Semaglutide and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Lor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've been on Ozempic for 2.5 months now (10 weeks as of today) off-label for PCOS. I started with a dose of 0.25 for the first four weeks and have been on 0.5 for the remaining six. On the 0.25 dose, I felt my appetite was slightly reduced, and I had some mild nausea. As soon as I went to 0.5, the side effects started, and I began getting extreme nausea, diarrhea, rancid burps, and I can no longer eat. If I eat more than a regular ham and cheese sandwich in a day, I feel extremely nauseous and the burps come back. As of my last doctor's appointment, I've lost about 3 pounds, but I don't know if I can keep this up. I'm miserable. I won't know until next month whether it's working like my doctor has intended because she needs blood tests to verify all of that, so I can't speak to how effective it has been yet."

• Bir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "Bad news: I started taking the 3 mg Rybelsus for 30 days, did well. Have been taking the 7 mg for the past 3 weeks, and I have had diarrhea, stomach bloating, nausea, and can barely eat anything or drink. Even the smell of food makes me sick. I am extremely exhausted and hate feeling like this. Calling doctor tomorrow. Good news: dropped A1C from 8.4 to 7.3 in 6 weeks and lost 10 pounds, and also cut back on my 24 hr insulin and fast acting due to not eating. — Is it really worth it though???"

• New...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I was moved to Ozempic from Januvia. At the time I started Ozempic, I'd brought my blood sugar down to what would translate to an A1C of 5.5 or so, and I'd managed to kick most of the insulin I was on. I started Ozempic at 0.25 units per week and had mild nausea and diarrhea, but my appetite vanished and I could barely bring myself to eat. Once I started the full dose, my blood sugars began to climb rapidly. I'd be fine in the mornings at first and then experience wild spikes between meals, until finally, my fasting sugar started to climb out of my desired range. I actually had to take MORE insulin, not less, just to keep my fasting BG below 7. Ozempic was absolutely NOT worth it - even with the lower price here in Canada, the cost is ridiculous, the benefits never materialized, and the effects on my appetite destroyed the healthy diet I was trying to eat. Good example of how new isn't always good."

• 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."

• 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."

• Bon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Started Ozempic about 7 weeks ago. Dosage .25. First week noticed some nausea, a lot of gas, some reflux, and diarrhea. Each week, side effects were getting worse. Nausea very bad, pains in left side, waves of heat, no energy at all. In all, just feeling BAD! Diarrhea is bad and a bit uncontrollable. Have not raised dosage due to being afraid of worse side effects. Have lost 5 pounds. Appetite is definitely less. My sugar numbers have not improved that much, which leads me to believe it is what I am eating. I still crave sweets. I have some jittery feelings at times! I am very discouraged."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I am on the 23rd day of the 3 mg dosage. Looks like most of the reviews have the same common denominator: nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and I’m about to add myself to the list with those same side effects. I’ve lost a few pounds, and my glucose numbers are dropping. I don’t like being too nauseous to want to eat, but underneath, I feel very hungry. I’m hoping this will resolve itself, and maybe it’s just an adjustment. Otherwise, I might have to rethink this."

• 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."

• TN ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've been taking Rybelsus, along with metformin and Farxiga, for over 3 months. I had some minor diarrhea/constipation with the 3 mg that worked itself out quickly, but I lost over 5 lbs and A1C went down over 1 pt (8.3 to 7.2). Just started the 7 mg dose 5 days ago. So far, the diarrhea is a lot worse, and I'm having a lot of dizziness/nausea/fatigue/headaches, but I'm hoping it'll stop soon. I seem to start feeling worse about 5-6 hrs after taking the pill, so I'm sick in bed for hours in the afternoon and evening lately. Not good, as I'm a disabled housewife with two special needs adult children who depend on me. Not sure how someone who works a 9 to 5 job would be able to handle this transition period. If it doesn't sort itself out within a couple of weeks, I'll call my doctor. One tip: keep some saltine crackers and eat a few every hour or so. I know, against diabetic diet, but that and plenty of water help the nausea."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2023

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "My experience with Wegovy has been a rollercoaster. In the first week, the 0.25 mg dose was great. In the second week, I started feeling the side effects of nausea, burping, gas, diarrhea, and bloating. I noticed that I did eat more. Make sure your portions are small and stick to fruit and vegetables. Soups and not greasy processed foods. You may feel sick and will take longer to digest. I am currently reconsidering if I should continue. I am not sure if I want to experience the side effects at a higher dose. I feel terrible all the time and have a headache. I feel exhausted all the time."

• MDG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "First, I started on Rybelsus, the 3mg dose, my blood sugar went up over 200. I stopped on the third day, went back to my old meds, and my levels returned to normal. No nausea, no diarrhea, no side effects of any kind. (I did follow the directions to take it first thing on an empty stomach and not eat for thirty minutes.) Dr. switched me to the 7mg dose, so far my blood sugar is running higher than my old meds. I am on day four, so I want to give it plenty of time. I do notice a lack of appetite. At this point, I am not impressed, but I am willing to give it more time before throwing in the towel."

• 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."

