Key takeaways:
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is an FDA-approved medication for treating Type 2 diabetes.
Some people report headaches while taking Mounjaro. This may be related to Mounjaro’s side effects, like low blood sugar and dehydration.
Drinking fluids throughout the day, avoiding having low blood sugar, and limiting alcohol intake can help prevent Mounjaro headaches.
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Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is an injectable medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro can be an excellent tool for managing blood sugar. But, like all medications, it can cause side effects. The most common side effects of Mounjaro are nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and vomiting.
Some people taking Mounjaro also experience headaches. But are headaches really a side effect of Mounjaro? Let’s review the evidence.
How does Mounjaro work?
Mounjaro is similar to other injectable medications for diabetes, such as Ozempic. But it works a little differently.
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Mounjaro is the first medication approved in a new class of drugs called dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, called dual GIP / GLP-1 receptor agonists for short. This means that Mounjaro acts like two natural hormones in your body: GLP-1 and GIP. These gut hormones help balance blood sugar levels and manage appetite.
Increasing insulin production
Making your body more sensitive to insulin
Causing you to feel less hungry
Helping you feel full faster
Can Mounjaro cause headaches?
There’s no evidence that Mounjaro directly triggers headaches. There’s also no evidence that taking Mounjaro makes you more prone to developing a new headache syndrome, like migraines or tension headaches. But Mounjaro is a relatively new medication, and researchers are still learning about its long-term effects. So, it’s possible that this may change in the future.
Right now, it’s likely that Mounjaro headaches are caused by things like low blood sugar, dehydration, and low blood pressure. You’re more likely to develop these conditions while taking Mounjaro. Let’s take a closer look.
Low blood sugar
Mounjaro lowers blood sugar levels. Severely low blood sugar levels aren’t common on Mounjaro alone. But it can happen if you’re also taking other medications that lower your blood sugar, like insulin or sulfonylureas.
If your blood sugar drops too low (this is called hypoglycemia), you can start to feel sick.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include feeling:
Warm
Dizzy
Weak
Hungry
What it feels like to take Mounjaro: Real people share their experiences with Mounjaro, a medication that’s proven to be effective at treating Type 2 diabetes.
Possible side effects: Read about Mounjaro’s potential side effects — including diarrhea and hair loss — and how to manage them.
How much does Mounjaro cost? Here’s how much Mounjaro costs with and without insurance, plus ways to make your prescription more affordable.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, you can get a headache if you have low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can also trigger and worsen migraine headaches. Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range can help you avoid Mounjaro headaches and migraines.
Dehydration
Mounjaro decreases your appetite and helps you feel full longer. This causes you to eat and drink less. Plus, Mounjaro slows down how quickly food empties from your stomach. This can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Together, these side effects can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can trigger headaches.
Dehydration headaches have been described as feeling like someone is squeezing the top of your head. Dehydration can also trigger other types of headaches, like migraines or tension headaches. It can also trigger and worsen migraines.
Lower blood pressure
Headaches can be a symptom of low blood pressure. Mounjaro isn’t a blood-pressure medication. But people taking Mounjaro may develop lower blood pressure over time. One study found that people taking Mounjaro for 36 weeks saw their systolic blood pressure drop by up to 10 mmHg. This effect is thought to be linked to Mounjaro-related weight loss.
For most people, having lower blood pressure is a good thing. But, if you’re taking blood pressure medication and Mounjaro, your blood pressure can drop too low. That’s why it’s important to check in with your healthcare team. They may need to adjust or stop your blood pressure medication if your blood pressure is too low.
Drinking alcohol while taking Mounjaro
Taking alcohol and Mounjaro together can increase your risk of becoming dehydrated or hypoglycemic — both of which can cause a headache.
This can happen in two ways:
Alcohol makes you pee more. And it also directly irritates your stomach lining. This can cause nausea, vomiting, and dehydration — leading to a headache.
Alcohol can lower your blood sugar. This means there’s a risk of hypoglycemia if you’re drinking alcohol while taking Mounjaro. Symptoms of hypoglycemia may include dizziness, sweating, and headache.
How can you treat Mounjaro headaches?
A few simple measures can help prevent or relieve a Mounjaro headache.
