Wegovy is a once-weekly prescription drug that has change into more and more common for its weight reduction advantages, nevertheless it does include potential negative effects.
What’s Wegobee?
Authorised by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2021, Wigovy is a weight reduction drug that incorporates semaglutide, the identical energetic ingredient as Ozempic.
It really works by decreasing urge for food, slowing down digestion, and bettering blood sugar management.
Out there in 5 doses, Wegovy is taken as soon as every week and your physician will steadily improve your dose.
What are the negative effects of Wegovy?
Many individuals expertise delicate to average negative effects. The commonest ones are:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- abdomen ache
- constipation
- heartburn
- gasoline or bloating
- fatigue
- headache
- runny nostril, sore throat, or stuffy nostril
Nausea is the most typical facet impact and try to be ready to expertise it, a minimum of briefly.
Uncomfortable side effects can start quickly after the primary dose and might happen at any time throughout therapy. Gastrointestinal negative effects, equivalent to nausea, are extra frequent through the first 4 months.
Most negative effects should not severe and have a tendency to decrease as your physique will get used to the drug. Nevertheless, it is very important report negative effects to your healthcare supplier for correct administration.
What are the extra severe negative effects?
Wegovy could cause uncommon however severe negative effects, together with:
- Thyroid tumors together with most cancers
- pancreatitis
- Adjustments in imaginative and prescient (e.g., blurred imaginative and prescient, worsening of diabetic retinopathy, macular modifications)
- kidney issues
- psychological modifications or despair
- extreme allergic response
- Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar (particularly when taking insulin)
It is vital to acknowledge the signs of hypoglycemia, equivalent to dizziness, confusion, tremors, and elevated coronary heart charge.
Should you expertise any severe negative effects, cease taking Wegovy and search quick medical consideration. Your well being care supplier ought to focus on all attainable negative effects with you and handle any considerations you could have.
Do most individuals expertise negative effects?
Many individuals taking Wegovy expertise negative effects, particularly gastrointestinal issues.
- About 44 p.c of individuals taking the utmost dose reported nausea
- 30% expertise diarrhea
- 25% expertise vomiting.
General, 71.4% of scientific trial members had some negative effects, and about 10% stopped taking the drug because of issues equivalent to nausea.
How can I cut back the negative effects of Wegovy?
The producer recommends a number of methods to scale back frequent negative effects.
- Emphasize bland, low-fat meals like crackers, toast, and rice.
- Embody water-rich meals in your weight-reduction plan, equivalent to soups and gelatin.
- Keep away from mendacity down instantly after consuming.
- Should you really feel nauseous, get some recent air.
- Decelerate your consuming tempo.
Many customers recommend splitting your meals into smaller parts all through the day.
If negative effects persist, report them to your physician. Your physician could briefly alter your dose.
Most negative effects diminish inside every week and normally resolve inside 1 to 2 weeks after you cease taking Wegovy, and the drug is totally eradicated out of your system in about 5 to 7 weeks.
How lengthy will it take for the negative effects to cease?
Widespread negative effects normally subside inside just a few days to every week.
Report your signs to your physician in the event that they persist for greater than every week, even when they appear minor.
Docs normally begin with a low dose and steadily improve the dose to permit the physique to adapt and to attenuate negative effects equivalent to nausea. If in case you have issue tolerating a better dose, your well being care supplier could cut back your dose briefly after which steadily improve it once more.
Most negative effects cease inside 1 to 2 weeks after you cease taking Wegovy, and the drug is totally eradicated out of your physique in about 5 to 7 weeks.
Does Wegovy trigger temper swings?
Temper swings are a uncommon facet impact of Wigovy and different semaglutide medication.
In keeping with the Mayo Clinic, Wegovy could cause agitation, irritability, irregular habits, and even suicidal ideas and despair in some folks.
Though uncommon, it is very important let your physician know straight away in case you discover any modifications in your temper or psychological standing.
Has anybody gained weight on Wegovy?
After utilizing Wegovy for a 12 months, most individuals will lose about 16 p.c of their physique weight, however not everybody will expertise weight reduction.
Knowledge from a 2022 trial confirmed that greater than 20 p.c of people that took semaglutide medication like Wigovy didn’t lose greater than 5 p.c of their physique weight.
A small variety of folks could even achieve weight, however that is uncommon and isn’t listed as a facet impact in scientific trials. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for folks to regain weight once they cease taking Wegovy.
For extra data, see: Does Wegovy show you how to drop extra pounds?
Does Wegovy trigger hair loss?
Though Wegovy itself doesn’t trigger hair loss, 3% of members in a single scientific trial reported hair loss whereas taking the drug.
This can be because of the physique’s stress response to speedy weight reduction, much like what some folks expertise after bariatric (weight reduction) surgical procedure.
As a result of each Wegovy surgical procedure and weight reduction surgical procedure can result in speedy weight reduction, hair loss could happen in a small variety of circumstances.
Is Wegovy related to thyroid tumors and most cancers?
The FDA’s approval of Wegovy features a warning in regards to the threat of thyroid C-cell tumors.
Individuals with a private or household historical past of thyroid tumors, particularly medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or a number of endocrine neoplasia syndrome sort 2 (MEN 2), mustn’t take Wegovy or different semaglutide medication.
The considerations stem from research in rodents, wherein some people developed thyroid tumors, together with most cancers, after receiving the drug.
Nevertheless, this threat has not been confirmed in people, as no members within the scientific trials developed these tumors. It is vital to acknowledge the signs of a thyroid tumor and focus on your medical historical past together with your physician.
What are the signs of taking an excessive amount of Wegovy?
Don’t take extra Wegovy than prescribed. Should you do that by chance, contact your physician or name the Poison Assist line at 1-800-222-1222.
Overdose could cause extreme nausea, persistent vomiting, and harmful low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
As a result of Wegovy stays within the physique for a very long time, medical monitoring could also be required to make sure correct hydration and protected blood sugar ranges.
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