When something needs attention
Pause when something does not add up.
Ask about a concern before paying for or using a medicine. Start with symptoms that need help, then check the details of the medicine and the service.
Breathing trouble or sudden facial swelling
A severe allergic reaction can cause breathing trouble, swelling of the face or tongue, fainting, or difficulty swallowing.
For severe allergic symptoms, call local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department, as MedlinePlus advises.
Read about severe allergic reactionsPersistent pain
Bring severe belly pain to a clinician
The official medicine instructions for semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) warn about severe or lasting belly pain that can reach the back.
This pain can be a sign of pancreatitis: swelling and irritation of the pancreas, a part inside the belly.
Contact a clinician promptly about that symptom.
Stomach effects
Ask how to handle stomach problems
The official medicine instructions for semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide used for weight loss report stomach problems. These include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation (difficulty passing stools).
For semaglutide and tirzepatide, fluid loss from stomach problems has been linked to kidney injury.
Which symptoms need a call, and how do I reach someone if I cannot keep fluids down?
Family history
Ask the clinician to check the cancer diagnosis
These medicine instructions include a boxed warning, the strongest warning used by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
The warning concerns the thyroid, a part of the body in the neck.
It covers growths called thyroid tumours seen in animals given semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide.
Whether these medicines cause those tumours in people is unknown.
The instructions rule out these medicines if you or a family member have had a rare type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer.
If a relative had thyroid cancer and you do not know the type, tell the clinician. Ask them to check the exact diagnosis in the medical records before deciding on the medicine.
The instructions also rule out use in people with MEN 2, a rare condition passed down in families.
MEN 2 is a diagnosis name to ask about in the medical records. If you do not know whether it applies to you, ask the clinician to check.
A past serious allergic reaction to the medicine also rules out use under these instructions.
Pregnancy plans
Discuss pregnancy and birth control early
Semaglutide and tirzepatide have different medicine instructions about pregnancy.
The tirzepatide instructions also warn that birth control pills may work less well for a time.
Ask the prescriber how the exact product fits your plans, including pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Before paying
Pause at offers that bypass care
Federal law as of September 2026 was breached if a prescription medicine was supplied without a valid prescription.
In guidance checked in September 2026, FDA warned against semaglutide or tirzepatide labelled “not for human consumption” or “for research purposes”. Those words describe chemicals for experiments, rather than medicines for people to use. These are unapproved products of unknown quality, even if the name matches a medicine.
FDA also flags damaged packaging, unclear pharmacy details, and no clinician available for questions after delivery.
Go back to the pharmacy checksRead the source that answers the question you still have.