Managing nausea, constipation and fatigue

Side effects are the main reason people stop GLP-1 therapy, and most of them are avoidable or treatable. They cluster in the days after a dose increase and ease as your body adapts.

Nausea

The most common, usually worst 24 to 48 hours after injection, and generally improving after the first few weeks at each dose.

• Eat smaller portions, more frequently
• Avoid fried, greasy and very fatty foods around your dose
• Stop eating at the first sense of fullness
• Ginger and peppermint help some people
• Stay upright for an hour after eating

Constipation

Builds gradually and catches people out because it does not arrive with the first dose. Slowed gastric emptying plus reduced food volume plus lower fluid intake is the cause.

• 25–35 g of fibre daily, increased gradually
• Water deliberately — appetite suppression reduces thirst cues too
• Daily walking genuinely helps motility
• Ask your provider before starting any laxative

Fatigue

Usually a symptom of something else rather than the drug itself. The three most common causes are eating too little, not enough protein, and dehydration. Check those before concluding the medication is the problem.

When to tell your provider

• Vomiting that prevents you keeping fluids down
• Severe or persistent abdominal pain
• Side effects that do not improve after two weeks at a dose
• Anything that is making you consider quitting — there are usually options before that