Mounjaro sulphur burbs

At last, you are starting to lose weight; your waist size has gone down a few inches, and you can now fit into those jeans and that dress. All is good with the world; who would have thought that weight loss could be so easy, especially with the helping hand that Mounjaro provides? There’s just one thing that’s been bothering you. It’s the burping, not just any burps but those foul, rotten egg-smelling sulphur burps. Where did they come from? Are they a side effect of Mounjaro? This blog will seek to help you gain an understanding of Mounjaro sulphur burps.

Are sulphur burps a common side effect of Mounjaro?

If you suffer from these not-so-floral eruptions from your mouth, you may wonder if other Mounjaro users are having the same wonderful experience. While sulphur or eggy burps are not listed as one of the more common side effects experienced with Mounjaro, they certainly are not uncommon.

In the SURMOUNT-1 clinical trial, the following participants experienced eructation or burping [1].

• Placebo: 4/643 (0.62%)                                                                     
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro 5mg) 24/630 (3.81%)           
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro 10mg) 33/636 (5.19%)                        
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro 15mg) 35/630 (5.56%)         

You may be wondering, “Why is this happening to me?” Let’s start by unpacking this so you can understand how these eggy burps are formed.

What are sulphur burps?

Sulphur burps are caused by bacteria breaking down food in your digestive tract and producing hydrogen sulphide. It’s this gas that’s made which is responsible for the unpleasant aroma accompanying the burbs[2].

Usually, a small amount of gas is produced as your body breaks down certain foods. Eating a diet high in sulphur compounds is a big hint that a rotten egg burp is on the way.

These burps are a natural process and are usually harmless unless you are an innocent bystander who experiences them.

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Why does Mounjaro cause eggy burps?

So, why does Mounjaro, in particular, cause the production of these sulphur burbs? Let’s explore what Mounjaro is doing to your digestive system.

Like other GLP-1 receptor agonists, Mounjaro works by slowing down stomach emptying [3]. This affects how quickly food moves through your digestive tract. Slowing down food transit in your gut is great if you want to lose weight because it helps you stay fuller for longer.

However, logically, if the food stays inside your gut for longer, there is more opportunity for fermentation and the production of copious amounts of sulphur gas.

So, here’s the catch with Mounjaro: It’s great for weight loss, but for some, an unfortunate side effect is the production of eggy burps. But don’t let this dampen your spirits. Remember, these burps are a sign that Mounjaro is working, helping you stay fuller for longer and manage your appetite.

What can you do about Mounjaro sulphur burps?

The good news is that you have now learnt that these burps do not mean that Mounjaro isn’t working; on the contrary, they suggest that it is, causing the food to sit in your gut for longer. With this food lingering in your digestive system, it reduces your cravings and helps to manage your appetite.

Does this mean it’s a trade-off between weight loss and living with sulphur burps? Not at all. You can reduce the occurrence of these burps by making simple dietary adjustments. By reducing the amount of sulphur-containing foods, you can significantly reduce these Mounjaro sulphur burps.

What are sulphur-containing foods?

Certain foods high in sulphur are more likely to cause sulphur burps. If you break something down that contains sulphur, a sulphur-containing byproduct is likely to be produced, and if it’s hydrogen sulphide, then you have problems.

So what are these eggy burp-inducing foods? Here’s a handy list to help guide you [4]:

Unfortunately, that’s a lot of the good stuff we enjoy eating, but I have a surprise for you. Remember the foods that your mother used to force you to eat? Do broccoli and Brussels sprouts stir traumatic memories of a standoff at mealtimes? Did you know they are both sulphur-rich foods, as are other cruciferous vegetables? [5]

Now, before you start telling the world to avoid these vegetables, you should remember that they are an incredibly important part of anyone’s diet and have many antioxidant and other health benefits.

How to prevent Mounjaro sulphur burps?

Keep a food diary

The first step is to keep a food diary, or at the very least, pay attention to which foods cause these sulphur burps. Be like a scientist and try to identify the worst culprits responsible for these Mounjaro sulphur burbs.

Don’t eliminate several foods from your diet at once. If you see an improvement, you won’t know which food is causing the problem. Be systematic and eliminate foods from your diet individually to see how this affects the sulphur burps.

