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®, and Mounjaro®.

You might feel nauseous when you’re first starting a GLP-1 medication or when you increase 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. We’re also covering GLP-1 nausea treatments, like prescription Zofran® and ginger tea, that 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 may 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 nausea. Avoid high-fat foods like fried chicken, sausage, and baked goods.

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

• Salty foods

• Spicy foods

• Fried foods

• Foods with strong smells

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Fizzy drinks

• White bread

• Baked goods 

• Canned or processed foods

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 is also 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 your more intense workouts before meals, or wait a few hours after eating before working out. 

On the other end of the scale, you may not want to lay 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.

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:

• Crackers

• Apples

• Mint tea

• Ginger-based drinks

Ginger can be especially useful. Research shows it can reduce nausea caused by pregnancy and chemotherapy. 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.

2. Drink Water (at the Right Times)

Staying hydrated is vital whether you’re on medication or not. But you want to keep on top of your water intake, especially when you are feeling nauseous. You might not feel like drinking anything, so try taking small sips throughout the day. The manufacturer of Ozempic recommends choosing something ice-cold and clear.

If your nausea is severe or isn’t going away, try avoiding drinks during meal times. You may want to avoid drinks for around 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 Zofran®

Zofran (ondansetron) is an oral 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 taking it and reach its full potential in two hours.

With Hers GLP-1 medication, ondansetron is included in your treatment plan, if suitable for you. You’ll get 20 dissolvable anti-nausea tablets to take as needed — no extra cost and no extra visits to the pharmacy required. 

If you’re already on a Hers treatment plan, reach out to your healthcare provider through our app to see if Zofran for Ozempic nausea and other GLP-1 nausea is right for you. If so, you can get a prescription.

Check out our guide to managing semaglutide nausea for more advice.

Nausea is the most common GLP-1 side effect reported in clinical trials. That goes for injections (like Ozmepic and Wegovy) and tablets (like Rybelsus®). But it’s unclear why GLP-1 medications cause nausea. 

The main theory is that upset stomach is caused by delayed gastric emptying. This is when food is held in your stomach longer 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 your central nervous system. This helps regulate your 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, or stomach pain that radiates into your back.

Stomach doing flips and not in the 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 to keep in mind about GLP-1 nausea treatment: 

• 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, too. 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 pass as your body gets used to GLP-1 medication or a new dose. While 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 prescribe Zofran to ease nausea or keep you on your current GLP-1 dose before increasing it to give your body more time to adjust. 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 and prescribe Zofran for semaglutide nausea (or other GLP-1 nausea) if suitable.