Ozempic and Bloating: What Users Say

• Dou...
• January 19, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I took one Ozempic injection at 0.25 and ended up at the ER 2 days later. I had horrible bloating. Burping smelled like eggs. Unstoppable vomiting and diarrhea. I only took one injection and stopped the medicine. It has been 2 weeks and the medicine is still making me sick. I'm just wondering how long it takes to fully leave your system? I just want to feel human again. I was tested for pancreatitis but was okay, but the doctor said they will repeat labs soon. I don't recommended this medication to anyone! Please be safe taking this medication."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "My doctor gave me Ozempic 0.5 to start with. I always had upset stomach, diarrhea with most foods, and an overall sick feeling all the time. I was able to 'live' with it until now. She decided to up my dose to the 1.0 and my body went into total chaos. I am always nauseous, constipated, got reflux, feels like my food is stuck in my stomach and doesn't go anywhere. I'm constantly burping and feeling bloated. The sick feeling feels intensified and I cannot function at work. I took my last one this past Friday night and was miserable all weekend long. Today I am at work unable to function at my best because the nausea is bad. I would say it is effective in lowering your blood sugar numbers and helping you lose weight but not worth feeling horribly sick over. I will not be using this medication any longer."

• val...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2020

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I have been using this medication Ozempic for several months. My dose is 1mg per week. This medication has made me feel sick from my first dose. I've lost 15 lbs but have bloating, gas, burping, and most recently hiccups for over a week. I will not be using this medication anymore."

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 4, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "When I started Ozempic at a dose of 0.25, I lost 10 pounds, sugar levels dropped from 6.7 to 6.3. I experienced a hard time wanting to drink water and felt water-logged after I drank water. The doctor increased the dose to 0.5, and 4 months ago I started having diarrhea, sulfur burps, bloating, fatigue, and more seriously, a lump on the right side of my throat and a sore throat. My doctor was surprised that I had these side effects a year later after taking the medicine. Ozempic is the only medication I'm taking other than vitamin D, B12, and calcium. My ultrasound shows several lumps, some larger than others, and now I'm waiting for the referral to see a nose, ear, and throat specialist. I stopped taking Ozempic 3 weeks ago. Worried about the side effects of thyroid cancers..."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "First injected dose Sunday night. Wee hours Monday, the nausea started. No vomiting (emetophobic here!) Monday all day nausea that I could handle (took a Zofran). Tuesday afternoon hit with sudden stomach cramping and diarrhea. Those nasty sulfuric burps all Tuesday evening and overnight, diarrhea all night, and now it’s Wednesday morning and still watery diarrhea. My stomach has been rumbling and terribly bloated since Tuesday afternoon. I need to lose 70 lbs, but this is NOT worth it!! Who wants days and weeks of feeling HORRIBLE!?! I’ll lose weight another way! I have sleep apnea and am 56, so I want to be healthy, but this drug is not recommended unless you need to lose weight to stay alive. I teach too, so there’s no way I can continue this."

• Dis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I only did 2 lowest dose injections and stopped. The side effects were awful and still linger. The worst thing about the medication has been the gas, bloating, diarrhea, and awful taste/smell when I burp. I’m 6 days in after my last injection, and I still have all symptoms and continued diarrhea."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Two days after the injection, I get a pretty bad headache, indigestion, and a bloated feeling that lasts the day. This week (6th shot) has been different. It’s the second week the dose was raised from .25 mg to .5 mg. I felt like I had to throw up. The indigestion, burping, constipation, sore muscles, aches, and heavy sweating all felt like I had a horrible flu. I stayed home from work. I went back to work today, when I normally get the headache, and had heavy sweating, burping, indigestion, cold clammy skin, bloating, diarrhea, and depression and anxiety (years since I had either one). Tonight I still have bloating, wrists and shoulders sore, and indigestion with burps. My neck is really stiff. The normal headache has started with a little dizziness. I am still debating what to do as this has been an effective medicine. My blood sugar has gone from 290 to 90 to 140 when I check it. I have lost weight as well."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Two days after the injection, I get a pretty bad headache, indigestion, and a bloated feeling that lasts the day. This week (6th shot) has been different. It’s the second week the dose was raised from .25 mg to .5 mg. I felt like I had to throw up. The indigestion, burping, constipation, sore muscles, aches, and heavy sweating all felt like I had a horrible flu. I stayed home from work. I went back to work today, when I normally get the headache, and had heavy sweating, burping, indigestion, cold clammy skin, bloating, diarrhea, and depression and anxiety (years since I had either one). Tonight I still have bloating, wrists and shoulders sore, and indigestion with burps. My neck is really stiff. The normal headache has started with a little dizziness. I am still debating what to do as this has been an effective medicine. My blood sugar has gone from 290 to 90 to 140 when I check it. I have lost weight as well."

