Drug & supplement interaction

Khat + Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide brand names: Mounjaro, Zepbound.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Khat and Tirzepatide in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Khat and Tirzepatide

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Tirzepatide and Khat in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Khat safety at a glance

Khat overall Avoid Khat is an addictive stimulant linked to serious health harms and is illegal in many countries.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Khat has been associated with reducing maternal food intake, maternal weight, infant birth weight, and placental blood flow. It has also been... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Khat has been associated with a reduction in breast milk production. Also, khat contains compounds that are metabolized to norpseudoephedrine,... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Tirzepatide and Khat? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Tirzepatide

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Tirzepatide is filed under a single classification — antidiabetes drugs. Khat has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being amoxicillin (amoxil, trimox) (major), antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and antipsychotic drugs (moderate) — and none of Tirzepatide’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Khat Does Interact With Other Medications

Khat has 4 major, 401 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Tirzepatide isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 4 Moderate 401 No known interaction 2,425 (incl. Tirzepatide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Khat

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Khat. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Khat and Tirzepatide May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Constipation / Stomach upset reported in 3.7% of FDA reports for Tirzepatide Additional detail

    Khat

    “Orally, chewing khat has been associated with an increased risk for stomatitis, esophagitis, gastritis, keratosis of the buccal mucosa (6), and hemorrhoids. The increased risk for hemorrhoids is theorized to be a complication of constipation. Khat has been reported to cause dry mouth, decreased appetite, and anorexia.”

    Khat · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    4 sources cited
    1. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
    2. 57389. Al Hadrani, A. M. Khat induced hemorrhoidal disease in Yemen. Saudi.Med.J. 2000;21(5):475-477. DOI
    3. 95237. McLean AS, Kot MB. Cardiac collapse associated with the ingestion of khat. Intern Med J. 2011;41(7):579-81. PubMed
    4. 57425. Griffiths, P., Gossop, M., Wickenden, S., Dunworth, J., Harris, K., and Lloyd, C. A transcultural pattern of drug use: qat (khat) in the UK. Br.J.Psychiatry 1997;170:281-284. PubMed

    Tirzepatide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tirzepatide, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Reduced appetite Additional detail

    Khat

    “Orally, Khat has been associated with euphoria, excessive talkativeness, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, tachycardia, and manic behavior. High doses of khat have been reported to cause depressed mood, paranoia and psychosis.”

    Khat · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anxiety.

    6 sources cited
    1. 10120. Randall T. Khat abuse fuels Somali conflict, drains economy. JAMA 1993;269:12-13. DOI
    2. 57391. Hassan, N. A., Gunaid, A. A., El Khally, F. M., and Murray-Lyon, I. M. The effect of chewing Khat leaves on human mood. Saudi.Med.J. 2002;23(7):850-853. DOI
    3. 57410. Granek, M., Shalev, A., and Weingarten, A. M. Khat-induced hypnagogic hallucinations. Acta Psychiatr.Scand. 1988;78(4):458-461. PubMed
    4. 57420. Jager, A. D. and Sireling, L. Natural history of Khat psychosis. Aust.N.Z.J.Psychiatry 1994;28(2):331-332. PubMed
    5. 57422. Yousef, G., Huq, Z., and Lambert, T. Khat chewing as a cause of psychosis. Br.J.Hosp.Med. 10-4-1995;54(7):322-326.
    6. 6. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

    “Orally, chewing khat has been reported to cause livery injury in at least a few dozen cases, with symptoms including jaundice, fatigue, pruritus, anorexia, abdominal pain, and dark urine. In some cases, liver injury has resolved after discontinuation of khat consumption.”

    Khat · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anorexia.

    6 sources cited
    1. 95228. Alhaddad OM, Elsabaawy MM, Rewisha EA, et al. Khat-induced liver injuries: A report of two cases. Arab J Gastroenterol. 2016;17(1):45-8. PubMed
    2. 95231. Chapman MH, Kajihara M, Borges G, et al. Severe, acute liver injury and khat leaves. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(17):1642-4. PubMed
    3. 95234. Forbes MP, Raj AS, Martin J, Lampe G, Powell EE. Khat-associated hepatitis. Med J Aust. 2013;199(7):498-9. PubMed
    4. 95238. Peevers CG, Moorghen M, Collins PL, Gordon FH, McCune CA. Liver disease and cirrhosis because of Khat chewing in UK Somali men: a case series. Liver Int. 2010;30(8):1242-3. PubMed
    5. 95239. Roelandt P, George C, d'Heygere F, et al. Acute liver failure secondary to khat (Catha edulis)-induced necrotic hepatitis requiring liver transplantation: case report. Transplant Proc. 2011;43(9):3493-5. PubMed
    6. 106452. Palacios Argueta P, Attar B, Sikavi C, Alagiozian-Angelova V, Mishra S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Caused by "Khat," an Herbal Stimulant. ACG Case Rep J 2020;7(11):e00480. PubMed

