Important notice for patients using weight loss medications

Many patients are now using weight loss medications like Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) or Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) — either for diabetes or privately for weight loss. If you are receiving any of these medications privately, please ensure you are declaring ALL medications prescribed to you to the supplier.

These medications work partly by slowing down how your stomach empties — which
can affect how well other medicines (like the contraceptive pill or HRT tablets) are
absorbed by your body.

If you take the contraceptive pill:

please see further guidance below to decrease risk of falling pregnant:

Patient-information-GLP-1-agonists-andcontraception.pdf

If you’re taking Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):

This applies if your HRT includes progesterone tablets like:

• Progesterone or Utrogestan
• Norethisterone
• Medroxyprogesterone acetate

There is some concern that weight loss medications – such as Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
and Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) – may reduce how well these tablets are
absorbed. This could lead to irregular bleeding and may affect the protection of your
womb lining (potentially leading to an increased risk of endometrial cancer).

What are the options?

Please contact us to talk through the best choice for you which could be HRT patches, a coil or you could choose to stop weight loss injections.

Weight Loss Injections through the NHS

We are aware that our local ICB are planning a weight-loss service using 'Mounjaro' . At present, this is an ongoing project via the Billingham & Norton Primary Care Network and the initial criteria will be very tight with very few patients being eligible. 

NHSEngland criteria states that patients with a BMI over 40 AND have at least 4 of the following health conditions will be eligible

• dyslipidaemia (abnormal fat levels in the blood)
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep)
• cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease)
• type 2 diabetes mellitus