Canada · Side effects
Ozempic and Wegovy side effects: what Canadians report.
Short answer
The most common Ozempic and Wegovy side effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and abdominal pain, usually worst when starting or increasing a dose. Health Canada's labels also warn about pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and dehydration. No dosing here.
Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide, so they share a side-effect profile. This page sets out what the Health Canada-authorized labels list, how to report a reaction in Canada, and what anonymous users in our archive describe. Our sample is small and self-selected — read it as stories, not statistics.
What the labels list
- Common: nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, reduced appetite, tiredness.
- Serious but less common: pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, dehydration-related kidney injury, low blood sugar with insulin or sulfonylureas, worsening diabetic eye disease.
- Boxed-style warning: thyroid C-cell tumours in rodents; not for people with a history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2.
Full product monographs are in Health Canada's Drug Product Database.
What semaglutide users report
- 37 published anonymous semaglutide confessions; 5 mention at least one side effect.
- 12 mention Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus by name.
- Among confessions that state a weight change in pounds, the median reported is 50 lb. Self-reported, unverified.
Most-mentioned side effects (share of semaglutide confessions):
- Burping: 5.4% (2)
- Nausea: 5.4% (2)
- Vomiting: 5.4% (2)
- Anxiety or panic: 2.7% (1)
- Constipation: 2.7% (1)
Counts are phrase mentions in anonymous accounts, not diagnoses or clinical rates. Full breakdown and methodology: semaglutide side-effects report.
Reporting a side effect in Canada
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist first. You can also file a report with the Canada Vigilance Program. Reports help Health Canada spot safety signals.
By province and city
Related
- Ozempic withdrawal
- Injection-site reactions
- Ozempic and eyes
- Ozempic headache
- “Ozempic face”
- “Ozempic butt”
- Ozempic and teeth
- GLP-1 hair loss
- GLP-1 side effects across drugs
- Foundayo side effects
- Ozempic in Canada
- Wegovy in Canada
- Semaglutide in Canada
- Mounjaro side effects in Canada
- GLP-1 side effects in Canada
- Ozempic side effects (US / global)
- Wegovy vs Ozempic
- Tirzepatide side-effects report
- Peptides in Canada hub
Frequently asked questions
- What are the most common Ozempic and Wegovy side effects?
- The product monographs list gastrointestinal effects as the most common: nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and abdominal pain, usually most noticeable early in treatment.
- What serious side effects should Canadians watch for?
- Labels warn about pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar when combined with some diabetes drugs, kidney problems from dehydration, diabetic eye changes and thyroid C-cell tumours seen in rodents. Severe ongoing abdominal pain needs urgent care.
- Are Wegovy side effects different from Ozempic?
- Same molecule, same warnings. Wegovy is used at higher maintenance strengths for weight management, and gastrointestinal effects were reported somewhat more often in its trials. The Canadian monographs list the same serious warnings.
- Does Ozempic or Wegovy cause hair loss?
- Hair loss was reported more often with semaglutide than placebo in weight-management trials, generally in people losing weight quickly. Rapid weight loss itself can trigger temporary shedding. Raise persistent hair loss with your prescriber.
- What is "Ozempic face"?
- A media nickname for a thinner, more hollow-looking face after rapid weight loss on a GLP-1 drug. It is not listed as a separate side effect in the Canadian monographs; it reflects facial fat loss that can follow any fast weight loss.
- How do I report a side effect in Canada?
- Tell your prescriber or pharmacist, and you can report it to Health Canada through the Canada Vigilance Program (MedEffect Canada), online or by phone.
- Do generic semaglutide products have the same side effects?
- Authorized generics contain the same active ingredient and carry the same warnings as the brand. Unauthorized 'research' semaglutide has no quality guarantee.
- How many reports is this page based on?
- Our counts come from published anonymous semaglutide confessions, a small self-selected sample. They are phrase mentions, not clinical rates.
Sources
General information only — not medical, legal or regulatory advice. Peptide Confessions does not sell, source or recommend any product or vendor, and nothing here is dosing guidance. Speak with a licensed Canadian healthcare professional or pharmacist about any medication. Editorial process →