    Tirzepatide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tirzepatide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach pain Additional detail

    Khat

    “Orally, chewing khat has been reported to cause infection from Fasciola hepatica and campylobacter fetus. There are multiple reports of acute liver disease due to fascioliasis, or liver flute infection, in Somalian males living in the Netherlands. Fascioliasis symptoms include abdominal pain, eosinophilia, jaundice, and pruritus and typically resolve after treatment.”

    Khat · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cirrhosis.

    3 sources cited
    1. 6464. Cats A, Scholten P, Meuwissen SGM, et al. Acute Fasciola hepatica infection attributed to chewing khat. Gut 2000;47:584-5.
    2. 95233. de Bree LC, Bodelier AG, Verburg GP. Fasciola hepatica as a cause of jaundice after chewing khat: a case report. Neth J Med. 2013;71(9):478-9.
    3. 95236. Martínez-Balzano C, Kohlitz PJ, Chaudhary P, Hegazy H. Campylobacter fetus bacteremia in a young healthy adult transmitted by khat chewing. J Infect. 2013;66(2):184-6. PubMed

    Tirzepatide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tirzepatide. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea reported in 5.9% of FDA reports for Tirzepatide Additional detail

    Khat

    Recorded for Khat in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Stomach pain above.

    Tirzepatide

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tirzepatide, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Khat but not commonly for Tirzepatide: dependence or withdrawal symptoms, raised blood pressure, hallucinations and a heart attack.

Effects for Tirzepatide come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Khat come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 140,435 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tirzepatide that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Khat in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Khat has been associated with reducing maternal food intake, maternal weight, infant birth weight, and placental blood flow. It has also been associated with an increased risk for chest pain, elevated heart rate, and high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Khat has been associated with a reduction in breast milk production. Also, khat contains compounds that are metabolized to norpseudoephedrine, which passes into breast milk; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

Overlapping uses

What Tirzepatide Is Prescribed For, and What Khat Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Tirzepatide is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Khat is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Tirzepatide is prescribed for: Zepbound is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain that weight loss long term in adults with obesity, or in adults who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition. Zepbound is also approved to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity. Zepbound should not be combined with other tirzepatide-containing products or with any GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Khat has been studied for:

  • Diabetes studied, not established Khat has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Possibly Ineffective Read what the research shows

    Khat for diabetes

    Khat is traditionally used to control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, but effects on glycemic control are variable. A meta-analysis of available clinical research in nondiabetic adults shows that chewing khat leaves does not affect blood glucose levels. In adults with type 2 diabetes, chewing khat leaves increases blood glucose levels within 2 hours of use.

    2 sources cited
    1. 95229. Alsalahi A, Alshawsh MA, Mohamed R, et al. Conflicting reports on the role of the glycemic effect of Catha edulis (Khat): A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;186:30-43.
    2. 106447. Badedi M, Darraj H, Hummadi A, et al. Khat Chewing and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2020;13:307-312.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Tirzepatide on your own; if you are taking Khat for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tirzepatide

This page covers Khat only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tirzepatide page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

Open the Tirzepatide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Khat and Tirzepatide Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Khat
Top half

#466 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tirzepatide
Top 1%

#20 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Khat reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Khat and Tirzepatide records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Khat

What is Khat?

Khat
  • Stimulant for energy and alertness
  • Euphoria and mood elevation
  • Reducing fatigue
  • Appetite suppression
  • Social and traditional ceremonies

Khat is a plant chewed for its amphetamine-like stimulant effects, but it carries serious risks including high blood pressure, heart problems, mental health effects, and dependence. It is a controlled substance and illegal in the United States and many other countries, so it should not be used.

Catha edulis · Celastraceae · Leaves and young shoots · Fresh leaves for chewing, dried leaves, tea; sometimes smoked

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Khat is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Khat record says about it on its own.

Khat: dosing

There is no safe or established dose of khat. It is not a regulated supplement, and the amount of active compounds varies widely depending on the freshness and source of the leaves.Because khat is illegal in the United States and many other countries and carries real health risks, no dosing recommendation can be given.

From our Khat monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Khat monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tirzepatide injection

What Is Tirzepatide injection Used For?

