Am I a Good Candidate to use Semaglutide?

Most people hear about nausea, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, and reduced appetite, especially during dose increases.

The most common are gastrointestinal: nausea, decreased appetite, feeling full quickly, constipation, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, reflux, and sometimes vomiting. These are most likely when starting or increasing the dose.

GLP-1s slow stomach emptying and change appetite signals. When your body is adjusting, symptoms can flare up, then often improve as you stabilize on a dose.

We typically manage this with:

• A low starting dose and gradual increases
• Simple food rules: smaller portions, slower eating, lower-fat meals
• Hydration goals
• Timing guidance around injections
  If symptoms persist, we can hold the dose longer or step back a dose.

We focus on prevention first: water intake, fiber, movement, and a bowel routine. If needed, we recommend specific over-the-counter options based on your situation and medications, and we adjust the dose pace if constipation is significant.

We look at triggers (fatty foods, large meals, alcohol, rapid dose increases), hydration, and electrolytes. If it is ongoing or severe, we pause escalation, consider a dose adjustment, and check for other causes.

One episode can happen during adjustment, but repeated vomiting is a sign to contact us. We will review your dosing, your meal pattern, and your symptoms, and we may hold the next dose or reduce the dose until you stabilize.

Yes. That is why we titrate slowly and do check-ins. If side effects are interfering with daily life, we slow down, hold, or reduce the dose rather than pushing through.

Most of the time it is about pacing and habits:

Contact us promptly for:

• Severe or persistent abdominal pain
• Repeated vomiting with inability to keep fluids down
• Signs of dehydration (dizziness, very dark urine, fainting)
• Allergic reaction symptoms (hives, swelling, trouble breathing)
• Any symptom that feels sudden, severe, or different from expected adjustment effects

Many people notice improvement within days to a couple of weeks after starting or after a dose increase, especially when dose changes are gradual and eating patterns are adjusted.

FDA-approved GLP-1 medications used for weight management include a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors and are contraindicated for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or MEN2. Your clinician will also screen for other risks based on your history.

Follow the pharmacy’s instructions exactly. In general, proper storage temperature, protection from heat/light, and using clean injection techniques matter. If something looks off (cloudy, particles, broken seal, unclear label), don’t use it and contact the dispensing pharmacy or your clinic.