Drug side effects

semaglutide Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for semaglutide (also sold as Ozempic, Wegovy), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Compiled by PlainMeds Editorial, Drug Information Editorial Team

Data updated 2026-05-15

72,117
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2013 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of semaglutide come from 72,117 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 72,117 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for semaglutide (Ozempic): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

72,117

Reports Mentioning Death

1,213

1.7% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

14,700

20.4% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

NAUSEA

10,666

VOMITING

6,913

DIARRHOEA

6,093

DECREASED APPETITE

4,428

CONSTIPATION

4,344

WEIGHT DECREASED

3,931

FATIGUE

3,312

HEADACHE

3,156

BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED

2,752

ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER

2,751

IMPAIRED GASTRIC EMPTYING

2,711

DIZZINESS

2,631

INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION

2,575

WEIGHT INCREASED

2,446

ABDOMINAL PAIN

2,233

DEHYDRATION

1,959

MALAISE

1,908

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 43,872 (67%)

Male 21,741 (33%)

Unknown 39

Age Distribution

0-17 244 (1%)

18-44 6,424 (16%)

45-64 17,703 (44%)

65-74 10,577 (27%)

75+ 4,884 (12%)

Reporting Trend by Year

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 1,213 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction	Reports
DEATH	384
NAUSEA	84
LACTIC ACIDOSIS	75
VOMITING	68
CARDIAC ARREST	63
DIARRHOEA	54
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION	52
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY	48
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME	46
COMPLETED SUICIDE	45
PANCREATIC CARCINOMA	42
WEIGHT DECREASED	42
RENAL FAILURE	40
DECREASED APPETITE	39
ABDOMINAL PAIN	36
DEHYDRATION	32
SEPTIC SHOCK	32
DYSPNOEA	31

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 14,700 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction	Reports
NAUSEA	2,470
VOMITING	2,446
DIARRHOEA	1,753
IMPAIRED GASTRIC EMPTYING	1,585
DEHYDRATION	1,249
CONSTIPATION	1,101
DECREASED APPETITE	1,051
ABDOMINAL PAIN	973
INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION	686
ABDOMINAL PAIN UPPER	682
WEIGHT DECREASED	663
PANCREATITIS	618
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY	612
FATIGUE	602
FALL	596
DIZZINESS	570
ASTHENIA	537
INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION	529
HEADACHE	509

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About semaglutide Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 72,117 voluntary reports linked to semaglutide and its brand equivalents (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus), spanning 2013 through 2025. Of those, 1,213 (1.7%) listed death as an outcome and 14,700 (20.4%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 67% were female and 33% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 17,703 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is nausea with 10,666 submissions, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.

Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume

Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to semaglutide's 72,117.