Does semaglutide affect your period?

These days, semaglutide medications — specifically, Ozempic and Wegovy — have practically become household names. These GLP-1s are best known for their weight loss effects, but of course, they're not without other side effects. For instance, does semaglutide affect your period? There is no research that the drug itself messes with your period, but weight loss from semaglutide (or from other causes) can. 

Here's what you need to know about semaglutide and the menstrual cycle. 

Semaglutide can affect your period — indirectly. Research on this topic is limited, but no clinical trial data suggest that semaglutide affects your period. Common semaglutide side effects do not include missed periods, irregular periods, spotting, or any other symptom of menstrual cycle disruption. 

However, science shows a clear link between weight loss and changes in the menstrual cycle. So whether you're on semaglutide or not, you're not alone if your period got a bit wonky after a significant change in body weight.

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Does semaglutide affect your period? Again, there is no evidence that it directly impacts your menstrual cycle. But since semaglutide can cause significant, rapid weight loss, which can mess with your menstrual cycle, you may experience irregular cycles or even skip a period while using this medication. 

While there's no guarantee that semaglutide will affect your period at all, here are some ways body weight changes from the medication might affect your cycle.

Skipped periods

A 2023 research review mentioned that losing 10%--15% of your body weight in a short period of time can cause amenorrhea, the medical term for missed periods. 

And you can certainly lose a lot of weight on semaglutide. In clinical trials of Wegovy (a semaglutide medication), participants lost an average of 15% of their body weight (approximately 33 pounds, though individual results varied) within 68 weeks. 

Now, let’s be very clear: Missed periods aren’t a direct effect of semaglutide. But some people taking the medication do, in fact, experience them because of the rapid weight loss from the drug.

Irregular periods

That same research review found that weight loss-related amenorrhea can last for months or even years. Whether you miss one period or several periods over the course of a year, periods that have become less regular are, by definition, irregular periods. When your menstrual cycle varies from month to month due to recent weight loss, it can be tough to predict your next period. 

Point being: Semaglutide itself won't cause irregular periods. But it's not out of the ordinary to have irregular periods for a few months after reducing your body weight with the help of semaglutide. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any changes in your menstrual cycle.

Lighter flow

There isn't any evidence that semaglutide directly causes lighter periods. But research shows that obesity can increase the risk of heavy, painful periods. (FYI, heavy menstruation requires changing pads or tampons every 1–2 hours.) So, theoretically, if you have obesity and heavy periods, losing weight with the help of semaglutide may lighten your flow. 

Shorter periods

For some people, a heavy period means soaking through many pads or tampons in a day. For others, it involves bleeding for 8–10 days (vs. the average of 3–7 days). Sound like you? Unfortunately, semaglutide won’t shorten your period. But if your heavy flow is caused by obesity or overweight, reducing your body weight with the help of semaglutide might do the trick. 

More regulated periods 

Obesity isn't just linked to heavier periods. Having a high body mass index (BMI) can also cause irregular periods by disrupting hormonal balance. There’s no guarantee, but in theory, this means losing weight on semaglutide could help restore more regular periods. 

People diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are even more likely to notice a more predictable cycle after losing weight on Wegovy or Ozempic. In a study of 27 women with obesity and  PCOS, about 80% of participants reported more regular periods after taking low doses of semaglutide for three consecutive months.

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Lower PMS risk

There's no evidence that semaglutide itself can improve premenstrual syndrome (PMS). But research has linked having a high BMI — 27 or more — with a high PMS risk. Hypothetically, reducing your BMI by losing weight on semaglutide could dial down your risk of experiencing PMS symptoms like mood swings, irritability, bloating, and breast pain.

In other words, any potential decrease in PMS symptoms could be an indirect effect of the weight loss experienced with Wegovy or Ozempic.

Improved fertility

Fertility is a well-documented challenge for many people with obesity. A high BMI, along with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle, can impede your body's ability to get and stay pregnant. 

So, what does that have to do with semaglutide? First, it’s important to know that there is no evidence to support semaglutide as a treatment for infertility. However, it is possible that losing weight with semaglutide could improve overall health, and a healthier lifestyle boosts the odds of a healthy pregnancy.

Infertility

While it's true that healthy weight loss can improve fertility, it's also true that significant, rapid weight loss can mess with ovulation, making it harder to get pregnant. 

Here's the gist: Ovulation is the part of your cycle when the ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube. If you're trying to get pregnant, you might know that this is the prime time and place for a meet-cute between egg and sperm. 

But if recent body weight changes have messed with your cycle, it's difficult to predict your "fertile window." Finally, it's also true that weight loss-related amenorrhea might involve skipping ovulation entirely. This equates to a missed period — and a missed opportunity for conception, if that is your goal. In most cases, these changes are temporary, and your menstrual cycle may return to normal as your body adjusts to the new weight.

Again, not directly. There is no evidence that semaglutide itself causes missed periods. But weight loss-related amenorrhea is absolutely a thing. Semaglutide causes weight loss, so it makes sense that some women on semaglutide report missed periods.

Minor menstrual cycle changes on semaglutide, such as a lighter-than-normal period or bleeding that stops a day or two before expected, are not usually cause for concern. Some cycle changes can even be a positive sign, like when losing body weight helps regulate your periods or lighten up a heavy, painful flow. 

That said, persistent, painful, or significant cycle changes should be reported to a healthcare professional. Skipping several periods, bleeding between periods, or experiencing heavier or prolonged bleeding can be signs of underlying health conditions. For instance, missed periods can indicate that you're undernourished — or even that you're pregnant. Mid-cycle spotting or increasingly heavy periods can be a red flag for polyps, hormone imbalance, bleeding disorders, and more.

Ultimately, you know your body best. Dealing with a missed period? Consider taking a pregnancy test — it can’t hurt. It’s always a good idea to seek personalized medical advice if you're concerned about period changes on semaglutide. Cycle changes may be simply caused by semaglutide-related weight loss, but they may also be a symptom of a more serious health condition. And if you are experiencing missed periods, your healthcare provider may want to reduce your semaglutide dosing.

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Some Wegovy users and Ozempic users say that being on these semaglutide drugs changed their menstrual cycles. But can semaglutide affect your period? Only indirectly.

Here's the recap:

• There's no direct connection between semaglutide and the menstrual cycle. There's no research suggesting that semaglutide messes with your period. The mostcommon semaglutide side effects are gastrointestinal, not gynecological.

• Weight loss from semaglutide can impact your cycle. Studies have shown that significant weight loss can cause changes in the menstrual cycle, ranging from missed periods and lighter flow to fertility changes and more regular periods.

• It's a good idea to report persistent changes to your provider. Weight loss from semaglutide can impact your cycle, but missed periods, spotting, and increased bleeding might also indicate a health problem like PCOS or polyps. Talk to a healthcare professional if you notice any significant or persistent cycle changes.