See: Weight loss drugs can affect infertility.
With the growing popularity of weight loss pills like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, some women are taking a closer look at how the drugs may affect their chances of getting pregnant.
Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh told “Good Morning America” that she and her husband had experienced four pregnancy losses during their previous attempts to have children. When the couple decided to switch to in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, Mitchell-Rohrbaugh said they hit another roadblock when the doctor told her she needed to lose 40 pounds before they could start the procedure.
“I was just thinking to myself, are you crazy? I’m not a little person,” she said. “I’m a plus size woman.”
For help with her weight loss, she turned to Ozempic, one of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help people produce insulin and lower blood sugar. The drugs work by reducing the movement of food in the stomach and reducing appetite, leading to weight loss.
Ozympic, made from a compound called semaglutide, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe it off-label for weight loss.
After using Ozympic for five months, Mitchell-Rohrbaugh said she lost 40 pounds.
She went off the medication and started fertility treatment. Mitchell-Rohrbaugh went on to say she had a successful round of IVF.
“To get to this call, I never thought I’d just hear that, ‘Winter, hi, I have good news,'” Mitchell-Rohrbaugh said.
What you should know about weight loss drugs and childbirth
Because semaglutide, the compound used in Ozempic and Wegovi, and tirzepatide in Monjaro are relatively new to the market — approved by the FDA in the past five years to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity — there is still research. Experts say how exactly it affects women of childbearing age.
“We need to gather the data and make sure it’s safe for this indication and that it works for us,” Dr. Richard Paulson, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist in California, told “GMA.”
The FDA cited “insufficient data” on the safety profiles of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro that they should not be taken during pregnancy.
of FDM explains. The drugs can cause weight gain and “weight loss is of no benefit to the pregnant patient and may harm the fetus.”
MORE: People Reveal Real-Life Side Effects of Popular Weight-Loss Drugs
The agency recommends that people stop treatment at least two months before they plan to become pregnant.
The release of the drugs should be under the control of the medical provider, as when starting the drugs, experts say.
Anyone who suddenly becomes pregnant while taking one of these drugs should contact their healthcare provider, who can advise them to discontinue the drug and ensure that they are receiving appropriate maternal care.
The FDA monitors any cases in which women are exposed to semaglutide (found in Wegovy and Ozempic) during pregnancy. The agency said affected pregnant women and health care providers should contact the drug manufacturer.
Before pregnancy, drugs like Ozympic, Munjaro and Wegovi can be very effective in helping people with type 2 diabetes lower blood sugar and maintain a healthy weight, which can be critical to a healthy pregnancy, says Dr. Sarah Lacey. Board Certified OB-GYN and Associate Director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
MORE: Is it safe to take Ozympic while pregnant or trying to get pregnant? Experts weigh in.
“We know that poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy is associated with this [adverse] Maternal and fetal outcomes during pregnancy,” Lassey “GMA” said earlier this year, these risks may include miscarriage, birth defects, stillbirth and preeclampsia. “Our way to prevent these adverse outcomes is to control blood glucose levels and hemoglobin levels. A1c before conception and throughout pregnancy.”
Lacey said at this time there is not enough long-term research to know how the drugs affect fertility.
“We don’t know,” she added, “but we do know that when people have better blood sugar control and things like that, they have lower miscarriage rates and improved fertility.”