Day 3: Trying Not to Barf
Apr. 13th, 2026 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerToday's Day 3 of taking Ozempic, a GLP-1 drug. The day's less than half over, but I'm writing now because something urgent is on my mind. I'm trying not to barf.
Getting sick to your stomach is one of the common side effects of GLP-1s. They slow your digestion, so food sits there longer. That increases the risks associated with overeating— i.e., throwing up because you ate too much.
I've been concerned about this as I've started taking a GLP-1. I mean, no one likes to barf. But it's a very real and common side effect. Many friends and my oldest sister, who are all taking GLP-1s, have warned that it can happen a lot. My sister says she barfs a few times a week even after she's adjusted her eating habits to minimize the problem. 😨🤮ðŸ˜
I mentioned yesterday that on Day 1 I went to bed with some mild stomach discomfort from dinner still sitting in my stomach. It happened against last night— but worse. I'd eaten a full-sized dinner last night because I was hungry. I didn't experience any "You're full now, stop eating" cues during dinner. But then a few hours later, when I was ready for bed, my stomach seemed to be telling me, "Whoa, you shouldn't have eaten all that!" I laid down carefully, worried that I might have to get up and dash to the bathroom to puke.
I slept fitfully last night. Each time I woke up I felt like there was a bowling ball in my stomach. Thankfully it never got past the point of stomach discomfort. And by the time I got up this morning the feelings were gone. Dinner was digested.
It seems that I need to be more proactive about reducing my meal sizes on GLP-1. It's not enough to eat slowly and be mindful of signals of fullness that arrive sooner. Those signals are not arriving sooner. Instead I need to force myself to stop eating sooner, when my body is still screaming at me, "Eat! You're hungry! Eat!" or else I'll feel sick a few hours later. 😳🤢😞
Getting sick to your stomach is one of the common side effects of GLP-1s. They slow your digestion, so food sits there longer. That increases the risks associated with overeating— i.e., throwing up because you ate too much.
I've been concerned about this as I've started taking a GLP-1. I mean, no one likes to barf. But it's a very real and common side effect. Many friends and my oldest sister, who are all taking GLP-1s, have warned that it can happen a lot. My sister says she barfs a few times a week even after she's adjusted her eating habits to minimize the problem. 😨🤮ðŸ˜
I mentioned yesterday that on Day 1 I went to bed with some mild stomach discomfort from dinner still sitting in my stomach. It happened against last night— but worse. I'd eaten a full-sized dinner last night because I was hungry. I didn't experience any "You're full now, stop eating" cues during dinner. But then a few hours later, when I was ready for bed, my stomach seemed to be telling me, "Whoa, you shouldn't have eaten all that!" I laid down carefully, worried that I might have to get up and dash to the bathroom to puke.
I slept fitfully last night. Each time I woke up I felt like there was a bowling ball in my stomach. Thankfully it never got past the point of stomach discomfort. And by the time I got up this morning the feelings were gone. Dinner was digested.
It seems that I need to be more proactive about reducing my meal sizes on GLP-1. It's not enough to eat slowly and be mindful of signals of fullness that arrive sooner. Those signals are not arriving sooner. Instead I need to force myself to stop eating sooner, when my body is still screaming at me, "Eat! You're hungry! Eat!" or else I'll feel sick a few hours later. 😳🤢😞
