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Does Wegovy Cause Fatigue? What Users Are Reporting

Executive Summary

  • Wegovy is a popular injectable prescription medication that uses semaglutide to facilitate chronic weight management by suppressing appetite and reducing calorie intake.
  • Fatigue is a common side effect of Wegovy—it is often caused by the user’s below-average calorie intake, delayed energy metabolism, hormone disruption, or gastrointestinal reaction to the medication.
  • Wegovy-fueled fatigue may naturally lessen over time as the body adjusts to the dosage, but lifestyle changes like adopting a healthy diet and sleep schedule can further combat tiredness.
  • Holistic alternatives to Wegovy, such as the Flexible Weight Loss programs from re:vitalize, can help people avoid fatigue and other medication side effects by encouraging sustainable weight loss through nutrition and exercise.

Table of Contents

Wegovy and Fatigue

With the rising popularity of semaglutide injections like Wegovy, many people using the prescription medication for weight loss purposes have noticed side effects like tiredness, raising the question, “How long does Wegovy fatigue last?” Unfortunately, the answer varies from person to person, especially with different factors contributing to each individual’s tiredness, such as changes in metabolism, calorie intake, or hormone levels.

Although Wegovy does cause fatigue for some users, tiredness may subside as their body gets used to the medication. Still, it is important to know how to combat fatigue from Wegovy. Making lifestyle changes like eating a balanced diet and improving sleep hygiene can reduce Wegovy fatigue for some people, but for others, Wegovy and fatigue always go hand-in-hand, causing them to switch to holistic weight loss as a Wegovy alternative.

Medication-free weight loss approaches like the Flexible Weight Loss programs and Weight Loss & Metabolic Reset programs from re:vitalize weight loss and wellness focus on nutritional intake and physical activity to help people yield sustainable weight loss results without side effects like Wegovy fatigue.

The Evidence Linking Wegovy and Fatigue

Wegovy conducted three phase 3 weight-management clinical trials to ensure the safety of their 2.4 mg dosage. Some noteworthy statistics about the ten most common side effects of Wegovy recorded during the three trials include:

  • 44% of Wegovy-treated participants reported nausea.
  • 30% of Wegovy-treated participants had diarrhea.
  • 24% of Wegovy-treated participants experienced vomiting.
  • 24% of Wegovy-treated participants declared they had constipation.
  • 20% of Wegovy-treated participants felt abdominal pain.
  • 14% of Wegovy-treated participants suffered a headache.
  • 11% of Wegovy-treated participants reported fatigue.
  • 9% of Wegovy-treated participants experienced dyspepsia.
  • 8% of Wegovy-treated participants said they felt dizziness.
  • 7% of Wegovy-treated participants sustained abdominal distension.

Despite only being the seventh most common side effect in clinical trials, Wegovy fatigue can affect thousands of people, especially with the growing popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists—as of 2024, 12% of adults have taken a GLP-1 agonist like Wegovy. In fact, several blogs and stories from real-life Wegovy users have surfaced, with some claiming they stopped taking Wegovy because of extreme fatigue, particularly during the early weeks of treatment while their body tries to adapt to the medication's effects.

Unfortunately, many former Wegovy users say they regained weight after ditching semaglutide injections. However, replacing medication with nutrition-forward holistic programs can help you work toward your weight loss goals in a sustainable, side-effect-free way. 

Why Does Wegovy Make You Feel Tired?

Due to the human body's complex reactions to semaglutide injections, Wegovy fatigue can occur for several reasons. Although the correlation between Wegovy and fatigue can vary for each individual, the most common reasons the medication makes people tired are:

  • Reduced calorie intake – Since it reduces your appetite, Wegovy can significantly lower your calorie consumption. This means your body will have less energy than usual, potentially making you more tired after daily activities.
  • Delayed energy metabolism – GLP-1 medications like Wegovy are known to cause gastrointestinal side effects like delayed stomach emptying, potentially making your body feel more tired by slowing energy release from food.
  • Hormone Disruption – Changes in appetite and digestion caused by Wegovy can affect hormone levels, including melatonin and cortisol, which may interfere with sleep patterns and energy regulation.
  • Underlying health conditions Conditions that alter how your body processes energy, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or thyroid issues, may contribute to tiredness while on Wegovy.

Sometimes, Wegovy fatigue may stem from poor lifestyle habits rather than the medication itself. For example, getting insufficient sleep, being dehydrated, having a poor diet, or physical inactivity can lead to low energy levels. Incorporating a healthy lifestyle alongside Wegovy can help counteract fatigue—start by eating nutritious whole foods and exercising regularly.

How Long Does Wegovy Fatigue Last?

Many users feel the most tired as their body adapts to a new dose strength of their semaglutide medication. Therefore, Wegovy fatigue may significantly lessen a few weeks after the user starts a new dose; however, everyone is different and may have a unique experience with their medication.

