Ozempic and antidepressants: what to know about combining them

Can you take Ozempic and antidepressants together? Yes — as long as your healthcare provider prescribes both.

There’s no evidence that combining Ozempic (semaglutide) and antidepressants is unsafe, though there’s some mixed research on whether antidepressants could diminish the effects of Ozempic — or the other way around. 

Below, we unpack what you need to know about Ozempic and antidepressants, including whether Ozempic can cause depression.

Yes, you can take Ozempic and antidepressants together, as long as a qualified healthcare provider prescribes them and is overseeing your care.

Neither the drug label for injectable Ozempic nor for the recently announced Ozempic pill has a drug interaction warning for any antidepressant medication, which means they’re likely safe to take together, but as we’ll see below, there still may be some things to watch out for. 

Why is this interaction relevant? Well, the research shows that people with type 2 diabetes (the most common reason to take Ozempic) are twice as likely to experience depression as people without type 2 diabetes. So, needing treatment for both diabetes and depression isn’t exactly an unusual scenario.

Ultimately, GLP-1 medications (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists), like Ozempic and Wegovy treat different things than antidepressants (likeselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors — aka SSRIs). So if you need to take an injectable diabetes or weight loss medication and you need treatment for depression or anxiety, your prescriber might decide that combining Ozempic with an antidepressant is a good move.

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Maybe, but there haven’t been any studies directly focused on how antidepressants impact Ozempic for weight loss.

Data from other studies is mixed, with some suggesting that antidepressants diminish weight loss potential, while others suggest that people on antidepressants might actually lose more weight.

Here’s what we know:

• In the STEP 1 clinical trial, participants on 2.4 milligrams (mg) of Ozempic per week lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight in 68 weeks. 

• In the same Step 1 trial, participants combining antidepressants with the same Ozempic dosage lost an average of 15.7% of their body weight in the same timeframe.

• Another study found that people taking antidepressants with GLP-1s lost less weight than those not taking antidepressants. But researchers were looking at data from several GLP-1s — liraglutide, dulaglutide, semaglutide, and more. They also only included data from three antidepressants.

Bottom line: Ozempic drives weight loss for people who take antidepressants and people who don’t. More research is needed to know which antidepressants, if any, impact how much weight you can lose on Ozempic. 

There’s no evidence that antidepressants impact blood sugar control on Ozempic. There haven’t been any direct studies comparing Ozempic-related blood sugar control with or without antidepressants. 

That said, antidepressants may have a small impact on blood sugar in general. One study found that blood sugar levels improved when people with both diabetes and depression started taking antidepressants. In theory, this could potentially lead to a higher risk of hypoglycemia when taking an antidepressant while on Ozempic (since Ozempic definitely lowers blood sugar). But again, there’s no proof that this has happened or will happen.  

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about blood sugar management while taking Ozempic and an antidepressant at the same time.

The short answer: Research on GLP-1s and depression is ongoing. 

If you have a history of mental health struggles, it’s normal to have questions about how GLP-1s like Ozempic affect your brain, like: Can semaglutide cause anxiety? Can tirzepatide cause depression? 

Fortunately, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes reports of suicidal thoughts on GLP-1s very seriously. And their preliminary analysis has not found a direct link between GLP-1s and depression. In fact, one study found that people were less likely to report suicidal thoughts after starting semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic). 

It’s also important to remember that obesity and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of depression. So if you’re experiencing symptoms of depression while taking a GLP-1, it’s worth considering that your underlying condition — rather than the medication — may be a culprit. 

If you’re on an antidepressant, it’s important to keep your provider in the loop about your mental health. And that’s true, whether or not you’re on Ozempic. And if you’re on Ozempic, it’s also important to keep your appointments and let your provider know about any significant side effects, mental health-related or not. 

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Ozempic and antidepressants are different medication types used for different purposes. Here’s what you should know about combining them:

• It’s generally safe to take Ozempic and an antidepressant together. There are no known drug interactions between Ozempic and any antidepressants (including both the injectable and not-yet-released oral versions of Ozempic).

• It’s not clear whether antidepressants impact Ozempic weight loss. Some research has found that antidepressants may have some diminishing effects on weight loss potential, while others show that people on antidepressants actually lose more weight on Ozempic.

• It’s also not clear whether antidepressants impact blood sugar control on Ozempic. There have been no studies on whether antidepressants interfere with blood sugar control in GLP-1s. 

• Research on depression and GLP-1s is ongoing. But so far, the FDA hasn’t found a direct, causal link between depression and GLP-1 medications.

• There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Seek personalized advice from a healthcare professional when considering the best way to treat depression at the same time as diabetes or obesity.