TRIAL RESULTS · SIDE EFFECTS
Semaglutide side effects
ANSWER
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, the most common side effects of Semaglutide were nausea 19.5% (placebo 4.5%), COVID-19 17.0% (placebo 17.8%), diarrhoea 11.8% (placebo 4.5%). Read from ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
Trial register
Trials with posted results
81
with an arm on Semaglutide, of 861 registered
Against placebo
50
placebo-controlled trials
People in those trials
31,606
on Semaglutide · 24,285 on placebo
Read
2026-10-03
ClinicalTrials.gov
VS PLACEBO
Most common side effects, Semaglutide beside placebo
Share of people with each side effect in 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results: 31,606 people on Semaglutide (all doses), 24,285 on placebo, same trials. Listed only when reported for at least half of the people on Semaglutide. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
ALL TRIALS
The 100 most reported of 3429 side effects reported
Every trial with posted results and an arm on Semaglutide (n ≥ 20), all phases, by people affected. Placebo is shown where placebo-controlled trials reported the same event. Comparator arms are not counted.
| Side effect | Organ system | Semaglutide | Placebo | Trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Gastrointestinal disorders | 18.8% (8,545 of 45,463) | 4.5% | 77 |
| Diarrhoea | Gastrointestinal disorders | 11.8% (5,261 of 44,769) | 4.5% | 71 |
| Vomiting | Gastrointestinal disorders | 8.4% (3,749 of 44,826) | 1.6% | 73 |
| COVID-19 | Infections and infestations | 15.0% (3,716 of 24,851) | 17.8% | 30 |
| Constipation | Gastrointestinal disorders | 8.7% (3,326 of 38,289) | 2.8% | 61 |
| Decreased appetite | Metabolism and nutrition disorders | 6.4% (2,534 of 39,753) | 1.3% | 62 |
| Nasopharyngitis | Infections and infestations | 8.4% (2,196 of 26,150) | 6.1% | 51 |
| Diabetic retinopathy | Eye disorders | 10.8% (1,764 of 16,368) | 15.8% | 16 |
| Dyspepsia | Gastrointestinal disorders | 5.3% (1,723 of 32,352) | 1.2% | 46 |
| Headache | Nervous system disorders | 4.3% (1,636 of 37,910) | 2.1% | 55 |
| Upper respiratory tract infection | Infections and infestations | 3.5% (1,141 of 32,694) | 1.9% | 41 |
| Abdominal pain | Gastrointestinal disorders | 2.2% (822 of 36,549) | 0.8% | 47 |
| Back pain | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 2.3% (788 of 34,565) | 1.5% | 43 |
| Fatigue | General disorders | 2.7% (782 of 29,169) | 0.9% | 38 |
| Abdominal pain upper | Gastrointestinal disorders | 2.1% (626 of 29,271) | 0.6% | 37 |
| Lipase increased | Investigations | 3.3% (623 of 18,679) | 1.4% | 25 |
| Arthralgia | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 2.1% (577 of 27,680) | 1.7% | 31 |
| Gastrooesophageal reflux disease | Gastrointestinal disorders | 1.8% (572 of 31,696) | 0.4% | 42 |
| Dizziness | Nervous system disorders | 2.0% (572 of 28,757) | 0.9% | 41 |
| Urinary tract infection | Infections and infestations | 1.7% (554 of 32,129) | 1.6% | 36 |
| Eructation | Gastrointestinal disorders | 3.2% (547 of 16,998) | 0.3% | 24 |
| Acute myocardial infarction | Cardiac disorders | 1.5% (534 of 36,036) | 3.1% | 39 |
| Influenza | Infections and infestations | 1.8% (516 of 27,933) | 1.1% | 24 |
| Acute kidney injury | Renal and urinary disorders | 1.2% (410 of 33,599) | 2.0% | 35 |
| Pneumonia | Infections and infestations | 1.0% (380 of 37,067) | 1.9% | 42 |
| Abdominal distension | Gastrointestinal disorders | 1.6% (367 of 23,001) | 0.6% | 25 |
| Angina unstable | Cardiac disorders | 1.2% (350 of 28,222) | 1.9% | 25 |
| COVID-19 pneumonia | Infections and infestations | 1.5% (346 of 22,914) | 2.5% | 15 |
| Gastroenteritis | Infections and infestations | 1.1% (341 of 31,792) | 0.5% | 35 |
| Atrial fibrillation | Cardiac disorders | 0.9% (324 of 35,464) | 1.6% | 35 |
| Flatulence | Gastrointestinal disorders | 2.0% (299 of 14,957) | 0.6% | 18 |
| Hypertension | Vascular disorders | 0.9% (297 of 31,542) | 0.7% | 30 |
| Cardiac failure | Cardiac disorders | 1.0% (276 of 27,378) | 1.7% | 18 |
| Coronary artery disease | Cardiac disorders | 0.8% (275 of 33,387) | 1.3% | 33 |
| Coronary arterial stent insertion | Surgical and medical procedures | 2.3% (272 of 12,051) | 3.0% | 6 |
| Angina pectoris | Cardiac disorders | 0.9% (252 of 28,171) | 1.5% | 23 |
| Ischaemic stroke | Nervous system disorders | 0.7% (221 of 32,425) | 1.0% | 29 |
| Osteoarthritis | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 0.6% (213 of 37,005) | 0.9% | 40 |
| Abdominal discomfort | Gastrointestinal disorders | 1.1% (211 of 18,720) | 0.1% | 17 |
| Cataract | Eye disorders | 0.7% (210 of 28,018) | 0.9% | 24 |
| Sinusitis | Infections and infestations | 0.9% (209 of 23,275) | 0.5% | 19 |
