A big-scale evaluation of social media posts is providing a recent have a look at what individuals say they’re experiencing in actual life whereas taking a GLP-1 for diabetes or weight problems.
Whereas the findings don’t show the medicines induced these signs, the authors say the patterns might warrant additional examine.
“These are alerts, not conclusions — however they’re coming instantly from sufferers, unprompted, and that’s price being attentive to,” says the primary creator, Neil Sehgal, a doctoral pupil on the College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
However some consultants aren’t so certain the findings are price additional examine, given the nameless nature of Reddit posts.
Research Used AI to Analyze Actual-World Affected person Stories
To higher perceive how individuals expertise GLP-1 medication exterior of scientific trials, researchers used AI to investigate Reddit posts from 2019 to 2025.
They recognized practically 70,000 customers who stated they have been taking medication akin to semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). About 44 % of those customers reported no less than one facet impact.
Most of the mostly reported signs — together with nausea, vomiting, and constipation — mirror what contributors report in scientific trials.
Some Signs Reported On-line Aren’t Generally Seen in Trials
Among the many signs reported on-line that aren’t generally documented in GLP-1 trials:
- About 4 % of customers who reported unwanted side effects described menstrual modifications, together with irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, or recognizing between intervals.
- About 17 % of customers reported fatigue.
- Temperature-related complaints, together with chills, feeling chilly, and sizzling flashes have been every reported by 1 to 4 % of individuals.
The examine is fascinating as a pc science paper, however the strategies and findings don’t stand as much as medical scientific scrutiny, says Yuval Pinto, MD, an weight problems and household medication physician at Johns Hopkins Drugs in Baltimore.
The info comes from an open, nameless platform, the place researchers can’t confirm who’s posting or whether or not customers are precisely reporting remedy use or signs, says Dr. Pinto, who wasn’t concerned within the examine.
“There additionally isn’t a solution to know if these posts come from individuals at the moment taking GLP-1s, how lengthy they’ve taken them, different coexisting situations, and even different medicines they’re taking that may very well be inflicting these unwanted side effects,” he says.
The Findings Ought to Be Taken With a Grain of Salt
The findings deliver consideration to signs that aren’t persistently reported in GLP-1 scientific trials, or signs that failed to fulfill the edge for reporting, wrote the authors. In different phrases, typically trial contributors do report a sure symptom, however researchers might conclude it’s not important as a result of individuals taking a placebo (dummy therapy) have the identical expertise.
But it surely’s price mentioning that there isn’t any placebo group for this Reddit examine, says Pinto. Whereas a major variety of individuals taking a GLP-1 who posted skilled fatigue, it’s not clear what number of comparable individuals not taking a GLP-1 would additionally report that symptom.
There have been many placebo-controlled trials which have tracked signs, and this information has been reliably captured, says Pinto. Throughout randomized scientific trials of GLP-1 medication involving hundreds of contributors, the commonest unwanted side effects are persistently stomach-related — together with nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting, he says.
“This matches what I see in my observe; individuals persistently report these GI signs, and so they hardly ever report different signs,” he says.
When individuals do expertise signs exterior the norm, it usually tends to be unrelated, says Pinto. “Folks are inclined to attribute signs to the latest factor of their life, even when there isn’t a connection,” he says.
Some signs or modifications could also be due to the burden loss, not the GLP-1. “For instance, some girls grow to be extra fertile after weight reduction and get pregnant — however that’s not a facet impact of the GLP-1,” he says.
The identical goes for hair loss, he says. “Speedy weight reduction may cause momentary hair loss, nevertheless it’s circuitously attributable to the remedy,” says Pinto.
What This Means for Folks Taking GLP-1 Medication
Researchers hope their findings will encourage docs and researchers to take a better have a look at the unwanted side effects sufferers are discussing on-line.
“They’re clearly on sufferers’ minds, and that’s price being attentive to,” says Sehgal.
Pinto agrees that individuals ought to really feel empowered to speak to their healthcare suppliers about any signs they’re experiencing.
“Your physician is in one of the best place to know vital components that would affect signs, together with your well being historical past, your GLP-1 dosage, how lengthy you’ve been taking it, and different medicines you’re taking,” he says.
