WeGovy’s Side Effects – Does It Cause Depression & Suicidal Thoughts?

What are WeGovy’s side effects?

In case you don't have an idea, this drug is a weight loss prescription medication.

But recently, it caught the media's attention due to its potential side effects.

So does it cause depression and suicidal thoughts, as some people claim?

Let's find out any potential connection between WeGovy and these issues.

Note: This article includes references and studies on WeGovy and its side effects.

WeGovy's Culprits

In this chapter, we're going to focus first on WeGovy’s general info [1]:

• contains a 2.4 mg semaglutide 
• comes as an injectable prescription medicine
• is made for obese adults and children above 12 years old
• is also used for overweight adults with weight-related medical problems

It's advised that WeGovy should be combined with a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity.

Now – let's further talk about semaglutide (its main active compound).

Just like Saxenda's liraglutide, it's also a GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine.

This means that it mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gut when eating.

So with that, let me quickly list down how it works [2]:

• regulates ad suppresses the appetite
• reduces blood glucose levels
• signals the body to feel full
• controls insulin production
• lowers the risk of overweight-related diseases

As you can see, WeGovy can promote weight loss by controlling your satiety, appetite and blood sugar levels.

But what's more interesting is that its GLP-1 analog (semaglutide) can also potentially modulate the neurotransmitters.

Some of them include dopamine levels and glutamatergic neurotransmission [3].

To give you an idea, the latter process involves memory, cognition and mood regulation.

Although the effects lean on the more positive side, there could be a lot of problems…

S0 the recent reports about depression and suicidal thoughts are contradicting.

At this point, the connection between WeGovy and those side effects still needs extensive research.

But overall – we can account for those major adverse reactions with WeGovy's effect on the brain.

WeGovy's Top Side Effects

Now – let's look at WeGovy’s potential adverse effects right now.

But there's one thing you should know first.

There are some health conditions that WeGovy actually worsens – so it's best to avoid taking it [4]:

• MEN 2 (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2)
• serious allergic reaction to semaglutide
• MTC (Medullary Thyroid Cancer)
• existing pancreas, kidney or liver problems
• type 2 diabetes or diabetic retinopathy
• mental health problems, suicidal thoughts or depression
• women who are currently/planning to breastfeed or pregnant

With that being said, let's talk about the most common side effects of this drug. And we're going to take them by turn below.

1. Low Blood Sugar

You surely heard about hypoglycemia, right? [5] 

Well, it's the medical name of a decreased blood sugar level and it's often associated with type 2 diabetes (which is also linked to obesity).

It usually appears when your body gets a too high dose of insulin.

But to make it clear, WeGovy isn't designed to improve diabetes in any way.

In order to slow down the development of diabetes, you should fight your obesity first of all.

Now, semaglutide helps the pancreas produce the right amount of insulin.

In turn, this would regulate your blood sugar levels [6].

However – if you're already taking medications for diabetes, it's best not to use WeGovy at the same time.

This combination can interact, which would lower your blood sugar way too much.

Should we mention the consequences? Better not…

2. Gallbladder Issues

Now – let's talk about the possible reasons how WeGovy can cause gallstones:

• rapid weight loss
• fasting

To give you an idea, both factors can lead to cholesterol build-up in the bile.

A fast weight loss happens when your body metabolizes the excess fats.

Consequently, this makes liver secrete a high amount of cholesterol [7].

On the other hand, fasting reduces gallbladder movement, resulting in cholesterol accumulation [8].

So WeGovy's potential to control satiety and fat burning can lead to gallstones.

But just so you know, the chances are actually pretty low in reality.

Even so, I recommend asking your doctor before trying WeGovy (especially if you have a history of gallbladder problems).

3. Digestive Problems

The next set of adverse reactions is related to digestion.

According to WeGovy's website, here are the most common digestive reactions that can appear:

• constipation or bloating
• vomiting
• diarrhea or gas
• stomach flu or pain

Your body's adjustment to the medication could be the main reason behind.

Also – these side effects can appear during the first weeks or when you increase the dose.

Lifestyle changes (like new eating habits and serving sizes) could also have something to do.

But fortunately – these adverse reactions are rarely for the long-term, so they usually go away on their own.

