Reviewed by Peptide Treatments Medical Advisory Board
Semaglutide: Side Effects & Safety
Known side effects, safety considerations, and adverse reaction data for Semaglutide.
Back to Semaglutide overviewData source: These side effects are documented in FDA-approved prescribing information.
Reported Side Effects (8 items)
| # | Side Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nausea (most common, reported in 20-44% of patients, typically diminishes over weeks) |
| 2 | Vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation -- gastrointestinal effects that led to 10-16% discontinuation rates in clinical trials |
| 3 | Risk of acute pancreatitis including fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing forms -- discontinue immediately if suspected |
| 4 | Thyroid C-cell tumor risk (boxed warning) -- dose-dependent tumors observed in rodents at clinically relevant exposures; unknown human relevance |
| 5 | Hypoglycemia risk when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas -- dose reduction of concomitant medications may be required |
| 6 | Delayed gastric emptying may alter absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications |
| 7 | Gallbladder-related events including cholelithiasis reported in post-marketing surveillance |
| 8 | Injection site reactions (subcutaneous formulations) |
Known Drug Interactions
Important: Only documented and contraindicated interactions are shown here. View all interactions including theoretical →
| Drug | Classification | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| insulin | Documented | Increased hypoglycemia risk when combined |
| sulfonylureas | Documented | Additive hypoglycemic effect |