GLP-1 Nausea Treatments: How to Stop Feeling Sick

Nausea and GLP-1 receptor agonists (that’s glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists) often go hand in hand. In fact, nausea is the most common side effect of GLP-1s like Ozempic^®, Wegovy^®, Victoza^®, and Mounjaro^®.

You might feel nauseous when you’re first starting a GLP-1 medication or when increasing your dose. And although it should get better as your body adjusts, it’s no fun while you’re in the thick of it.

To help, we’re rounding up tips to prevent nausea on this type of type 2 diabetes and weight loss medication. We’re also covering GLP-1 nausea treatments, like prescription Zofran^® and ginger tea, you can try if you’re already feeling queasy.

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent nausea from GLP-1s. But there are a few steps you can take to reduce your odds of experiencing it:

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals

• Avoid high-fat foods

• Avoid lying down right after meals

Keep reading for details.

1. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals

Getting too full on a GLP-1 can trigger nausea. And you might get full a lot sooner than you normally would when taking this kind of medication — that’s one way it works for weight loss.

To avoid getting too full, eat smaller portions and eat more regularly throughout the day to make sure you’re still getting enough nutrients.

Healthy snacks and high-quality meal replacement shakes and bars can be useful here. They can help you get enough protein and other key nutrients when nausea is tanking your appetite or making meals feel like a chore.

Try to eat only when you’re hungry. Look out for signs of physical hunger, like a rumbling stomach, and manage eating triggers like stress or boredom.

2. Avoid High-Fat Foods

Certain foods can trigger GLP-1 nausea. To help, avoid high-fat foods like fried chicken, sausage, and baked goods.

You might also find that these foods and drinks contribute to nausea:

• Salty foods

• Spicy foods

• Fried foods

• Foods with strong smells

• White bread

• Canned or processed foods

• Alcohol

• Fizzy drinks

• Caffeine

If you’re unsure what’s behind your nausea, keep a food and symptom diary and look for patterns. Besides what you eat, write down how much you eat and what you did after eating (e.g., went for a run or laid down) to see if the quantity of food or certain activities are to blame.

3. Avoid Exercise or Lying Down After Meals

Physical activity is, of course, an important part of your routine when you’re on a weight loss journey — and it’s an important aspect of losing weight while taking GLP-1 medications. But try to avoid vigorous activity after meals.

Instead, do some light exercise like walking or yoga and get some fresh air. Plan more intense workouts before meals, or wait a few hours after eating before working out.

On the other end of the spectrum, you may not want to lie down right after meals, as this, too, can make you feel sick. Schedule dinner a few hours before going to bed, and avoid slumping on the sofa straight after eating.

If you’re feeling nauseous, you can either sit upright and try to relax or do some light movement, like taking a slow walk around the block or cleaning up the kitchen.

BTW, these tips apply no matter which type of GLP-1 drug you’re taking. So, whether you’re experiencing Wegovy^® nausea or Ozempic nausea, try tweaking your eating and movement habits to see if it helps.

How do you stop feeling sick on Wegovy^® or any other weight loss med? Good question!

If nausea hits, it helps to have more than a bucket on hand. Here’s what you can do to treat nausea from GLP-1s, whether you’re looking for Ozempic, Wegovy^®, or Mounjaro nausea relief.

1. Eat Foods That Can Reduce Nausea

Some types of foods may help ease nausea or settle your stomach.

Try eating:

• Plain crackers

• White rice

• Apples or applesauce

• Bananas

• Mint tea

• Ginger-based drinks or ginger chews

Ginger can be especially useful for semaglutide and general GLP-1 nausea relief. Research shows it can reduce nausea caused by pregnancy and chemotherapy. Add ginger to your diet, look for ginger supplements or chews, or make your own ginger tea by steeping ginger root in hot water.

Wait about 30 minutes after taking your GLP-1 medication before eating these foods.

We also have a detailed GLP-1 diet plan you can follow if you need ideas for what to eat on weight loss meds.

2. Drink Water (at the Right Times)

Staying hydrated is vital whether you’re on medication or not. Stay on top of your water intake, especially when you’re feeling nauseous.

You might not feel like drinking anything, so try taking small sips throughout the day. The manufacturer of Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) recommends choosing something ice-cold and clear — so ice water or some types of sports drinks.

If your nausea is severe or isn’t going away, try avoiding drinks around meal times. You may want to avoid drinks for 30 to 60 minutes before and after meals.

FYI, drinking enough water can also help with other side effects of GLP-1s, like vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.

