Wegovy is FDA-approved and is generally regarded as safe. Patients have seen astounding weight loss on Wegovy, losing as much as 15% of their total body weight in just a few months. However, as with any prescription drug or medication, it has some potential side effects.
The risk of severe side effects with Wegovy is generally low. Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are the most commonly reported side effects. These kinds of side effects are relatively minor and are usually easily managed. Furthermore, your prescription for Wegovy will be provided in a dose that is least likely to cause you any discomfort or issues.
Not everyone will experience Wegovy side effects. Some individuals may be more sensitive to the effects of certain medications, leading to a heightened response, including side effects.
For the most part, the benefits of Wegovy for those meeting the prescribing criteria outweigh any possible side effects.
What are the main side effects of Wegovy?
When you are taking Wegovy, like any drug, it is not uncommon to experience some side effects. Most side effects from Wegovy are mild and easily mitigated. The most important thing when dealing with Wegovy side effects is to make your prescriber aware of any side effects you are experiencing right away so that proper interventions and monitoring can be done to reduce or eliminate those complications.
Most Common Wegovy Side Effects
The most common side effects with Wegovy are those related to the stomach and the gastrointestinal tract, such as:
- Mild to moderate nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
Nausea, vomiting, and all of the above stomach and digestive side effects are well-known and quite common among the Wegovy class of drugs because these drugs – GLP-1 agonist agents impact how long undigested food stays in the stomach. Gastrointestinal symptoms of Wegovy usually resolve on their own after a few weeks, or there are many ways to help relieve these kinds of side effects, which you can read more about in the How to Manage Wegovy Side Effects section.
Other reported side effects of Wegovy during clinical trials included:
Dizziness
Because Wegovy causes you to eat less, caloric reduction could lead to a feeling of lightheadedness or dizziness. If you develop dizziness while taking Wegovy, tell your doctor. Often lightheadedness. headaches or dizziness can occur due to a low blood sugar level. Your doctor can help determine what may be causing your dizziness and help you take steps to mitigate it.
Gas and Feeling Bloated
Because of the way Wegovy affects undigested food in the stomach, it can cause gas and a feeling of bloating. These and other gastrointestinal side effects were the most common side effects reported in clinical trials.
Heartburn
Because of the way that Wegovy affects digestion, it can cause heartburn or indigestion. Similar to bloating, heartburn or indigestion was a common issue in the Wegovy clinical trials. It, too, usually occurs within the first few weeks of using Wegovy and usually passes in later months as your body gets more used to Wegovy. If not, it can usually be handled with over-the-counter antacids such as Pepcid.
Fatigue
Since you eat less than you normally would on Wegovy, taking in fewer calories can make you feel tired. As with dizziness, fatigue could be the result of low blood sugar. Tell your doctor if you feel unusually fatigued, you may need to up your caloric intake somewhat.
Hair Loss
Temporary hair loss, or telogen effluvium, has been reported with Wegovy and related drugs such as Ozempic. Why this is the case is not really known, but the effects are usually temporary and could have to do with limited vital nutrients that could occur when taking semaglutide.
Injection Site Reactions
As with any injectable drug, it is not uncommon for Wegovy users to experience injection site reactions. Injection site reactions can occur when you are not practicing proper style procedures when giving your injections, not rotating your injection sites often enough, or in patients that may have an allergy to Wegovy or any of its ingredients.
Less Common or Rare Side Effects
The less common or rare side effects of Wegovy include:
Increased Risk for Thyroid Cancerp – Animal studies showed that Wegovy and drugs like Wegovy could cause certain types of thyroid tumors. However, a meta-analysis of these results showed no evidence of such an increased risk in humans.
Inflammation of the Pancreas (pancreatitis) – Though rare, there were a very small amount of participants in the Wegovy clinical trials who developed acute pancreatitis. The reasons for this increased risk are unclear, but it most likely occurs in patients who were predisposed to the condition. Let your healthcare provider know before starting Wegovy if you have a history of acute pancreatitis. They may recommend a different medication for you.
Gallstones – Gallbladder disease such as gallstones has been reported with Wegovy but is quite uncommon. It was reported in less than 2% of people taking it in clinical trials. Again, like pancreatitis, gallstones probably occur in patients on Wegovy who are already predisposed to develop them. Be sure to tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has a history of gallstones.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) – Low blood sugar is a fairly uncommon side effect when taking Wegovy on its own. However, it has occurred in patients who are taking it in addition to insulin or other drugs used to manage diabetes.
