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Drug Info The Jolt

Can you drink coffee on Mounjaro?

It’s safe to have caffeine as long as you use moderation and follow these guidelines
person with a cup of coffee - mounjaro and coffee

Key takeaways

  • Mounjaro is a once-weekly injectable medication that is prescribed to treat Type 2 diabetes.

  • It is safe to drink one to two cups of black coffee while taking Mounjaro, but it may exacerbate some side effects, mask others, or raise your blood sugar in a way that counteracts the medication.

  • To maximize results on Mounjaro, inject it on the same day every week and enjoy a diet rich in protein, fiber, whole grains, and nutrient-dense non-starchy vegetables.

If you rely on a cup (or two, or three) of coffee in the morning to jumpstart your body and mind for the day, whether or not you can continue enjoying it when starting a new medication may be one of the first questions you ask. It’s especially important when taking a long-term prescription, such as Mounjaro, a once-weekly injectable medication that treats Type 2 diabetes. Though not FDA approved for weight loss, Mounjaro is sometimes prescribed off-label for this purpose.

Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro, which is also prescribed under the brand name Zepbound for weight management in adults who are overweight or obese. “It’s a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, which means that it helps lower blood sugar by increasing insulin production when glucose levels are high, by slowing gastric emptying, and by reducing appetite,” explains Roshni Patel, MD, an internist at Executive Medicine of Texas in Southlake, Texas. 

If you’re taking Mounjaro to lower your blood sugar levels, you should avoid sugary foods, fried foods, refined carbs, and excess sweeteners, focusing on a healthy diet of lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. But what if you’re a Java drinker? Good news: You can continue to enjoy your morning cup of coffee without decreasing Mounjaro’s efficacy, but you may experience some side effects. Here’s what you need to know.

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Can you drink coffee with Mounjaro? 

“Currently, there aren’t any known adverse drug reactions between Mounjaro and caffeine,” says Brynna Connor, MD, a family medicine provider in Austin, Texas. That means that drinking coffee (or consuming other sources of caffeine, such as tea, soft drinks, or matcha) will not prevent Mounjaro from doing its job of lowering blood sugar

However, there are other reasons to avoid or reduce your caffeine intake during Mounjaro treatment. Specifically, caffeine may:

  • Increase glucose levels: While it won’t reduce the efficacy of Mounjaro, it may counteract it in other ways. “Caffeine is known to stimulate the release of glucose from the liver, thus raising glucose levels,” Dr. Patel says. “Mounjaro is prescribed to reduce glucose levels.” Indeed, one review found that caffeine intake increases blood glucose levels and also prolongs the amount of time that levels stay high.
  • Exacerbate side effects: Caffeine may exacerbate some of the most common side effects of Mounjaro, which include gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating, and acid reflux. “Caffeine can worsen nausea and/or acid reflux, especially in those patients who are already experiencing gastrointestinal side effects related to Mounjaro,” says Dr. Connor. “Caffeine can also contribute to dehydration, which has the potential to exacerbate constipation.” 
  • Mask hypoglycemia symptoms: It may also make it more difficult to recognize if you’re experiencing hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, another possible side effect of Mounjaro. “Because caffeine can increase energy, it may mask fatigue, which is a symptom of hypoglycemia,” says Dr. Patel. Hypoglycemia can cause symptoms of its own, such as headache, dizziness, and fatigue, or more serious reactions. Plus, hypoglycemia may be an indication to talk to your healthcare provider about an adjustment to your medication dosage or frequency, so it’s important to recognize when it happens. But if you’re always hyped up on caffeine, you could miss the signs. 

Ultimately, though, it’s possible and safe to drink coffee if you’re taking Mounjaro and more generally if you have diabetes. “However, you do need to pay attention to how much you drink, what you add to your coffee, such as cream and/or sugar (which can increase sugar and carbohydrate intake), and, maybe most importantly, your blood sugar response to caffeine,” Dr. Connor says. Some people respond more acutely to caffeine than others, which is easy to measure. “It’s important to monitor blood glucose levels before and after consuming coffee, and avoid coffee drinks that are high in calories and loaded with sugar.” 

