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GLP-1 tool

GLP-1 side-effect timeline

Nausea on a GLP-1 often comes in waves: it tends to flare in the days after each dose increase, then ease on the same dose.

Clinician review pending Updated

How to use it

  1. Step 1Pick your medicine.
  2. Step 2Slide to your current week on treatment.
  3. Step 3Read your likely label dose step, whether you recently increased, and the label's side-effect rates.

Explainer · 0:22

START LOW 2.5 mg weeks 1 to 4 Not a maintenance dose it's there to let your stomach adjust STEP UP SLOWLY 2.557.51012.515 mg each step: 4+ weeks SIDE EFFECTS FOLLOW THE STEPS +2.5 mg+2.5 mg+2.5 mg+2.5 mg flare, then settle how often nausea is reported IT'S OK TO HOLD 7.5 mg · held on-label, common 0:22 · voiced · captions on
GLP-1 doses start low. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg, a starter dose that gives your gut time to adjust.
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Why GLP-1 doses go up slowly
Read the transcript
  1. GLP-1 doses start low. Zepbound starts at 2.5 mg, a starter dose that gives your gut time to adjust.
  2. After at least 4 weeks, your prescriber may step it up by 2.5 mg, up to a maintenance dose of 5, 10 or 15 mg.
  3. Stomach side effects like nausea often flare for a few days after each increase, then settle on the same dose.
  4. Staying on a dose longer is common and allowed by the label. Never increase faster than your prescription says.

Where the rates come from

Rates come from each FDA label's adverse-reaction table, which compares people on the medicine with people on placebo in the main trials. The placebo column matters: some nausea and headaches happen without the drug too.

The dose step assumes every increase happened on the label's fastest schedule. If your prescriber held a dose, your step may be lower.

Typical pattern

  • First weeks: stomach side effects are most likely as your body adjusts.
  • After each increase: they often return for a few days.
  • Steady dose: in trials, they eased for most people over time.

Most were mild to moderate in trials, but some people stopped treatment because of them. See symptom pages like nausea and constipation.

More glp-1 tools

GLP-1 weight-loss projection

Expected loss by drug, dose and week, from trial data

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GLP-1 dose schedule

Your titration calendar with calendar export

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GLP-1 cost and savings

List, self-pay and savings-card prices side by side

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TDEE on a GLP-1

Your calorie needs vs what you actually eat now

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Tirzepatide dose calculator

Where you are on the Zepbound or Mounjaro ladder

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Weigh-in tracker

Log weekly and compare with the trial curve

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Common questions

How long do GLP-1 side effects last?

For many people, stomach side effects ease within days to a few weeks on the same dose. They often return briefly after a dose increase.

What is the most common side effect of Zepbound and Wegovy?

Nausea is the most common in both labels, followed by diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.

When should I call my doctor about side effects?

Get care for severe stomach pain that won't go away, signs of dehydration, yellow skin or eyes, or a lump in your neck.

Do side effects mean the medicine is working?

No. Side effects and weight loss aren't tightly linked, and many people lose weight with few side effects.

Sources

  1. DailyMed: FDA prescribing information (search by drug name)
  2. Jastreboff AM et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). NEJM 2022
  3. Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). NEJM 2021

Clinician review pending. Drafted from primary sources and waiting for sign-off by a licensed clinician (MD, DO or PharmD) before launch. Every number is checked against its source. Drug facts are re-checked quarterly, prices monthly and whenever a label changes. How we review · Report an error