Ozempic® Stomach Pain

Ozempic is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medication that can help lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. The drug is also known by its active ingredient’s generic name, semaglutide. GLP-1 diabetes medications like Ozempic and Wegovy® are prescribed to treat Type 2 diabetes or obesity in combination with lifestyle and dietary changes.

Ozempic is manufactured by Novo Nordisk and works by:

• Stimulating insulin production in the pancreas
• Reducing glucose production in the liver
• Telling the brain the body is full

Together, this helps lower blood sugar levels. Ozempic was approved to treat individuals with Type 2 diabetes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. However, the FDA did not give approval for Novo Nordisk to market the drug for weight loss.

In 2021, Novo Nordisk funded a clinical trial of Ozempic in overweight or obese patients. The study found that weekly semaglutide injections and lifestyle intervention were associated with sustained weight loss. Despite the lack of FDA approval, Novo Nordisk began mentioning weight loss in their Ozempic commercials with great success.

• In July 2021, U.S. doctors wrote 62,000 prescriptions a week for Ozempic.
• In 2023, more than 4,000 active advertisements for Ozempic appeared on Facebook and Instagram.
• As of August 10, 2023, U.S. sales of Ozempic jumped 50% to more than $3.7 billion.
• In 2024, Novo Nordisk reported a further 25% increase in Ozempic sales.

Ozempic has become extremely popular for both on-label and off-label use – despite some dangerous side effects that establish a link between Ozempic and stomach pain.

Yes, Ozempic can cause stomach pain. It is one of the most common side effects of Ozempic. Ozempic has also been associated with other serious side effects related to stomach pain. This includes gastroparesis, gastroenteritis, malnutrition and intestinal blockage or obstruction. All of these conditions have led to hospitalization and deaths in U.S. patients.

The Ozempic label lists the stomach pain-related side effects of the medication as “abdominal pain.” These side effects were reported in 7.3% of people taking the medication at a 0.5 mg dose, and 5.7% taking a 1.0 mg dose.

In addition, the label mentions that patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation as a result of Ozempic use. Side effects were often reported when patients received increased dosages of Ozempic. Increased dosages were more likely to lead to new or worsening gastrointestinal symptoms:

• 3.8% of patients taking Ozempic 1 mg had adverse reactions.
• 3.1% of patients taking Ozempic 0.5 mg had adverse reactions.
• 0.4% of patients taking a placebo had adverse reactions.

If you are currently taking Ozempic and experience any side effects, consult a healthcare provider to determine if they are a sign of a more serious condition.

Ozempic abdominal pain can be a sign of more serious side effects, including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), gastroenteritis, necrotizing pancreatitis, ileus and intestinal blockages. Many of these side effects are not disclosed on the drug’s prescribing label.

Despite knowledge of all of these side effects, Novo Nordisk ignored the association between Ozempic use and the serious gastrointestinal issues. It did not warn consumers of these risks.

The drug’s prescription label discloses many warnings, precautions and adverse reactions linked to Ozempic. But it fails to warn that patients risk experiencing severe gastrointestinal events.

Ozempic and ileus

Ileus is a condition that impacts intestinal muscles. Our intestines work by contracting to move food through the system. When the muscles don’t or can’t contract, this is ileus. Ileus can manifest as stomach pain or vomiting at first. If not treated, it can result in blockages that require hospitalization and surgery.

Ileus was added to the Ozempic warning label in September 2023. It is in the Postmarketing Experience section and says:

“The following adverse reactions have been reported during post-approval use of semaglutide, the active ingredient of OZEMPIC. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Gastrointestinal Disorders: Ileus.”

Ozempic and intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstructions, sometimes also called bowel obstructions or blockages, may happen to patients taking Ozempic. Blockages prevent food from moving through our bodies and can cause severe pain and health issues.

As of early 2025, there is no wording on the Ozempic label about blockages or obstructions.