Depression or suicidal thoughts – In some very rare instances, people on other weight loss drugs reported feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts. While this came up below statistical note in the clinical trials, it remains a potential side effect with Wegovy.
Can Wegovy Cause Cancer?
Studies in animals have shown a potential increased risk of thyroid cancers or pancreatic cancers with the use of Wegovy or other drugs containing semaglutide, but such a link has not been established in humans.
Even though this has not been demonstrated with Wegovy in humans, the drug contains an FDA “box warning” that Wegovy should not be prescribed for “anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer) or a history of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) GLP-1 agonists like Wegovy.”
How to Manage the Most Likely Side Effects From Wegovy
Keep in mind that overall, Wegovy is well-tolerated, and most of the side effects are mild. In fact, less than 7% of patients in the clinical trials reporting side effects felt they were severe enough to drop out of the trial and stop taking the drug.
For the most part, and especially for stomach-related issues, the most common side effects of Wegovy can be managed and should not necessitate that you cease taking the drug. Let’s look at each of the most common side effects mentioned above and discuss ways to manage them.
- Mild to moderate nausea – Nausea is the most common side effect of Wegovy, and it usually happens at the highest dosage, so the first mitigation would be to have your doctor lower your dose. Other than that, nausea can be minimized by eating smaller meals, avoiding junk food or high-fat foods (which you should be doing anyway), and remaining upright for some time after eating.
- Diarrhea – Staying hydrated is the best way to avoid diarrhea while on Wegovy, so drink lots of water and fruit juices. Beyond that, avoid caffeine and try to eat whole grains and other high-fiber food.
- Vomiting – Vomiting follows nausea, so if you take the steps outlined above to mitigate nausea, you should avoid issues with emesis or vomiting. Beyond that, stick to bland foods, try sucking on ginger drops or drinking ginger tea; ginger seems to help prevent vomiting. If vomiting persists, your doctor may suggest you take an anti-nausea or anti-emetic drug like Zofran or Dramamine.
- Constipation – Constipation can be an uncomfortable side effect of Wegovy, but it can be dealt with. Eating at least 25 – 35 grams of fiber per day can help ease most constipation. If you can’t get that much fiber in your diet alone, try fiber supplements like Miralax. Your doctor may also recommend stool softeners or laxatives but do not take any of these without consulting with your healthcare provider.
- Abdominal pain – Most abdominal pain from Wegovy comes from gas or bloating or the other conditions mentioned above, such as nausea or constipation; following the steps mentioned above to relieve the source of the belly pain should alleviate it.
- Dizziness – Dizziness related to being on Wegovy happens when you are not eating or drinking enough. Staying hydrated and eating enough lean, nutritious food each day on Wegovy should help you avoid any issues with dizziness.
- Heartburn – Avoid foods that can trigger heartburn or indigestion, like spicy, oily, and fatty foods. Most heartburn or indigestion can be relieved with over-the-counter antacids like Tums, Pepcid, or Prilosec.
- Fatigue – Again, like dizziness, most fatigue related to Wegovy is because you are not eating or drinking enough. Eat enough and stay hydrated, and you should be able to maintain normal energy levels. Also, try to get a good night’s sleep.
- Hair Loss – Any hair loss from Wegovy use is temporary and should subside once your body gets more used to the presence of the medication. Making sure you are getting enough protein and other vital nutrients in your diet can also help stem hair loss.
- Injection Site Reactions – You can lessen any problem with injection site reactions by completely following all sterile procedures and other instructions for self-injecting Wegovy. Also, do not always use the same injection site. Rotating injection sites can minimize the chance of injection site reactions.
How Long Do Wegovy Side Effects Last?
If you experience any side effects with Wegovy, particularly the mild ones, they should go away within the first few weeks of use as your body adjusts to the medication. You can help mitigate any side effects by only using Wegovy as directed, drinking lots of water, and following the specific mitigation techniques mentioned above.
Wegovy is a “long-lasting” medication. This is why it is given only once a week. However, that also means if you are experiencing even minor side effects, it could take some time for Wegovy to get out of your system.
The half-life of Wegovy is seven days, which means that if you take the maximum dose of 2.4 mg after one week, there will still be 50%, or 1.2 mg, remaining in your body. Therefore, it takes about seven weeks for it to be removed from the body completely.
This means you should not rely on the elimination of Wegovy from your system to alleviate side effects but rather turn to the mitigation tips discussed.