Better known by Novo Nordisk's brand names Ozempic and Wegovy (the former of which is indicated only for type 2 diabetes), semaglutide injections have helped patients shed pounds while also offering a slew of other health benefits. But with the good comes the bad, as patients have also reported painful gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, muscle loss, and even behavioral changes. However, the latest side effect is different, with those on Ozempic reporting cold-like symptoms potentially tied to the medication.
RELATED: Patient Shares Another Ozempic Side Effect: "You Never Know What Will Set It Off."
Conversations circulated on the r/Ozempic subreddit about the side effects, with one patient reporting increased mucus since starting semaglutide.
"Ever since starting Ozempic/Wegovy (I’ve been on it for around 8 months), I’ve found that mucus has become a nightmare," a Redditor wrote last year. "It runs from my nose down towards my neck, but not in a 'runny nose' way, instead in a 'coughing stuff up' way (it tends to be clear and viscous)."
The Redditor added that they noticed this mainly in the mornings and while exercising, sometimes even feeling like their windpipe was "suddenly blocked." While it once triggered vomiting, the Redditor said that they eventually got this under control and assumed it was a cold. However, they then realized it coincided with their use of Ozempic.
Others responded in the thread, noting that they also experienced symptoms like "constant" mucus, coughing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
"This is exactly what I am now thinking is the source of my 11 month 'cold/seasonal allergies,'" a fellow Redditor on Ozempic added. "Several weeks after starting [Ozempic], I developed a terrible cough from chest congestion/mucus. I do have seasonal allergies, so that is what I thought it was at first, but it has been ongoing (but improving) since last August."
On a separate Reddit thread, another Ozempic patient reported a "sudden post nasal trip" that triggered nausea, with another expressing relief that they're "not alone" in this experience.
"It is so annoying but fortunately it's died down," they wrote.
RELATED: What Really Happens If You Stop Taking Ozempic, Doctors Say.
According to Drugs.com, a runny nose and a sore throat are common side effects of Ozempic. Difficulty breathing and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat are among the more serious side effects that require medical attention.
Speaking with Women's Health, doctors who prescribe the medications explained how Ozempic, Wegovy, or other weight-loss/diabetes treatments like Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound could trigger this response in the body.
"Typically, the reason why this happens on these [GLP-1 agonist] medications is that they can cause gastroesophageal reflux or worsen it," Kunal Shah, MD, assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, told Women's Health. Otherwise known as acid reflux, this can then cause irritation in the throat and, by extension, uncomfortable symptoms like post-nasal drip, runny nose, or pain while swallowing, among others.
Your cold and allergy-like symptoms could also be the result of the medication's interaction with the vagus nerve. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists target the GLP-1 receptors in your body, including the GLP-1 receptors of the vagus nerve. As a result, it can trigger something called vasomotor rhinitis, prompting cold and allergy symptoms, Alexandra Sowa, MD, internal medicine and obesity medicine physician and author of the new book The Ozempic Revolution, explained to Women's Health.
However, the experts also say that you might actually just have a cold and be on Ozempic at the same time, or you may have increased awareness of your body and your symptoms while taking the medication. As always, they recommend speaking with your doctor to pinpoint the source of your symptoms.
In a statement to Best Life, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson noted that "cold-like symptoms are not included as a side effect on the SmPC for Ozempic (semaglutide injection)."
They continued, "Novo Nordisk has not conducted any studies on the impact of semaglutide on cold-like symptoms, and did not record any such clinical outcomes as part of our clinical trials."
