Ozempic and Fatigue: What Users Say

• Zel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic 9 months ago. At the time, I was a little over 200 lbs and was taking 1000 mg of metformin daily. Metformin had worked for me for almost 20 years, so I didn't expect that it had suddenly stopped working. For 3 years, I gained weight even though I worked out, and I thought it was just my appetite out of control. One random day, I realized my metformin was the problem. I saw a new doctor who prescribed Ozempic. What a miracle! 9 months later, and I’m down 40 lbs, my A1C dropped from 8.1 to 5.6, and I have virtually no symptoms from the drug other than fullness. The symptoms in the beginning did not last long either. Nausea, headache, fatigue...all cleared up within a week or 2 each time my dose was increased. It can cause what feels like constipation, but for me, it’s just that I simply haven’t eaten enough. This drug feels too good to be true. I’m so pleased with my experience so far!"

• Mar...
• March 6, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I was prescribed it for prediabetes and weight loss. Today, in one week since my first injection, I lost 6 lbs. In one week, the last diet (one of very many), it took me 3 months to lose 10 lbs by starving myself, which tells you how elevated sugar prevents you from losing weight. I am not diabetic, my A1C is 5.5. I had slight nausea and fatigue the first 2 days, and after that, it’s all gone and I never felt better. I have no cravings. I eat approximately 1000 calories a day, and it’s more than enough. Instead of constant thoughts of food, I do other things that I used to enjoy like exercise, etc. I am worried about coming off Ozempic before I lose all the weight I need. It is a miracle drug for me! I hope it will help you all! If they keep working on meds like this, it will reduce type 2 diabetes and obesity drastically."

• Oze...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "With just one 0.25 mg dose, I became very ill. Relentless nausea, vomiting, and explosive diarrhea, as well as unbearable stomach cramps. Needed to go to the ER for fluids and to check for pancreatitis. It’s now been 9 days since my first dose, and I still have relentless diarrhea, nausea, and disabling fatigue. I don’t want to eat. I didn’t want to take it in the first place but was ambushed by my kidney doctor. She told me that using Ozempic was a no-brainer and that I would just have a bit of nausea. If you have any gastrointestinal symptoms when taking any medicine, I would think three times about it before using it. I have read it can take up to a month for it to be flushed out of your body, but I am hoping and praying that these horrible side effects stop real soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I was prescribed Ozempic for weight loss in Nov 2022. I started on 0.25 mg for one month. I found it slightly suppressed my appetite, and the side effects I had were awful heartburn, constipation, and sulfur burps. Sometimes I felt nauseous. I decided to stick with it anyway and increased to 0.5 mg after one month. The symptoms were the same but added in fatigue. A month later, I bumped up to 0.75, and the burps, fatigue, and heartburn subsided. I went to 1 mg two months later, and all symptoms disappeared. I started at 192 lbs on Nov 15th, and as of May 1st, I weigh 152 lbs. I found my sugar cravings disappeared once I started taking 1 mg. Up until then, I still craved sugary foods. I lost all interest in greasy food (fries, anything deep-fried, etc.) from 0.5 mg and up. I personally love Ozempic. The side effects at the beginning were worth it for me, but from the sounds of it, mine weren’t that bad. I have never once thrown up."

• Bak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on Ozempic for 3 months now, and I find this drug works like none I have tried before. The first 6 weeks were rough: burping, headaches, fatigue, nausea, but I stuck it out. I’m so glad I did. My A1C has gone from 8 to 6.8 in three months. I have lost 20 pounds, going from 180 to 160 lbs. My daily sugars have seen a vast improvement. The major thing I have noticed after being on the drug for this long is that recovery time after eating high-carb or high-sugar foods is back to normal. Appetite is still lacking, but it’s mostly an aversion to ‘bad’ food. I can no longer sit and eat an entire burger, it’s just way too much, but a healthy salad, I can eat the whole thing! I have seen major benefits from this drug. I have way more energy and no more 3 pm crash. Tips while adjusting to the drugs: Tums, Gravol, lots of sleep, light healthy meals, and remember to drink water! Also, I found injecting Ozempic in the hip lessened the symptoms for the first while."

• Sun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic on Friday. I'm hoping the side effects go away because it has helped my blood sugar readings and helped with cravings. The side effects I'm having are horrible diarrhea, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. I don't know how long these symptoms will last, but hopefully not long."

• agg...
• June 7, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started taking this 3 weeks ago. I didn’t really have any terrible side effects other than fatigue, but after my third injection, nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain hit me with a vengeance. I feel like I ate rotten eggs. I’m not sure I want to continue taking this. I might try injecting it in my thigh like some others have tried. I hope it works because my glucose readings have been in the 90s to 120."

• 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..."

