How Do You Stop Feeling Sick on Wegovy^®? 6 Tips

It’s common to feel sick on Wegovy^®. In fact, 44 percent of people in clinical trials felt nauseous while taking the weight loss drug. So, if you’re feeling queasy, you’re far from alone.

While Wegovy^® nausea usually gets better with time, it can be a troubling side effect that makes it hard to keep taking the weight loss medication or just makes you feel crummy. Luckily, there are treatments to help.

How do you stop feeling sick on Wegovy^®? You can:

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals

• Stop eating when full

• Avoid triggering foods and drinks

• Avoid lying down or being active after meals

• Drink plenty of water (but not at meal times)

• Take anti-nausea medication

Read on for more details about how to treat and prevent stomach upset, as well as insight into how long Wegovy^® nausea lasts.

Though there’s no surefire way to prevent Wegovy^® nausea, there are some changes you can make to your eating habits and anti-nausea meds you can take to help.

Here’s what to do.

1. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals  

You might feel fuller sooner than you usually would when taking Wegovy^®. That’s one way it can help you reach your weight loss goals. Feeling overfull can trigger nausea, though.

To help, try eating smaller portions and more often to ensure you’re getting enough nutrients overall. Instead of your standard three meals a day, you might aim for six to eight small meals throughout the day.

Healthy snacks and meal-replacement shakes and bars can also help you get in key nutrients without overeating.

2. Stop Eating When Full 

Along the same lines, you want to avoid overeating and getting to the point of “overfullness” to help minimize nausea. Try tuning into your body and noticing hunger and fullness cues (like a rumbling stomach when hungry and slowing down between bites as you start to feel full).

To notice these cues, eat slowly and without distractions. Try turning off the TV, putting down your phone, and savoring each bite. Once you notice yourself starting to feel full, stop eating. Leftovers make for an easy lunch tomorrow!

Be mindful about eating throughout the day, too. Take steps to manage eating triggers, like stress or boredom, so you truly only eat when you’re hungry.

3. Avoid Triggering Foods and Drinks

Certain foods and drinks can make you feel sick on Wegovy^®. Keep a food diary that doubles as a symptom journal to keep track and figure out your triggers.

When you’re feeling sick, you might want to avoid:

• High-fat foods

• Greasy, fried, and processed foods

• Salty foods

• Spicy foods

• Dairy

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Fizzy drinks

“Everyone is a bit different. One food may bother one person, while someone else does just fine,” says Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA, a physician specializing in obesity medicine and Senior Vice President of Weight Loss at Hims & Hers. “Figuring out your trigger foods really helps a lot with managing side effects.”

Even strong smells may trigger nausea. Eat your meals in a quiet, smell-free space to help.

What should you eat? If you’re feeling sick, go for bland foods that’ll help settle your stomach. Options include:

• Plain crackers

• Apples

• Mint

• Rice

• Plain toast

• Ginger root, ginger chews, or ginger tea

Eat these foods at least 30 minutes after taking Wegovy^®.

As for your general diet, go for lighter meals made up of whole foods. We’ve got a full guide outlining what to eat on Wegovy^® if you need ideas.

4. Avoid Lying Down or Being Active After Meals

Avoid lying down after eating, and try not to eat meals close to bedtime. On the flip side, avoid being too active right after meals. Take a look at your schedule and plan your workouts before meals or a few hours after them.

You might find that moving around makes you feel more sick. If that’s the case, find a quiet place to relax until the nausea passes. If you can stomach some movement, something gentle — like going for a walk and getting fresh air — may help you feel better.

As with food triggers, make a note of what you did after eating (e.g., went to bed or went for a bike ride) to see if any activity makes the nausea worse.

5. Drink Plenty of Water (But Not at Meal Times)

Make sure you’re staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If nausea makes this hard, try taking small sips more often. Not only can this help with the side effects of Wegovy^®, but drinking water can improve weight loss, too.

If nausea is a serious side effect for you or it isn’t going away, avoid drinks during meals and 30 to 60 minutes before and after meals.

You might also want to sip without a straw. This may help you avoid feeling sick.

6. Take Anti-Nausea Medication

There are prescription anti-nausea medications like ondansetron (generic for Zofran^®). Zofran is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat nausea caused by:

• Chemotherapy 

• Radiotherapy 

• Surgery 

It’s also sometimes prescribed off-label for general nausea, including Wegovy^® nausea. “There are several possible side effects from Wegovy^®, but for nausea, which is possibly the most severe, it seems to respond well to Zofran^® or other nausea medications,” says Dr. Primack.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medication can help ease nausea, too. Consider Pepto Bismol^® (bismuth subsalicylate) or Dramamine^® (dimenhydrinate).

