Dysesthesia — A Recently Recognized Side Effect of Semaglutide

Dysesthesia, an unpleasant sensation that is perceived on or under the skin, can occur spontaneously or in response to mild cutaneous stimuli. In four recent placebo-controlled clinical trials, dysesthesia was reported as a side effect of the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide.

The incidence of dysesthesia in these studies was as follows:

• 5% with 25 mg of oral semaglutide daily¹

• 13% with 50 mg of oral semaglutide daily²

• 23% and 6% with injected semaglutide at weekly doses of 7.2 mg and 2.4 mg, respectively³ — and 19% and 5% in a separate study of the same two doses⁴

The first three studies involved patients with obesity but not diabetes; the fourth involved patients with both obesity and diabetes. The incidence of dysesthesia in placebo recipients was 0% or 1% in all studies. The 50-mg oral dose and the 7.2-mg injected dose are not FDA-approved.