• V V...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "72-year-old male, very active, strong and not overweight. Borderline diabetes, which I was controlling with diet, but doc prescribed Ozempic. Started with 1 mg, felt queasy and decreased dose to 0.5 for 3 weeks. Then the new box had only 1 mg applicator and took this twice. After the second week, next day experienced such severe fatigue that I could not walk, could not put any weight on my legs to walk, and fell. Was taken to ER. They could not find a problem - tests included EKG, chest X-ray, a head CAT scan, and blood work. Concluded it was an Ozempic side effect. Have had side effects from numerous meds, but this one put me in the ER. This stuff is not for me."

• Dke...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 19, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I had high hopes for this drug and stuck with it as long as I could, but it caused severe constipation, stomach cramping, and fatigue. I started out with .25 mg for 4 weeks, then .50 for 2 weeks. I didn’t lose weight, so my doctor increased the dose to 1 mg, but I just couldn’t tolerate the side effects at the lower doses, so I didn’t even try the 1 mg."

• mew...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2024

For Type 2 Diabetes "I’m 63 F with T2 diabetes, and I started on Oz mid-May 2024. Symptoms: nausea, fatigue, GERD, sulfur burps, stomach cramping from severe constipation, constipation, feeling like I need to vomit, ringing in my ears has increased significantly, loss of appetite, reduction of inflammation, occasional migraines, feeling “off” most days, bouts of dizziness, and feeling faint, but blood sugar and blood pressure are normal, improved blood sugar readings, weight loss of 13 lbs. There are some perks: rheumatoid and osteoarthritis inflammation has lessened, though I still feel pain daily, it’s more tolerable. I take no painkillers but will take CBD as needed. Loss of appetite has led to a loss of 13 lbs so far, blood sugar improved so I’m confident that my A1C has improved also. I struggle with what to do: stay on for the inflammatory reductions, weight loss, and blood sugar improvement benefits, or quit because I feel sick most days, so I have no real pleasure in life anymore. No, I’m not depressed."

• Sic...
• September 7, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started Ozempic .25 dose 2 weeks ago. First week, ended up in the ER with dehydration from vomiting so much. Physicians didn't think it was this medication that was causing it. Endocrinologist was not available as it was Labor Day when this occurred. I didn't think anything of it, so I continued with another dose two days ago. This was a very stupid idea. I am severely nauseous with no vomiting this time, but it is miserable. Also a lot of sulfur burps. This lasted half the day today and is subsiding. But this is like a roller coaster and unsure when these symptoms will return. I am also experiencing fatigue nonstop. Hard to even move or concentrate energy. I thought this might be due to having normal blood sugar levels since taking this medication, but I don't think this is the case. Please be careful on this medication."

• Lax...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Update: since my last report, I have not taken another dose. I’m on day 11 of feeling sick and miserable. I have indigestion from the smallest amounts of food, steady low-grade headache, sweats, fatigue, nausea, but the worst is extreme dizziness every time I stand up. This drug may work for some, but my experience from one small dose was horrible."

• Kda...
• September 20, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "This is the worst drug I have ever been prescribed. I took my first shot on Sat at 4 p.m. By 10 p.m. I had a horrible headache and acid indigestion unlike anything I have ever experienced. By Sunday morning, the fatigue was so bad I could not get out of bed. Following was total lock down of my digestive system and then uncontrollable diarrhea for 5 days. The fatigue and nausea I could not shake. I spent most of the next 5 days trying to sleep and not eating due to the nausea and overall horrible sick feeling. I am a person who works out and runs 3 miles a day and is very active. I feel like a week of my life has been sucked away from me. Today is Thursday and still feeling terrible. I can only hope it wears off soon. Think very long and hard before using this drug. Do your research and read about it, it is very concerning that this is actually approved to be injected into people."

• She...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "The medical weight loss program kicked me out because their drugs weren't helping. I lost minimal weight, and the weight I lost was trying to come back on. I had already been eating very moderately for years at this point. I would try to get in some walking, but exercise was limited due to fatigue, pain, and weight. When I went on Ozempic, I experienced a slight increase in fatigue (barely noteworthy), I experienced slight nausea (barely noteworthy), and acid reflux (I took an acid pill on shot day and kept my carbs minimal). Immediately, my feet and hands stopped hurting all the time, and the swelling I wasn't noticing went down, and I realized how swollen I had been. I lost about 20 lbs that stayed off and stable. I eat small amounts, and the reduction in pain made exercising easier, but I have stalled on weight loss. That said, my new weight seems stable. Reduce sugars and carbs, and the acid reflux stays at bay. I've been on it for about 3 years."

• Odi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "This is my third week, and I feel absolutely horrid! I have constant dizziness, extreme fatigue, and generally feel like crap. I don't think I will continue. It's not worth it to lose maybe 20 lbs, but I can't get out of bed and function. I am tired of feeling like death warmed over. Unfortunately, because it is controlling my appetite, I'm full after a few bites. I am on a 25 mg dose."

