Ozempic and Nausea: What Users Say

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic in late December at 0.25 injection. I also take 500mg metformin per day. Soon after I started Ozempic, I had decreased appetite and my sugars improved, but I had reflux, gas, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea. After 4 weeks, I started 0.50. 2 weeks in, I have bouts of painful constipation then diarrhea, nausea, bloating, gas, reflux, and cramping. I've almost vomited a few times. When I eat, it feels like the food just sits and sits, barely moving through my gut. My doctor wants me to stick with it, saying that these side effects usually improve, but it's been pretty miserable. I'm thinking I'm going to stop taking it. While Ozempic has been effective in regulating my sugars and losing weight, I don't think it's worth the suffering that I've been enduring on this medication. I understand that studies showed it causing thyroid cancer in mice, but no one knows if it causes thyroid cancer in humans. I don't want to be the guinea pig the drug makers use to find out it does."

• Nw2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started April 1, 2021, on Ozempic low dose. 3-week intervals it was increased. Side effects were constipation (went on laxatives to help), pain in my back (severe), bloating. Week 11 increased to 1mg, the side effects were major bloating, diarrhea, sounds in my stomach (crazy), nauseous, feeling under the weather. My appetite has decreased to the point that I only eat 2 meals a day that are small. My sugar levels have decreased from 7.1 to 5.2 A1C. I’ve noticed that I have been kept awake some nights like I’m nervous for some reason. In the first 3 weeks, I’ve lost 15 pounds. Haven’t checked since I want to wait but can feel a difference. The pains in the stomach are really uncomfortable, and the bloating I will try gas-x for relief. When I try to eat more than I should, my body tells me that I’m full. If I go beyond that point, I get severe pains in the stomach for hours. But depends on what I eat. Going to stay with smaller portions/healthier foods."

• 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."

• Pat...
• July 19, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started taking Ozempic for pre-diabetes and insulin resistance. This is the first medication I've ever taken for diabetes. A1c was 5.7. I increased the dose quickly at the doctor's recommendation if little to no side effects occurred. First dose 0.25 in the office. Second 0.5 a week later. Third dose at 1.0 a week after that. Only side effect I have is mild nausea. Appetite has disappeared, and I eat only when hungry and much smaller portions. Serious bloating when I eat too much, which is a great deterrent. Been on the medication for 4 weeks overall, 2 weeks at 1.0, weight dropped from 305 lbs. to 295 lbs. Still a little lethargic, but I was very lethargic before starting the medication. I feel like this medicine is a game changer for me. I love not thinking about food all of the time, only eating when hungry and not for pleasure, and losing weight. Will retest A1c in 2 months. Hopefully, the weight loss continues, and I caught the A1c level before it turns into full-blown diabetes."

• 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."

• Bec...
• December 28, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started taking the Ozempic injection a week before Christmas and took my second 0.25 dose on Xmas Eve. I've felt slight nausea since taking it and very little desire to eat. My BS levels have been 95% in range ever since and have managed to reduce my long-acting insulin by 20 units. I have lost 6 lbs so far. I was astounded it came off in the first week. The only time I have had bad stomach pains is when I've eaten something bad, and I get terrible runs 20 mins after eating, but once I've been to the loo, pain stops. I had vomiting once because I think I overate a few days after taking it. I was super bloated, and a few hours later I threw up, then I felt fine again. So I just eat little and often, mostly grazing and picking at fruit. I was worried about taking this because of the comments I've read, and with having IBS, I didn't know if it would be bad for me. But I have no issues taking it, and so far, so good. It's still early days for me, but I would 100% recommend it."

