The human body produces a natural hormone, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), after a person consumes food. This hormone helps with satiety, making a person feel full, and improves the body’s ability to regulate their blood sugar. There are synthetic versions of GLP-1 on the market; these injectable medications treat diseases like obesity and type-2 diabetes, supplementing the body’s own production of GLP-1, and have traditionally been injected a few times each day to regulate blood sugar levels and control appetite.
Semaglutide is a synthetic version of GLP-1 that has been modified so that it lasts for a long time in the body, which means that it can be delivered in weekly injections rather than throughout the day. Clinical studies indicate that semaglutide helps reduce blood pressure, decrease fat levels in the blood, and reduce or cease the progression of vascular plaque. Semaglutide also helps lower blood sugar while managing appetite and discouraging overeating.
Many people experience few or no side effects from semaglutide. For those who do, the most common side effects are issues with the gut, including nausea or vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation, and pain in the area of the stomach. Most side effects are mild to moderate and appear when a patient first starts taking semaglutide, tending to diminish or disappear entirely as the body gets used to semaglutide. To reduce the risk of side effects, most doctors start patients on lower dosages of semaglutide that are increased gradually over the course of treatment.
Patients who do report symptoms can find relief by drinking plenty of water, eating smaller meals and making sure to stop eating when they’re full. If there are foods or smells that make your gut issues worse, it helps to avoid those things until your system evens out, reintroducing them slowly if at all. In many cases, nausea and other discomfort will go away within a few weeks, if not sooner. If you’re interested in semaglutide, talk to your doctor for more information.
They’ll review the full range of expected benefits and possible risks, and they’ll explain the precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood and intensity of side effects. If you have any concerns during treatment with semaglutide, make sure to talk to your doctor and address these concerns. With communication and the proper precautions, treatment with semaglutide can be an effective, convenient way to manage health concerns like type-2 diabetes or obesity and can lead to vastly improved health and prompt a complete lifestyle change.