RELATED: What you should know about coffee and diabetes

So what’s a good guideline? “While there aren’t any specific restrictions, it’s generally best practice to limit your daily intake to one to two cups of plain, black coffee while on Mounjaro, especially if you are prone to gastrointestinal discomfort,” Dr. Connor says. “You should also try to avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach to reduce the potential for nausea or acid-related symptoms.” 

While most caffeine-containing drinks are perfectly fine to consume while taking Mounjaro, Dr. Patel says that you may want to steer clear of energy drinks (or caffeine pills) that contain very high amounts of caffeine. The more caffeine you consume and the quicker you consume it, the more likely you are to experience side effects.

Does coffee interact with other diabetes medications?

Similar to Mounjaro, caffeine does not directly interact with any diabetes medications, so there’s no real safety issue if you want to drink coffee while taking medication for diabetes. However, there are possible side effects of mixing them. Here’s what to consider if you’re taking any of these common diabetes prescriptions:

  • GLP-1 receptor agonists: “Caffeine doesn’t directly interact with GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Trulicity, Ozempic, or Wegovy, but similar to Mounjaro, it may exacerbate nausea or GI discomfort,” Dr. Connor says. 
  • Sulfonylureas: “Sulfonylureas like Glipizide (sold under the brand names Glucotrol or Glucotrol XL) can increase insulin, so combining with caffeine (which can mask hypoglycemia symptoms) requires careful blood sugar monitoring,” Dr. Connor cautions. 
  • Metformin (one of the most commonly prescribed medications for Type 2 diabetes) can cause diarrhea, and so can coffee, meaning there could be additive bowel effects when combining the two.
  • SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance can cause diuresis, or fluid loss, which could lead to dehydration in an individual already urinating more often due to caffeine.

Best practices for taking Mounjaro

GLP-1 drugs are very effective, but there are steps you can take to maximize the benefits of Mounjaro.

Use it consistently

 “Patients should inject Mounjaro once weekly and on the same day each week,” Dr. Patel says. “For example, if the first injection was on a Friday, the following injections should also be on Fridays. The time of day may vary based on a patient’s personal schedule.” Indeed, the time of day is less important than making sure you perform the injection on the same day each week. If you need to change the day of the week on which you inject Mounjaro, make sure that at least three days have passed since your previous dose before administering it. According to the National Library of Medicine, Mounjaro can be injected in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, and you should rotate injection sites with each dose.

Change your diet

Since Mounjaro is an injectable and not an oral medication, it can be taken with or without food, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paying attention to what you eat. “It’s important to recognize that Mounjaro should be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes (like engaging in regular physical activity and consuming fewer calories) to maximize efficacy,” Dr. Connor says. She recommends filling up on protein- and fiber-rich foods, hydrating foods and fluids, and foods high in iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D to counteract any potential side effects. “Avoid greasy, fried, and high-fat foods as these can worsen nausea, [as well as] sugary drinks and snacks, which undermine the purpose of Mounjaro,” Dr. Connor adds. 

Adjust your meal schedule

Eating small meals throughout the day is best. “Patients on this medication who overeat may experience stomach pain, cramping, or even vomiting,” says Dr. Patel.

What should one of those meals look like? Per the American Diabetes Association, you should be striving to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, one quarter of your plate with protein-rich foods like beans, legumes, nuts, and fish like salmon or trout, and the remaining quarter with sources of good carbohydrates, like berries, quinoa, farro, or yogurt.

The bottom line

Ultimately, enjoying coffee or other caffeinated beverages is safe while taking Mounjaro to treat Type 2 diabetes. The best way to consume coffee is black, without any sugary additives. But if you’re concerned that you’re drinking too much or you think you may be experiencing adverse effects, always talk to your healthcare provider. Every person is different, and it’s important to develop a personalized diabetes treatment plan that works for you.