4. Pancreas Inflammation

As I said in the beginning, people with problems in the pancreas should avoid WeGovy completely.

That's because it contains semaglutide, which is a GLP-1 analog.

This kind of substance the ability to increase insulin secretion and promote pancreatic cell growth  [9].

This would most likely lead to pancreatic inflammation (acute/chronic).

With that, it's better to know WeGovy's precautions before trying it, especially if you have:

• existing pancreatic problems
• other GLP-1 receptor agonist prescription drugs that you are taking

In this way, you can avoid any pancreas-related side effect or their complications.

5. Diabetic Retinopathy

In case you're not familiar with it, here's what diabetic retinopathy (DR) is [10]:

• an eye condition that can cause blindness/vision loss in diabetic people
• appears when high blood sugar damages retina's blood vessels

In short, it's one of the complications of diabetes.

Now – there are some reports that semaglutide has been associated with an early worsening of DR [11].

But the reports were connected to the existing cases, so more evidence is needed.

Now, WeGovy can lower blood glucose levels [12].

However – this rapid reduction affects DR in a negative way.

So overall, it's not ideal to combine WeGovy with other medications that decrease blood sugar levels.

Obviously, if your doctor allows it, it's completely fine – but make sure to ask his consent first.

6. Other Dangerous Side Effects

For the last part, here are the other possible adverse reactions that you might want to take note of:

• fatigue or tiredness
• headache or nausea
• swollen skin in the injection site
• allergic reactions
• kidney issues
• elevated heart rate
• thoughts of suicide or depression

Hydration is one of the vital things to remember in your weight loss journey.

In this way, you can reduce any kidney-related risk of medications you're taking.

Lastly – WeGovy works by involving the neurotransmitters.

So there's a high chance that it affects your mental health in a way (obviously, in a worst case scenario).

Overall – the adverse reactions listed above can go from mild to severe.

But they don't usually appear in most people who takeWeGovy.

So if ever you get to experience them, you must consult your doctor and stop administering WeGovy.

Conclusion

To summarize, WeGovy comes with a lot of possible side reactions.

As you can see, some of them are not that serious and tend to while your body is adjusting to it.

However – there are some serious ones that you need to be aware of, before using the medication.

Final Conclusion

In summary, WeGovy is an injectable prescription medication designed for weight loss.

It's associated with some significant risks (even though it does work in many cases).

But the most concerning side effect are depression and suicidal thoughts.

Now – their rate is still very rare, but even so, you need to be careful.

These side reactions are because of WeGovy's semaglutide content (it main active compound).

Since it's a GLP-1 receptor agonist, it can impact the pathways related to neurotransmitters.

In rare cases, that mechanism could lead to psychiatric problems.

With that being said, make sure to use WeGovy with caution (especially if you have a history of mental health problems).

Furthermore, the medication may lead to other side effects:

• low blood sugar levels
• problems in digestion
• gallbladder issues
• aggravated diabetic retinopathy
• fatigue, headache, vomiting
• allergic reactions or rashes in the injection site
• kidney problems and increased heart rate

So it's crucial to know the medical conditions that are not compatible with WeGovy.

If you have any of them, avoiding this drug is a must.

Are you looking for a safer alternative?

You should definitely try the best weight loss supplement I know – it's called PhenQ:

• boosts weight loss speed a lot
• fights weight gain in 5 different ways
• reasonable price for its high-quality features
• its risk of side effects is almost zero
• numerous users swear by its remarkable results

Overall, PhenQ is a much safer route to weight loss (without the potential dangers of WeGovy).

Additionally – it helps with both fat accumulation and controlling cravings (and a lot more additionally).

So overall, it's a good all-around choice for weight management.

References:

1 – https://www.wegovy.com/

2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC5358074/

3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC7848227/

4 – https://www.wegovy.com/-safety-information/

5 – https://www.niddk.nih.gov/-health-information/diabetes/-hypoglycemia/

6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC5491562/

7 – https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-health/conditions-and-diseases/-gallstones/

8 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC1419405/

9 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-36796719/

10 – https://www.nei.nih.gov/-learn-about-eye-health/-diabetic-retinopathy/

11 – https://www.aao.org/-eyenet/article/-update-on-semaglutide-risks/

12 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC6587545/