Wegovy does not cause fatigue for every person. Some users may feel no significant changes in their energy levels, while others may experience persistent tiredness. Some examples of factors that can determine if and how long someone feels Wegovy fatigue are: 

  • Daily calorie intake
  • Individual metabolism
  • Preexisting health conditions
  • Quality and duration of sleep
  • Stress levels
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Hydration status
  • Age
  • Physical activity level
  • Medication interactions
  • Mental health status

If lifestyle adjustments are not made to support energy levels by addressing some of the factors above, Wegovy fatigue could last indefinitely. Simple alterations like prioritizing inner cellular hydration can restore energy while simultaneously helping burn fat.

Weight Loss Without the Side Effects

re:vitalize programs focus on weight loss through a customized, nutrition-driven approach and NOT medication, which equals sustainable weight loss with no questionable side effects.

How to Combat Wegovy Fatigue

It is essential to take steps to combat tiredness from semaglutide injections as soon as possible. Making the following changes to your lifestyle can help you proactively mitigate or prevent Wegovy fatigue.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

Be sure to fuel your body with healthy, nutrient-dense foods that can help you maintain energy levels. Understanding the roles of macronutrients vs. micronutrients in energy regulation throughout your body is crucial to building meal plans that can combat Wegovy fatigue.

Some examples of important nutrients in a balanced diet include:

  • Complex carbohydrates
  • Healthy fats
  • Lean proteins
  • Fiber-rich vegetables

Still, it can be challenging to know how much of each nutrient you need to achieve desirable results without jeopardizing your weight loss progress. Thankfully, re:vitalize weight loss and wellness offers state-of-the-art BioScan™ technology that can help identify optimal nutrients for all of your unique weight loss and wellness needs.

Have a Healthy Sleep Schedule

In addition to augmenting your diet, prioritizing high-quality sleep at night is another way to combat Wegovy fatigue during the day. Focus on improving your sleep hygiene by adapting your habits before bed and ensuring your bedroom is as comfortable as possible.

Some ways you may be able to achieve better sleep are:

  • Avoid caffeine in the evening
  • Stick to a consistent sleep-wake schedule that allows for 7-9 hours of rest
  • Minimize screen time before bed
  • Create a dark and quiet bedroom environment

By getting substantial, restful sleep each night, you can mitigate tiredness during daily activities, essentially weakening the relationship between Wegovy and fatigue.

Stay in Touch With Your Healthcare Provider

No matter what medication you are on, keeping an open line of communication with your doctor is crucial; let them know if and when you experience side effects like tiredness. A medical professional will have a strong understanding of Wegovy fatigue and what it could mean for your body. For example, they can also test your blood to see if you have low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, which is one of the most common side effects of drinking alcohol on Wegovy.

Depending on the hypothesized root of your tiredness, your healthcare provider may recommend adjusting your Wegovy dose strength or changing your lifestyle choices to help alleviate symptoms. 

Consider Alternatives to Wegovy

Taking GLP-1 agonists is not the best option for everyone. Since semaglutide medications like Wegovy and Ozempic can cause fatigue, it is important to consider forms of medication-free weight loss that do not come with side effects. 

In an attempt to help people get sustainable, fatigue-free weight loss results, re:vitalize encourages holistic approaches that focus on the consumption of important weight-loss nutrients and the adoption of healthy habits like physical activity. Our board-certified nutritionists and expert health coaches perform Body Composition & Metabolic Age Analyses with biometric impedance technology to give people a compass and a starting benchmark that can facilitate and guide their weight loss journey. 

Achieve Weight Loss Without Experiencing Fatigue with re:vitalize

Wegovy causes fatigue for many users due to factors like calorie deficits and hormonal imbalances. Some people stop feeling tired after taking semaglutide injections for several weeks, but others feel Wegovy fatigue indefinitely.

Rather than worrying about how to combat fatigue from Wegovy or trying to figure out how long Wegovy fatigue lasts, you may achieve a better weight loss experience by ditching semaglutide injections altogether. Focusing on sustainable, healthy habits, re:vitalize’s approach has helped many people reach their body composition and wellness goals without Wegovy and fatigue.

Explore our Weight Loss & Metabolic Reset programs and Flexible Weight Loss programs to learn how you can pursue weight loss without relying on medications that may lead to tiredness. All programs are uniquely tailored to the individual, meaning no weight loss approach is the same.

Schedule a virtual or in-person consultation to get customized weight loss guidance from our team of experts.

Dan Lemoine

Meet the Author Dan LeMoine

Dan is passionate about helping others get healthy and reclaim their best lives. In addition to serving as re:vitalize’s CEO, Dan is a certified holistic nutritionist, with board certifications from both The American Association of Drugless Practitioners and the American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board. He and Dr. Abood co-authored their book, Fear No Food, which became an Amazon #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release. Dan’s thought leadership on weight loss, nutrition, and metabolic health has been featured in various outlets like Fox News, Delish.com, 247Health, Prevention, MSN, and Sports Illustrated. Originally from Ohio, Dan and his wife Danae (also a nutritionist and co-founder of re:vitalize) moved to Phoenix in 2017 to open re:vitalize’s Arizona locations.
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