Susan Maria Leach
Glow Weight Loss
glowweightloss.com
Founder of Bariatric Eating
Author Before and After - Living & Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (HarperCollins Publishers)
The real scoop on Social Media reported side effects when taking GLP1 medications - Ozempic, Wegovy, Semaglutide, Mounjaro, Zepbound and Tirzepatide is that a vast majority of people do not have any negative side effects. None.
Wegovy and Ozempic also known as Semaglutide, Mounjaro and Zepbound also known as Tirzepatide, are all medications that have created a media frenzy due to their effectiveness in helping people lose weight. When Kelly Clarkson dropped 70 pounds in months and then said it was Pilates and Eating Well, we all knew the truth. When the Kardashians became practically skeletal in 2023, we all knew that this time, it wasn't plastic surgery, it was 'Ozempic'.
Any time there is a huge Positive Buzz, the Negative Jealous Hags come out to squash the joy. What is the truth? Is all the weight loss at the high cost of feeling sick? Don't believe it! Of all the people I know who are taking GLP1 meds, not a single one has had any of the nasty side effects people LOVE to complain about on Social Media. Not one.
Not everyone feels or suffers from side effects. In fact most feel very little other than excitement when taking these ‘magic’ medications. So please take what you read online with a grain of salt and don’t allow the drama to scare you. The more horrible the headline, the higher the number of clicks.
In the medical trials for these medications, the adverse side effects reported by those taking the placebo were almost the same percentage as for those taking the actual medication. Please read that last sentence again. People taking the fake injection in the test group reported nearly the same small percentages of nausea, vomiting, and headaches as those taking the real medication.
Even if you do have some of these side effects is very unlikely you will experience anything you can’t handle with a couple of Tylenol, cleaning up your food choices and drinking more water. Good news is that your behavior and habits have usually caused these side effects.
Let’s chat about the most common side effects associated with GLP1 medications and discuss some solutions for minimizing them or better yet avoiding them in the first place.
Whether you are considering or already using Semaglutide as a Compound, Ozempic or Wegovy, or Tirzepatide as a Compound, Mounjaro or Zepbound, our suggestions will help you make informed decisions about your GLP1 weight loss path. As always, we have been there and done that and offer you first hand experience!
What are the most common reported side effects of GLP1 medications?
1. Headaches
Headaches are one of the most common side effects of taking GLP1 meds. They can be caused by dehydration, low blood sugar, or your body just not yet used to the change in hormones. If you’re experiencing headaches alongside nausea, you are probably dehydrated.
Fortunately, headaches magically go away by drinking plenty of plain water. In this case, nothing beats plain water - not soda, not juice, not Gatorade, not iced coffee drinks. Those expensive drink packets touted to be liquid IV’s are not much more than hype. They may make a difference if you are training for a half marathon or hiking the Grand Canyon, or during your second pickleball game in a row... but not needed if your major output was walking from the car to your office. Save your money.
I have experienced headaches using Mounjaro, Zepbound and Tirzepatide, usually the second night after my injection. They are caused by dehydration as on day two I don't feel much like eating or drinking. I will wake up and notice I have a mild headache. I will get out of bed and drink a bottle of water from my fridge to wash down a couple of Tylenol, give it time to percolate through my stomach and go back to bed. Self inflicted side effect.
Eating small protein centric meals, instead of carbs will help stabilize your blood sugar and avoid the headaches associated with low blood sugar. If I have a headache, a bottle of water and a hard cooked egg with bagel seasoning is helpful, whereas a banana will make it worse.
2. Nausea
Nausea and dry heaving are a more common GLP1 side effect as these drugs work by slowing down the emptying of the stomach. We no longer feel hunger or hear food noise so we don’t feel like eating.Often nausea means you waited too long to eat - a Protein Drink is almost a sure cure for nausea. If it’s too sweet, try using a straw. GLOW Protein is a thin, smooth, small volume shot of protein that is easy to consume and tastes great. Highly recommend it!
Here are a few ways you can settle your stomach without taking medication. Its always better to solve the cause than treat the problem.
* Eat plain, non spicy foods
* Avoid fried or high fat foods
* Choose soup for its high water content
* Drink at least 6 cups of water daily, no excuses as this time it matters
* Eat slowly
* Don’t lie down immediately after eating, eat earlier so food clears before bedtime
* Take a walk and get some fresh air
* Sip an herbal Chamomile or Ginger tea - Yogi or Twinings brands are available from Amazon
* Use ginger chews - there are drops or soft chews available from Amazon. The Ginger People is an excellent brand and offers several ways to use ginger, Gin Gins are a hard candy that is very effective.