• nau...
• December 30, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic .25 mg subcut 8 days ago. I took my second dose yesterday. My first week, I ended up in the ED. I thought I had a bowel blockage or ileus. The ED visit was preceded by 6 hours of constant, sickening, odiferous belching, constant flatus, eruptive vomiting, cramping, and pain. A CT scan revealed gastric paresis. The event was precipitated by a fatty meal. I have since learned that the decreased gastric motility demands drastic changes in the volume of food intake, fat content, and most importantly, patience with what I consider to be major side effects. Now, I have no appetite. I am nauseated all the time, taking Zofran 4 mg before any meal. The belching is greatly reduced, same with flatus. I feel constipated, but that is easing off. I am avoiding high-fat foods and eating smaller portions. I am profoundly fatigued. Tomorrow, I am getting on the treadmill for 30 minutes each day to stimulate endorphin release to feel better. I have read the symptoms are reduced after 4-6 weeks."

• Jca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Horrible, debilitating fatigue, needing naps that I’ve never needed daily! Painful intestinal pressure and gas that wakens me from sleep, that cannot be burped or passed out. No noticeable difference in my blood sugar levels (my A1C was already 5.6). A little vomiting. If this fatigue does not subside, I believe I will stop using and seek other alternatives. I hate this, I want my life back."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "I did not have a good experience with Ozempic. Other than a 35 lb weight loss in 4 months, there is nothing else good I can say about it. From the first dose, I’ve had nausea and dizziness. The second dose has been a rollercoaster of constipation, stomach pain, fatigue, with continued nausea and dizziness. I’m constantly sick, I can’t eat anything more than a couple of bites of food. Nothing tastes the same, and the smell of food makes me head to the bathroom with nausea. So going out to eat is only a memory now. I do not recommend this medication. This cannot be healthy for anyone. I’ve stopped taking the Ozempic and am wondering if these side effects will end, they say it takes 5 weeks to leave your system. I’m counting the days!!"

• Lax...
• August 19, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I just started this drug on Thursday. It’s now Monday, and I have lost 7 pounds, however, I feel miserable. Today it’s overwhelming dizziness, but previously it was nausea, bloating, and stomach pain. No appetite whatsoever, extreme fatigue, and insomnia! I had six stents placed in my heart arteries on July 22. I was hiking on the 20th and needed to be rescued from the trail. My blood glucose at rescue was 33. I was put on insulin in the hospital and prescribed a cardiac cocktail of six different meds, four of which caused some dizziness and light sensitivity, which had improved over four weeks to the point that I was walking an hour a day. I’ve barely left the house since Thursday. I will not take another dose of Ozempic. PS: the insulin was working well, I was down to 3 units, three times a day of Humalog (from 8 units x 3) and 9 units of Basaglar (from 25), plus 500 mg x 2 of Metformin."

• Swi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started on Ozempic 5 months ago for diabetes 2. Started at 0.25, then 0.50, now at 1.00, and so far I lost weight - 35 lbs. But I’m feeling really fatigued, dizzy, and occasional stomach ache, diarrhea, and my eyesight has changed. Great drug for lowering A1C and losing weight, but the side effects are horrible. I think I’m done taking this drug. Side effects are getting worse."

• Nes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in March 2019. Doctor put me on Ozempic rather than insulin, although it's not recommended. He thought it was worth a try along with 500 mg metformin twice daily. The first 3 weeks of 0.25 mg Ozempic were just fine. Very minimal side effects - occasional diarrhea, some gas, and belching. Nothing I couldn't handle. The fourth week of 0.25 mg was worse. Constant diarrhea for four days, nausea, some vomiting. I went to a different doctor thinking I had a stomach virus, he prescribed me an anti-diarrheal, and I felt better. I took the Ozempic at 0.5 mg then, as prescribed. Two days later, nightmare. Diarrhea again, vomiting, nausea, and serious fatigue. I'm in the throes of it right now, and I'm going to be contacting my doctor to see what I can do to counteract this. Besides the side effects, though, it's working beautifully. My blood sugar is down from the high 300s to the low 100s in just a month."

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2023

For Type 2 Diabetes "Ozempic made me sick after the second week. I had to go to the emergency room for dehydration, fatigue, depression, and bloating and fluid! My doctor pretty much gave it for weight loss because I was pre-diabetes. Not to mention I gained more weight!"

• rav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I experienced severe stomach bloating and constipation after the first dose. I started injecting into the back of my arms and, with each subsequent dose, side effects lessen, though I still experience moderate nausea and fatigue after taking my weekly dose. On the positive side, my appetite has been reduced by at least 1/2, with 15 pounds lost. My fasting blood sugars are in the 80's and my post-meal levels rarely top 130. Even after eating small amounts of carbs, sugars fall to the nineties within an hour."

• C01...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "3 weeks in... Initially prescribed for weight management. While my appetite's drastically reduced, I've experienced headaches, some brain fog, and felt a little under the weather. Nausea slightly though it reduced day by day. Fatigue's unbearable. I typically have an upbeat, positive attitude and noticed a not-so-good version of myself just recently. Contemplating discontinuing treatment as excited as I am for the weight loss aspect of it :("