Mounjaro And ADHD: Can You Take GLP-1s With ADHD Medication?

It’s estimated that almost 2.5 million people in England have ADHD, including those without a formal diagnosis. [1] If you’re one of those people and you take medication to manage your symptoms, you may be wondering if that prevents you from following a GLP-1 treatment plan.

In this post, we explore how both ADHD symptoms and medications can affect your eating habits, and how to safely continue treatment when starting your weight loss journey.

Article summary:

• ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition commonly treated with stimulant medications.
• Some people with ADHD experience disrupted eating patterns due to the condition affecting hunger cues and mood.
• It’s generally safe to use GLP-1s alongside ADHD medication, however it’s recommended you monitor potential side effects including double appetite suppression and increased heart rate.

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that causes challenges with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It's a neurodevelopmental condition, which means it causes changes in brain function that are usually first observed in childhood and last your whole life. [2]

Differences in the way your brain regulates and uses specific neurotransmitters (or chemical messengers) are thought to play a role in ADHD. These messengers are dopamine, which is involved in reward and motivation, and noradrenaline, which helps control attention. When you have a noradrenaline or dopamine imbalance, this can affect parts of your brain involved in executive function, which is your ability to plan, focus, complete tasks, and manage impulses. Research suggests that altered dopamine and noradrenaline signalling contributes to ADHD symptoms. [3] [4] If you have ADHD, you may have hyperactive symptoms, inattentive symptoms, or a combination of both.

Here are some examples of these traits: [5]

Treatments for ADHD

ADHD symptoms can be managed with a type of medication known as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. These medicines work in different ways, depending on the type, but generally they affect levels of neurotransmitters in your brain. By regulating the release and absorption of hormones like dopamine and noradrenaline, CNS stimulants can help reduce the impact of both hyperactive and inattentive symptoms on your daily life. [6]

Some common CNS stimulant medications are: [5]

• lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse)
• dexamfetamine (Amfexa)
• methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)

There are also some non-stimulant ADHD medications, which may be prescribed when you don't respond to stimulants or experience severe side effects. They contain different active ingredients than stimulant medications, but they work similarly, influencing levels of noradrenaline in your brain. Examples of non-stimulant medications are atomoxetine (Strattera) and guanfacine (Intuniv). [7] Every person with ADHD is different, and so you may need to try several different medications to find the one that works best for you.

ADHD and appetite

One of the less talked-about parts of living with ADHD is how it can affect your eating habits. People with ADHD are more likely to experience obesity, eating disorders, and changes to their appetite. [8] [9] [10] But why? Here's what the research says.

Recognising hunger and fullness

Some people with ADHD may find it more difficult to recognise internal cues such as hunger and fullness, or “interoception.” Because of this, you may skip meals, confuse hunger with thirst, and continue eating even after you're full. [11] You may also experience food noise, or persistent thoughts about eating. [12]

Executive dysfunction

Symptoms of executive dysfunction such as difficulty making plans or managing time can also make it harder to stick to a regular eating schedule. Research shows that, in these cases, people are more likely to choose convenient food choices, which typically have lower nutritional value. [13] ADHD is also associated with hyperfocus, a period of intense concentration where you lose track of time and often ignore your body's needs. [14] Many people find that, once their hunger kicks in, they respond by overeating or bingeing. [8]

Emotional regulation

Rapid mood changes and stress are common with ADHD, due to differences in the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making and emotional processing. Research shows a strong link between this aspect of ADHD and disordered eating behaviours, including binge eating, overeating, and food addiction. [8] [10] This can make it difficult to control how much you eat, and can also cause you to favour high-fat, high-sugar foods. [10] [13]

ADHD medication

When you start a treatment plan to manage your ADHD symptoms, you may initially notice some changes to your eating habits. That's because stimulant ADHD medications can lead to appetite suppression. They affect levels of dopamine, a hormone in your brain's reward centre that plays a key role in controlling your hunger levels. [15] When your dopamine levels are regulated, your body can better recognise fullness signals, causing you to stop eating when you're satisfied. [16] This can lead to some initial weight loss, while your body is adjusting to the medication.

What are GLP-1s, and how do they work?

To understand whether it's safe to take GLP-1s with ADHD medication, it's important you know how they work.

GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, are medications that mimic the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone in your gut. This hormone is responsible for controlling blood sugar levels and appetite. When you take GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Wegovy), they have the same effect on your body. They help reduce food cravings and slow gastric emptying, or the rate food leaves your stomach, helping you feel fuller for longer. [17]

Mounjaro is slightly different. It contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which is a dual-action GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, meaning it mimics two natural hormones in your body. These are GLP-1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). It has the same effect as semaglutide on your hunger cues and digestion, but mimics two hormones instead of one. In a head‑to‑head trial, tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss than semaglutide 2.4 mg over 72 weeks. [18] [19]

Is it safe to take Mounjaro with ADHD medication?

There is currently no clinical evidence to suggest that it's unsafe to take GLP-1s alongside ADHD medications. There are no known drug interactions between Mounjaro, Wegovy, or Zepbound and common treatments for ADHD, including lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse), dexamfetamine (Amfexa), or methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin).

GLP-1s and ADHD treatments work in different parts of your brain. While ADHD medicines affect noradrenaline and dopamine pathways, which are your brain's attention and reward systems, GLP-1s activate incretin hormone receptors, which specifically deal with blood glucose and appetite. The medications target different neurotransmitters; therefore, they don't interact with one another.

Potential side effects

That being said, we always recommend consulting a healthcare professional before starting a new treatment, especially if you are on another long-term medication. Even though GLP-1s are safe to take alongside ADHD medications, there are some possible side effects you should look out for.

As we've already mentioned, ADHD medications can have appetite-suppressing effects. Taking them alongside GLP-1s could reduce your hunger to the point of skipping meals, which could cause low energy or nutrient deficiencies. If you have any concerns about your appetite, contact our Clinical team or your GP for advice.

Both GLP-1s and ADHD medications can also increase your heart rate and blood pressure. [20] If you're taking both, you should regularly monitor your heart health and speak to your doctor if you experience a racing heartbeat or chest pains.

Another thing to note is that, since GLP-1s slow stomach emptying, they could delay the absorption of oral ADHD medicines. You may need to speak to your psychiatrist or prescriber about making adjustments to your dosage schedule so you can still get the most from your ADHD treatment.

Find out if medicated weight loss is right for you

Thinking about starting your weight loss journey? At MedExpress, we offer online consultations with regular clinical check-ins, and a range of weight loss treatments including Mounjaro, Wegovy Pen, Wegovy Pill and Foundayo and our team can help you find the right treatment for you.

References

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