Wegovy pill side effects

Side effect rates in the OASIS 4 trial #

OASIS 4 tested the licensed 25 mg dose. The trial gave 205 adults the Wegovy pill and 102 adults a placebo for 64 weeks, with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity in both groups. The UK product information reports these rates.

Overall, 74.0% of people on the tablet reported a stomach or gut side effect, compared with 42.2% on placebo. The product information also lists headache, tiredness, indigestion and stomach pain as affecting more than 1 in 10 people. Dizziness, burping, wind, bloating, acid reflux and taste changes affect up to 1 in 10.

How the tablet compares with the Wegovy injection #

No trial has compared the tablet and the injection head to head. The table sets the OASIS 4 rates beside the rates in the UK product information for the 2.4 mg Wegovy injection, taken from separate 68-week trials. Treat the comparison as a rough guide.

The pattern is similar because both contain semaglutide. The tablet has no injection site reactions. The tablet does carry strict daily fasting rules, covered in how to take the Wegovy pill.

When side effects start and how long they last #

Stomach and gut side effects were reported most often during dose escalation, which covers the first 3 months as you move from 1.5 mg to 25 mg. Most episodes of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea were mild to moderate and short. Constipation was also mild to moderate but lasted longer.

Dizziness can appear mainly during dose escalation as well. Do not drive or use machinery while you feel dizzy. Altered skin sensation, such as sensitive or tingling skin, was mild to moderate, and most people recovered while continuing treatment.

Each dose increase can bring a brief return of symptoms. This is why every step lasts at least one month. See Wegovy pill doses for the schedule.

What helps with each side effect #

• Nausea: eat smaller meals, eat slowly and stop when you feel full. Avoid alcohol, which the NHS says can make nausea and vomiting worse.
• Vomiting or diarrhoea: sip water through the day. The patient leaflet stresses drinking enough fluid to prevent dehydration, which matters most if you have kidney problems. See hydration on GLP-1 treatment.
• Constipation: drink more fluid, eat more fibre and keep moving. Speak to a pharmacist if you have had no relief after a few days.
• Indigestion, burping and reflux: choose smaller, lower-fat meals and avoid lying down straight after eating.
• Tiredness and headache: check you are eating and drinking enough.
• Hair loss: usually linked to fast weight loss. Read the hair loss guide and keep your protein intake up.

Urgent warning signs #

Call NHS 111 or speak to a doctor the same day if you have:

• Sight which gets worse quickly, or changes in vision if you have diabetes
• Pain in the upper right of your stomach, a fever or yellowing skin or eyes, which can point to gallstones
• Vomiting or diarrhoea which stops you keeping fluids down
• Severe constipation with stomach ache, bloating and vomiting, which can signal a blocked bowel
• Signs of low blood sugar such as cold sweat, shaking, a fast heartbeat or confusion, mainly if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea

Tell any anaesthetist or surgeon you take semaglutide before an operation or procedure under general anaesthetic or deep sedation. Food can stay in the stomach longer than usual.

Who should not take the Wegovy pill #

Do not take the tablet if you are allergic to semaglutide or any other ingredient. The tablet is also unsuitable if you are:

• Pregnant or trying for a baby. Stop the tablet at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. See pregnancy and contraception.
• Breastfeeding.
• Living with severe kidney impairment or severe liver impairment, where the product information does not recommend semaglutide.

Tell the prescriber in your health check if you have had pancreatitis, have slow stomach emptying (gastroparesis), have diabetic eye disease, have severe heart failure, or take insulin, a sulfonylurea, warfarin or levothyroxine. A UK prescriber reviews these answers before approving any order. General eligibility rules also apply.

Reporting a side effect with a Yellow Card #

You can report any suspected side effect to the MHRA yourself. Use the Yellow Card website at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk or the MHRA Yellow Card app. Include the medicine name, the strength and the batch number from the carton if you have the pack. Reports help the regulator monitor the safety of a new medicine. Tell your clinical team as well, so your treatment record stays accurate.

Wegovy pill side effects: questions #

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