Which symptoms on a GLP-1 need urgent care?
On a GLP-1, call 112 for sudden or severe stomach pain, stomach pain with no poo or wind, or bloody or green vomit. Also call for a swelling face, lips or throat, trouble breathing, sudden sight loss, or low blood sugar with confusion. The UK's NHS and American Diabetes Association call these emergencies. Can't keep fluids down? Get same-day help.
Which GLP-1 symptoms mean you should call 112 now?
Call 112 for sudden or severe stomach pain, stomach pain with no poo or wind, bloody or green vomit, severe allergy, or sudden sight loss.
112 is India's single emergency number for police, fire and health.14 We found no public Indian label for Ozempic (semaglutide) or Mounjaro (tirzepatide), so we use the US and EU ones.1,3 Each sign below is one that the UK's NHS, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or a US label treats as an emergency.
- stomach pain that came on suddenly or is severe (especially if it spreads to your back), or that hurts when you touch your stomach6,7,12
- stomach pain and you cannot poo or pass wind12
- you cannot pee12
- vomiting blood, vomit like coffee grounds, or green vomit12,13
- stomach pain with bloody poo, or black, sticky and extremely smelly poo12
- you have diabetes, stomach pain and you're vomiting12
- vomiting with a sudden, severe headache, or with a stiff neck and pain when you look at bright light13
- chest pain, you cannot breathe, or someone collapses12
- gallbladder signs: pain spreading to your back with vomiting; a very high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery; yellow skin or whites of the eyes7
- signs of losing fluid plus confusion, unusual sleepiness, fast or difficult breathing, or cold, blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin9
- allergy signs: a swelling face, lips, tongue or throat; fast or difficult breathing; a tight throat or trouble swallowing; blue, grey or pale skin or lips; sudden confusion, drowsiness or dizziness; fainting; a severe rash or itching; a very fast heartbeat3,4,8
- you suddenly cannot see from 1 or both eyes, or have sudden severe eye pain11
- low blood sugar with confusion, fainting, a fit, or feeling too weak to help yourself10
- you have taken too much of the medicine3,4
| Problem | What the label says | When it's an emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Severe stomach problems | US labels: stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported. Tell your doctor if they are severe or won't go away.3,4 | NHS: pain that came on suddenly or is severe; it hurts when you touch your stomach; stomach pain and you cannot poo or fart; you cannot pee; vomiting blood or coffee-ground vomit; stomach pain with bloody poo, or black, sticky and extremely smelly poo; you have diabetes, stomach pain and are vomiting; chest pain; you cannot breathe; someone collapses.12 |
| Swollen pancreas (pancreatitis) | Severe stomach pain that won't go away, sometimes to the back. US labels: stop the medicine and call your doctor right away.3,4 EU: see a doctor immediately.1,2 | NHS: sudden, severe pain, especially if it spreads to your back.6 |
| Gallbladder | Upper stomach pain, fever, yellow skin or eyes, or pale clay-coloured stools. Tell your doctor right away.3,4 | NHS: sudden, severe pain; pain spreading to your back with vomiting; a very high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery; yellow skin or whites of the eyes.7 |
| Bowel blockage | EU Ozempic leaflet: a severe form of constipation with stomach ache, bloating or vomiting; how often it happens is not known.1 | NHS: stomach pain and you cannot poo or fart, or the pain came on suddenly or is severe.12 |
| Vomiting, diarrhoea, losing fluid | Fluid loss may harm the kidneys. Tell your doctor right away if nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea won't stop.3,4 | NHS: vomiting blood, coffee-ground or green vomit; vomiting with a sudden, severe headache, or with a stiff neck and pain when you look at bright light13; losing fluid plus confusion, unusual sleepiness, fast or difficult breathing, or cold, blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin.9 |
| Severe allergic reaction | US labels: stop the medicine and get medical help right away for swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, a severe rash or itching, fainting or dizziness, or a very fast heartbeat.3,4 EU: get immediate medical help.1,2 | NHS: sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat; fast or difficult breathing; a tight throat or trouble swallowing; blue, grey or pale skin or lips; sudden confusion, drowsiness or dizziness; fainting.8 US labels: every sign in the label column.3,4 |
| Very low blood sugar, with insulin or a sulfonylurea | Dizziness, sweating, shaking, confusion or drowsiness, a fast heartbeat.3,4 | ADA: severe low sugar, such as confusion, fainting, a fit, or feeling too weak to help yourself.10 |
| Sudden loss of sight (NAION), semaglutide | EU regulator: sudden loss of vision or fast-worsening eyesight, contact your doctor without delay.5 | NHS: you suddenly cannot see from 1 or both eyes, or have sudden severe eye pain.11 |
| Taking too much | US labels: call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.3,4 | US labels: any overdose; the emergency room is one of the options they give.3,4 |
Labels: US Medication Guides, EU leaflets and the EMA. Emergency lines: NHS (UK), ADA (US) and the US labels. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
Which symptoms need a doctor the same day, not 112?