• Cau...
• March 3, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "I took .25 for about 6 months and thought this was a miracle drug. Caused slight constipation, but I dealt with it. When they increased me to .5 mg, I started violently vomiting the next day. No one could figure out what was wrong with me. Pancreatic enzymes were high, but not high enough to diagnose pancreatitis. I could barely eat for two months. Gas, bloating, side pain, back pain, stomatitis pain, non-stop burping, constipation, nausea, vomiting off and on. My food perpetually felt like it was backed up into my mouth. They had to take me off of the drug, and now my sugars are higher than ever, and no one can help me. They were okay before, but now doctors consider me as failing two types of drug classes because of this, won't give me my old meds back, and I may have to go on insulin. I am gaining weight like never before and am so tired that I can barely function. They now believe it gave me gastroparesis, and I can't get better. I would recommend this medicine to no one."

• Nei...
• April 16, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Month 1, I was started on Ozempic at 0.25 mg and had very mild symptoms of bloating and reduced appetite. Month 2 & 3, uncomfortable. Stomach cramps, gas, and diarrhea probably for 4 days after injection. This can be really embarrassing in a small office. By the end of Month 3, I was feeling quite a bit better. At this point, my HbA1c was down to 5.2 from 9.4, I had virtually no diabetic symptoms. No blurred vision, no numbness in fingers and toes, and I was sleeping through the night without visits to the bathroom. And I lost 16 kilo in weight. Month 4 to 7. OMG. Increasing to 1 mg, the side effects are horrendous. Weight loss has stalled, though this is probably due to lockdown. The sickness and eggy burps are constant, and now my doctor says it will be at least 6 months before the side effects could be gone. But I have no diabetic symptoms, my HbA1c is pretty much normal, and I think the effort has been worth it. Not an easy journey, but worthwhile."

• mac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "After the first 0.25 mg injection, I was extremely bloated and burping within 5 hours. I woke the 2nd day with extreme bloat, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain. I could not eat or drink a thing because of severe bloating. This lasted 5 days. Foolishly, I did a 2nd dose the next week of 0.25 mg. This time, I became much, much sicker with the same symptoms but more severe. Abdominal pain severe, bloating was so bad I had to go to the ER, my stomach was as tight as a drum. They were talking about sticking a tube in my stomach to release the incredible pressure, instead, I came home and rolled around in agony for 3 days. I stopped using it, but the side effects continued. 7 weeks of severe gastroenteritis that caused so much inflammation in my body, I have been in so much pain. No amount of weight loss is worth this level of suffering. If you have any GI issues like gastroparesis, you really should not be risking it with this drug, it says so right in the insert."

• Hat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "This is the worst medication I have ever had. Side effects of egg burps, vomiting, bloating so bad. DO NOT TAKE THIS. 30% of people that try this drug end up having problems with it. DO NOT TAKE. You can't eat, everything that goes into you makes you want to throw up. DON'T TAKE! Never-ending nausea and weakness. DON'T USE, SAVE YOURSELF. Headaches....."

