General information, not medical advice
This page is educational and does not replace guidance from your licensed provider or pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or supplement without talking to them first.
How to use this guide
The zones below are a general aid, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, contact your provider — and for anything in the red zone, do not wait for a portal reply.
Keep your medication name and dose to hand when you call, and tell any emergency staff that you take a GLP-1 medication.
The zones
Green: commonly expected
Mild symptoms that many people experience, especially early on
- Mild nausea for a day or two after an injection that gradually eases
- Reduced appetite
- Occasional constipation that responds to everyday measures
- Mild tiredness that improves with adequate food and fluids
- Occasional heartburn, gas, or bloating
- Mild, temporary redness or itching at the injection site
What to do: Continue as prescribed, use the everyday measures in these guides, and keep an eye on whether symptoms change.
Yellow: contact your provider within 24 to 48 hours
Symptoms that need a conversation before your next dose
- Nausea lasting more than two or three days after an injection
- Vomiting, or difficulty keeping food or fluids down
- Diarrhea on most days rather than only around injection day
- Constipation lasting more than five days despite everyday measures
- Early signs of dehydration: less urination, dry mouth, dark urine
- Moderate abdominal pain that persists or worsens
- Reflux not controlled by everyday measures
- Tiredness that interferes with daily activities
- Rapid or unintended weight change
What to do: Contact your provider within 24 to 48 hours and do not take your next dose until you have spoken with them. Note when symptoms started and how often they occur.
Red: seek emergency care now
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department
- Severe abdominal pain, especially in the upper abdomen or spreading to the back
- Persistent vomiting, or nothing kept down for 24 hours or more
- Severe dehydration: extreme dizziness, confusion, very dark urine, or no urination for many hours
- Severe upper-abdominal pain with fever or a rapid heartbeat
- Severe right upper abdominal pain, fever, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Severe bloating with an inability to pass gas or stool, cramping, and vomiting
- Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or a severe rash
- Chest pain or severe shortness of breath
- Vision changes or severe eye pain
- Confusion, seizure, or loss of consciousness
- Thoughts of harming yourself
What to do: Call 911 or go to the emergency department immediately. Do not drive yourself if you feel severely unwell.
How to reach us
Non-urgent questions
Use the patient portal or contact support during business hours for general questions about your order or the process.
Yellow-zone symptoms
Contact your provider through the patient portal within 24 to 48 hours so your dose or schedule can be reviewed.
Red-zone symptoms
Call 911 or go to the emergency department. Do not wait for office hours or a portal reply.
Reminders
- When in doubt, contact your provider.
- Never ignore severe or worsening symptoms.
- A simple symptom note helps your provider make decisions.
- If you are told to hold a dose, do not restart without provider approval.
References
- FDA-approved prescribing information for semaglutide injection products, via DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Compounded versions were not studied in these trials. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=semaglutide
- FDA-approved prescribing information for tirzepatide injection products, via DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Compounded versions were not studied in these trials. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=tirzepatide
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: questions and answers. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-and-fda-questions-and-answers