Nausea and other symptoms on Zepound, Ozempic, or Wegovy
Patients taking a GLP-1 medication like Zepbound, Ozempic, or Wegovy, or Saxenda may experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, belching, constipation, or diarrhea. In this article, we will talk about ways to manage symptoms with food and nutrition so you can feel your best and continue medication therapy!
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If you’re wondering more about what to eat while taking Zepbound, Ozempic, Wegovy, or Saxenda, check out this article and video linked right here!
^^^BY THE WAY…this free placemat is a great tool for managing symptoms after bariatric surgery or with medication. It will prompt you to answer questions about your meal that may help you tune into what is causing discomfort. Grab a copy!!!!
Nausea and other symptoms common with Wegovy, Saxenda, Zepbound, or Ozempic
All of the GLP-1 Agonsist medications mimic the work of the hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 which plays a big part in appetite, digestion, and blood sugars. Because of this, common symptoms include ones related to GI upset.
This is why as many as 44% of patients taking Ozempic, Zepbound, Wegovy or Saxenda have reported nausea.
Nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn and/or belching are all symptoms related to the changes in the digestive tract.
For some patients, these symptoms will be severe enough they will discontinue the medication. If you are on the lowest dose of the medication and it has been more than ten days with nausea that isn’t improving, consult your provider. You’ll likely need to take a break and potentially try another medication later.
Ongoing nausea shouldn’t be ignored! This could result in kidney injury, especially if you’re unable to stay hydrated.
For many patients, the nausea will improve within the first week of starting Zepbound, Wegovy or Ozempic. Although it may return when a dose is increased. If you increase the dose and the nausea isn’t improving, you may need to go back down to the previous dose that you tolerated.
How to minimize nausea on a GLP-1 medication like Wegovy, Ozempic or Zepbound
There are some habits that can increase or decrease nausea when you’re taking Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, or Saxenda.
Areas to watch include hydration, high-fat or carb foods, and grazing. Let’s dig into these further.
One of the biggest culprits of nausea is dehydration. It’s one of the first indications the body is getting too low on water. Both medications and bariatric surgery can make it difficult to stay hydrated because of diminished thirst or feeling full quickly. For this reason, you can’t rely on it to work itself out. Focusing on water is a must.
Pay attention to the temperatures, flavors, or water bottles that help you most to get in hydrating fluids. This might be herbal tea, broth, flavored water, or room-temperature water. Just keep trying. For more ideas check out this blog+video on water!
Another culprit of nausea is high-fat foods while taking medication. This can happen even when focusing on protein sources. Look for lean cuts of meat like sirloin steak instead of ribeye, white meat poultry instead of dark or ground beef that is 90% lean or higher. Also, look for 2% dairy products instead of 4% like cottage cheese or shredded cheeses.
Starchy foods and sweets are also known to increase nausea. This one can feel wonky because we often go for crackers when nausea comes on. However, grazing on some crackers might make things worse. Starchy foods can swell up in the tummy and delayed gastric emptying (which we’ll cover next) can be to blame.
Similar to starchy foods that take a while to leave, grazing on foods throughout the day can also make nausea worse. For most patients, it is best to eat a structured meal pattern of three meals a day. If you can’t meet your nutrition with food at your meals, work with a Registered Dietitian and your provider to identify a meal plan and dosage that will work for you.
Finally, use tricks to limit your exposure to smell of foods. Put the slow cooker in the garage or ask your spouse to grill the meat outside.
Delayed gastric emptying
Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Saxenda will cause a slower transit of the digestive tract which aids in appetite control because you are fuller for longer. However, this can present some symptoms to manage like belching and nausea. Slow gastric emptying can be to blame.
This is yet another reason to work with a Registered Dietitian specializing in weight management. He or she may change what time of day you eat and what textures of foods.
For example, you may feel best with cooked vegetables instead of raw. You might want more solid textured foods earlier in the day and something softer in the evening. This might help with nausea and belching.
Heartburn and constipation may also occur because of delayed gastric emptying. Your provider may prescribe a PPI and the timing of meals may get changed for you to avoid laying down after eating.
Constipation is often a sign you need more water and will help keep things moving in your system.
How you eat will also make a big difference with timing and food textures. Find out more about mindful eating and don’t forget to grab a copy of my free “don’t jump to conclusions” placemat!
The point of a GLP-1 medication is NOT to eliminate hunger
If someone says “I am never hungry so it must be working” I would argue that it’s not! The point is not to eliminate hunger and quality nutrition. We still need to hit nutrition priorities (covered in this blog+video) so if medication is getting in the way instead of supporting your health goals, it’s time to revisit the plan.
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