Brand names: Mounjaro, Zepbound

Zepbound is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain that weight loss long term in adults with obesity, or in adults who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition. Zepbound is also approved to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.

Zepbound should not be combined with other tirzepatide-containing products or with any GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Tirzepatide

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (160,663 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 17,092 reports
Injection site pain 13,906 reports
Diarrhea 10,006 reports
Extra dose administered 9,608 reports
Vomiting 8,267 reports
See full Tirzepatide injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Khat

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Khat — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

4Major
401Moderate
0Minor
2,424No known interaction
4 Major 401 Moderate 2,424 No interaction
Major

4 interactions

Moderate

401 interactions

Showing 60 of 401 moderate interactions — see all 401 on the Khat page.

No interaction 2,424 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Khat against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,424 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Khat list.

See the full Khat interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tirzepatide, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Khat References

The 47 references that drive our Khat monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Cats A, Scholten P, Meuwissen SGM, et al. Acute Fasciola hepatica infection attributed to chewing khat. Gut 2000;47:584-5.
  3. Randall T. Khat abuse fuels Somali conflict, drains economy. JAMA 1993;269:12-13. DOI
  4. Attef, O. A., Ali, A. A., and Ali, H. M. Effect of Khat chewing on the bioavailability of ampicillin and amoxycillin. J.Antimicrob.Chemother. 1997;39(4):523-525. PubMed
  5. Hassan, N. A., Gunaid, A. A., Abdo-Rabbo, A. A., Abdel-Kader, Z. Y., al Mansoob, M. A., Awad, A. Y., and Murray-Lyon, I. M. The effect of Qat chewing on blood pressure and heart rate in healthy volunteers. Trop.Doct. 2000;30(2):107-108. PubMed
  6. Al Hadrani, A. M. Khat induced hemorrhoidal disease in Yemen. Saudi.Med.J. 2000;21(5):475-477. DOI
  7. Giannini, A. J. and Nakoneczie, A. M. Treatment of Khat Addiction with Bromocriptine Mesylate: A Case Report and Review of Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Like Effects. Am J Ther 1995;2(7):487-489. PubMed
  8. Hassan, N. A., Gunaid, A. A., El Khally, F. M., and Murray-Lyon, I. M. The effect of chewing Khat leaves on human mood. Saudi.Med.J. 2002;23(7):850-853. DOI
  9. Giannini, A. J., Miller, N. S., and Turner, C. E. Treatment of khat addiction. J.Subst.Abuse Treat. 1992;9(4):379-382. PubMed
  10. Al Motarreb, A., Briancon, S., Al Jaber, N., Al Adhi, B., Al Jailani, F., Salek, M. S., and Broadley, K. J. Khat chewing is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction: a case-control study. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2005;59(5):574-581. PubMed
  11. Hassan, N. A., Gunaid, A. A., El Khally, F. M., Al Noami, M. Y., and Murray-Lyon, I. M. Khat chewing and arterial blood pressure. A randomized controlled clinical trial of alpha-1 and selective beta-1 adrenoceptor blockade. Saudi.Med J 2005;26(4):537-541 DOI
  12. Brenneisen, R., Fisch, H. U., Koelbing, U., Geisshusler, S., and Kalix, P. Amphetamine-like effects in humans of the khat alkaloid cathinone. Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol. 1990;30(6):825-828. PubMed
  13. Granek, M., Shalev, A., and Weingarten, A. M. Khat-induced hypnagogic hallucinations. Acta Psychiatr.Scand. 1988;78(4):458-461. PubMed
  14. Nencini, P., Ahmed, A. M., Amiconi, G., and Elmi, A. S. Tolerance develops to sympathetic effects of khat in humans. Pharmacology 1984;28(3):150-154. PubMed
  15. Jager, A. D. and Sireling, L. Natural history of Khat psychosis. Aust.N.Z.J.Psychiatry 1994;28(2):331-332. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Khat and Tirzepatide Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Khat with Tirzepatide?
We do not list a known interaction between Khat and Tirzepatide. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Khat and Tirzepatide have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Khat and Tirzepatide used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Khat in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Tirzepatide is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Khat and Tirzepatide combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Tirzepatide is filed under 1 classification, and Khat has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Tirzepatide's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Khat interact with any other medications?
Yes. Khat has 405 documented drug interactions in our database — Tirzepatide is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Tirzepatide interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tirzepatide has documented interactions with 239 supplements in our database — Khat is not one of them. The Tirzepatide interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Khat monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Tirzepatide injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Tirzepatide supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Tirzepatide, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 47 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Tirzepatide and Khat?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.