• Dix...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "Two days after my first injection, I had horrible sulfur burps that were making me feel sick. By that evening, I had horrific stomach cramps; by 11:30 pm, I had uncontrollable diarrhea! My prescriber advised me to eat six small meals a day and that the symptoms would improve with each injection. I left it twelve days before my next one (as I had a couple of social things I didn’t want to miss if it happened again) and thought at first it was better. A headache day one, nausea on day two, but sulfur burps again by day three. I got indigestion medicine, but it didn’t even touch it. That night, same again; cramps, diarrhea, more burps, and this time intense nausea too. I decided at that point it might not be for me! I really hope it helps some people lose weight, but don’t expect a quick easy fix! I actually felt fatter the whole time I was on it as I was so bloated and tender."

• Lau...
• January 21, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic mid-November, with my first injection at 25 mg. Within two days, I had the worst bloating, my stomach bulged. I felt horrible. I had nasty sulfur burps and gas. This lasted for 24 hours. I noticed a decrease in my sweet tooth, and I cut back on my food intake. I lost 10 lbs within the first 4 weeks of taking Ozempic. After 4 weeks, my doctor told me to increase my dosage to .50 mg. I delayed increasing it by 4 weeks. On Monday, I increased my dosage to .50 mg. Day 3, I got really sick, bloating, sulfur burps, and gas were horrible. I vomited at least 2 times. I was super hungry but couldn’t hold food down. All I wanted to do was sleep. By morning, I felt 80% better. Still burping and gassy, but not nauseous or vomiting anymore. I do not plan to continue to take the .50 mg. I will just stick with 25 mg. The misery I felt was excruciating, and I can’t handle it. My next appointment is next month, and I am curious to know if my A1C had decreased or not."

• Eur...
• January 25, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started the Ozempic injections about 4 months ago. I did okay on the .25 dose. After 3 weeks, the doc had me do the .50 dose. I had chronic stress for 3 months (dog had cancer), so I lost myself in caring for her. After her death, I felt the effects of the RX. I had the worst sulfur burps and gas, stomach pain, bloating, and nausea I'd ever had in my life. I stopped the RX, changed to a low sulfur diet, and that didn't work, so I did a slow stomach emptying diet. After 1.5 weeks, my sulfur and gas/bloating cleared up, and I felt normal. I had a doc appointment and told him about the sulfur issues and what I did to stop it. He said I had lost 20 pounds, A1C went down to 6, and he wanted me back on it. I took another injection, and 2 days later, here I am with bad sulfur burps, gas/bloating, nausea, and stomach pain. I guess I'm going to have to eat very little to keep my stomach empty to make my doc happy-while I suffer. Not thrilled but willing to try a while longer to see if weight loss and A1C continues."

• No ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "Started low dose .25, experienced discomfort in the stomach. Increased 4 weeks later to .5, symptoms got worse, blood sugar improved. Another 4 weeks after, moved to 1 mg dosage, and life is awful. I've lost all control of my bowels from the severe long-lasting diarrhea, sometimes pooping the bed. I'm wearing adult diapers at 35, and my self-esteem has taken a nosedive. The sulfur burps are horrible and constant. The gas and bloating make me look and feel horrible. I'm following a diet and doing every single thing my doctor has asked me to do for 7 months. I've lost 32 pounds but sleep in a diaper. Was it worth it? No... Nope... My A1C improved a tiny bit, but otherwise, I'm just feeling tired, weak, and totally mortified. Can't go hardly anywhere unless I KNOW there is a restroom very close. Vomit every day."

• Nom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "Sulfur burps, sulfur farts, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloated, pancreas pain, sore breasts, feeling as if I am going to faint, pressure behind eyes. I have never been to the hospital so many times in my life. They told me I had a 'stomach bug', turns out that it was Ozempic. I had such high hopes, I've heard many great things. User beware!"

• Mal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 1, 2019

"I've been on Ozempic for about 2 to 2.5 months now. So far, no weight loss, but horrible gas. I burp all the time, and my stomach gets so bloated. Sometimes it's sulfur burps, but others, it's just a lot of plain gas. I get a lot of gas coming out the other end too. On the advice of my doctor, I waited a few weeks extra to up my dose from 0.25 to 0.5. My appetite has gone down, but the gas is still so bad that my clothes fit worse than before! I'm on week 3 of the 0.5 and waiting for it to get better. I have a follow-up appointment in mid-July."