If these preventative tips aren’t working and nausea persists, contact your doctor. They may be able to prescribe an anti-emetic to help ease your symptoms.
3. Heartburn
Heartburn and acid reflux are also caused by the way the drug affects your digestive system by slowing the movement of your food. Undigested food remains in the stomach longer, we over fill our bariatric pouch and the food is essentially in our esophagus and not moving anytime soon.
Changing food choices will usually ease your symptoms. Cut down on caffeine and eat foods that are less spicy and not as high in fat. Fast food and processed foods often cause heartburn when paired with the slowing of digestion.
Changing habits helps too. I usually eat an early supper but when I eat a romaine lettuce salad, the raw vegetables do not digest, so when I lay down the food burps up into my esophagus and mouth. It’s awful. I had to stop eating salads for supper. No more Salmon Caesars! Cooked vegetables do not have this unpleasant effect for me.
Antacids like Tums help relieve symptoms of minor pain and discomfort caused by conditions such as heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux for a few hours. However, you are always better off figuring out the cause of the problem instead of treating the after effects. Adjusting your food choices is a better approach.
4. Diarrhea
When you’re taking semaglutides or tirzepatide for weight loss, diarrhea is another, albeit less common side effect of this medication.
If you have diarrhea take a look at what you have eaten. The problem is usually caused by a run through a McDonalds drive through. Continuing to eat garbage food is the main reason for diarrhea. If this is your oops reason, you just have to wait it out.
Drinking lots of water can help eliminate or manage the issue while the body eliminates the offending food and gets used to the medication.
If your diarrhea is persistent and even over the counter meds such as Immodium are not working, contact your doctor or healthcare team.
5. Constipation
Constipation is the most common and real side effect of GLP1 medications, as they slow the digestion pathway to make us feel more full for a longer time. If you experience difficult and painful bowel movements, do not have a bowel movement for several days, or feel constantly bloated and uncomfortable, you are constipated.Move quickly before a minor issue turns into a bigger problem. In fact, it’s easier and infinitely smarter to prevent constipation than to wait for it to happen.
Eating a balanced diet with fiber from fruits and vegetables, and staying hydrated can help to prevent constipation. In addition, you’ve got to move your body, even just a walk in the morning or evening will help keep things moving along through your digestive system.
Here at Glow, those of us taking GLP meds are fans of GlowGo Natural Colon Cleanse for Constipation Relief. which are specialized Oxygenated Magnesium capsules. Many completely avoid constipation by taking one GlowGo capsule before bedtime with at least eight ounces of water.
If you are already constipated and can count the days since your last bowel movement, take three GlowGo capsules at bedtime with water to get things moving in the morning. The form of magnesium used in this over the counter remedy, is not easily absorbed so it moves through the intestine and colon, dragging along everything with it. If taking three capsules does not produce results in the morning, repeat the next night using four capsules, or if needed a third time repeat with five capsules. Then remain on the daily dose of one capsule to keep things moving until your body stays regular on its own.
GlowGo is not a harsh stimulant laxative, so it’s safe for longer term use as well as being incredibly effective. I also keep Dulcolax and or Senecot Laxative tablets on hand in case I need them as well.
If these remedies don’t help you, let your doctor know or you could end up in an Emergency Room for a manual extraction, which is every bit as bad as it sounds.
6. Gas and bloating
Gas and bloating can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Most intestinal gas and oral belching are caused by your food choices. Slowing of the food passage means what you are eating is actually rotting in your GI tract, which creates gas that escapes via one end or the other, sometimes both.As with some of the other symptoms we discuss here, gas can be reduced by eating slowly, eating a balanced diet, avoiding fast foods and processed foods, eating a little less and more often, and getting some form of regular exercise.
Avoid foods that are well known for causing flatulence, such as beans, raw vegetables, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, plus laying off the soda and other carbonated beverages, which introduce more gas into your system. Cheese and dairy may also be the cause. Pay attention and find the food that causes your stomach issue and then at least you know what to avoid.
Do these side effects go away?
As is the case with many medications, side effects don’t last for long. The reason you being taking a ‘baby’ dose of the meds is so that any side effects are minimal and easily handled.
Any side effects you may experience from the Semaglutide or Tirzepatide injection will likely lessen or disappear once your body adjusts to the medication.
Your old familiar bariatric best friends have a new group on Facebook to help people who are stuck in Bariatric Surgery Mode find their way out of the hole! Read some of the blog posts to give yourself a base and then ask away.
Click to Join GLOW Bariatric Chat for Zepbound™, Mounjaro ™, Ozempic™, & Wegovy™ on Facebook.
