaro shouldn't affect how it works.

The second option is to keep taking the pill but use a barrier method of contraception at the same time. Barrier methods include male (external) condoms, female (internal) condoms and diaphragms.

You should continue using the pill and the barrier method together for at least four weeks after your last dose of Mounjaro.

Why does Mounjaro affect how the contraceptive pill works?

One of the effects of Mounjaro is to slow gastric emptying. In other words, when you use Mounjaro, it takes longer for food to leave your stomach.

Picture of somebody sitting down for a healthy meal.

This can affect how certain oral drugs, including contraceptive pills, are absorbed into the body. Drugs like these are designed to be absorbed at a fairly consistent rate. If you absorb too much or too little of the drug, it can affect how well it works.

Mounjaro's side effects can also play a part. Some people who take Mounjaro experience diarrhoea or vomiting. Both of these side effects can affect how the body absorbs oral medications.

Does this happen with other types of weight loss injections?

No. It appears that other GLP-1 weight loss injections don't affect the oral contraceptive pill in the same way as Mounjaro.

In a 2024 study, scientists compared research papers looking at the impacts of different GLP-1 injections on oral contraceptives. They found that only tirzepatide (Mounjaro) had a 'statistically significant' effect on the contraceptive's effectiveness.

What if I take contraceptive injections?

If you take contraceptive injections, you should still be able to take Mounjaro at the same time.

Mounjaro affects how contraceptive pills work because it slows stomach emptying and can cause gastrointestinal side effects (like vomiting and diarrhoea). However, contraceptive injections aren't absorbed through the stomach, so they aren't affected in the same way.

What if I get pregnant?

If you find out you're pregnant, our advice is to stop taking Mounjaro straight away.

This is important for a number of reasons. First, scientists think rapid weight loss may be linked to poor fetal development and an increased risk of miscarriage. And secondly, in animal studies, Mounjaro was found to affect how fetuses grow and increase the risk of fetal abnormalities.

It's still not known whether the same risks exist in humans. However, it's always better to stick with the safest option.

SemaPen is an online clinic specialising in clinically proven weight loss treatments. For more tips and advice from our team, read our expert guides.

Sources

1. Eli Lilly: Mounjaro United States Prescribing Information https://pi.lilly.com/us/mounjaro-uspi.pdf

2. Skelley, J.W. et al. (2024) "The impact of tirzepatide and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists on oral hormonal contraception" Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 64(1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2023.10.037

This article was reviewed by and approved by Alice Fletcher, Lead Bariatric Dietitian, on 22 April 2025.

< Older Post

Newer Post >