• Gro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Have been on semaglutide for 8 weeks and am presently on a 1 mg dose. First, the positives. I have lost 16 pounds, my intake of Novorapid has decreased significantly, and my blood glucose has dropped from 7.9 to 6.8. Negatives: mild constipation, bloated feeling, slight nausea, reflux acid, lethargy, and wind (burps and farts). I feel the positives outweigh the negatives at the present time, but only time will tell."

• Mar...
• March 17, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "My very first injection has made me deathly ill. The nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, most intense hunger pains, cramping, sulfur burps that make you want to throw up, and just generally feeling miserable. The thought of food most of the time has made me want to throw up. I can't take my other meds most of the time because I end up vomiting. All this while trying to work full time. I have tried Trulicity, which made me very sick, Victoza put me in the emergency room. Ozempic has me close to the emergency room if I end up dehydrated. This is how I imagine being poisoned would feel like. Medicine should not make you feel this bad. No illness that I have had has made me feel this horrible. If you have any kind of stomach issues, really, I have GERD, think twice before injecting this nasty 'medication.'"

• Ndn...
• October 31, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Only problem I had with Ozempic was when I ate late. (Lesson learned.) All the issues were present: nauseous, bloated, burps. Appetite has decreased along with my blood sugar levels. After 23 years of management of a chronic condition, diabetes. This medication, along with Lantus and Novolog, sliding scale, has helped tremendously. Put myself on insulin 15 years ago, the cleanest form of control. But have tried additional oral meds with side effects. Lizard spit (Byetta). Management requires trying new medication."

• hal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2023

For Type 2 Diabetes "The major side effects are all I got with this med, which includes upset stomach, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, stomach flu symptoms, headache, dizziness, and tiredness."

• pam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2023

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started taking Ozempic at 0.025 mg for two months, primarily relying on meal replacements for diabetes twice a day along with a small amount of cereal (Grape Nuts). During those two months, I lost 30 pounds. However, I experienced dizzy spells because I was also taking high blood pressure medication. Once I stopped the blood pressure medication, the dizziness went away. I then increased my Ozempic dosage to 0.050 mg, and that's when things took a turn for the worse. I started having sulfur burps (long and frequent belching), excessive gas, diarrhea, and if I overate cereal, I would vomit. Even if I didn't eat anything, I would still experience vomiting. I lowered the insulin dosage, and it improved. After a month, I was able to handle the 0.050 mg dosage. Later, I increased it to 1 mg. At this point, I wasn't losing weight anymore, but I experienced hunger pains and started eating other things. On and off, I would have episodes of diarrhea, belching, and gas. Additionally, I started experiencing pain under both sides of my ribs, bloating, belching, diarrhea, and gas. I had blood work done, which revealed that my thyroid levels were significantly off. I am scheduled for an ultrasound to examine my thyroid, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and GI tract, among others."

• Apr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on Ozempic for 20 weeks now, and I still experience bloating, flatulence, nausea, and fatigue. My A1C went back to normal, but I feel sick all the time. My most horrible side effect is the rotten egg smell of my burps. I am also taking Toujeo and Janumet."

• Juw...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 19, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started on 0.25 for four weeks, had nausea, dizziness, burping nonstop every day, off-the-wall gas, and bloating. Went on 0.5, more or less the same side effects except more abdominal pain. Then went to 1 mg, my skin started feeling like I had a bad sunburn from the waist up. It hurt when clothes touched it. Four weeks later, went on 2 mg. All same symptoms. Then I started having severe neck pain and shoulder pain. Was on 8 months and only lost 16 pounds. A1c went from 7.5 to 5.5, but a lot had to do with eating less. I have EPI, so it was not worth it to me to take it anymore. Also, thyroid cancer runs in my family. Had a friend tell me her friend got thyroid cancer after 3 months, also had a lot of diarrhea. Now I'm off, no symptoms, skin feels better, and sugar around 130."