SEMAGLUTIDE
Side Effects
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal, and include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Stomach pain
- Indigestion
- Burping
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Intestinal infections, known as gastroenteritis
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- In people with type 2 diabetes, semaglutide can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Other more serious side effects include:
- Symptoms of an allergic reaction, including: itching; rash; swelling of the face, eyes, mouth, tongue, or throat; difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Changes in vision
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Persistent pain in the upper left or middle of the stomach
- Heart palpitations
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes, fever, or clay-colored stools
If you experience any serious side effects, contact your healthcare provider immediately or seek emergency treatment.
Associated Risks
The medication should not be used in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), because there is an increased risk of developing thyroid C-cell tumors. You are NOT a good candidate for semaglutide if you currently have or have had in the past any of the following: diabetic retinopathy, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), poor kidney function, or pancreatitis,
There is also an increased risk of other complications including:
- Gallbladder problems, such as gallstones
- Inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis
- Suicidal thinking or behavior
- Damage to the retina in the eye in diabetic patients, known as diabetic retinopathy
- Kidney damage
Important note:
Not everyone will respond to semaglutide—about 13% of individuals with obesity in the semaglutide clinical trials didn’t lose any weight. Researchers say this is because there are different kinds—or subtypes—of obesity that remain unknown.