• Typ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2023

For Type 2 Diabetes "I am on my 3rd month of taking Ozempic. No decrease in A1C as of yet. Weight loss, none. Ease of use, I find handling the needles cumbersome. The needles are smaller than Trulicity and less painful to inject. Less bruising at the injection site. Current side effects: nausea, stomach pain, stomach discomfort, swelling, bloating, increased constipation, increased hunger, sour stomach, headaches. I find I am forced to take additional medication/supplements in attempting to eliminate some of the side effects. I've taken stool softeners and laxatives in order to improve constipation with limited success. I am taking a pain reliever almost daily for headaches. I am also taking medication to help ease the nausea with limited success."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "Ended up in the emergency room on the day of the second dose. Triggered a gallbladder issue and ended up elevating my liver enzymes. Symptoms mimicked a heart attack or pancreatitis. Hard to tell the difference. Severe abdominal pain radiating to the back, elevated heart rate, nausea, gas, bloating. For some people, this type of medication is very, very bad medicine and totally not worth it. I lost 10 pounds in two weeks because it made me so sick I could not eat or drink. One day this will also have an FDA black box label on it like Byetta. A class action lawsuit will be on your TV commercials. I would be seriously careful if you plan on taking this medication for anything, weight loss or glucose control. Not worth it. Once you get sick, you will be longing to get the stuff out of your system and will be physiologically impacted by the experience. No antidote. Have to wait it out. Never again. The Russian roulette of diabetes medication. Taker beware."

• JCR...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 11, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have type 2 diabetes, and before Ozempic, my A1C was 6.3, now it's down to 5.3. I tried Trulicity before, but it was a hassle with the one-dose pen and refrigeration, and more expensive under my plan. Didn't help with my weight at all. Ozempic has worked great for me. Completely controls my appetite. It does cause some bloating and nausea, but not severe enough to make me need to stop taking the medication. I started on 0.25 and then increased to 0.5 - I've lost 27 lbs so far! I'm really hoping the appetite control lasts. I think with this drug, you really MUST decrease your food intake to lessen the side effects."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've taken Ozempic for 2 weeks and experiencing severe nausea and decreased appetite upon smelling the aroma of food. I am eating smaller portions since the nausea is severe. As for weight loss - I have to purchase a new scale, but noticed that my shoes seem bigger on my feet, which means I'm retaining less water and bloat. My pants are also looser. I am taking this medication with Metformin, which makes me use the bathroom and assist in my weight loss. I'll update again after week 4/5."

• Tan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I’m on Ozempic for weight loss. I started at a small dose for 4 weeks, 0.25, then 2 weeks, 0.5. Now I’m on maintenance, taking 1 mg. In the beginning, straight after the injection, I would suffer from nausea, migraines, and loss of appetite. My side effects have shifted. I don’t suffer from nausea for more than a day, however, I have sulfur gas. It’s horrible. I’m bloated and very gassy. I haven’t lost a ton of weight yet, however, I do think diet is key as I am taking this for weight loss, and so far, yes, my appetite is suppressed. A day or two before it’s time to take the injection, I gain more of an appetite. This stuff is killer expensive, and my insurance doesn’t cover it. I’ll give it a couple more months and see how it goes."

• Sco...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started out 5 weeks ago at .25, moved up to .5 over the weekend. Have lost weight, about 5 to 7 pounds, it varies, of course. I got sick to my stomach once but may have had nothing to do with the drug. Was stuffed up one morning and got sick, then it was over. Have felt bloated a few times, and fair warning, do NOT overeat. Few pains in the stomach over the last 4+ weeks. Not sure what A1C is going to be, but my checks have all been really good. I recommend it."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "OMG, do not take this drug, Ozempic. I had my first dose on Monday, and since then, I have had constant nausea and stomach bloating and cramps. My arms and legs are so sore and almost like a spasm. The back of my head is killing, and I feel dizzy all the time. Symptoms have gotten worse from about day 2 after the injection. I will not be taking the second injection! And I'm hoping it will not last in my system for the 5 weeks it mentions! I live in the UK, so no cost, but I wouldn't pay for this horrible injection."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Sic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 11, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been taking it for 4 weeks. My doctor did not use prescribing information as given by the pharmaceutical company. She fast-tracked me and I am miserable. My A1C is 9.6, and that is why she prescribed this. I'm nauseated, constipated, bloated, miserable. I have not lost weight, I struggle to regulate. I feel my PCP is missing something. I have asked to see an endocrinologist. If you can take it, I'm sure it's great. But being this ill is worse than long-term Type 2 diabetes."

• 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."