How do you stop feeling sick on Wegovy?

Feeling sick on Wegovy, especially at the beginning of treatment, can be a common experience. Just take it from research: Nearly half (44%) of people reported nausea in clinical trials of the highest dosage of the drug. 

While the queasiness tends to be at its worst during the first 4–5 weeks, it can continue for months. So, how do you stop feeling sick on Wegovy until then? Follow these tips:

1. Stay hydrated

2. Stop eating once you feel full

3. Eat smaller meals, more frequently

4. Stay away from triggering foods and drinks

5. Avoid lying down after you eat

6. Try ginger or mint

7. Check in with your healthcare provider

Below, we’ll break down each of these tactics and share why they can be so effective at relieving an upset stomach on Wegovy.

Staying hydrated is one of the top tactics for avoiding nausea and reducing the impact of diarrhea and other common gastrointestinal (GI) side effects of Wegovy on your body. 

However, because the drug makes you feel fuller, people often end up drinking less than they did before starting treatment. This can make them even more at risk of feeling queasy on Wegovy. 

So, how much should you drink on Wegovy? Approximately 8–10 cups of water or clear, sugar-free liquids every day. 

Now, that may be easier said than done. So, here are a few helpful tips to make sure you’re getting enough fluids on Wegovy: 

• Aim for cold water or other flat, clear, sugar-free beverages (carbonation can sometimes worsen nausea).

• Spruce up your glass of H20 with lemon or fruit slices.

• Sneak in additional hydration through water-rich foods, such as soups, yogurt, popsicles, gelatin (Jell-O).

• Replenish your electrolytes if you vomit. Consider trying unsweetened coconut water in moderation. 

• Sip, don’t gulp. Since Wegovy slows down digestion, taking huge gulps of water can overload your system, making you feel even fuller and, in turn, more nauseated. 

FYI, when taking Wegovy, it’s best to slowly sip water 30–60 minutes before or after you eat.

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When you start taking Wegovy, you’ll likely start to have fewer cravings, get full sooner, and feel more in control over your eating — all welcome changes that can lead to weight loss. But this process can be gradual, taking place over a period of weeks to months as you slowly increase your dosage of the medication. 

Eventually, Wegovy can help you tune in to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Before the full effects of the drug kick in, however, you may keep eating the same amount as you did before — even though your stomach now feels physically full much sooner. This can result in that uncomfortable, too-full feeling that can lead to or worsen nausea. 

To avoid feeling sick on Wegovy, practice mindful eating. It can help you learn to recognize your body’s fullness signals on your own so you don’t overeat. (And research shows it can make you enjoy your meal more!)

Other tried-and-true tips:

• Pay attention to how you feel during a meal. Stop eating once you feel full. 

• Don’t worry about clearing your plate. You can always save leftovers for later!

• Avoid doing other activities while you eat, such as reading or watching TV.

• Focus on the meal in front of you, enjoying how it tastes and feels while you chew slowly and savor each bite. 

Because Wegovy slows down digestion, it takes longer for food to exit your stomach and enter the small intestine. This means you may very well feel like you just licked your plate clean even when you still have plenty of forkfuls to go. 

But here’s the thing: Even if there is more on your plate, eating past the state of fullness can cause or exacerbate nausea on Wegovy.

Steer clear of feeling sick on Wegovy by eating smaller meals more often during the day, as opposed to larger meals less often. 

For example, if you used to eat three main meals per day, try splitting them up into 6–8 smaller ones, and see if that offers you some relief. 

Here’s an example schedule you could follow on your Wegovy diet:

• 7 a.m.: small breakfast

• 10 a.m.: snack

• 12:30 p.m.: light lunch

• 3 p.m.: snack 

• 6 p.m.: dinner 

• 8 p.m: snack

While no food is officially off limits when taking Wegovy, there are some items you may want to avoid during treatment. This is especially true if you’re dealing with digestive woes or want to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Of course, the following is just a blanket list, and results may vary based on the individual.