3. Take Anti-Nausea Medication Like Zofran

Zofran (ondansetron) is an oral antiemetic medication that can reduce feelings of nausea. It’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce nausea and vomiting in those going through cancer treatments, like chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and folks experiencing nausea after surgery.

It’s often prescribed off-label for general nausea — so you may find that Zofran for Wegovy^® nausea (or any other GLP-1 nausea) can work wonders. Ondansetron should kick in roughly 30 minutes after you take it and reach its full potential in two hours.

If you’re feeling sick, ask your prescribing healthcare provider about prescription GLP-1 or Wegovy^® nausea treatment. There are also over-the-counter anti-nausea meds that can help, like Pepto Bismol^® (bismuth subsalicylate) or Dramamine^® (dimenhydrinate).

Check out our guides to Dramamine versus Zofran and semaglutide nausea relief for more advice.

Nausea is the most common GLP-1 side effect reported in clinical trials. That goes for injections (like Ozempic and Wegovy^®) and tablets (like Rybelsus^®). For example, Wegovy^® nausea was reported in 44 percent of people taking the drug in clinical trials.

But it’s unclear why GLP-1 medications cause nausea.

The main theory is that an upset stomach is caused by delayed gastric emptying. This is when food is held in your stomach longer after eating as an intended effect of GLP-1 medications, slowing digestion and increasing satiety (feelings of fullness). This helps you avoid overeating, but it may also trigger nausea.

There’s another theory. GLP-1s activate GLP-1 receptors in the central nervous system. This helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels (glucose), but it could also cause nausea.

Finally, GLP-1s reduce your appetite and help you feel fuller sooner than you would otherwise. If you overeat (or even eat what used to be a normal amount for you), you might experience feelings of nausea, discomfort, and other gastrointestinal side effects.

Quick heads-up: In rare cases, GLP-1s may cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), and nausea is one symptom of this condition.

Reach out to a healthcare professional if you experience other symptoms of pancreatitis like:

• Vomiting

• Severe or sharp stomach pain

• Stomach pain that radiates into your back

On that note, let your provider know if you’re experiencing any troubling side effects that make it hard to get through the day.

If you feel so nauseous on GLP-1 medication that you’re struggling to eat, don’t panic. Follow the above tips to try and ease nausea and feel better, particularly eating smaller meals and avoiding high-fat foods.

You can also:

• Eat bland foods like crackers, plain toast, baked chicken, fish, and rice

• Find a quiet place to eat without distractions or nausea triggers, like strong smells

• Focus on protein — like chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, and Greek yogurt

• Eat meal replacement shakes and bars as an easy way to get in protein and key nutrients

• Reach out to your healthcare provider to ask about anti-nausea meds or dose adjustments

And remember that GLP-1 nausea should pass as your body adjusts to the drug.

Check out our tips for what to eat on Wegovy^® for more advice.

Stomach doing flips and not in a good way? GLP-1 nausea is common, but there are steps you can take to reduce queasiness or avoid triggering it.

Here are some final points on how to relieve nausea from semaglutide or any other GLP-1:

• Keep an eye on your eating habits. You’ll probably feel full a lot sooner than usual on GLP-1s, and your appetite for certain foods might change. Be extra mindful of your food intake, and stop when you start to feel full. Aim for nutritious meals and whole foods, and avoid anything that could trigger nausea, like fatty, processed, or greasy foods. On the plus side, minimizing these foods can help with weight loss and weight management.

• Know that nausea should pass. We know it doesn’t help when you’re feeling it, but nausea should subside as your body gets used to GLP-1 medication or a new dose. Though there isn’t a definitive timeline for how long GLP-1-related nausea might persist, nausea is common within the first eight to 12 weeks of treatment because that’s when you increase the dose of your medication. Try GLP-1 nausea treatments — like Zofran and ginger — and avoid drinking during meals when it hits.

• Reach out to your prescribing healthcare provider. They may suggest a prescription or over-the-counter anti-nausea medication. Or they might adjust your treatment plan and keep you on your current GLP-1 dose before increasing it to give your body more time to acclimate. If nausea is severe, they may recommend a different GLP-1 (like semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide) or a weight loss drug that isn’t a GLP-1 (like topiramate or metformin).

The final point we want to make: Don’t let GLP-1 nausea put you off getting treatment for excess weight or obesity. It’s common, but nausea isn’t guaranteed to hit everyone.

If you do experience nausea as a GLP-1 medication side effect, it should go away as your body adjusts — and there are GLP-1 nausea treatments to help in the meantime.

Want to learn more about your weight loss treatment options? Take our free online weight loss assessment. A healthcare provider will let you know which weight loss meds could work for you if you’re eligible.