Common Side Effects (Both Medications) Gastrointestinal Effects (Most Common): Nausea (Zepbound: 25-29%, Wegovy: 24-44%) Diarrhea (Zepbound: 19-21%, Wegovy: 7-30%) Vomiting (Zepbound: 12%, Wegovy: 24%) Constipation (Zepbound: 12-17%, Wegovy: 14-24%) Abdominal pain or discomfort Indigestion and acid reflux General Side Effects: Fatigue or tiredness (approximately 4% of patients) Headache (more common with Wegovy) Dizziness Hair loss (temporary in most cases) Injection Site Reactions: Redness, itching, or bruising at injection site Slightly more common with Zepbound Managing Common Side Effects The good news is that most side effects are: Mild to moderate in severity Most pronounced during the initial weeks of treatment Tend to decrease as your body adjusts to the medication Manageable with proper strategies Practical Tips to Minimize Side Effects: Start Low, Go Slow: Both medications use gradual dose escalation specifically to minimize side effects Dietary Modifications: Eat smaller, more frequent meals
Overall, as GLP-1RAs become increasingly prescribed, further pharmacovigilance studies are warranted
One area of interest is whether semaglutide could help manage glaucoma or reduce the risk of it
Given the importance of accompanying nutritional and lifestyle support for GLP-1s, treatment and outcome disparities will likely be further magnified by disparities in access to and use of these supports
All this means that semaglutide lowers blood sugar levels by imitating the response of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1 and stimulating insulin secretion