Foods to avoid when feeling nauseated on Wegovy:

• Foods high in saturated fats (e.g. fatty meats, full-fat dairy products)

• Sugary foods and beverages (e.g. candies, sodas)

• High-sodium foods (e.g. canned soups, cold cuts)

• Greasy, fried, and processed foods (e.g. french fries, potato chips)

• Spicy foods

• Foods with strong smells

• Caffeine 

• Alcohol

• Carbonated beverages

If you’re feeling sick on Wegovy, eat bland foods instead:

• Crackers

• Toast

• English muffins

• Baked chicken or fish

• Potatoes

• Noodles

• Rice 

• Soup 

• Apples 

Be sure to check in with your healthcare provider if your diet feels too limited to ensure you are still getting the proper types and amounts of required nutrients.

Bonus tip: Food-related smells and loud noises can worsen nausea, too. So, you might want to eat at your desk instead of the break room if a coworker often brings a tuna salad sandwich for lunch and another speaks at an octave that rivals a fire alarm. 

When you’re nauseated, you may feel like simply lying down on the couch or even your bed will make it all better. But try to avoid the temptation to go horizontal, especially if you just ate, as it can worsen your symptoms and make you feel more sick on Wegovy. 

Instead, stay upright and sit quietly until you feel better. Or you can take a 10–15 minute post-meal walk. 

A gentle stroll after a meal, ideally in fresh air, is one of the best things you can do to avoid nausea on Wegovy. It may also help relieve other GI side effects of Wegovy, such as:

• Bloating

• Belching

• Flatulence

• Stomach pain

When it comes to relieving nausea, there are two superfoods you should know about: ginger and mint. If you consume them on the day you inject Wegovy, make sure to eat them at least 30 minutes after your injection for the best effects.

Ginger for nausea relief

Ginger is one of the most popular herbal remedies for nausea and can be found as a whole food and in ginger chews and teas. 

For persistent nausea on Wegovy, however, you might want to consider a ginger supplement from a reliable source (available as a capsule, powder, or liquid extract). Check with your healthcare provider first to make sure your symptoms aren’t a sign of something else. 

And remember, supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So make sure you are buying them from a reputable source. When in doubt, fresh ginger is always an option.

Quick tip: For ginger supplements, 1,500 mg per day (split into two to three doses) has been shown to be one of the most effective doses for nausea relief. 

Mint as an anti-nausea remedy

Another anti-nausea strategy is to incorporate mint into your routine, such as by adding some mint leaves to your salad or glass of water. You can also enjoy nausea relief through mint aromatherapy, according to studies of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and after surgery. 

Note: Avoid mint if you experience significant acid reflux, as mint could worsen those symptoms. 

If you give either ginger or mint a try and find it is not working out for you, discontinue them. What’s most important is for you to feel as good as possible.

Despite your best efforts, your digestive distress just won’t go away? Then, it’s high time to contact your healthcare provider. 

You should contact your provider about feeling sick on Wegovy if: 

• You’ve made efforts to relieve nausea on Wegovy and you still feel sick

• Your nausea becomes more frequent or severe

• You’re experiencing other symptoms such as persistent vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain

If you’re still ramping up to your maintenance dosage of Wegovy, your provider can take that process more slowly or even return to a lower dosage before trying a higher one again later. They can also recommend anti-nausea medications such as Zofran (ondansetron) to help ease your symptoms temporarily. 

Depending on your tolerance for Wegovy, your healthcare provider may recommend switching to another GLP-1 medication for weight loss, such as:

• Zepbound (tirzepatide)

• Saxenda (liraglutide)

While other drugs in this class are also known to cause GI side effects, such as nausea, your body may react differently to each one. So, attempting a different medication might be worth a try.  

If you’ve read any reviews of Wegovy, you’re probably aware that nausea is a common side effect. 

Typical timeline for nausea on Wegovy:

• Weeks 1–5: Nausea is most likely to occur

• Weeks 6–20: Nausea may continue through month five, especially when dosages are increased

• Weeks 20+: Nausea should lessen in frequency and intensity

In particular, research suggests that nausea is most common during the first 4–5 weeks. 