• Wor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2025

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Beginning weight was 234 and began at 0.25 in June 2024, and just began 2.4 today at 177. Been going up very slowly, but weight loss has slowed way down. Still have 17 pounds to lose, but prefer 27 more. Have gone from 2XL/Size 22 to size 14. Have dealt with nausea, headaches, occasional constipation/diarrhea, depending on what I eat. Small meals, five times a day, plus drinking lots of water is key. I get extremely tired the day or two after taking the shot. I take the shot at night, hoping to be at my goal weight by the end of May 2025. 63-year-old woman and all blood work now within normal limits."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "My A1C was slowly creeping up, and at 6.9, the Dr. wanted to start Rybelsus (3 mg). I took it exactly as directed. The side effects were immediate: constipation followed by diarrhea and extreme nausea. As I continued on the medication, nausea was constant and actually turned into stomach pain. If I ate anything, my stomach hurt worse, and I started to have an aversion to food. Any activity or exercise that involved using my core muscles was very painful. Still, I persevered knowing that it can take a few weeks to adjust to a medication. But in week 3, after side effects continued to worsen and I vomited for several days in a row, I stopped the medication. I have been off for 3 weeks now, and my stomach has not returned to normal as I have constant discomfort and it hurts after eating. I lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks, but it came at a high cost. The physical side effects were extreme, and I hope I have not permanently harmed my body. I can still only eat a few bites at any one time. Beware!"

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 3, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "1st, I did not take Rybelsus to lose weight, only trying to get A1C down. For 10 days on this, I did not vomit, but the feeling is there, sometimes I have to gag myself to get that feeling to go away. Felt tired all the time, trouble sleeping, and my stomach always feels full. I don't have much of an appetite either, and oh boy, diarrhea the first 3 days almost seems like you can't leave the house and almost like uncontrollable, need to stay near the throne. 4-5 days later, the diarrhea seems to be better, but the nausea and vomiting feelings keep me away from this med. Also, if anyone likes to try this med, I suggest getting some ginger chew candy, it does help the nausea feelings. One more thing: if you are a guy, beware of this, your libido will go down :-("

• Ddd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2022

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "I have been on this medication since August 2021. So far, I have lost 36 lbs. I have been on the max dose of 2.4 for going on 2 months now. Side effects I have experienced have been sulfur burps/gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sensitivity on my back and scalp (sunburn-type feeling). Although I haven’t had the most pleasant side effects, I would still recommend this medication. Now that my body is used to it and I am up to the max dose, I haven’t had any of the side effects lately, besides occasional nausea. I have noticed the most weight loss on the 1.7 and 2.4 doses. Just this week alone, I have lost 5 lbs. I hope to keep losing at this rate. I am only 40 lbs away from my goal weight now. So far, I have not really changed much with my diet or exercise. I cook my meals at home, drink water, and walk a few miles a week, and that is it. If you can stick it out and get up to the maintenance dose, it gets better!"

• 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."

• JDM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started on the low dose .25, had nausea, loss of appetite, little loose stool, tired, and just didn't feel good. Lasted for 3-4 days. Next dose, the symptoms increased, especially the loose stool, lasted most of the day for 4 days. The next dose, the doctor had me go to .5, and I say OMG, it was the worst I have ever felt. Couldn't eat, watery diarrhea, burping horribly, tired, and just felt so sick. I told my doctor I can't do this. Symptoms still going after being off for a week and a half. I just hope it stops soon. I do not recommend it to anyone."

• JDM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started on the low dose .25, had nausea, loss of appetite, little loose stool, tired, and just didn't feel good. Lasted for 3-4 days. Next dose, the symptoms increased, especially the loose stool, lasted most of the day for 4 days. The next dose, the doctor had me go to .5, and I say OMG, it was the worst I have ever felt. Couldn't eat, watery diarrhea, burping horribly, tired, and just felt so sick. I told my doctor I can't do this. Symptoms still going after being off for a week and a half. I just hope it stops soon. I do not recommend it to anyone."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "If you have any form of stomach or bowel disorder or a history of pancreatitis, you may want to steer clear of Ozempic or any of the other similar drugs in its class. They slow gastric emptying, which can really get your system out of order and wreak havoc. If you start having sulfur burps, extreme nausea, horrific vomiting, and diarrhea, you’ll know it isn’t for you. For me, it got so bad, I was having to resort to wearing adult diapers. I initially thought I was having episodes of food poisoning or giardiasis, but it turned out to be medicine-induced gastroparesis and pancreatitis. Ozempic and the drugs like it may work great in some people, but be downright dangerous in others. Use with caution and pay attention to the warning signs. I just hope this will help someone else not have to go through what I did."

• don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started this drug 2 weeks ago. First week okay, then the trouble began! Horrible abdominal pains, diarrhea, chills, hands became very cold, felt like I had a fever, nausea, just felt horrible. In my case, the cure was worse than the disease! Called my doctor, quite obviously, I am off this medication. May you have better luck than me!"

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2021

For Weight Loss (Obesity/Overweight) "Taking Wegovy for weight loss and prediabetic. Into the third week of 0.5 mg and tolerated it well so far. No severe nausea and a few bouts of diarrhea. However, I had gastric bypass a few years back, and my stomach is always off with dumping syndrome. In 18 days, I’ve lost only 4.5 lbs, and that is tracking macros and eating about 600 calories per day and keeping carbs under 80g. It definitely has taken my urge to eat away, and I have to force myself to eat. I don’t have intense fullness, as I believe due to my stomach size I already eat tiny meals like 4 ounces, so I'm not pushing my stomach and having the medicine cause me to be sick. I can tell each week the side effects do lessen. I would hang in there. I know the weight loss hasn’t been terrific, but I have to remember this could help me stave off becoming diabetic."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "Loved the weight loss, everything else sucked! Nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, sulfur burps, no appetite. I ended up with a nasty gallbladder that was poisoning my body. I turned septic and ended up hospitalized. The doctors, nurses, and hospital were wonderful, but my ordeal was not over. Ten days later, I had seizures and two small strokes. Had no calcium or magnesium left in my body. The most horrible experience ever! Yes, this medicine may be great. Please be vigilant about getting your blood work done on a monthly basis, especially if you are losing fluids through digestive upset. Like I said, the drug worked as far as weight loss (47 lbs) and A1C (6.6). But I came close to losing my life and am still recovering and working with my doctors to get back to a healthy life."

• 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."