| Cardiac failure congestive | Cardiac disorders | 0.7% (192 of 29,274) | 1.0% | 19 |
| Hyperglycaemia | Metabolism and nutrition disorders | 0.7% (179 of 27,182) | 0.4% | 19 |
| Anaemia | Blood and lymphatic system disorders | 0.6% (178 of 28,855) | 1.0% | 23 |
| Alopecia | Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 5.3% (169 of 3,160) | 2.1% | 7 |
| Non-cardiac chest pain | General disorders | 0.6% (165 of 28,176) | 0.8% | 22 |
| Bronchitis | Infections and infestations | 0.7% (165 of 25,299) | 0.8% | 20 |
| Cholelithiasis | Hepatobiliary disorders | 0.5% (164 of 36,286) | 0.4% | 39 |
| Cough | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.8% (159 of 21,196) | 0.7% | 18 |
| Syncope | Nervous system disorders | 0.5% (150 of 31,230) | 0.6% | 25 |
| Muscle spasms | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 1.3% (150 of 11,276) | 0.4% | 6 |
| Sepsis | Infections and infestations | 0.5% (136 of 28,379) | 0.6% | 22 |
| Fall | Injury, poisoning and procedural complications | 0.5% (135 of 28,401) | 0.7% | 22 |
| Prostate cancer | Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) | 0.5% (135 of 29,239) | 0.5% | 22 |
| Death | General disorders | 0.5% (135 of 27,197) | 0.8% | 19 |
| Myocardial infarction | Cardiac disorders | 0.5% (134 of 26,530) | 0.6% | 18 |
| Transient ischaemic attack | Nervous system disorders | 0.4% (130 of 29,742) | 0.7% | 26 |
| Peripheral arterial occlusive disease | Vascular disorders | 0.5% (128 of 27,121) | 0.7% | 17 |
| Amylase increased | Investigations | 1.0% (128 of 12,320) | 0.6% | 9 |
| Coronary artery stenosis | Cardiac disorders | 0.4% (121 of 29,769) | 0.6% | 21 |
| Pain in extremity | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 0.5% (116 of 22,693) | 0.7% | 14 |
| Acne | Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 31.8% (113 of 355) | 15.9% | 2 |
| Cellulitis | Infections and infestations | 0.4% (110 of 31,326) | 0.8% | 26 |
| Acute respiratory failure | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.4% (109 of 26,758) | 0.7% | 20 |
| Cardiac failure chronic | Cardiac disorders | 0.4% (104 of 27,326) | 0.5% | 17 |
| Cardiac failure acute | Cardiac disorders | 0.4% (102 of 22,925) | 0.6% | 12 |
| Cholecystitis acute | Hepatobiliary disorders | 0.3% (101 of 32,730) | 0.4% | 31 |
| Chronic kidney disease | Renal and urinary disorders | 0.5% (101 of 22,180) | 0.6% | 10 |
| Hypoglycaemia | Metabolism and nutrition disorders | 0.4% (99 of 26,675) | 0.5% | 21 |
| Covid-19 | Infections and infestations | 4.9% (96 of 1,963) | 21.2% | 5 |
| Cardiac arrest | Cardiac disorders | 0.4% (95 of 25,125) | 0.4% | 13 |
| Sensitive skin | Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | 5.2% (95 of 1,837) | 0.9% | 3 |
| Nephrolithiasis | Renal and urinary disorders | 0.3% (94 of 32,783) | 0.3% | 32 |
| Chest pain | General disorders | 0.3% (94 of 29,950) | 0.4% | 26 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | Nervous system disorders | 0.4% (93 of 25,736) | 0.6% | 17 |
| Inguinal hernia | Gastrointestinal disorders | 0.3% (91 of 29,202) | 0.2% | 23 |
| Hypotension | Vascular disorders | 0.4% (88 of 24,571) | 0.3% | 17 |
| Pulmonary embolism | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.3% (87 of 30,285) | 0.4% | 25 |
| Coronary artery bypass | Surgical and medical procedures | 0.7% (84 of 12,481) | 0.8% | 4 |
| Percutaneous coronary intervention | Surgical and medical procedures | 0.4% (77 of 18,560) | 0.7% | 7 |
| Dehydration | Metabolism and nutrition disorders | 0.3% (76 of 29,080) | 0.2% | 22 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.3% (76 of 23,001) | 0.6% | 14 |
| Pyrexia | General disorders | 0.3% (75 of 26,374) | 0.2% | 22 |
| Hyperaesthesia | Nervous system disorders | 2.9% (74 of 2,548) | 0.3% | 5 |
| Dyspnoea | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.3% (73 of 24,628) | 0.4% | 16 |
| Carotid artery stenosis | Nervous system disorders | 0.3% (70 of 21,881) | 0.3% | 12 |
| Myocardial ischaemia | Cardiac disorders | 0.3% (69 of 24,511) | 0.5% | 12 |
| Cerebral infarction | Nervous system disorders | 0.3% (68 of 25,815) | 0.3% | 18 |
| Respiratory failure | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 0.3% (66 of 26,099) | 0.3% | 17 |
| Asthenia | General disorders | 0.3% (65 of 23,245) | 0.2% | 17 |
| Ventricular tachycardia | Cardiac disorders | 0.3% (64 of 20,946) | 0.3% | 12 |
| Oropharyngeal pain | Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | 1.7% (62 of 3,544) | 1.2% | 7 |
| Benign prostatic hyperplasia | Reproductive system and breast disorders | 0.3% (61 of 22,768) | 0.2% | 10 |
| Microalbuminuria | Renal and urinary disorders | 0.6% (61 of 10,594) | 0.8% | 3 |
