Ozempic Drug Interactions You Should Know: How Common Medications Can Affect Semaglutide Users
Medications like insulin, antibiotics and even NSAIDs can cause side effects when taken with GLP-1s
When we talk about GLP-1 medications, we’re usually focused on weight loss or the drug’s side effects (we’re looking at you, Ozempic butt). However, there’s another topic worthy of discussion: how these drugs interact with other common medications you might be on. Understanding Ozempic drug interactions can help you avoid unpleasant and sometimes serious consequences of combining certain meds.. Here’s what experts want you to know.
4 important Ozempic drug interactions to be aware of
“When using Ozempic (semaglutide), a GLP-1 receptor agonist primarily prescribed for managing type 2 diabetes and weight loss, it’s important to be mindful of potential interactions with medications and supplements,” confirms Jennie Stanford, MD, Obesity Medicine Physician and medical contributor for Drugwatch.
Here we break down the common Ozempic drug interactions you need to know about:
Other medications that affect blood sugar levels
Since Ozempic is formulated to lower blood sugar, proceed with caution if you’re also taking other medications for diabetes treatment, our experts agree. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may occur if Ozempic is paired with insulin or oral insulin-secreting drugs such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase, Diabeta), glimepiride (Amaryl) and nateglinide (Starlix), explains Maria Pino, PhD, pharmacist and associate professor at New York Institute of Technology’s medical school.
“It is important that patients remain diligent in monitoring their glucose levels throughout the day and recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar,” says Pino. “A blood sugar of less than 70 mg/dL is considered mild hypoglycemia in diabetics and may present as sweating, anxiety, extreme hunger and palpitations.”
Symptoms of moderate hypoglycemia (blood glucose of 50-55 mg/dL) also include dizziness and confusion, she adds. Severe low blood glucose (below 54 mg/dL) is a medical emergency, which can lead to seizures if not treated promptly, says Pino.
Certain antibiotics
Worth noting: Insulin isn’t the only drug that can cause potentially serious interactions with Ozempic. Antimalarials (such as chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine) and certain antibiotics (such as clarithromycin) can also worsen hypoglycemia, adds HaVy Ngo-Hamilton, PharmD, pharmacist and clinical consultant at BuzzRx.
Certain blood pressure medications
Medications including atenolol, propranolol and metoprolol can potentially mask symptoms of hypoglycemia such as tremors and rapid heart rate, says Ngo-Hamilton, making it more challenging to identify low blood sugar.
Anticoagulants or blood thinners (warfarin)
These medications may be less effective when taken alongside Ozempic because semaglutide slows stomach emptying, explains Ngo-Hamilton.
“If absorption of blood thinners is negatively impacted, clots may form in the blood, putting these patients at higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg or calf), pulmonary embolism (blood clot in an artery of the lungs), heart attack and stroke,” she cautions.
Of course, these are serious health complications requiring urgent medical attention.
Ozempic can have interactions with OTC drugs, too
There are also more common OTC medications that can increase the gastrointestinal side effects of Ozempic.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin as well as laxatives (bisacodyl, magnesium citrate) can cause gastrointestinal irritation. Thismay be exacerbated by common gastrointestinal side effects of semaglutide such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and bloating, says Ngo-Hamilton.
What to do if you take medications that may interact with Ozempic
While drug interactions can be alarming, many of the above medications aren’t necessarily off-limits with Ozempic. Y you should pay attention to your body and—most importantly—maintain an ongoing conversation with your doctor regarding safety measures and proper dosage.
“Generally, the first step is determining if dosage adjustment of other medications is viable,” affirms Ngo-Hamilton. “For example, to reduce the risk of dangerously low blood sugar, your doctor may choose to reduce the dose of your diabetic medications to account for the extra drop in blood sugar.”
If dosage adjustment is not an option, your healthcare provider can consider your medical history and determine if it might be possible to switch one of your medications to one that uses a different mechanism of action and is less likely to interact with the GLP-1 agonist, she explains.
Additionally, they can talk to you about other alternatives to semaglutide—tirzepatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, lixisenatide, exenatide, which may be just as if not more suitable to helping you achieve your health goals, she says.
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