If you’ve been taking Semaglutide or Tirzepatide for weight loss or type 2 diabetes, it’s likely you’ve encountered its most famous — or shall we say infamous — side effect: nausea. Nausea is the most common side effect of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, affecting around 1 in 5 people taking the medication.
Good news – there are ways to relieve nausea while taking Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Read on as we explain how Semaglutide and Tirzepatide works, why it can cause nausea, and what you can do to reduce the side effects of Semaglutide.
What is Semaglutide and Tirzepatide?
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide is an injectable prescription medication that helps control blood sugar levels and reduce cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient is highly effective at helping people lose weight, when used in combination with diet and exercise. This is why many doctors prescribe it off-label for weight loss, if they think it is appropriate.
Why does Semaglutide and Tirzepatide cause nausea?
Researchers do not know exactly why Semaglutide and Tirzepatide cause nausea, but it probably has something to do with how the drug works — specifically, how it activates GLP-1 receptors and slows gastric emptying. Gastric emptying is when food leaves your stomach and enters the small intestine.
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It mimics a gut hormone produced naturally in your body, called GLP-1. Among other things, GLP-1 is responsible for telling your brain when you’re full. It also encourages your pancreas to release insulin after you eat, slows gastric emptying, and may even play a role in your brain’s reward system around food. Together, these effects help with blood sugar control and appetite reduction — both of which help people taking Semaglutide and Tirzepatide to manage their type 2 diabetes, lose weight, or both.
Given GLP-1’s role in your digestion, it makes sense that GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. And because GLP-1 makes you feel full — both by telling your brain you’re full and by keeping food in your stomach longer — you may experience nausea when you try to eat on Semaglutide and Tirzepatide .
How to relieve nausea on Semaglutide or Tirzepatide
Nausea is a common side effect of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide . The good news is that the nausea is mild to moderate for most people, and tends to go away with time as your body gets used to the medication. Until then, here are five ways to relieve nausea on Semaglutide and Tirzepatide .
1. Watch what you eat
A change in diet is recommended to people taking Semaglutide or Tirzepatide , whether they are taking it for type 2 diabetes, weight loss, or both. Usually, your healthcare provider will recommend eating less overall to help manage blood sugar levels and help with weight loss.
For nausea, however, you will want to avoid eating fried, greasy, and sugary foods. These contribute to nausea, and don’t help with glycemic (blood sugar) control or weight loss. In particular, try to eliminate the following foods from your diet:
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- White bread, doughnuts and other pastries
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- Burgers
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- Fried foods
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- Chips
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- Sausage
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- Canned or processed foods
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- Other salty or spicy foods
Instead, eat low-fat, bland foods and foods that contain a lot of water, such as:
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- Crackers, Toast, English muffins
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- Baked chicken
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- Baked fish
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- Potatoes
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- Noodles
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- Rice
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- Soup
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- Chicken broth
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- Carrots
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- Fruit (without the skin)
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- Gelatin (jello)
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- Popsicles
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- Yogurt
2. Change how you eat
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- In addition to adjusting what you eat, changing the way you eat can also reduce nausea while taking Semaglutide or Tirzepatide .
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- Start by eating smaller portions, more often. Also, try to eat slowly and savor your meal. Once you feel full, stop eating.
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- When you’re done eating, avoid lying down. Along the same lines, don’t eat right before bed.
3. Drink ice-cold, clear drinks
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- As for what you drink, opt for something ice-cold, and clear.
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- You want to ensure you drink plenty of fluids, but drink in small sips to avoid feeling too full. Try to drink straight from the glass and avoid using a straw.
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- What should you drink on Semaglutide or Tirzepatide ? Water is always a good option. You can also sip on fresh fruit juice, sports drinks, and other healthy drinks. Just check the sugar content first to avoid any blood sugar spikes. Ginger-based beverages like ginger ale may also relieve feelings of nausea.
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- If you have extreme nausea and have to vomit, make sure you drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate. As with nausea, vomiting is more common when you first start taking Semaglutide or Tirzepatide, and when you ramp up your dose.
4. Avoid other nausea triggers
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- If there’s anything you know that triggers your nausea, avoid it. For some people, that’s motion sickness. For others, it can be strong smells or even stress.
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- After you eat, try to get some fresh air. You want to avoid being too active after a meal, but light exercise can help settle your stomach. Try a short walk around your neighborhood, or play fetch with your dog outside.
5. Talk to us at Sakura Skin for other options
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- Call us at Sakura Skin if your nausea isn’t going away or causing you significant distress. They may be able to adjust your dosage of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide or offer other suggestions for relieving your nausea, such as anti-nausea medications.
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- For some people, the nausea they experience on Semaglutide or Tirzepatide is too much. If you feel like that might be you, talk to your healthcare provider about alternatives to Semaglutide Tirzepatide. Several other GLP-1 medications.
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- While you can expect some level of gastrointestinal distress with these medications, research shows that nausea tends to be most frequent with Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) and tirzapetide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro).
Foods to reduce nausea
Beyond changing your diet and eating habits, a handful of foods have been shown to relieve nausea, including crackers, apples, mint, and ginger.
| Ginger | While more research is still needed, a growing number of studies have found ginger relieves nausea and vomiting in various situations, from morning sickness during pregnancy to chemotherapy-induced nausea. You can find ginger in ginger supplements, ginger powder, ginger ale and ginger-based drinks, and ginger root. |
| Apples | Apples may also help relieve some of the Semaglutide or Tirzepatide nausea, although you might want to remove the skin first, if you’re concerned about having too much fiber. In a study of women with hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy), apples were associated with the least nausea. |
| Mint | Mint has long been used to combat indigestion after dinner, but it may also reduce nausea from Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Try sipping a cup of mint tea or mixing some mint leaves into your salad. Peppermint essential oils have been studied extensively among people who experience nausea, including pregnant women, people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, post-op surgical patients, and people in the hospital. In all of these studies, it was found to be effective in relieving their nausea. Try mint gum or mints |
| Crackers | Crackers, including graham crackers and saltine or soda crackers, are a bland food recommended to people experiencing nausea on Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. In people with gastroparesis (a condition characterized by delayed gastric emptying), saltine and graham crackers improved symptoms, as did jello. |