Can Mounjaro Cause Pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis causes severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. It’s a serious condition. If not treated properly, pancreatitis can be life-threatening. That’s why reports of people developing pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro are getting so much attention.

Mounjaro is an injectable medication that’s FDA-approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. In clinical trials, Mounjaro was shown to cause gut-related side effects like nausea and vomiting. But the relationship between Mounjaro and pancreatitis is less clear. 

Here’s what the science says about the link between Mounjaro and pancreatitis.

Does Mounjaro cause pancreatitis?

There have been reports of people developing pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro. But right now, there’s no clear evidence that Mounjaro directly causes pancreatitis. The link is still being studied.

In clinical trials, some people taking Mounjaro developed pancreatitis. But cases of pancreatitis were rare. This makes it difficult to say whether Mounjaro directly caused these cases of pancreatitis. 

There are a few reasons why the link between Mounjaro and pancreatitis isn’t clear.

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1. Not enough data 

To determine if a medication is causing a rare side effect, it must be studied in a big group of people. This can help show whether a rare side effect was just a coincidence or truly related to the medication. 

There isn’t a lot of available evidence on the long-term effects of Mounjaro because it’s a newer medication. But there are some initial studies that looked at the rates of pancreatitis in people taking Mounjaro. 

One study compared the rates of pancreatitis in two groups of people with diabetes: 

• Those taking injectable diabetes medications like Mounjaro or Ozempic (semaglutide) 

• Those taking other diabetes medications 

The researchers found that people taking injectable medications weren’t more likely to develop pancreatitis than people taking insulin or other diabetes medications. 

Another study found that the rates of pancreatitis in people taking Mounjaro for diabetes were the same as those taking a placebo (no medication) or insulin. 

And yet another study found that people taking Mounjaro were slightly less likely to report pancreatitis than those taking other types of injectable medications to treat diabetes.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Mounjaro isn’t the only medication linked to pancreatitis. Learn more about the link between Ozempic and pancreatitis.

• Mounjaro vs. Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes: Five key differences to know about. 

• Is compounded Mounjaro safe? Here’s what to know.

These studies seem to suggest that people taking Mounjaro don’t develop pancreatitis more often than people receiving other diabetes treatments. But these studies can’t say for sure that Mounjaro doesn’t cause pancreatitis. More research is needed to know for sure.

2. Other causes of pancreatitis

Even if someone develops pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro, that doesn’t mean the medication is the cause. In all the studies mentioned above, some people taking Mounjaro developed pancreatitis. So did people who took other diabetes medications. 

That’s because pancreatitis can be triggered by many different things, not just medications. For example, pancreatitis can be triggered by:

• Gallstones

• Alcohol use

• High triglycerides (a type of fat from your diet) 

This means it’s possible for someone taking Mounjaro to have pancreatitis for reasons other than the medication. And many of these reasons are more common than pancreatitis caused by medication use.

Who is most at risk for medication-related pancreatitis?

With all this uncertainty, how do you know if you’re at risk for developing pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro?

Some things that can increase your risk of pancreatitis include:

• A history of gallstones or other gallbladder problems

• Having relatives who had pancreatitis

• Taking other medications linked to causing pancreatitis, such as azathioprine, thiazides, furosemide, estrogens, and certain antibiotics

• Alcohol use disorder

• High triglyceride levels

• Having a body mass index (BMI) over 30

Talk to your healthcare team about these risk factors before starting Mounjaro. They can help you decide if Mounjaro is right for you. 

Should you take Mounjaro if you’ve had pancreatitis?

People with a history of pancreatitis weren’t included in Mounjaro clinical trials. Researchers don’t know if people have a higher risk for developing pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro if they’ve had pancreatitis in the past. 

You may be able to take Mounjaro if you have a history of pancreatitis. Talk with your healthcare team about the risks and benefits of Mounjaro. Together, you can determine if taking Mounjaro is the right choice for you.

What should you do if you’re experiencing symptoms of pancreatitis?

If you develop symptoms of pancreatitis while taking Mounjaro, seek medical care right away.

Pancreatitis symptoms include:

• Pain in your upper abdomen that may radiate (travel) to your back 

• Nausea and vomiting

• Fever

• Not being able to keep down food or drink

• Fast heart rate

Most of the time, people who have pancreatitis need to be treated in the hospital. If pancreatitis is severe, you may need to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). 

Right now, it’s not clear whether it’s safe to restart Mounjaro if you’ve developed pancreatitis while taking the medication. So, if you develop pancreatitis, you may need to switch to a different type of diabetes medication after you recover.

How to reduce the risk of pancreatitis when taking Mounjaro?

There are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing pancreatitis, like:

• Limiting or avoiding alcohol intake

• Limiting fatty and fried foods and eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables

• Getting treatment for high triglycerides

• Getting treatment for gallstones

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Written by:

Tracy Norfleet, MD, FACP

Dr. Tracy Norfleet is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician, health expert, and physician leader with over 20 years of experience practicing adult medicine. Dual-certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Tracy possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both traditional medical practices and innovative lifestyle interventions for chronic disease management and reversal.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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