Ozempic and necrotizing pancreatitis

The pancreas helps with food digestion and blood sugar regulation by producing digestive enzymes and insulin. One of Ozempic’s functions is to stimulate the release of insulin, which can affect the pancreas and cause pancreatitis.

Severe abdominal pain may be a warning sign of pancreatitis. This is a severe condition where a part of the pancreas dies because of inflammation. The condition can worsen into necrotizing pancreatitis if the dead tissue becomes infected.

Ozempic’s label discloses the risk of pancreatitis in the “Warnings and Precautions” section. The warning advises medical providers to closely observe patients for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis after starting Ozempic.

The symptoms of necrotizing pancreatitis include:

• Severe abdominal pain: Usually located in the upper abdomen, but the pain may radiate to the back or shoulder.
• Nausea and vomiting: Persistent and severe.
• Fever: High fever may indicate infection.
• Abdominal distension: Swelling and bloating.
• Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes caused by bile duct obstruction.
• Confusion or altered mental status: Caused by electrolyte imbalances and sepsis.
• Rapid heart rate and low blood pressure: Signs of shock.
• Gastrointestinal bleeding: Black or bloody stools, vomiting blood.

Ozempic and gastroparesis

Stomach pain may be a warning sign of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), which affects muscle movement in the stomach and interferes with normal digestion. Normally, food is pushed through the digestive tract by strong contractions of the muscles in the tract. Gastroparesis slows down or stops this activity, which prevents proper emptying of the stomach. Gastroparesis has no cure and cases can vary in severity.

Ozempic use has been linked to gastroparesis. Two 2021 case reports illustrated the connection between GLP-1 drugs and gastroparesis:

• One report involved a woman who had been receiving weekly semaglutide injections for approximately one month before exhibiting gastroparesis symptoms. The report authors concluded that medication caused her gastroparesis.”
• Another report involved a woman who had been on dulaglutide (another GLP-1 receptor agonist comparable to Ozempic) for 15 months. After she had experienced bloating, nausea and vomiting for 12 of those months, testing showed she suffered from delayed gastric emptying. The condition improved after she stopped receiving dulaglutide.

Gastroparesis may present with a range of symptoms, many mirroring Ozempic’s advertised side effects. The symptoms of gastroparesis include:

• Abdominal bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Acid reflux
• Changes in blood sugar levels, including low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites
• Lack of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier
• Weight loss and malnutrition

Some people with gastroparesis don't have any noticeable signs and symptoms, whereas others experience extreme pain and require hospitalization. People are filing Ozempic gastroparesis lawsuits because Novo Nordisk failed to appropriately warn them of this risk.

Ozempic lawsuits

People are suing Novo Nordisk for failure to warn of several dangerous conditions, many of which occur in the abdomen and may start with stomach pain. People may be eligible to file semaglutide lawsuits for failure to warn of the risks of these drugs. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy also has serious risks that were not advertised on the label.

In a failure to warn lawsuit, the plaintiff claims that a manufacturer didn’t warn or instruct consumers about the risks of using its product. That is different from a defective product lawsuit. In that lawsuit the plaintiff alleges that the product was unreasonably dangerous or defective in some way that caused their injury or damage. Most medical drug lawsuits fall into the failure to warn category.

If you are suffering from stomach pain while taking Ozempic, seek a doctor’s help first and then pursue your legal options.

Our medical attorneys have represented thousands of patients seriously hurt by dangerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs. We understand that as a patient or family member, what you know about your or a loved one’s medications may be limited.

If you believe Ozempic caused you to experience stomach pain and other serious side effects or subsequent conditions, our attorneys have the resources needed to thoroughly investigate and:

• Review whether Ozempic hurt you
• Review Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk’s compliance with FDA regulations
• Examine the adequacy of Novo Nordisk’s warning to you about possible side effects
• Recognize other issues that might affect your potential claim

Read more on our medical drug litigation experience.

Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without first consulting with your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor’s advice can result in injury or death. Ozempic and Wegovy remain approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.