What’s all this hubbub on the internet about Ozempic Babies?

There’s a funny little rumour going around that. Apparently, you take a shot of Ozempic, then BAM.
Suddenly you’re in your second trimester. Well…there is a key step in between, but you get the gist.

It’s okay, we’ve got contraception. Don’t be so sure.. women are reporting unexpected pregnancies on the pill too!

Of course, losing weight helps restore hormonal balances. This leads to an increased chance of successful pregnancy. But anecdotal evidence aside, is there any research to back these claims?

I must confess, the research is limited. Out of the gate, there is no evidence to support GLP-1’s such as semaglutide and liraglutide having any pharmacokinetic efficacy on the absorption of oral contraceptives. Ozempic, at least, gets a pass.

But its newer, flashier cousin, Tirzepatide? That’s where things get interesting.

A study was done to evaluate whether Tirzepatide affects the absorption and bioavailability of oral hormonal contraceptives when both are administered together in 2022.

This open-label trial took 28 healthy, premenopausal women and gave them a single dose of 5mg Tirzepatide with the combined pill, then tracked the levels of the contraceptive in the bloodstream.

They measured a bunch of pharmacokinetic parameters like plasma drug concentration-time curve (AUC), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), and time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) for the contraceptives.

Results?

After a single dose of Tirzepatide, there was a statistically significant reduction in AUC, Cmax and Tmax of 20%. Not ideal when your goal is not to ovulate.

Tirzepatides effects on gastric emptying were strongest after the first dose or after any dose increase. Over time, the body does adjust.

Of course, this is just a single-dose study. Short-term. Miniscule sample size. No look into long-term effects. But it’s still enough for Eli Lilly(mother of Zepbound), to recommend back up contraception for 4 weeks after starting Tirzepatide.

I guess the simplest way to ensure you lose weight without gaining a child is to choose a non-oral contraceptive. Just bypass the gut altogether with the IUD or an Implant. Simple as that.