Nausea is a common side effect of taking semaglutide. There’s nothing more obnoxious than feeling nauseous all day long, especially if you have many things to do. You may have to change your treatment a bit if your nausea doesn’t let you go on with your day.
Most weight loss medications will cause nausea at some point, especially after taking higher doses. Thankfully, you can relieve persistent nausea by following a few simple tips. From anti-nausea medications to changes in your diet, you have plenty of options to choose from.
We’re here to help you have a safer semaglutide treatment. If you’re taking this weight loss medication, keep reading. Here’s everything to know about nausea side effects and how to make them go away.
Why Does Semaglutide Cause Nausea?
Many things could be the cause of your nausea, but let’s focus on the main one. Semaglutide medications are known for causing “delayed gastric emptying.” This means that food sits in your stomach for longer before your digestive system kicks in.
In many cases, this is an excellent benefit. It helps you control your cravings, which helps while you’re trying to lose some pounds. Unfortunately, this semaglutide effect can also cause severe nausea.
According to a study, 15% and 20% of participants who got 0.5mg and 1mg of Ozempic (respectively) felt nauseous after some time.
Some people link nausea and vomiting. While both side effects are related, this doesn’t mean you will vomit too. Everything depends on how your body reacts to the medication.
Even if you don’t vomit, nausea can seriously affect your life. You may not be able to eat food normally or get up from bed. It’s not worth it to suffer chronic nausea just to lose weight.
The good news is that, even if you experience nausea, those symptoms should fade away after some weeks. There are also a few things you can do to reduce nausea and other potential side effects.
Something we should note is that you may start experiencing nausea every time you increase the dose. This is why most experts recommend to start with lower doses and work your way up. That method ensures your body adjusts to semaglutide safely.
Is It Possible to Minimize Nausea from Semaglutide?
As mentioned, nausea is one of the most common (and uncomfortable) symptoms of semaglutide. It may be impossible to avoid it completely, but you can take some measures to make it less severe.
Remember, nausea and vomiting are usually mild symptoms. Also, they’re temporary. When your body finishes adjusting to the medication, you’re good to go.
How Long Does Nausea Last?
It depends on the case. When you take semaglutide (or other weight-loss medications), it’s normal for your body to feel sick for a while. Remember, your body isn’t used to the medication being there, so it will take a few measures to adapt to the environment; that’s when the side effects happen.
Usually, your nausea will go away on its own after a few days or weeks. You may alleviate nausea faster if you do some of the things mentioned in the next section.
Keep in mind that, even if you get rid of the symptom, it could come back later. However, it shouldn’t be so severe compared to last time.
You may be asking yourself: “Do all weight-loss medications cause nausea?” The short answer is that it’s likely. When we talk of semaglutide, we refer to its effect as a GLP-1 agonist. After reading this page, you already know that one of the causes of nausea is delayed gastric emptying.
In some rare cases, however, these medications can increase the risk of gastroparesis. This is known as “stomach paralysis.” It slows down the food moving to your small intestine. The effect creates pressure on your stomach, leading to nausea symptoms.
There should be nothing to worry about if you take your treatment safely. If you ever feel like the pain is unbearable, consult with a healthcare provider.
How to Relieve Nausea from Semaglutide Immediately
You have different ways to manage nausea. Most measures involve adjusting your diet and exercising.
What if you want immediate relief? Here are two alternatives to consider:
Anti-nausea Medication
Your first option should be an anti-nausea medication. It’s known as an “antiemetic.”
Antiemetics block specific chemicals in your brain that trigger nausea. You could use this medication to prevent or relieve these symptoms.
There are two options to take antiemetics: orally and intravenously. Although you could also consider rectal applications or nasal sprays, we suggest you stick with the first two. Choose one of these options depending on how severe your symptoms are.
IV Drip Therapy
Intravenous treatments are excellent for people with severe nausea symptoms. You’ll inject the medication directly into your bloodstream. This will help you deal with certain symptoms like dehydration.