| Atrial flutter | Cardiac disorders | 0.2% (59 of 28,507) | 0.3% | 21 |
| Appendicitis | Infections and infestations | 0.2% (57 of 29,440) | 0.2% | 27 |
| Cholecystitis | Hepatobiliary disorders | 0.2% (56 of 28,892) | 0.2% | 25 |
| Intervertebral disc protrusion | Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | 0.2% (56 of 31,953) | 0.1% | 24 |
| Gastrointestinal haemorrhage | Gastrointestinal disorders | 0.3% (56 of 20,577) | 0.2% | 9 |
| Injection site bruising | General disorders | 3.9% (53 of 1,376) | 4.8% | 5 |
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov posted results, read 2026-10-03. A trial lists events above its own reporting threshold, so a rare event may be missing from some trials. Not medical advice.
FDA LABEL
What the FDA label says
Ozempic NDA209637 · label of 2026-07-30 Regulator
The most common adverse reactions reported in ≥5% of patients treated with OZEMPIC are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation.
WEGOVY NDA215256 · label of 2024-04-23 Regulator
Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5%) in adults or pediatric patients aged 12 years and older are: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation, hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nasopharyngitis.
QUESTIONS
Does semaglutide cause nausea?
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, 19.5% of people on semaglutide reported nausea, against 4.5% on placebo. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
Does semaglutide cause COVID-19?
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, 17.0% of people on semaglutide reported COVID-19, against 17.8% on placebo. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
Does semaglutide cause diarrhoea?
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, 11.8% of people on semaglutide reported diarrhoea, against 4.5% on placebo. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
Does semaglutide cause constipation?
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, 8.9% of people on semaglutide reported constipation, against 2.8% on placebo. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
Does semaglutide cause vomiting?
In 50 placebo-controlled trials with posted results, 8.6% of people on semaglutide reported vomiting, against 1.6% on placebo. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read 2026-10-03. Not medical advice.
REGISTERED STUDIES
861 registered clinical trials of Semaglutide
The 10 most recently updated are listed.
| NCT06856291 | Response to Semaglutide in Non-diabetic Obese Patients With Varying Degrees of Insulin Resistance Status: COMPLETED · Updated 2026-10-02 |
|---|---|
| NCT06977438 | GLP-1 Plus Lifestyle for Overall Wellness: Find Your Way Forward Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-02 |
| NCT07855133 | A Research Study Investigating How Adults With Overweight or Obesity, With or Without Type 2 Diabetes, Tolerate Switching to a New Treatment (Zenagamtide) From Their Current Semaglutide Medication Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-02 |
| 2022-502922-41-00 | Long-term safety and efficacy of semaglutide s.c. once-weekly on weight management in children and adolescents (aged 6 to <18 years) with obesity or overweight Status: UNKNOWN · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| NCT05254314 | Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist in the Treatment of Adult, Obesity-related, Symptomatic Asthma (GATA-3) Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| NCT06184633 | DUTCH Weight Control in Atrial Fibrillation Study Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| NCT07112872 | A Study to Compare Different Doses of RO7795081 With Placebo or Semaglutide in People With Type 2 Diabetes Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| NCT07249554 | Combination Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| NCT07820358 | Semaglutide, Weight Loss, and LNG-IUD for Conservative Treatment of Endometrial Atypical Hyperplasia and Grade 1 Endometrial Cancer Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Updated 2026-10-01 |
| 2026-527373-11-00 | SEMAGONA: A randomized four-arm parallel group double-blind double dummy 52-week clinical trial comparing the effects of s.c. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once-weekly, i.m. testosterone undecanoate 1,000 mg every 13th week, combination of s.c. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once-weekly and i.m. testosterone undecanoate 1,000 mg every 13th week, and placebo on body composition and hypogonadal symptoms in men with obesity-associated functional hypogonadism Status: UNKNOWN · Updated 2026-09-30 |
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