Safety
Who should not take these, and what needs a clinician today.
Most of what happens on this treatment is predictable and manageable. A short list of things is neither, and the purpose of this section is to make that list clear enough that you recognise it if it ever applies.
There are exclusions that rule these medicines out entirely, conditions that call for caution rather than exclusion, interactions that matter for a handful of other medicines, and a small number of symptoms that need assessment the same day rather than at your next appointment. None of this is a reason to expect a problem. All of it is a reason to know which questions to raise, and when not to wait.
Who should not take a GLP-1
The absolute exclusions, the conditions that require caution, and the medicines that need rethinking before you start.
Pancreatitis: what to watch for
Rare, serious, and easy to dismiss when nausea and abdominal discomfort have become normal. How to tell the difference.
Drug interactions on a GLP-1
A slower stomach changes how every oral medicine is absorbed. For most that is irrelevant — for a handful it is not, and those are worth knowing by name.
Surgery, endoscopy and anaesthesia
A stomach that empties slowly may still hold food after a standard fast. This is the interaction people forget, and the one with the sharpest consequences.
Pregnancy, contraception and fertility
Weight-management GLP-1s are not for use in pregnancy — and a slower stomach can affect the pill. Two facts that together catch people out.
Low blood sugar on a GLP-1
Uncommon on these medicines alone, and genuinely likely in combination with insulin or a sulfonylurea. Knowing which situation you are in matters.