With stable plasma concentrations and lower efficacy on GI motility, the long-acting GLP-1 mimetics are less prone to incur adverse gastrointestinal side effects (80) and generally have a higher potential to decrease body weight (74)
Any acute illness that affects fluid balancesuch as gastroenteritis, influenza, or urinary tract infectionswarrants medical review, as temporary cessation of Ozempic may be necessary to prevent AKI
Generally speaking, though, whoever is giving you the prescription for semaglutide will want to have you take a blood test before they write it
Starting with a small dose and slowly increasing it helps avoid side effects
Emese also shares her own experience taking Zepbound, leading to an honest discussion about whether GLP-1s are forever, who may benefit from them, and why lifestyle changes still matter