Get help the same day for vomiting so you can't keep fluids down, stomach pain lasting over 30 minutes, or new blurred or double vision.
The NHS lists all of these as urgent.
- You keep being sick and can't keep fluids down, have vomited for more than 2 days or had diarrhoea for more than 7, or have bloody diarrhoea without stomach pain.13
- Stomach pain lasting more than 30 minutes, or bloating that won't go away.7,12
- Changes in vision, such as blurred or double vision.11
- Dizziness on standing that won't pass, dark yellow pee, or peeing less than normal.9
For nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea that won't go away, the US labels say tell your doctor right away.3,4 Everyday stomach effects are in Guide 5 and our Ozempic and Mounjaro posts.
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How common are these serious problems?
Most are uncommon or rarer on the EU labels, but gallstones on Ozempic are common and low sugar with insulin is very common.
On the EU leaflets, swollen pancreas is uncommon (up to 1 in 100) on both medicines, severe allergy is rare (up to 1 in 1,000), and gallstones are common on Ozempic (up to 1 in 10) but uncommon on Mounjaro.1,2 NAION is very rare (up to 1 in 10,000) on semaglutide.5 Low blood sugar is very common (more than 1 in 10) with insulin or a sulfonylurea.1,2 See our pancreatitis and gallbladder post and type 2 diabetes path.
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- EMA. Ozempic (semaglutide): EU product information, package leaflet sections 2 and 4 (and SmPC 4.4). EU label, not the Indian one. ema.europa.eu
- EMA. Mounjaro (tirzepatide): EU product information, package leaflet section 4. EU label. ema.europa.eu
- Novo Nordisk. Ozempic (semaglutide) US prescribing information, revised 05/2026, with Medication Guide (revised 01/2025); section 6.2. US label: we found no public Indian label. novo-pi.com
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) US Medication Guide, revised Aug 2026, and prescribing information, revised 08/2026, section 6.2. US label. Medication Guide · prescribing information
- EMA. Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), 2-5 June 2025 (semaglutide and NAION). ema.europa.eu
- NHS (UK). Acute pancreatitis (page last reviewed 11 Mar 2026). nhs.uk
- NHS (UK). Gallstones (page last reviewed 11 Aug 2025). nhs.uk
- NHS (UK). Anaphylaxis (page last reviewed 21 Jun 2023). nhs.uk
- NHS (UK). Dehydration (page last reviewed 1 May 2026). nhs.uk
- American Diabetes Association. Severe hypoglycemia. diabetes.org
- NHS (UK). Vision loss (page last reviewed 28 Aug 2025). nhs.uk
- NHS (UK). Stomach ache (page last reviewed 26 May 2023). nhs.uk
- NHS (UK). Diarrhoea and vomiting (page last reviewed 21 Dec 2023). nhs.uk
- NIMSME (Ministry of MSME, Government of India). Dial 112: an Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), 19 Feb 2019. nimsme.gov.in
Last checked 5 Oct 2026 · Next review due 5 Oct 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write