Anti-nausea meds usually kick in 30 to 60 minutes after taking them, so they can provide quick relief when you need it. Reach out to your healthcare provider about prescription anti-nausea meds to see if you’re eligible.

FYI, all of this advice goes for any GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist) weight loss drug or type 2 diabetes medication you might take, including Ozempic^®, Zepbound^®, Mounjaro^®, or Saxenda^®.

See our guide for a few more GLP-1 nausea treatments.

You might feel sick on Wegovy^® at some point during the first eight to 12 weeks of treatment. This is when your dose is gradually increasing. You should find that your body adjusts to the medication and the nausea subsides with time. 

That said, reach out to your prescribing healthcare provider if you’re struggling with severe nausea, if it’s making it hard to eat, or if you feel sick for longer than four to five weeks.

Your provider may recommend staying on your current dose of Wegovy^® for longer before increasing it. This can give your body more time to adjust.

Just like any medication, Wegovy^® comes with a few potential side effects. Since the drug slows down the digestive system, they’re mostly gastrointestinal side effects, and they should go away on their own with time.

Beyond feeling sick, the most common side effects of Wegovy^® include:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Headache

• Abdominal pain

• Fatigue

• Dyspepsia (indigestion)

• Heartburn

• Bloating

Again, there’s no guarantee you’ll experience these side effects. But they’re common. They were reported in five percent or more of people in clinical trials.

Here are some tips to help if these side effects crop up:

• Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water (it’s even easier to forget when you have an upset stomach).

• If you’re constipated, eat more fiber, like fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains.

• If you have diarrhea, go easy with fiber while you have it, and slowly reintroduce high-fiber foods once you feel better.

• Consider OTC stool softeners or diarrhea meds, depending on your situation.

• Reach out to your healthcare provider if side effects are bothering you. They may want to adjust your treatment plan or recommend other remedies to help.

Check out our full guide to semaglutide side effects to learn more. BTW, semaglutide is the active ingredient in Wegovy^® and Ozempic.

Here’s what one Hers customer had to say about her experience with Wegovy^®:

“What stood out to me about Hims & Hers was how personalized and medically supported it felt compared to other things I’d tried. The fact that a licensed provider reviewed my info and created a plan tailored to my needs made it feel legitimate and trustworthy. 

“Getting started was actually a lot easier than I expected. Everything was done online — from the assessment to the provider consultation to getting the medication shipped to my door … Any time I had a question — whether it was about pricing, possible alternative medications, or even adjusting my dosage — I got a response from a licensed provider quickly and clearly. That kind of accessibility and real-time support gave me peace of mind and made me feel like my health was truly being prioritized.

“So far, I’ve lost 10 pounds … Seeing the scale move in the right direction has been incredibly motivating. I’ve noticed a huge shift in my energy levels, my mood, and especially my confidence. I feel more in control of my body and my goals. Even my clothes fit better …

“If you’re on the fence about trying a weight loss treatment like this, I’d say: Don’t wait until you’re even more frustrated. You deserve to feel good about yourself and have real support along the way. This isn’t just a quick fix — it’s a path that finally feels sustainable.” —Noelle V, 35

Wegovy^® can help you reach your weight loss goals and improve your health, but you might also experience nausea, especially at the start of your treatment.

Here’s a final roundup of how to stop feeling nauseous on Wegovy^®:

• Adjust your eating habits. Eat smaller meals more regularly, stop eating when full, and eat slowly and mindfully.

• Monitor and avoid triggers. Look out for anything that triggers nausea for you. That might be spicy, salty, fatty, or fried foods. Caffeine, alcohol, and strong smells might also make you feel sick.

• Try anti-nausea medications. Home remedies like ginger tea, OTC meds, or prescription meds (like ondansetron) can help you stop feeling sick on Wegovy^®.

Despite all this talk of feeling nauseous, Wegovy^® is an effective weight loss treatment for those with overweight and obesity. And many people find they stop feeling sick on Wegovy^® — it just takes a little time.

To find out if it’s right for you, take our free online weight loss assessment. A licensed healthcare provider trained in weight management will go over your answers and let you know if you’re eligible for Wegovy^®.