But it can remain frequent all the way through week 20 (the start of month five), at which point the nausea gradually goes away on its own. This is right about the time that you may reach the highest dosage of Wegovy, if you follow a standard dosing schedule. 

The duration of nausea can vary on Wegovy. Some people may experience episodes lasting eight+ days, while others can have nausea that goes away after about 48 hours and sometimes even sooner. Keep in mind, your experience could vary and could depend on factors unique to your own body. 

If your nausea is persistent or severe, contact your healthcare provider. If it’s accompanied by other symptoms such as severe stomach pain or vomiting that makes it hard to keep food or water down, seek emergency medical attention.

While nausea is by far the most common side effect of Wegovy, it’s not the only one. Here is a more comprehensive list:

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Constipation

• Abdominal pain

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Upset stomach or indigestion

• Dizziness

• Bloating

• Belching

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in people with type 2 diabetes

• Flatulence

• Stomach flu

• Heartburn

• Common cold

When do these side effects improve?

Most Wegovy side effects tend to go away on their own with time as your body adjusts to the medication. They’re typically at their worst during the first 20 weeks (five months) of taking Wegovy. Side effects are especially bad right after going up on your Wegovy dose.  

You may not even experience all of these side effects, but they were all reported by at least 5% of people in clinical trials. 

How long do individual side effects last?

While your mileage may vary, here’s the average duration of individual side effects reported by people in clinical trials of Wegovy:

• Vomiting: 2 days

• Diarrhea: 3 days

• Nausea: 5 days 

• Constipation: 27 days

Of Wegovy’s GI side effects, constipation tends to last the longest before finally leveling off around week four.

3 additional tips for managing GI side effects on Wegovy

In the meantime, follow these three tips to feel less sick while taking Wegovy:

• Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated can help relieve nausea and reduce the severity of vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, belching, and flatulence. Take care to drink in small sips and avoid using a straw. Steer clear of soft drinks and carbonated beverages, which can worsen GI symptoms, and opt for water or decaffeinated tea instead.

• Stay active. Regular exercise is recommended when taking Wegovy. Doing anything vigorous may not be the best idea when you’re feeling sick on Wegovy, but light exercise — such as a short walk after a meal — can help relieve nausea and gassiness. If you’re dealing with a lot of constipation, increasing your physical activity can help get things moving.

• Watch your fiber intake. High-fiber foods can be great for weight loss since they boost feelings of fullness. But depending on your symptoms, you may want to eat more — or less — of the nutrient. Fibrous foods like whole grains, nuts, and veggies can lead to more diarrhea, bloating, and flatulence in some people. If you’re experiencing constipation, on the other hand, they can help clear things up.

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Wegovy can produce impressive weight loss results — and, in a much less positive sense, impressive side effects. Nausea is the most commonly reported symptom among people taking the drug. It often starts to go away after you’ve reached your maintenance dosage of Wegovy, if not sooner. Until you reach that point, there are ways to stop feeling sick on Wegovy. 

• Staying hydrated. Aim for 8–10 cups of water and clear liquids per day. Sip slowly throughout the day — ideally between meals but not during them — to ease symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.

• Eating smaller meals, more often. Because Wegovy slows digestion, eating smaller portions spaced out during the day can help prevent that too-full, sick feeling. 

• Avoiding foods and drinks that trigger nausea. Steer clear of greasy, spicy, and highly processed foods as well as carbonated drinks, caffeine, and alcohol, especially if they make your nausea worse. 

• Trying ginger or mint. Both are known to help relieve nausea and can easily be incorporated into your routine, be it as a supplement, food, beverage, or even aromatherapy. Avoid mint if you experience acid reflux symptoms.

• Talk to your healthcare provider. If your symptoms won’t go away or if they worsen, consult your healthcare provider. They can adjust your dose, prescribe anti-nausea medication while you get used to Wegovy, or recommend another GLP-1 if needed. In extreme cases you might need to go to the ER for IV fluids.