Ozempic Can Cause Nausea: Here’s How to Get Relief - GoodRx (2024)

Ozempic (semaglutide) is an FDA-approved injectable medication that can be used to treat Type 2 diabetes. It can help control blood sugar and lower the risk of diabetes-related complications like heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.

Ozempic is able to do this because it’s a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) agonist. That means it helps the pancreas release more insulin and stops the liver from making extra sugar. This helps people manage their blood sugars. Ozempic also slows how fast the stomach empties, which can make people feel fuller longer and lower appetite.

But Ozempic can also cause some unpleasant side effects. Nausea is one of the most common Ozempic-related side effects. During clinical trials, about 1 in 5 people reported feeling nauseated while taking Ozempic. Nausea usually kicks in 8 to 12 weeks after people start taking Ozempic.

If you’re experiencing nausea while taking Ozempic, don’t give up on the medication just yet. There are ways to manage and even avoid Ozempic-related nausea. Here are some tips that can give you long-lasting relief.

Why does Ozempic cause nausea?

It’s not totally clear but it may have to do with Ozempic’s effect on the gut.

In clinical trials, nausea was the most commonly reported side effect of taking Ozempic. About 20% of participants (or 1 in 5 people) reported having nausea. The next most common side effects were vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. But only 5% to 10% of people reported these side effects. The next most common set of side effects were constipation and gassiness.

What do all these things have in common? They’re all types of stomach or gut upset. Remember, Ozempic slows down how quickly the stomach empties. It’s possible that slowing down the gut so food stays in the stomach longer leads to extra pressure inside the abdomen and stretching of the nerves around the gut.

This may trigger unpleasant side effects like nausea, vomiting, and other stomach issues. But since these side effects can take 8 to 12 weeks to start, it’s not entirely clear if this completely explains the side effects. As time goes on, research will likely clarify exactly why Ozempic causes nausea.

The good news is that while nausea is the most common Ozempic-related side effect, it’s also usually mild and goes away on its own.

How long does Ozempic-related nausea usually last?

Nausea from Ozempic usually only lasts a few weeks. For most people, the nausea gradually goes away as their body gets used to taking Ozempic.

But studies show that nausea can return each time Ozempic doses are increased. So if your dose is increased, it’s possible for nausea to return even after you’ve started feeling better.

How can you find relief from Ozempic-induced nausea?

If you’re experiencing nausea from taking Ozempic, there are things you can do to keep yourself comfortable as you wait for the side effect to go away. There’s also ways to lower your risk of developing nausea in the future.

1. Use the lowest possible dose of Ozempic

Studies show that people taking higher doses of Ozempic are more likely to experience nausea. If you’re taking a lower dose, you’re less likely to experience nausea. Some people may need higher doses of Ozempic to achieve blood sugar control.

But if your blood sugar is responding well to your current dose, talk with your healthcare provider about whether you can stay on your current dose and not go up. This will also help you avoid the wave of nausea that can be triggered by dose increases.

2. Go up on your Ozempic dose slowly

If you need a higher dose of Ozempic, increase your dose slowly. The typical starting dose for Ozempic is 0.25 mg once a week. The maximum dose of Ozempic is 2 mg once a week. That means your dose may go up as many as 8 times. At first, you may need to increase your dose every week.

Going up on your dose slowly may lower your risk of developing Ozempic-related nausea and other side effects. Right now, it’s not clear how slowly you need to increase your dose in order to avoid side effects. More information will likely be available over time.

3. Avoid foods that worsen Ozempic-related side effects

Some foods can trigger or worsen Ozempic-related side effects, including nausea. Limiting or avoiding these types of foods can lessen your nausea or help you avoid it altogether. Foods and drinks to avoid include:

• Greasy foods that are high in fat

• Food and drinks that are high in sugar

• Ultra-processed foods

• Refined carbohydrates

• Alcohol

4. Listen to your body

Ozempic makes people feel fuller faster and can also change people’s appetites. These two things are fundamental to how people engage with food. This new normal means that you’ll need to retrain how you approach meals. It may take a while to learn how much you can eat before you feel full. But figuring out this new point keeps you from overeating and avoiding side effects like nausea.

Start out by reducing the size of your meals. For example, create your plate like you normally would for any meal. Then take half of it off. Eat slowly and when you’re done, see if you feel full. If you’re still hungry, you can slowly have more of your remaining half portion. Take note of when you feel like you’re no longer hungry. That will help you determine how big your portions should be going forward. Remember, this may change as you adjust your Ozempic dose.

5. Try a home remedy or medication that relieves nausea

While the previous tips can help you relieve nausea in the long term, they won’t do much in the moment when you’re feeling terrible.

For quick nausea relief, you can turn to home remedies like ginger, which has been shown to reduce nausea. You can try sipping on ginger tea. Or you can try supplements that contain ginger or chewing on a piece of pure ginger. Just remember to avoid ginger ale, which is high in sugar and can worsen nausea.

There are also prescription medications that can address nausea. You can talk with your healthcare provider about prescription options like ondansetron (Zofran) and metoclopramide (Reglan). It’s not yet clear if prescription medications that help relieve nausea from motion sickness can help lessen nausea from taking Ozempic.