Drink water
Drinking enough fluids is important to avoid dehydration and dehydration-related headaches. It can also help you avoid a migraine.
You can help yourself drink more water by carrying a refillable water bottle with you. Some people find it helpful to set reminders on their phone to encourage them to drink throughout the day, too.
If you start feeling like you have a headache on the top of your head (this is a sign of a dehydration headache), it can also help to drink more fluids.
Take medication for nausea
Up to 1 in 5 people taking Mounjaro experience nausea as a side effect. Eating smaller meals and using over-the-counter (OTC) medications can help.
Talk with a healthcare professional if you experience nausea while taking Mounjaro.
Get emergency care if nausea happens along with abdominal pain. This can be a sign of a more serious side effect, like gallbladder problems.
Monitor your blood sugar
When you start Mounjaro, your care team may advise you to monitor your blood sugar more often. This is especially true if you’re taking other medications that can lower your blood sugar.
Recognizing low blood sugar and treating it quickly with a fast-acting sugar source is important. Untreated hypoglycemia can be life-threatening.
Let your care team know if this happens often. Your other medications may need to be adjusted to avoid hypoglycemia.
Take OTC pain medications
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are common OTC medications for headache relief. But talk with a healthcare professional before taking ibuprofen if you have chronic kidney disease or problems with stomach ulcers.
Can Zepbound also cause headaches?
Zepbound is another injectable medication that contains tirzepatide. Zepbound is FDA-approved for weight management. It’s also FDA-approved as a treatment for sleep apnea. Zepbound doesn’t directly cause headaches. It also doesn’t trigger new headache syndromes or make them worse.
But, like Mounjaro, it can cause side effects that lead to dehydration and low blood pressure. Dehydration and low blood pressure can cause headaches and trigger or worsen migraines in people who already have a history of migraine headaches.
Can Zepbound headaches be treated the same way as headaches from Mounjaro?
Yes, the same steps that work for Mounjaro headaches will also help with Zepbound headaches. Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol can help lower the risk of Zepbound headaches. Talk with your healthcare team if you continue to experience headaches while taking Zepbound. They can make sure you don’t have low blood pressure or low blood sugar.
Frequently asked questions
Talk with your healthcare team if you develop new or worsening headaches while taking Mounjaro. You’ll want to make sure your headaches aren’t caused by something else. Seek emergency care for headaches that are accompanied by fever, rash with neck stiffness, confusion, slurred speech, or vision changes.
Right now, there’s no evidence that stopping Mounjaro or lowering your dose will lead to headaches. There’s also no evidence that stopping Mounjaro or lowering your dose will worsen headache syndromes, like migraines or tension headaches.
Talk with your healthcare team if you develop new or worsening headaches while taking Mounjaro. You’ll want to make sure your headaches aren’t caused by something else. Seek emergency care for headaches that are accompanied by fever, rash with neck stiffness, confusion, slurred speech, or vision changes.
Right now, there’s no evidence that stopping Mounjaro or lowering your dose will lead to headaches. There’s also no evidence that stopping Mounjaro or lowering your dose will worsen headache syndromes, like migraines or tension headaches.
The bottom line
Mounjaro is an FDA-approved treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Some people report having headaches while taking Mounjaro. Though Mounjaro doesn’t seem to cause headaches directly, the medication can lower your blood sugar or lead to dehydration — and both low blood sugar and dehydration can trigger headaches. You can reduce your risk of getting a headache while taking Mounjaro by monitoring your blood sugar, drinking plenty of fluids, and avoiding alcohol.
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References
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de Lemos, J. A., et al. (2024). Tirzepatide reduces 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in adults with body mass index ≥27 kg/m2: SURMOUNT-1 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring substudy. Hypertension.
Farzam, K., et al. (2024). Tirzepatide. StatPearls.
Islam, M.R., et al. (2022). Glucose-related traits and risk of migraine — A potential mechanism and treatment consideration. Genes.
Karrar, H. R., et al. (2023). Tirzepatide-induced gastrointestinal manifestations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cureus.
Khorsha, F., et al. (2020). Association of drinking water and migraine headache severity. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.
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National Headache Foundation. (n.d.). The fasting headache.
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