Ozempic and Vomiting: What Users Say

• jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on 0.5 Ozempic for 2 months now. The nausea is no better. I vomit almost every day. Driving down the road and I begin to vomit. Almost caused me to wreck my car twice now. I've lost 30 pounds and feel terrible. My stomach hurts all the time and now my back. I do not urinate much at all even though I've increased water. Calling today and going off it. Losing weight is great, but not at the cost of feeling horrible every day."

• Lyn...
• December 22, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I took one dose of Ozempic and I have been sick ever since. Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, and a little dizziness. This is terrible, will never use again. Can someone tell me how long these symptoms last?"

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I suffered from - Loss of appetite - Exhaustion - Nausea - Vomiting (once a week, usually 2 days after my injection) - Low blood sugar events (probably caused because I just had no appetite). When I spoke to my pharmacist, she encouraged me to try to hang in there, telling me it would get better, and it finally has. I was not expecting it to take over 3 months though. My readings are all good, and I've lost 28 lbs, so there were benefits to sticking it out, but it was hard. I had decided that I would continue to take the medication until my next appointment, and if things were still bad, I would tell the doctor that I no longer wanted to use it. Things are better, and my appointment is next week."

• 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."

• Soo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I've been on Ozempic for just over a week now as part of a physician-run weight loss program. I was told to expect some GI upset, but I had no idea it would be this bad. Seven days after taking it, I started with diarrhea. One day after injection number 2 (2.5mg), I was up all night with diarrhea, nausea, severe reflux, belching, and eventually vomiting. Medications like Pepto can't seem to touch it. I am going to talk to the doctor next week and see what he thinks. I really don't think it is worth this kind of suffering."

• Ann...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 9, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Have been on Ozempic for 10 months. The first 3 months were very difficult with strong side effects. Mainly constant, but low level, nausea, occasional vomiting, and diarrhea (especially two days after the injection). However around month 3 the nausea and diarrhea subsided greatly and my appetite returned. I had lost weight very quickly (42 lbs in 3 months due to not really eating much). Had to take supplements for a while but am now eating well. The rapid weight loss led to telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss condition. (I shed A LOT but never showed any baldness or anything). Currently, my weight is still down (I was taken off my blood pressure medication!), my blood counts are perfect, my hair is getting thick, and I eat normally. I now experience virtually no side effects. Really, really, glad I stuck out the side effects at the beginning."

• Fif...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "On week 4 now, honestly, the first 2 weeks were a nightmare. Doctors don’t tell you to stay away from fatty foods and not to overeat. If they did, I wouldn’t have had the most horrible sulfur burps that made my eyes water, projectile vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain, not to mention constant nausea even during the night. I finally figured out not to eat too much and to avoid fatty foods completely! This was a game changer, and now I’m doing okay. I've lost 21 pounds so far, which is mad, but mostly because in 2 weeks I’ve eaten probably 4000 calories. I’m back to wanting to eat again but have to control myself or face the terrible consequences. Blood sugars are all over the place, as you can imagine, however, insulin sensitivity is way better. It just takes time to get used to. Hope this helps."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I've been on Ozempic for two and a half months now for weight loss, and the results have been great. I've lost about 25 lbs. The only thing I don't really like is I truly do have no appetite. At all. So sometimes eating is a slog. Just getting through 3 or 4 bites of a meal can be annoying. And even though it's been almost 3 months, I still get nausea from time to time. I also had to dial back a lot of my social drinking, as I'm eating so little, there's nothing to absorb the alcohol in my stomach most days, causing indigestion, acid reflux, vomiting, and other problems. Still, I'm going to stick with the medication to see how much weight I can potentially lose over the course of six months."

• MIC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "A1C was 6.2 with Metformin. Went on Ozempic for 3 months. I had side effects of bad nausea, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. Lost 27 lbs. Couldn't eat 4/7 days. My A1C now 5.6, and it is not worth it for me."

