Wegovy pill side effects and how to manage them

The Wegovy pill is the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication licensed for weight loss in the UK. The Wegovy pill contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in Wegovy injections, but is taken as a once-daily tablet rather than a weekly injection.

Like all medications, Wegovy tablets can cause side effects. Most are mild, temporary, and improve as your body adjusts to treatment and higher doses. Because the tablet contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy injections, the side effects are similar, although there are a few small differences.

In this guide, we'll look at potential side effects, how long they usually last, practical ways to manage them, and when you should seek medical advice.

The most common Wegovy pill side effects affect your digestive system. This is because one of the ways semaglutide works for weight loss is by slowing stomach emptying to help you feel fuller for longer.

Please note: These side effects should go away over time, but may come back temporarily after a dose increase.

Very common side effects

These side effects can affect more than 1 in 10 people taking the Wegovy pill:

• nausea (feeling sick)
• vomiting (being sick)
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• stomach pain
• headache
• indigestion or upset stomach
• tiredness or weakness

Common side effects

These side effects can affect up to 1 in 10 people taking the Wegovy pill:

• dizziness
• burping
• bloating
• excess wind (flatulence)
• heartburn or acid reflux
• gastritis (stomach inflammation)
• gallstones
• hair loss
• changes in taste
• changes in skin sensations, such as tingling or numbness
• low blood sugar in people with diabetes

These side effects can affect up to 1 in 100 people taking Wegovy pills. They include:

• low blood pressure
• feeling lightheaded when standing or sitting up, due to low blood pressure
• a faster heartbeat
• delayed stomach emptying
• low blood sugar in people without diabetes
• increased pancreatic enzyme levels on blood tests
• raised bilirubin levels in the blood, which may cause yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)

If you get side effects that concern you or do not improve, speak to your doctor for advice.

It’s important to be aware of serious side effects, so you can get the right help if you do get symptoms.

These are the serious side effects of the Wegovy pill in order of how frequently they may happen, with symptoms to look out for and what to do if you get them:

➤ For a full list of side effects, you can also read the Wegovy pill patient information leaflet that comes with your tablets.

Most Wegovy pill side effects improve within a few days to a few weeks as your body adjusts to treatment. Side effects are often most noticeable when you first start taking Wegovy tablets or after a dose increase. This means even if your side effects settle on your current dose, there’s a chance they can come back after a dose increase.

In clinical trials, gastrointestinal (GI) side effects were reported most often when patients were following the dosage schedule to the maximum maintenance dose. The most common side effects reported were:

Most side effects were mild to moderate in severity and did not last very long. However, constipation was reported to last longer than other side effects.

Most side effects can be managed with lifestyle and diet changes while your body adjusts to treatment. What you eat and drink are very important in managing side effects and, in some cases, avoiding them.

Nausea

Nausea is one of the most common side effects when starting oral semaglutide. To help reduce nausea:

• eat smaller portions more often
• choose bland foods such as toast, crackers, rice, and plain pasta
• avoid greasy, spicy, or rich foods
• eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• stop eating when you feel full

Speak to your doctor if this side effect does not settle or is making it difficult to eat or stay hydrated.

Vomiting

If you are sick:

• take small, regular sips of water
• avoid large meals until symptoms settle
• choose simple foods such as toast, bananas, rice, and crackers

Speak to your doctor if you cannot keep fluids down, as there’s a risk of dehydration.

Diarrhoea

To help manage diarrhoea:

• drink plenty of water to replace lost fluids
• avoid fatty and spicy foods
• eat plain, easy-to-digest meals
• avoid or limit alcohol and caffeine

Speak to your doctor if this side effect does not settle or is severe, as it can also cause dehydration.

Constipation

Constipation can often improve with:

• increased fluid intake
• regular physical activity
• gradually increasing fibre-rich foods
• eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains

If constipation becomes severe or persistent, speak to your pharmacist or doctor, as they may be able to prescribe a laxative.

