Skip to content
Strong human trialsFDA approved as Victoza +1

Liraglutide side effects

Also known as: Victoza · Saxenda · Generic liraglutide · Compounded liraglutide

Updated 19 sources

16 side effects reported for Liraglutide: 15 from studies and labels, 1 from users and guides. 8 come with the ways people manage them.

Liraglutide overview

Side effects reported in studies and labels

Rates as each trial or label states them. A rate from one trial does not carry over to research-grade vials or other doses.

From trials and regulators15

Clinical studies and regulatory documents.

  • Nausea

    39.3% on Saxenda vs 13.8% on placebo; 20% on Victoza 1.8 mg vs 5% (labels). Fades as treatment goes on.

    How people manage it

    • Climb the steps slowly; the label allows an extra week before moving up.
    • Smaller, less greasy meals.

  • Diarrhea

    20.9% on Saxenda vs 9.9% on placebo (label)

    How people manage it

    • Drink more fluids; losing fluid can strain the kidneys, per the label.

  • Constipation

    19.4% on Saxenda vs 8.5% on placebo (label)

  • Vomiting

    15.7% on Saxenda vs 3.9% on placebo (label)

  • Injection site reactions

    13.9% on Saxenda vs 10.5% on placebo, mostly redness, itch and rash (label)

    How people manage it

    • Rotate sites within the same area, per the label.

  • Headache

    13.6% on Saxenda vs 12.6% on placebo (label)

  • Low blood sugar in type 2 diabetes

    12.6% on Saxenda vs 6.6% on placebo in people with type 2 diabetes (label); higher with sulfonylureas or insulin

    How people manage it

    • People on a sulfonylurea or insulin may need a lower dose of those drugs, per the label.

  • Indigestion

    9.6% on Saxenda vs 2.7% on placebo (label)

  • Fatigue

    7.5% on Saxenda vs 4.6% on placebo, mostly in the first 12 weeks (label)

  • Dizziness

    6.9% on Saxenda vs 5% on placebo (label)

  • Gallstones and gallbladder inflammation

    Gallstones 2.2% vs 0.8%, cholecystitis 0.8% vs 0.4% on placebo; most cases needed gallbladder surgery (label)

  • Pancreatitis

    0.3% on Saxenda vs 0.1% on placebo, confirmed by adjudication (label)

    How people manage it

    • Severe belly pain that can spread to the back needs a clinician; the label says stop if pancreatitis is suspected.

  • Faster resting heart rate

    Average rise of 2 to 3 beats per minute; 4 to 9 bpm higher on 24-hour monitoring (label)

    How people manage it

    • Tell a prescriber about a racing heartbeat at rest.

  • Stopping treatment because of side effects

    9.8% on Saxenda vs 4.3% on placebo stopped early, nausea being the top reason (label)

  • Thyroid C-cell tumors (boxed warning)

    Seen in rats and mice; unknown in humans. The label rules out people with a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2.

    How people manage it

    • Tell your prescriber about any family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2 before starting.

Side effects users and guides report

What people post and what dosing guides list. These are reports, not measured rates.

From users and guides1

Community reports, competitor and vendor guides, media.

  • Nausea in the first weeks (community)

    The most commonly reported side effect in community posts, typically in the first 2 to 4 weeks

    How people manage it

    • Many users report dosing in the morning, since nausea is most common in the first few hours after a shot.

Who should avoid it, and what not to combine

  • Other GLP-1 agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide)Substance

    The Saxenda label says not to combine liraglutide with other liraglutide products or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist.

  • Sulfonylureas or insulinSubstance

    Raises the risk of low blood sugar, including severe episodes; the label suggests lowering those doses.

  • Personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2Condition

    Boxed warning; the label says do not use.

  • PregnancyCondition

    May cause fetal harm, and weight loss offers no benefit in pregnancy; the label says stop when pregnancy is recognized.

How much is known

Strong human trials

SCALE Obesity (3,731 adults, 56 weeks): 8.4 vs 2.8 kg lost on placebo. LEADER (9,340 adults with type 2 diabetes, median 3.8 years): fewer major heart events, 13.0% vs 14.9% (HR 0.87). STEP 8 (338 adults): 6.4% weight loss vs 15.8% on semaglutide. All of this is branded product; compounded and research vials have no trial data or verified identity.

Sources for these side effects

4 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.

Community-reported2

  1. Liraglutide: Community Protocols & ReportsPeptide Protocol Wiki, via a competitor guide · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. Liraglutide Dosage: 0.6 to 3.0mg Weight Loss Schedule (user reports)thepeptidecatalog.com, via a competitor guide · checked Oct 24, 2026

Back to the full Liraglutide page for dosing, the vial chart and storage.