Does Ozempic make you tired?

Ozempic (semaglutide) is practically a permanent fixture in today’s discourse—so much so that it seems like everyone (patients or not) is familiar with at least the basics of the drug. What remains murky for many, however, are the lesser-known side effects, such as heartburn and headaches. But what about fatigue? Does Ozempic make you tired? It sure can, although the side effect is pretty uncommon. 

Ahead, we break down why Ozempic fatigue can happen, how long it lasts, and what you can do to stay energized while taking the medication.

The short answer is that, yes, Ozempic can make you feel tired, but it doesn’t happen to everyone. 

Ozempic and its active ingredient, semaglutide, have been extensively studied for safety and efficacy in controlling blood sugar and weight loss. In clinical studies, anywhere from 0.4% to 11% of people experienced dizziness, fatigue, or tiredness. More commonly experienced side effects of Ozempic include gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. 

It’s unclear why some people may feel tiredness and fatigue while taking Ozempic and others don’t. It’s possibly due to how Ozempic works: by controlling blood sugar levels and curbing appetite.

More specifically, Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a type of medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone naturally found in the gut. It binds to GLP-1 receptors and encourages the pancreas to release more insulin after you eat, which helps lower and stabilize blood sugar (glucose) levels. Ozempic also inhibits the production of glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar levels) and slows gastric emptying (the speed at which food moves through your stomach). These actions further the drug’s ability to help improve blood sugar control and can ultimately reduce appetite.

All that’s to say, while Ozempic can make you feel tired, but there are things you can do to combat it. In the long-term, you may notice the opposite: energy increases and you’re less tired, as you lose weight and improve cardiovascular health while taking Ozempic combined with physical activity and diet changes. 

While the verdict is still out on the exact cause(s) of Ozempic fatigue, there are a few potential explanations for the side effect: low blood sugar, dehydration, and decreased food intake. Let’s take a closer look at these possible culprits, shall we? (We shall!)

Low blood sugar

As mentioned above, Ozempic can affect blood sugar levels. In fact, that’s one of its main purposes: to help reduce and stabilize blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, a consistent level of blood glucose is what gives the cells in your brain and body the fuel they need to function. It’s possible that, for some people, Ozempic’s effect of leveling out blood glucose levels may result in slightly lower blood sugar than they are used to. This can be especially true if you’re eating significantly less—a common occurrence when taking Ozempic. Low blood sugar may prompt you to feel temporarily lethargic as your body adjusts to the drug. 

Though uncommon, hypoglycemia—i.e. dangerously low blood sugar—can also occur when taking Ozempic, especially when the drug is taken in combination with insulin or sulfonylureas (which also lower blood sugar). This is why it’s important to share a full list of the medications you are currently taking with your healthcare provider prior to being prescribed Ozempic. If you’re taking insulin, sulfonylureas, or other blood sugar-lowering diabetes medications, your provider might adjust the doses of these drugs when starting Ozempic to prevent hypoglycemia. They should also discuss the signs of low blood sugar—e.g. headaches, shaking or trembling, blurry vision, among others—and recommend keeping a source of sugar, such as juice or glucose tablets, on hand in case it happens. 

That being said, here’s the bottom line: No matter the degree of the dip in blood glucose, Ozempic can lower blood sugar levels, and that drop may be to blame for fatigue. 

Decreased appetite

Like other GLP-1s, Ozempic can be a powerhouse at reducing appetite. Not only does it decrease hunger cues in the brain, but it also slows down gastric emptying, decreasing the speed at which food moves through the gut. This can help you feel fuller sooner and for longer, which can ultimately lead you to eat significantly less overall—and, as a result, take in fewer calories and nutrients. 

These effects can promote weight loss (thus why Ozempic is often prescribed off-label for that purpose), but they can also leave you feeling depleted and, you guessed it, tired. Think of it this way: When less fuel (read: calories) goes in, less energy comes out. 

Dehydration

GLP-1 itself can suppress our ability to sense thirst and the amount of fluid we drink, which was demonstrated by a study of dulaglutide in healthy volunteers. For this reason, people on GLP-1 medications should be more mindful about drinking enough water, even if they don’t feel thirsty. Additionally, Ozempic can cause gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, these side effects can take a toll on your body; they can cause you to lose more fluids than your body needs and lead to dehydration. And what does dehydration cause? Fatigue. For what it’s worth, research suggests it can also lead to other lethargy-related symptoms, such as feeling less alert and worse at concentration. 

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how long you might experience Ozempic fatigue. Not only is everyone different, but there also haven’t been any studies on the specific side effect. That said, research has found that common side effects of Ozempic (think: GI woes) go away as your body gets used to the medication—something that can take anywhere from a few weeks to months. 

Keep in mind that clinical trials suggest that side effects tend to be dose-dependent. Meaning, they typically get worse as you increase the dose. So, it’s possible people taking the higher doses of Ozempic (e.g  0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg) may be more likely to feel tired. If you’re just starting treatment and already experiencing Ozempic fatigue, it’s possible your symptoms may get worse as your healthcare provider works to find the right dosage strength for you. Remember: Ozempic dosage is typically a titration process wherein your healthcare provider will likely have you start by taking 0.25 mg of the drug once a week for a month and then gradually increase your dose every four weeks until finding a suitable maintenance dose for long-term use. 

That doesn’t mean you just have to white knuckle it through titration or wait for Ozempic fatigue to go away on its own. Instead, there are a handful of strategies you can employ to manage your tiredness and hopefully keep it from interfering with your daily life. And, of course, if the issue persists, it’s always a good idea to consult your healthcare provider for guidance and support. 