Headaches

Headaches can sometimes be linked to dehydration, a change in diet, or as a side effect of the Wegovy tablet. To reduce headaches:

• drink plenty of water throughout the day, rather than having a lot of water all at once
• eat regular meals
• avoid becoming dehydrated if you get vomiting or diarrhoea
• rest when you can, making sure you get enough sleep

Speak to your pharmacist about pain relief if headaches are affecting you. You can usually take paracetamol or ibuprofen with Wegovy tablets, although you must not take any other pills at the same time as you take your Wegovy pill. If you have stomach-related side effects, ibuprofen may not be suitable.

Heartburn and indigestion

To help reduce reflux symptoms:

• eat smaller meals
• avoid lying down immediately after eating or eating too close to bedtime
• reduce spicy, fatty, and acidic foods from your diet
• limit alcohol and caffeine if they worsen your symptoms

A pharmacist can recommend heartburn and indigestion remedies if needed, but speak to your doctor if this persists and you need to take over-the-counter remedies for longer than 14 days.

Most of the time, Wegovy pill side effects do go away, though they may come back with a dose increase. In some cases, side effects can appear at any time, such as pancreatitis. Very common side effects often settle and stop shortly after you finish the dosage schedule, as your body adjusts to the maintenance dose.

There’s a small chance that Wegovy pill side effects do not go away for you. In a 64-week trial of 25mg Wegovy pills, 3.4% of patients in the oral semaglutide group and 2% in the placebo group stopped treatment because of gastrointestinal side effects.

The Wegovy pill and Wegovy injection contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, so they have very similar side effects and warnings. However, there are some differences between the 2 forms.

Injection site reactions

The main difference between injection and pill side effects is injection site reactions. People using Wegovy injections commonly report injection site reactions, such as redness, itching, swelling, or bruising at the injection site.

As the Wegovy pill is taken by mouth, this is not a side effect.

Digestive side effects

Digestive side effects are slightly more common with oral semaglutide. This may be because the Wegovy pill is taken by mouth. In clinical trials, the percentage of people who reported gastrointestinal side effects was:

• 74% when taking the 25mg Wegovy pill over 64 weeks
• 71% when taking the 7.2mg injection over 72 weeks

Nausea and vomiting were also reported slightly more often with the tablet.

Skin sensation changes

Abnormal skin sensations (dysaesthesia) have been reported as a side effect while using Wegovy. This causes symptoms like skin tingling or burning. In clinical trials, an extra 17.9% of patients reported dysaesthesia on the 7.2mg injection compared to the 25mg Wegovy pill dose.

Absorption sensitivity

Another big difference between the pill and injection is absorption sensitivity. While this is not a side effect, it’s important to know that the way you take the Wegovy pill matters, or it could significantly reduce its absorption and possibly its effectiveness.

The Wegovy pill is made with a special ingredient called SNAC, which helps it absorb effectively in your stomach, but only if you follow the instructions. Food, drink, and other oral medications can affect how much semaglutide is absorbed from the tablet.

The Wegovy pill must be taken:

• after at least 8 hours of fasting, so it’s usually taken first thing when you wake up in the morning
• swallowed whole, with up to 120ml of plain water
• 30 minutes or more before eating, drinking (except plain water used to take the pill), or taking other oral medications

You should not crush or break the tablet in any way, as this will also affect its absorption. When taking the injection, there are no special food or drink requirements, but you should try to take it at the same time and day every week.

Oral Semaglutide at a Dose of 25 mg in Adults with Overweight or Obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine [accessed 19 June 2026]

Once-weekly semaglutide 7·2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology [accessed 19 June 2026]

Wegovy 25 mg tablets (SmPC), emc [accessed 19 June 2026]

Wegovy 25 mg tablets (PIL), emc [accessed 19 June 2026]

Wegovy 0.25 mg, FlexTouch solution for injection in pre-filled pen, emc [accessed 19 June 2026]