Why does food taste different or disgust me on Mounjaro or Wegovy?
The UK leaflets for Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) list a changed sense of taste as a side effect. It is common (up to 1 in 10) on Wegovy and uncommon (up to 1 in 100) on Mounjaro. Both also reduce food cravings. For feeling sick, the NHS suggests smaller, more frequent meals and no fried or greasy food.
Is a change in taste a side effect of Mounjaro and Wegovy?
Yes. The UK Wegovy (semaglutide) leaflet lists a “change in the way food or drink tastes” as common, affecting up to 1 in 10 people.4
The UK Mounjaro (tirzepatide) leaflet lists a “changed sense of taste” as uncommon, affecting up to 1 in 100 people.1 The Wegovy label says taste changes were seen mainly while the dose was being increased.3 Both leaflets list burping and reflux as common.1,4
Neither UK label lists food aversion, or disgust at particular foods, as a side effect.1–4 Both leaflets ask you to report any side effect to the Yellow Card scheme, as our Yellow Card answer explains.1,4 Every listed effect is in Guide 5: side effects and risks.
Why might foods you used to like put you off?
Both UK leaflets say these medicines act on appetite and reduce food cravings, and trial results in the labels back this up.1–4
The Wegovy label says semaglutide acts on brain areas that control hunger and areas linked to the pleasure of eating.3 In a 20-week trial, people on Wegovy 2.4 mg had less desire for sweet food than on placebo.3 They also showed a lower relative preference for high-fat food.3 In a 2-year trial, the label found no clear effect on craving for sweet food.3
The Mounjaro label says it reduced cravings for fast-food fats, sweets and starchy foods in people with obesity.2 Cravings for fruit and vegetables didn’t fall.2
In a 16-week Slovenian trial, 30 women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome took semaglutide 1 mg or placebo.5 Semaglutide raised their scores on a taste recognition test.5 That dose is lower than Wegovy’s 2.4 mg maintenance dose.3 In an online survey of 411 people on Wegovy, Ozempic or Mounjaro, recruited through social media and online support groups, 21.3% said sweet tastes seemed stronger, but about 7 in 10 noticed no change.6 A survey like this can’t show the medicine caused it.6
What can you eat when food puts you off?
For feeling sick, the NHS suggests smaller, more frequent meals, regular sips of a cold drink, and ginger or peppermint tea.7
It says not to eat hot, fried or greasy food, or to eat or cook strong-smelling food.7 It also says not to eat too quickly or lie down soon after eating.7 For heartburn and burping, the NHS says to avoid rich, spicy or fatty foods.8 It also says not to eat 3 to 4 hours before bed.8
The NHS says you’ll still need a healthy, balanced diet on either medicine.9,10 It says it’s best not to drink alcohol, because it can make sickness worse.9,10 Both UK leaflets warn that being sick or having diarrhoea can dehydrate you, and say to drink enough fluids.1,4
If a side effect bothers you or lingers, the NHS says a pharmacist or doctor may help you reduce it.9,10 For protein from everyday UK foods, see Guide 8: life on a GLP‑1.
What do people on Mounjaro and similar medicines report about food aversions?
From public patient forums: 11 Reddit threads in r/Zepbound and r/Mounjaro, read in October 2026. Personal reports, not medical evidence.
What people describe
- Matches the label Many say sweets, fizzy drinks and processed foods now taste far too sweet, and several say other food and drink taste different too. Both UK leaflets list a changed sense of taste, as common on Wegovy and uncommon on Mounjaro.1,4
- Matches the labels Many say fried, greasy or rich food no longer appeals, or brings on heartburn or burping. The UK labels report less craving for fast-food fats on Mounjaro and a lower preference for high-fat food on Wegovy. Both leaflets list burping and reflux as common.1–4
- Not studied Many name eggs, meat or coffee as foods that now put them off. We found no study of aversions to particular foods, and the UK labels don’t list them.1–4
- Not studied Several say aversions were worst in the first weeks or after a dose increase, then eased over months. A few say some never went. We found no study of how long aversions last.
Advice people share
- Matches the NHS Many lean on soups, shakes and small, plain or cold foods on bad days. For feeling sick, the NHS suggests smaller, more frequent meals, sips of a cold drink and no fried or greasy food.7
- Not studied Several save richer meals for the last days before the next injection, when appetite returns. We found no study of timing meals within the dose week.
- Matches the leaflets Several say to drink plenty of water. Both UK leaflets say to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration.1,4
- Matches the Wegovy label Several say not to move up a dose until sickness settles, and to ask the prescriber about going back a dose. For significant stomach symptoms, the UK Wegovy label tells prescribers to consider exactly that.3 The UK Mounjaro label has no such line.2
- vomit blood, or your vomit looks like ground coffee
- have green vomit
- have a sudden, severe tummy ache
- have blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- have severe difficulty breathing, or are taking lots of quick, short breaths
- are confused or not responding as usual
The NHS says not to drive yourself to A&E.11
Call NHS 111 now if you keep being sick and cannot keep fluid down, or have been vomiting for more than 2 days.11 Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact 111 if you feel dizzy when you stand up and it doesn’t go away, or you’re peeing less than normal.12 Both UK leaflets say to stop the medicine and seek urgent medical help for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, with or without vomiting.1,4 The NHS 111 page sends Northern Ireland readers to nidirect, which says to phone the GP out-of-hours service when your surgery is closed.13,14
Build a list of questions to take along. Free, no sign-up.
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro KwikPen (tirzepatide) UK patient information leaflet, last revised Aug 2026, sections 1, 2 and 4. UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro KwikPen (tirzepatide) UK summary of product characteristics (SmPC), date of revision 29 Aug 2026, sections 4.8 and 5.1. UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) UK SmPC, date of revision 09/2026, sections 4.2, 4.8 and 5.1. UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) UK patient information leaflet, last revised 08/2026, sections 2 and 4. UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- Jensterle M et al. Semaglutide and taste in women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2025;111(1):e270-e280. DOI 10.1210/clinem/dgaf278. PMID 40341357. 30 women, single-blinded, Slovenia; funded by Slovenian public research grants. PubMed
- Kapan A et al. Real-world insights into incretin-based therapy: associations between changes in taste perception and appetite regulation in individuals with obesity and overweight: a cross-sectional study. Diabetes Obes Metab 2025;27(9):5008-18. DOI 10.1111/dom.16548. PMID 40552449. Online survey of 411 adults recruited through social media; no specific funding. PubMed
- NHS. Feeling sick (nausea) (page last reviewed 17 Nov 2023). nhs.uk
- NHS. Indigestion (page last reviewed 5 May 2023). nhs.uk
- NHS. Tirzepatide (page last reviewed 15 May 2026). nhs.uk
- NHS. Semaglutide (page last reviewed 15 May 2026). nhs.uk
- NHS. Diarrhoea and vomiting (page last reviewed 21 Dec 2023). nhs.uk
- NHS. Dehydration (page last reviewed 1 May 2026). nhs.uk
- NHS. When to use NHS 111 online or call 111 (page last reviewed 14 Nov 2022). nhs.uk
- nidirect (Northern Ireland). GP out of hours service. nidirect.gov.uk
Last checked 23 Oct 2026 · Next review due 23 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. The 'What people report' section summarises public patient forum posts we read; it is not medical evidence, and we never pass on advice that goes against the label. Talk to a qualified doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write