Can you drink alcohol while taking Mounjaro?
If you’re taking Mounjaro, it’s important to be mindful of alcohol. It can affect your weight loss progress and may increase the likelihood of side effects.
This could be a great time to reflect on your drinking habits—especially if you’re focusing on long-term health. Small changes, like cutting back on alcohol, can make a big difference.
At Oviva, we provide expert support to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes alongside weight loss medication. If you have a BMI over 35, your GP may be able to refer you to our weight management programme.
Take our quick survey to see if you’re eligible.
Key Takeaways
- Alcohol can worsen the side effects of Mounjaro, increase appetite and affect weight loss goals.
- If you do drink alcohol while taking Mounjaro, try to do so in moderation, space your drinks out, drink plenty of water, and opt for low-calorie options.
- Studies suggest Mounjaro may reduce alcohol cravings, making it a good time to reassess drinking habits.
How Mounjaro interacts with alcohol
There are no direct contraindications between alcohol and Mounjaro, but they affect the body in different ways.
Mounjaro helps regulate appetite, slow digestion, and manage blood glucose to support weight loss. Alcohol, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect.
Alcohol, appetite and blood glucose
Research shows that alcohol can increase appetite and affect how your body regulates hunger. It influences the brain’s reward system, which may lead to stronger cravings and a higher likelihood of overeating.
It can also cause blood glucose fluctuations, depending on what you drink:
- Spirits with sugar-free mixers (e.g., gin, vodka, rum) – Contain no carbs, but may cause blood glucose dips, which can trigger hunger and cravings.
- High-carb drinks (e.g., beer, sugary cocktails, stouts, ales) – Can contain around 20g of carbs per drink, leading to spikes in blood glucose, followed by a crash that increases hunger and cravings.
These fluctuations can be unpredictable, making it harder to manage appetite and stick to your health goals.
Since Mounjaro helps regulate blood glucose and appetite, regular alcohol intake could reduce its benefits and make weight management more challenging.
Is it safe to drink alcohol on Mounjaro?
Drinking alcohol while taking Mounjaro is generally considered safe in moderation, as it doesn’t directly interfere with how the medication works. However, alcohol affects the body in ways that can be particularly relevant for people using Mounjaro for weight loss or blood glucose management. Here are a few key factors to consider:
- Increased hunger and cravings – Alcohol can lower inhibitions and affect decision-making, which may make it harder to stick to healthy eating habits.
- Impact on digestion and side effects – Mounjaro can cause nausea, indigestion, and dehydration, and alcohol may make these side effects worse.
- Metabolism and fat loss – The body prioritises processing alcohol over burning fat, which could slow down weight loss progress.
If you choose to drink while taking Mounjaro, moderation is key. Opting for lower-carb drinks, staying hydrated, and being mindful of how alcohol affects your appetite can help you maintain progress toward your health goals.
Tips for drinking safely on Mounjaro
1. Drink in moderation
It’s generally recommended to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread across at least three days. This is equivalent to six 4% pints of beer or ciders. However, we always recommend keeping alcohol consumption to an absolute minimum and aiming for a few alcohol-free days per week.
2. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach
Eating a balanced meal with your drink can help reduce alcohol’s effects and keep your blood glucose more stable. Try to include lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to support your body’s natural balance. A simple guideline is to fill half your plate with vegetables, which can help with portion control while adding fibre and essential nutrients.
3. Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water and pace your alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production, leading to dehydration. Try having a glass of water between alcoholic drinks to help counteract this effect and support digestion.
This is especially important, as some Mounjaro side effects—such as constipation—are linked to digestion and dehydration.
If plain water feels a bit dull, soda water with fresh lemon or lime can be a refreshing, hydrating alternative.
4. Start with small amounts
While taking Mounjaro, start with only small amounts of alcohol, like a small glass of wine or one bottle of light beer, and monitor how it affects you.
5. Monitor blood glucose levels
If you have diabetes, monitoring your blood glucose helps you understand how alcohol affects it. Check your levels before, during and after drinking alcohol to see the effects.
Some drinks can increase blood glucose, others may cause dips. Seeing these changes in your readings can make it easier to assess the types of drinks you can consume and how much alcohol you should stick to.
6. Pay attention to side effects
Some of the common side effects of Mounjaro include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, digestion issues, dehydration and dizziness. All of these could be worsened by alcohol, so pay attention to whether these effects increase. If they do, consider cutting down.
7. Consider abstaining
Ultimately, the best health outcomes and weight loss benefits are going to come from completely abstaining from alcohol or drastically reducing alcohol intake. Consider giving up alcohol if you can. You may need to start by making more minor, manageable changes to the amount you drink before working towards abstinence.
Potential risks of alcohol and Mounjaro
1. Increased Risk of Hypoglycaemia
For people living with diabetes, mixing alcohol and Mounjaro can carry the biggest risk. Alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to regulate blood glucose, leading to unpredictable fluctuations and a higher risk of hypoglycaemia.
2. Worsened Side Effects & Metabolism Changes
- Drinking may intensify Mounjaro’s side effects.
- Mounjaro’s impact on digestion and metabolism is still not fully understood. Changes to your metabolism and digestion could mean that Mounjaro may increase how quickly alcohol takes effect. Further research is still needed, so caution is advised.
3. High Calorie Content in Alcohol
Many alcoholic drinks are high in empty calories, which can hinder weight loss or lead to weight gain:
- Pint of 5% beer → Up to 220 calories
- Glass of 12% wine → More than 150 calories
A few drinks in one evening can easily add hundreds of extra calories with no nutritional value.
Does Mounjaro reduce alcohol cravings?
Early research suggests that Mounjaro may reduce alcohol cravings and overall consumption.
A study on tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) and semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) found that people taking these medications were less likely to drink alcohol and, when they did, consumed fewer drinks compared to those not on Mounjaro or Wegovy.
The same study looked at social media posts from Mounjaro users. When alcohol was mentioned, 71% reported having less desire to drink. This could be linked to changes in appetite and the medication’s effects on reward signals in the brain.
Starting Mounjaro could be a great opportunity to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol. Reducing your intake may bring wide-reaching health benefits and support your weight loss goals.
Practical advice for reducing alcohol intake
- Set realistic goals: Don’t put pressure on yourself to make significant overnight changes – you may need to gradually reduce the amount you drink and build towards alcohol-free days. Small steps go a long way.
- Make sensible adjustments: Try to steer away from sugary and carb-heavy drinks, like cocktails and cream liqueurs, moving towards low-calorie options, like white wine spritzers, gin and slimline tonics, or light beers.
- Track consumption over time: Measuring your intake helps you to see progress. The best weight loss apps make it easy to track what you eat and drink. You can also track your weight and mood, which gives you insight into how these things are connected.
- Engage in alcohol-free activities: Reduce alcohol intake by taking up activities that take you away from situations that encourage drinking. You could take up walking, an exercise class, or other hobbies to enjoy socially. Arrange alcohol-free social gatherings.
If you feel you need professional support, Drinkaware offers a web chat service between 9 am and 2 pm on weekdays, or you can call 0300 123 1110 to speak to trained advisors. You can also call Alcoholics Anonymous on 0800 917 7650 or send an email to help@aamail.org.
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