Stomach side effects are common and usually mild or moderate. The frightening ones you see in lawsuit ads are rare. The real danger is having a side effect and nobody to call. At our Bellevue clinic you start on a low dose, and a team that knows you can stop or change the plan.
Most side effects are manageable, and there is usually something that helps. These are the general steps described in a published expert guide. Your own plan comes from us.
Smaller meals, eaten slowly, and less fried, fatty or very sweet food often help. If it does not settle, our physician can hold your dose or go back one step.
Small sips of fluid, often. Contact us the same day. If you cannot keep fluids down, get medical care right away.
More water, more fiber added slowly, and a daily walk help most people. For some of our patients, changing from semaglutide to tirzepatide has helped (in a trial comparing the brand-name drugs, fewer people stopped tirzepatide because of stomach side effects). Our physician decides if that is right for you.
Plenty of fluids, and less fatty food for a few days. It usually passes in a few days. If it does not, contact us.
Smaller meals, an earlier last meal, and fewer fizzy drinks often help. Tell us if it continues.
This often means too little food or water. Reaching your calorie, protein and water targets usually helps.
Change the injection place each week. A rash that spreads is different: stop and call us.
Some people, women more often than men, notice more hair shedding a few months after they start. In the brand-name trials, about 5 to 7 in 100 people on Zepbound (tirzepatide) and 3 in 100 on Wegovy (semaglutide) reported it, compared with about 1 in 100 on placebo (Zepbound label, Wegovy label). A 2026 research review links it mainly to losing weight quickly, not to damage to the hair root, and hair usually grows back within 3 to 6 months after weight becomes stable. Enough protein and a slower pace of weight loss help. Tell us if you notice it, and we will look at your protein target and your dose. More: hair loss on GLP-1 medication and tirzepatide and hair loss.
The most useful step is to tell us. Two people with the same side effect can need different answers. Our team replies the same business day, and our physician can hold, lower, pause or change your medication. Strong stomach pain that does not go away, vomiting that will not stop, yellow skin or eyes, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing are emergencies. Call 911.
People reporting each effect in the clinical trials of brand-name Wegovy (semaglutide), from the FDA prescribing information. Blue = medication. Grey = placebo (an injection with no medication).
In the trials of brand-name Zepbound (tirzepatide), nausea was reported by 25% to 29% of people depending on dose, compared with 8% on placebo (FDA prescribing information). For both drugs most effects were mild and came when the dose went up. About 5 to 7 in 100 people stopped because of side effects.
In our own clinic: about 2 to 3 in 100 of our patients developed a skin rash, and we stopped their medication. About 1 in 100 stopped because of nausea. These are our own records, not a study.
Nausea. In the brand-name trials, 44% of people on Wegovy (semaglutide) and 25% to 29% on Zepbound (tirzepatide) reported nausea, compared with 16% and 8% on placebo. It was usually mild and tended to appear when the dose went up.
In general, more water, more fiber added slowly, and a daily walk help most people. For some of our patients, changing from semaglutide to tirzepatide has helped. This is general information, not personal medical advice. If you are our patient, contact us and our physician will advise you. If not, ask the clinic that prescribed your medication.
Some people notice more hair shedding a few months after starting, women more often than men. In the brand-name trials, about 5 to 7 in 100 people on Zepbound (tirzepatide) and 3 in 100 on Wegovy (semaglutide) reported hair loss, compared with about 1 in 100 on placebo. Research links it mainly to losing weight quickly. It usually grows back within 3 to 6 months after weight becomes stable. Enough protein and a slower pace of weight loss help. Ask your own clinic for personal advice.
Serious stomach and bowel problems are reported but rare. Strong stomach pain that does not go away is an emergency, and you should call 911.
The FDA reviewed trial and real-world data and found no increased risk. In January 2026 it asked for that warning to be removed from the labels.
Type 2 diabetes alone does not rule you out. People who take insulin or insulin-related medication are not candidates for our program. Our physician reviews every medication you take before anything is prescribed.
Call or text us. Our team replies the same business day, and our physician can lower the dose, pause, or stop the medication.
Free 3D body scan, and our physician speaks with you by phone during the visit. About 45 to 60 minutes at our Bellevue clinic. No obligation. Bring someone with you.
Book a free visit Call (425) 552-3755Compounded medication is made for one patient, so it does not go through the FDA approval process. How we choose and check our pharmacies. Trial figures on this page describe brand-name products and are not a promise of results. Individual results vary. This page is general information, not medical advice.