Ozempic and Vomiting: How Scared Should I Be?

Hong Kong Yanpep International
bye-bye-carbs

bye-bye-carbs

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I'm super worried about the nausea and vomiting. I haven’t begun taking Wegovy yet. I keep reading about people saying they get sick and I'm really scared.

Some people casually joke about “forceful vomiting” like it's just something that happens, which totally freaks me out.

I had my gallbladder out a couple years ago and I didn't want any opioid painkillers because of the nausea: the nurse didn't get it and gave me a strong anti-inflammatory instead. The pain sucked but it was still better than feeling sick.

How common is the nausea/vomiting? Do Tums help? Or anything to help your stomach empty faster (like digestive bitters)?

Here are some things I've been thinking about:

* Therapy to deal with this fear
* Starting with a really tiny dose to see how I react
* Splitting the dose (like half on Monday and half on Thursday)?
* Getting some dissolving Zofran to keep handy
* Always carrying ginger candies
* Knowing it might happen, and stopping the medication if it does, and using Gravol or Zofran until it passes

If the vomiting fear is the main thing holding you back, this thread where people walk through their GI experience is worth reading — real accounts of how common it actually was and what helped.
 
My doctor prescribed Zofran for me when I started, and it was great. I only needed it for the first few weeks, then I felt better.
 
At first, I was nauseous and threw up sometimes, and couldn’t figure it out. Then I realized I hadn’t changed my eating habits to get enough protein. I was still eating my low-calorie diet. My friend told me to track my protein intake and aim for 120g. I haven’t been sick since. And I've started losing weight again too. I was stuck for months.
 
Just adding my experience: I began with a low dose, 0.25mg, for a month and a half. No vomiting, barely any nausea, and didn’t take anything for it. It's different for everyone! ❤️
 
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I've noticed that if I avoid overeating and fatty foods, I don’t get nauseous. If you're taking this to lose weight, remember it’s not magic. It's a tool. You need to make good choices. It lessens cravings and hunger. Also, start with the lowest dose. Some side effects can happen no matter what, like burps. But they're not that bad. You need to be ready to make lifestyle changes. I see people complaining about side effects or not seeing results. They don’t try to eat better, exercise more, or even track calories and avoid sweets. If you're worried about side effects, read up on what it does. Many side effects can be avoided. You could even use AI to get answers.

Basically: use the right dose, eat healthy, expect minor side effects, and put in the work. Ozempic can help.
 
You mostly only hear about the scary stories, because people want to complain/get advice. Lots of people take it and feel fine.

If it's working, you just keep living your life, you don't talk about it.

Talk to your doctor, start small, adjust before increasing, and be smart about it.
 
I think all your suggestions are good and could help.

Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) seems pretty common. Everyone dislikes throwing up, but when it becomes a real fear that stops you from getting medical care, maybe talk to someone. You could also try exposure therapy, where you think about feeling nauseous or vomiting in a safe place for a short time, and learn how to deal with the feelings. A therapist can help, or you can read about it and try it yourself.

That said, some people have zero nausea or vomiting. I never really had any nausea except maybe once when I ate way too much, and I didn't even throw up.
 
The only time I felt a little nauseous was for the first few days. I just felt "off." After that, even when the dose was increased (I’m at 2mg currently) it doesn't bother me. Constipation is the bigger issue and requires more effort (water, prunes, fiber). Most likely you'll be fine!
 
It's different for everyone. I will literally throw up every morning if I eat even one bite too much the night before.

And one time I threw up so hard it splashed back and got in my eye :-) Had to go to urgent care so they could flush my eye out with saline for over an hour :-)

I am so careful about how much I eat now. If I take a bite of food and realize I’m full, I will spit it out into a napkin. I stop eating at that moment.
 
The side effects have been awful for me. I now have GERD because of the acid reflux from this med. I wake up at 3 AM needing to throw up, even if I haven’t eaten for half a day and only eat bland foods. And the meds for GERD don't even work. I could end up damaging my esophagus and having a higher chance of cancer. Thanks, Ozempic. I can’t even sleep or live normally and I’ve been on it for over a year.
 
I was super scared like you! It's different for everyone but I just finished my first month and I was terrified to start because of this.

I had no issues on this dose! Here’s what I did:

I gave myself the shot on Tuesday night after I ate dinner. I inject into my thighs, and it made me cry to do it the first time because I HATE needles. My fiance had to be there haha. I took melatonin that night to help me sleep if I felt sick. I made sure I had Gravol and a big jar of alcohol wipes to smell if I got nauseous. And I focused on fiber and water.

It sat in my fridge for about a week before I could do it. It’s important to do it when you feel ready. And remember you can always stop- if you have a bad reaction, it will only be a stomach bug for a week. You can handle that! You’re in control. I’m here if you wanna message me!
 
I have chronic gastritis and the injection makes me a little nauseous but it's not nearly as bad as the nausea I had when my gastritis was worse lol. It hasn't made me throw up, but of course everyone is different.

Eating smaller meals more often and eating plain foods on the day of and after the injection helps. I only started Ozempic in January, and it's gotten better the longer I'm on it. Now I'm usually most nauseous the day after the injection, and I just eat the same way I do when my gastritis acts up and I'm fine.

Using a wedge pillow at night might help too.
 
Just-Journey said:
I had no issues on this dose! Here’s what I did:

I gave myself the shot on Tuesday night after I ate dinner. I inject into my thighs, and it made me cry to do it the first time because I HATE needles. My fiance had to be there haha. I took melatonin that night to help me sleep if I felt sick. I made sure I had Gravol and a big jar of alcohol wipes to smell if I got nauseous. And I focused on fiber and water.
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That's a great idea about the alcohol wipes! I didn't think of that. I'll have to try that next time I feel a bit queasy.
 
I saw someone say smiling when you feel like throwing up can help. Sounds crazy, but I might try it lol! A baby nurse told them about that. Worth a shot, right?
 
To help with nausea, some people find that ginger tea works. Also, many people recommend eating light on the day of the injection and the day after, and avoiding alcohol during that time too.
 
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