Switch to low-sulphur-containing foods

Try incorporating low-sulphur options; see the table above. Less sulphur in means less sulphur out—simple.

Stay hydrated

This means drinking more water. I am surprised how many people think that when a health professional says, “Stay hydrated,” they respond with, “But I drink plenty of tea and coffee.” When I hear this, I tend to run to the nearest wall to bang my head against it. Staying hydrated means increasing your water intake, not caffeine-containing beverages, because caffeine has a diuretic effect, making you pee more.

Drinking plenty of water is another hack to keep your digestive system moving, even when Mounjaro is trying to slow the whole process down.

So, when food moves more efficiently through your gut, the bacteria have less opportunity to break it down to hydrogen sulphide.

Try to drink at least 2 litres a day. A glass before and after meals can help support digestion.

Get active

Another way to get your gut moving is to start physically moving yourself. I always recommend walking for people suffering from constipation.

I have a very vivid memory of the success of this technique when I had a paralytic ileus (paralysis of my gut) after an operation due to the effects of the anaesthesia. It was entirely my fault.

I was under strict instructions not to eat after my operation to allow my gut to start working again. But guess what I did? Yes, chocolate never tasted so good, but the results were horrendous.

My stomach swelled as food just sat there with my gut, refusing to cooperate in the digestive process. When all the patients were sleeping, I was doing laps in the ward, trying to encourage my gut to kick start. Eventually, it worked, like jump-starting a car.

The moral of this story is that if you are told nil by mouth after an operation, listen to your doctors.

Are there any medicines to help with the Mounjaro sulphur burps?

Yes, a few over-the-counter remedies can help with the eggy burps. Simethicone-containing products, like Wind Eze, are great for bloating and burping.

These products are great for bloating and are used for trapped wind; they work by bringing the smaller gas bubbles in your stomach together to form one big bubble that can be released as a burp or fart.

So, they do not stop these burps; they help consolidate them. These remedies are great if you are suffering from bloating, another side effect of Mounjaro.

Does Ozempic and Wegovy also cause sulphur burps?

If the eggy burbs become too much of an embarrassment despite implementing the above steps, should you consider switching to another weight-loss pen, such as Wegovy?

Will this work? No, because, like Mounjaro, other similar weight loss pens, such as Wegovy and Saxenda, are also GLP-1 medicines and cause a slowing down of the digestive tract. So, these medicines also encourage the bacteria to break down the slow-moving, sulphur-containing food into hydrogen sulphide.

When should I be worried about my burping?

Most of the time, these sulphur eggy burps are harmless, causing more annoyance than anything else. However, it’s time to consult a doctor if they persist despite taking the appropriate dietary measures and staying hydrated.

Persistent belching can sometimes indicate an underlying condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or a more serious digestive disorder[6].

If the burping is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, bloating, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea, it may indicate that your body isn’t tolerating Mounjaro. If you have recently stepped up a dose, it might suggest that the jump was too soon and your body needs more time to adjust to Mounjaro. To learn more about the side effects of Mounjaro, read our blog, Mounjaro side effects.

If you are suffering from severe abdominal discomfort, then stop the Mounjaro immediately and contact your doctor straight away.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice.

References:

1. ClinicalTrials.gov. (2021). SURMOUNT-1: Tirzepatide for Weight Loss in Non-Diabetic Obese Individuals
2. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. (n.d.) ‘Obnoxious gas causes burping: Unnatural food habit’, World Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
3. Sinha R, Papamargaritis D, Sargeant JA, Davies MJ. Efficacy and Safety of Tirzepatide in Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Management. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2023 Mar 30;32(1):25-45. doi: 10.7570/jomes22067. Epub 2023 Feb 8. PMID: 36750526; PMCID: PMC10088547
4. Doleman, J.F., Grisar, K., Van Liedekerke, L., Saha, S., Roe, M., Tapp, H.S. and Mithen, R.F., 2017. The contribution of alliaceous and cruciferous vegetables to dietary sulphur intake. Food chemistry, 234, pp.38-45.
5. Manchali, S., Murthy, K.N.C. and Patil, B.S., 2012. Crucial facts about health benefits of popular cruciferous vegetables. Journal of functional foods, 4(1), pp.94-106.
6. Zad, M. and Bredenoord, A.J., 2020. Chronic burping and belching. Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology, 18, pp.33-42.