• Chi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Diabetic & prescribed Ozempic .25 once weekly for a month & .50 once weekly for the 2nd month. Then increased to 1. 1xwkly thereafter. By the time I hit the first week on .50, I was having daily nausea. I called the provider & was told to start the .50 to see if my body could adjust. By the 2nd dose, I had severe daily nausea culminating in volatile vomiting to the point I was severely limited in maintaining daily activities. I made the decision to stop the medication & notified the doctor that my body could not handle it. By this time, I was experiencing constant belly pain. It hurt to drink water & eat as I would throw it up. This was the worst experience & I was agitated that it will take 5 long weeks to clear my system. I'm thinking it should have stopped sooner."

• 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."

• Bad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I am on day 4 after taking this and now bedridden. I have never been so sick in my life: nausea, vomiting, gas, headache, terrible smelly burping, dizzy, blurred vision, the list goes on. I hope this wears off soon, I have to go back to work. I am so disappointed in this product, very scary how it's destroying my body. I can't eat, sleep, barely move, just sipping water. Terrible stuff."

• jas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "Warning, this stuff will make you sick. I have been taking this for 2 months. In the first month, I had terrible diarrhea. It got so bad I ended up going to the hospital. I told my doctor, and he said he doubted it was Ozempic, so I tried it again in the 2nd month on a higher dose, and the 2nd week in, again I was terribly ill, vomiting for 4 days straight with intermittent diarrhea and feeling absolutely awful. My night sleep is very broken with stomach pains, increased wind, nausea. I'm now stopping using it."

• Pho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "Was prescribed and took only one dose. Within 12 hours, I was vomiting and had severe nausea. My reaction landed me in the hospital for 8 days. If you have, or even suspect you have, gastroparesis, DO NOT take this drug. I was nearly put on a feeding tube because of Ozempic. It was not a reaction to but an actual severe side effect of this drug. It also affected my vision. Now who is going to pay the ER and hospital bill I have to deal with?"

• Shy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I always had some side effects of Ozempic. Mainly exhaustion, nauseous, occasional throwing up after eating, constipation. As month 3 came and the dose increased to 1 mg, I ended up in the emergency room. I was vomiting and had liquid diarrhea for 4 days. My heart rate was elevated, and my potassium was dangerously low. At the time, I thought it was a stomach bug-until the next injection caused the same effects. I've been on anti-nausea medication since. I can see why it takes the appetite away-being exhausted and nauseous 24/7 is terrible. Potassium is still not where it should be. Hoping this gets out of my system fast."

• Dia...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 16, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "58 yo. Woman. Type 2 for 30 yrs. Morbidly obese most of adult life. At 50 years old, had RNY gastric bypass surgery, went from 315 lbs with A1c of 13.5 with meds to 115 lbs. It worked too well. Even so, diabetes wasn’t even close to being cured. A1c was 8.5 at best with Invokana & Metformin. I used every drug there is with little improvement. So, a year ago, started Ozempic .5. Nausea & vomiting for 2 weeks, but then it subsided. After 2 more weeks, went to 1 mg. I don’t get nauseous anymore, but my appetite is completely gone, which is good if you’re overweight, but I’m a bag of bones, so I have to graze on tiny amounts of food all day & night. Because of the weight loss surgery, I already got dumping & can’t eat fatty food or sugar, so it’s difficult, but it’s better than dying from diabetes. It all depends on the person, so try it & see if the side effects go away like they did with me. I’m going to get labs, and if they’re still good, I’m staying with it."

• Wen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "Hospitalized twice with severe abdominal pain and nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Second visit had a gastric emptying study done. Normal gastric emptying is 30 min, mine was 800 min. Basically, this med damaged the vagus nerve and paralyzed my stomach, not allowing food to empty. Severe symptoms. Missed work, hospitalized a total of over 2 weeks. Praying my stomach returns to normal. Diagnosed with gastroparesis caused by Ozempic."

