Can You Take Ozempic on the Same Day You Get a COVID Vaccine?
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Key Takeaways
Experts say that it’s safe to take GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro on the same day as getting a COVID, influenza, or RSV vaccine.
However, new users may want to wait to get vaccines until any initial side effects of the drug have subsided.
It’s also safe to take these medications if you currently have COVID, though doing so could make any GI symptoms you have worse.
As we head into cold and flu season, many people are wondering if they can get a COVID-19 vaccine on the same day as their weekly injection of diabetes and weight management drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. They’re also wondering if they can still do their injection if they currently have COVID.
While these drugs shouldn’t be taken alongside certain other diabetes medications, like insulin or sulfonylurea, none of the ingredients should react poorly with a COVID vaccine. But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel great. Here’s what experts recommend.
Related: Ozempic May Help Treat Conditions Beyond Diabetes and Obesity
Can You Get a COVID Vaccine on the Same Day as Your GLP-1 Dose?
Rehka Kumar, MD, the chief medical officer at Found and an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Verywell there’s little concern about Ozempic and vaccines like COVID, flu, and RSV.
However, if you just started taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist—the class of drugs that encompass Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro (the latter is also a GIP receptor agonist)—you may have some side effects. Kumar said that scheduling your weekly injection around any planned vaccines could be beneficial while you’re adjusting to the medication.
“If it is the first dose of a GLP-1, I don’t recommend taking it on the same day as a vaccine to avoid confusion in regards to which might be causing any side effects,” said Kumar. “Considering that both vaccines and GLP-1s can have side effects, it is possible that taking them the same day (or within a few days of each other) can increase fatigue.”
Another reason to stagger your GLP-1 dose and any vaccines is to make sure you can be on the lookout for the serious risks of taking the medication. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated Ozempic’s label with a warning that it may lead to intestinal blockages (a warning that was already on the labels for Mounjaro and Wegovy).
Related: How Does Ozempic Treat Diabetes?
Can You Do Your Injection If You Have COVID?
It’s important to stay on schedule if you’re taking medications like Mounjaro, Ozempic, or Wegovy, which are usually prescribed for weekly use, Raoul Manalac, MD, the senior director of product strategy at Ro, told Verywell. However, if you catch COVID, doing your weekly injection could make your viral symptoms worse.
“Semaglutide also has common side effects of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” said Manalac. If you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID, Manalac recommends “consulting with your provider to ensure that it’s safe to take your regularly scheduled dose of semaglutide.”
Kumar said that if you’re sick but are staying hydrated, still have an appetite, and your bowel function is normal, it’s fine to take your scheduled dose of medication. However, if you have symptoms like lack of appetite or are dehydrated, Kumar said “a dose of the GLP-1 can be delayed or skipped.”
What This Means for You
If you’re taking a GLP-1 drug weekly, you can get your COVID-19 vaccine on the same day as you do your injection. However, you may want to do them on different days if you’re new to the drug and want to avoid making any side effects worse.
Read Next: What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Taking Ozempic?
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
