Is Semaglutide Safe? Answering the Question for Different Health Conditions & Lifestyles

Getting the full picture makes all the difference with medical treatments. You’ll want to know about all the side effects and possible risks going into a medical weight loss treatment like semaglutide. Decoding how safe it is for your health conditions is the first step.

It’s common knowledge that the drug was designed to treat type 2 diabetes, but it’s also proven to be quite effective for promoting weight loss. We break down how safe semaglutide is and how it truly works to help you figure out whether it’s the right choice for you.

The Science Behind Semaglutide

Semaglutide works by suppressing your appetite and regulating your blood sugar as a GLP-1 mimic. It’s also worth pointing out that it slows down your digestive process. In fact, this is what creates that distinct feeling of fullness and appetite reduction that people have come to associate with the drug. Some of the most popular brands on the market using semaglutide include:

• Ozempic 
• Wegovy
• Rybelsus

Learning about the full impact of semaglutide and asking how safe it is to take is just the beginning. Doing your research can dispel any safety concerns about semaglutide and ensure you’re heading into an effective treatment cycle for a critical medical issue. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Naqvi at our Kingwood clinic to discuss your specific needs.

Long-Term Use

It requires some forethought to answer the burning question: “Is semaglutide safe long term?” A few things that are hard to overlook are the reduced cardiovascular events for non-diabetic obese patients and the drug’s efficacy towards sustained (10.2%) weight loss. 

There are some rare risks with taking this drug long-term that you should be aware of, including pancreatitis, kidney-related issues, and the potential of thyroid tumors as observed in animal trials. The bottom line is, if you’re a high-risk patient, consider monitored use.

Is Semaglutide Safe in Pregnancy?

The FDA recommends against taking semaglutide if you’re pregnant. While potential harm to the fetus is a huge concern, it can also be dangerous for an expecting mother to lose weight while pregnant. Although human studies are limited, fetal abnormalities have been a common result of studies on animals, with the added risk of miscarriage at high doses.

In case you’re considering conception, it’s best to discontinue semaglutide at least 2 months in advance. A safer option to treat diabetes during pregnancy would be insulin.

Breastfeeding With Semaglutide

As for whether semaglutide is safe while breastfeeding, there’s limited research on the matter. But a 2024 study found negligible risk to breastfeeding babies, and the tested samples of breast milk didn’t have semaglutide in significant amounts. Still, the uncertainty about how much semaglutide passes into breast milk should be reason enough to avoid them in combination.

Absorption enhancers like salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) also tend to accumulate in breast milk. This could cause potential harm to your breastfeeding baby. Clearly, it is not safe to take semaglutide orally (Rybelsus) during this period—but if you absolutely need to take it, injecting it is a safer option.

Is Semaglutide Safe for Seniors?

Treating older people with semaglutide has shown positive results. Generally, elderly patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or obesity can safely take semaglutide to improve glycemic control and curb the risk of cardiovascular events. 

But seniors who are on semaglutide can be sensitive to its results. Dehydration and gastrointestinal side effects are two major safety concerns with semaglutide. So, this means older patients must stay hydrated. If you’re a caregiver, you’ll need to monitor them closely for sensitivities or reactions as you continue treating them.

Is Semaglutide Safe for Diabetics?

You might already know that semaglutide’s original use was treating patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It’s definitely an effective treatment for diabetics since it lowers their A1C. All that means is that it’s doing a good job of reducing your daily blood sugar spikes and keeping them at a normal level.

Although there’s a low risk of hypoglycemia, you might raise safety concerns if you combine semaglutide with insulin or sulfonylureas. Note that type 2 diabetics will typically also be dealing with some kind of underlying liver issues, and might potentially even have fatty liver disease. 

What’s crucial to consider here is a potential link between semaglutide treatment for type 2 diabetes and liver health. So, it’s only natural at this point to ask yourself: “Is it safe to take semaglutide for liver health?”

Liver Health and Semaglutide

Even though the FDA hasn’t officially approved it, the promising effects of semaglutide for liver health are hard to pass up. There’s also plenty of research that indicates how effective this drug is for patients who have liver issues, both with and without diabetes.

Now, if you’re taking semaglutide to up your insulin sensitivity, it could also reduce your liver’s fat-storing tendencies. Findings like this one are making researchers hopeful about semaglutide and its relation to liver health, specifically if you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

So, semaglutide is a safe way to control your blood sugar and weight, which is what gives it the potential to address both type 2 diabetes and any associated liver conditions. But all of these are just possibilities that still need a lot of research to back them up.

Is Semaglutide a Safe Treatment for You?

Figuring out how safe it is to take semaglutide for you requires a dedicated assessment from your doctor. Having said that, it’s hard not to see that semaglutide has transformed the way we see diabetes management and medical weight loss today. But ultimately, safety concerns over semaglutide will depend on the context of your lifestyle and your health conditions.