Managing Side Effects on Medical Weight Loss

Most side effects on GLP-1 weight-loss medication are digestive, front-loaded in the first weeks and after dose increases, and they settle as your body adjusts. This guide covers what's normal, the practical fixes that genuinely help, and when to get in touch.

The common ones

• Nausea — the most common, especially early and after a dose step. Eat slowly, keep meals smaller, go easy on rich or fatty food, and keep your fluids up. It usually settles within days.
• Constipation — common when you're eating less. Fibre and water do most of the work; tell us if it persists.
• Reflux or burping — food sits in your stomach longer on a GLP-1. Smaller meals and not lying down straight after eating both help.
• Injection-site reactions — a small bump is normal. A reaction that's spreading, hot, or not settling is worth a message.

After a dose increase

Side effects often flare briefly when your dose steps up, then settle within a week or so as your body adjusts. That pattern is normal and expected — it's why your doctor increases your dose gradually. If a flare isn't settling, don't push through it — message us; there are straightforward ways to manage it.

Low appetite isn't a free pass

Barely feeling hungry is the medication working — but skipping protein costs you muscle, not just weight. When you can only manage a small plate, fill it with protein first. Keeping muscle while you lose fat covers exactly how.

The golden rule: don't adjust your own protocol

If something feels off, don't skip doses, halve doses, or stop cold on your own — and never double up after a missed dose. Your titration plan is deliberate. Message us first. Slowing a dose step down is a normal, quick adjustment when we do it together.

Get urgent help first if

Severe or persistent stomach pain that won't ease (especially with vomiting), a severe allergic reaction, or trouble breathing — call 000 or get to an emergency department first, then let us know.

Message the care team if

• Nausea, vomiting or stomach upset is severe, ongoing, or affecting your daily function.
• A side effect hasn't settled within a week or two of a dose step.
• You've missed a dose or are tempted to change your plan because of how something feels.
• You just want to check whether something is normal — we'd rather hear from you early.

On TRT as well? Managing side effects on TRT covers that side.