An IV treatment could be more effective compared to regular medication. However, we suggest you only take it under the supervision of a professional. Taking IVs without help could expose you to unnecessary risks.
Other Tips You Can Follow to Relieve Nausea
Getting rid of nausea immediately is great, but that doesn’t mean it won’t return. If you truly want to make your treatment as safe as possible, make sure to incorporate a few of these tips into your routine:
Eat Smaller Meals
What happens when you feel nauseous? You’ll probably avoid eating until you feel better. It sounds logical, but it can actually make things worse.
Nausea can (and probably will) worsen if you’re on an empty stomach. The longer you wait to eat, the worse the side effects will be.
What’s the solution? You must keep eating normally. A great tip to manage this is to start eating smaller meals. You’re more likely to feel nauseous after eating too much.
Instead of eating three or four big meals, consider smaller ones while increasing their frequency. A great rule of thumb is to eat shortly after waking up. Once you’re done, you can eat the rest of your meals every three to four hours.
Ideally, you’ll deal with five to six meals per day. It may take you some time to get used to the routine, but it’ll be worth it.
Change Your Diet
When was the last time you changed your diet? Your nausea may be partially due to the food you’re eating. Eat foods with a lot of water, such as soups. They’re much easier on your body.
You can also consider dry carbohydrates and meals with minimal seasoning. That’s right; you should forget about spicy foods for a while.
There’s no need to feel miserable because of your diet. You can still eat delicious meals while avoiding side effects. As you start feeling better, you could incorporate other meals into your diet.
Another tip we want to give you is to avoid foods that trigger nausea and other side effects. Usually, these include high-fiber/fat foods like:
Avocado
Nuts
Heavy creams
Whole grains
Beans
Legumes
Full-fat dairy
You should also avoid taking large portions of vegetables and raw fruits.
Change Your Dosage
Nausea symptoms could be partially due to the dosage. Sometimes, your body may not tolerate the higher doses of semaglutide. It’s important to tell the difference between your body adjusting and rejecting the medicine.
If your side effects don’t improve after some time, you may want to discuss a dosage adjustment. Once you feel better, you could get the dosage up again.
Avoid Lying Down
Lying down after a meal could make it harder for your body to digest the food. This leads to acid reflux and nausea.
Instead, consider staying upright until your body finishes digesting the food. It’s also possible to sit at an incline.
Consider Home Remedies
Home remedies aren’t magic tools, but they can save you in some cases. You can make ginger tea and ease the symptoms. All you have to do is cut a slice of fresh ginger and pour boiling water on top of it.
If hot drinks aren’t your thing, you can also take ice-cold water.
Even though we’re encouraging you to consider these methods, try not to drink too much during your meals. Sometimes, you could satiate yourself earlier because you filled up on liquids. This isn’t ideal during weight loss treatments.
Are There Other Side Effects You Should Worry About?
Nausea is one of many side effects of semaglutide. All bodies are different, so there’s no way to guarantee which side effects you’ll get. If you’re lucky, you may not even feel anything at all.
Other common side effects to be aware of include:
Diarrhea
Stomach pain
Constipation
Low blood sugar levels
Dizziness
Gassiness
Most of the time, these side effects are nothing too severe to worry about. We recommend you take it easy and evaluate what could be causing your symptoms.
If the discomfort is too much to handle, seek professional help.
Bottom Line
Semaglutide is an excellent medication for promoting weight loss. Not only does it control blood sugar levels, but it also helps people deal with their cravings. All of these benefits unite to create excellent weight loss results.
Remember that nausea is only a mild side effect most of the time. Be careful with your treatment, and you will not have any problems.
If you’re ready to buy your first dose of semaglutide, make sure to look for reputable vendors. At SEMA.bio and SemaGenex, you can find alternatives that suit a range of budgets and needs.
Meta Description: Are you struggling with nausea effects after taking Semaglutide? Follow this guide to ease the symptoms and have a safer treatment experience.