• Clo...
• September 2, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Tried Ozempic for the first time on Thursday. Friday night, a bit of diarrhea, Saturday, just felt off, Sunday went out for breakfast, discovered I had little appetite. And then it was non-stop vomiting and diarrhea, to the point I was in the ER. Spent several hours there as they tried to bring the lactic acid back down into a normal range. They told me the higher the lactic acid, the more severe the dehydration. Multiple IVs, anti-nausea shots, and something to stop the diarrhea, plus one CT scan, they said stomach bug. I could go home and recover in bed. Stupid me believed them. Took the injection for the second time on Thursday...same thing, only this time the abdominal cramping was so bad it doubled me over, to the point I was sent by ambulance to the ER. Same round of tests, same results. Only this time, add in pain meds. After comparing the previous Sunday to the current Sunday, they pretty much concluded no stomach bug the first time, but it was due to the injection."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Doctor suggested switching to Ozempic after weight loss plateaued with Victoza. Ozempic caused an instant headache lasting several days and nausea. Very noticeable as I never have headaches. The real problem was that two days after taking the shot, I would throw up and be too nauseous to get out of bed for about 12 hours. For the first two weeks, I thought it was food poisoning, but the vomiting was nothing like that. It was a slow, inexorable process, not like my body had to get rid of something bad that I ate. Had also not been sick enough to vomit in years, then it happened three out of four weeks in a row. Switched back to Victoza, no more headache and vomiting. Ozempic was more convenient as it is a weekly shot, but I'd rather not be sick one day a week. The vomiting was awful."

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

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started on Ozempic in January this year. I have been type 2 diabetic for over 15 years. I was on metformin but found my A1C increasing, so it was recommended that I try this. I have had no problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pains, etc. that others have had. I have lost 26 lbs and am using 1 ml per week. I started with the .25, after two weeks increased to .5, and then after 4 weeks increased to 1 ml. My daily blood test has decreased down from around 10-11 to 4.5-6, and my A1C reduced down from 11 to 8, that was 2 months ago. I will redo next month. I truly think it will be down under 7 when I do it. For me, it is the miracle drug, I feel so much better, and with the weight loss, I feel less tired. I am sure it does not work for everyone, but for those it does, it is a very good product. I did have to get approval through my endocrinologist for my drug plan to cover this. Those without a drug plan would be well advised to think carefully as it is very expensive."

• 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."

• Dis...
• August 30, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started Ozempic and had no issue with the initial dose of .25. When I had the second dose, I had minor nausea and definitely noticed not feeling as hungry. Five days later, I had severe diarrhea and very foul-tasting burping. The next day, I was okay. Then the following day, I had diarrhea again. I thought maybe stomach virus. Imodium helped me get through the rest of the day. Then it was the day I take my shot (Sunday night). Monday was okay, and then it started again with the terrible-tasting burps, severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. I was unable to eat anything except ice chips. The diarrhea has continued for now the third day. I literally can’t be more than 10 steps from the bathroom. I’ve only had water, chicken broth, 1 banana, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup plain rice, and 1 cup apple juice and still can’t stay away from the bathroom. I’ve lost 7 pounds since starting Ozempic, 4 of them have been this week. This is not how I want to lose weight."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I started Ozempic .5 mg once a week. I have taken it for 3 weeks. I have had to stop it because I have been so sick. I have had massively bad headaches, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. After the first injection, I ended up in the ER because of my stomach pain, and then again 5 days later. I haven't been able to keep anything down. I can barely keep 2 sips of water down. I can't even take any of my prescription medications because I am constantly throwing them back up. My doctor told me to stop taking it. My husband says I've lost weight, but that's only because I'm constantly throwing everything up."

• Ter...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2021

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "After 6 weeks, I cried 'uncle!' (admit defeat). Severe and profuse diarrhea, ++ nausea, and bouts of ++ vomiting, and stomach pain all the time caused me to give up on this drug. Lost only 5 pounds in 5 weeks, and I'm sure it was from the extreme GI issues and inability to eat more than 500-600 calories on bad days - mostly just soup! Felt like I had food poisoning for 6 weeks straight. Was hopeful for this drug, but it totally didn't work for me, and the side effects were unbearable - and I'm a tough cookie."

• 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....."