Whether or not Ozempic causes you to feel tired, there are several ways you can deal with fatigue and increase your energy—many of which involve simple lifestyle adjustments. 

Improve sleep quality

Getting enough sleep is widely recognized as vital for all aspects of keeping your body and mind healthy. However, restorative sleep isn’t just a function of the quantity but also of the quality of those sleeping hours. Not getting enough hours of good quality shut-eye is associated with health problems ranging from fatigue to obesity to overall higher rates of mortality. Suffice to say that paying attention to getting good sleep can help reduce both fatigue as well as other problems.

Fortunately, there are a lot of tools that can help improve sleep duration as well as quality. Many are part of a set of habits called “good sleep hygiene” that refers to things like:

• Creating a consistent bedtime routine

• Removing screens (TV, phone, tablets, etc.) from the bedroom

• Keeping the bedroom cool and dark

• Using white noise

• Avoiding large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime

Focus on nutrition

It goes without saying that food is the body’s main energy source. The human body and its sources of energy are complex, but without food that contains basic and usable nutrients, the body won’t have what it needs to function and stay healthy.

Key nutrients can be found in lean protein (like eggs, beans, and lean meats), whole grains (like brown rice and oatmeal), and high-quality fats (like those in nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil). Interestingly, the Mediterranean diet (which is full of foods such as these) is associated with improving people’s sleep quality.

In addition to the aforementioned items, vegetables—particularly non-starchy ones (think: kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts)—are considered some of the best foods for Ozempic. The same can be said of whole fruits like apples, pears, and berries. 

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water throughout the day helps your cells function, using and processing nutrients that your body needs in order to work as it should. Staying hydrated helps maintain your energy levels and keeps you from getting fatigued. 

Remember how Ozempic fatigue can be a result of dehydration from nausea and vomiting? Drinking enough hydrating liquids throughout the day can give your body the fluids it needs, which can prevent dehydration and low energy levels. 

Hey, we get it: If you feel like you’re bent over the toilet one way or another and your appetite has gone AWOL, the last thing you’re likely interested in doing is throwing down several cups of water. But to fight Ozempic fatigue and feel better overall, you’re going to want to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The general recommendation is to drink 9–13 cups of water daily. Not a fan of plain H2O? Sparkling water, coconut water, and herbal teas can help you fulfill some of the quota without extra unnecessary sugars and calories.  

Get regular exercise

It may sound counterintuitive because exercise can be exhausting, but many studies have shown that routinely exercising is associated with feeling less fatigued overall. Exercising also boosts mood as well as cognitive function, which can help a person to feel sharper and more alert during the day.

Physical activity benefits your energy levels in ways that are big and small. By increasing blood circulation and energy demand, exercise brings freshly oxygenated blood to your brain, heart, lungs, muscles, and other organs. This helps your organs function efficiently and stay in good condition. It can even prompt your cells to generate more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s biggest source of energy.

Pay attention to your mental health

Mental and emotional health can have a big impact on mood, energy levels, and overall physical wellness. Indeed, fatigue is one of the hallmark symptoms of depression. Taking a proactive approach to mental health, even if you’re not aware of any issues, can go a long way to keep you feeling engaged and energetic.

Mental health self-care can look different for everyone. It can mean both big and small steps. Taking care of your mental health can be as simple as carving out a few minutes every day for calming, centering self-care activities. It can also mean reaching out to connect with a therapist to make sure that you have the right tools for coping with life’s stresses and challenges when they do come along.

Other side effects are also common while taking Ozempic. However, most people find them to be manageable, and they can even resolve with time.

The most common side effects tend to be gastrointestinal in nature, which makes sense considering that one of Ozempic’s key effects is to slow your digestion down. Possible side effects can include:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

• Constipation, bloating, and burping

In rare cases, Ozempic can cause allergic reactions, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, thyroid tumors, or thyroid cancer. 

Side effect severity tends to go up with higher doses of Ozempic. Finding the sweet spot between seeing the benefit of the drug while minimizing side effects is a key element of figuring out the right dose of Ozempic with your healthcare provider and works well for the vast majority of users; in clinical trials very few people (some trials report less than 5% of people) stopped taking Ozempic because of side effects.

Still, gastrointestinal side effects aren’t pleasant for most people. Fortunately, there are many tools to help these side effects to be less uncomfortable and can be used while still taking Ozempic, especially as your body is adjusting to a new dose. These include:

• Eating small, frequent meals

• Taking probiotics

• Eating bland, easily digestible foods like those in the BRAT diet

• Taking over-the-counter anti-nausea treatments

• Drinking mint or ginger tea 

Paying attention to foods to avoid while taking Ozempic, like greasy fried foods and refined carbohydrates

As with all prescription drugs, Ozempic can cause side effects, with one of them being fatigue. It’s a bummer to feel like you just don’t have the energy you did, but fatigue—like the more common side effects of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea—should get better as you adjust to the medication. Let’s recap:

• The exact cause of Ozempic fatigue is still TBD, but low blood sugar, dehydration from some of the drug’s other side effects, and decreased food intake may all be to blame. 

• Like GI side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, Ozempic fatigue should hopefully resolve on its own as your body gets used to the medication. 

• Lifestyle changes can help you address Ozempic fatigue. These include getting enough sleep, focusing on a nutritious diet, moving your body regularly, staying hydrated, and taking care of your mental health.