Medications & Side Effects

BEFORE YOU READ FURTHER

If something feels wrong

🚨 CALL 911 OR GO TO THE ER

Signs of a severe allergic reaction such as a rash, hives, or swelling, difficulty breathing, severe abdominal pain, signs of pancreatitis, or any symptom that feels life-threatening. Don't wait for a portal reply for urgent symptoms.

⚠️ EVERYTHING ELSE

Message your care team and tell us what you're experiencing, when it started, and whether you've been able to keep taking your medication. We'll coordinate with your provider on next steps, which can include a lower dose, a temporary pause, switching medications, or stopping treatment entirely.

WEIGHT LOSS · SEMAGLUTIDE & TIRZEPATIDE

GLP-1

The most common side effects are nausea, early fullness, constipation, mild stomach discomfort, and fatigue. These are usually mild and improve as your body adapts over several weeks.

Common side effects

Nausea: Eat small, slow meals. Choose bland foods when queasy and avoid greasy or spicy options. Ginger tea or peppermints can help. Stop eating at early fullness.

Constipation: Build fiber intake gradually to 25–35 g/day (oats, beans, chia, psyllium). Drink 2–3 liters of water daily. A 10–20 minute walk after meals helps. If needed, try magnesium at night or an osmotic laxative (PEG 3350) per label directions.

Reflux or heartburn: Eat earlier, lighter dinners and stop eating 2–3 hours before lying down. Sip fluids between meals rather than during them. Limit common triggers — chocolate, peppermint, coffee, carbonation, alcohol, and very greasy or spicy food. Ginger (not peppermint) can settle the stomach. A short walk after meals helps.

Diarrhea or loose stools: Choose binding, gentle foods for a few days — rice, bananas, applesauce, toast, oatmeal, and baked chicken. Keep fat lower, favor cooked over raw vegetables, and limit sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol) and very high-FODMAP foods. Magnesium supplements can also cause loose stools — if you started one for constipation, that may be the cause.

Fatigue and GI discomfort: Stay hydrated, prioritize protein at each meal, and consider adding electrolytes on active or hot days.

Injection site redness: This is common and usually resolves on its own. Rotate your injection sites.

METABOLIC SUPPORT · MIC+B12 INJECTIONS

MIC+B12

Side effects are rare and typically mild.

Common side effects

• Slight discomfort, redness, or tenderness at the injection site
• Mild nausea

GHK-CU INJECTABLE

GHK-Cu

A naturally occurring copper-binding peptide, prescribed for skin firmness, fine lines, wound support, and hair follicle health.

Common side effects

• Stinging or burning during and just after the injection. GHK-Cu is more acidic than the other peptides, and that is what causes it — it does not mean your vial is bad or that you are allergic. See "How do I store, handle, and inject GHK-Cu?" for the five things that help.
• Redness, itching, or a small lump where you injected. Common with any peptide. Rotating sites is the fix.

Less common

An allergic reaction, as with any peptide. This is rare.

ANTIOXIDANT SUPPORT · INJECTABLE GLUTATHIONE

Glutathione

Glutathione is generally very well tolerated. Most side effects are mild and happen at the injection site.

Common side effects

• Minor redness, swelling, or tenderness where you injected
• Occasional nausea or headaches, especially in the first few weeks

CELLULAR ENERGY · NAD+ INJECTIONS

NAD+

Side effects are usually mild and short-lived, and many ease as your body adjusts.

Common side effects

• A warm, flushing feeling during or shortly after the injection
• Nausea, especially if the dose is injected too quickly — injecting more slowly usually helps
• Lightheadedness
• Tenderness at the injection site

GROWTH HORMONE SUPPORT · TESAMORELIN

Tesamorelin

A GHRH analog that stimulates your own pituitary gland to release growth hormone in its natural, pulsatile pattern — rather than supplying growth hormone directly.

Common side effects

• Injection site reactions
• Joint pain
• Mild swelling (peripheral edema)
• Muscle aches
• Tingling in the extremities
• A transient rise in blood glucose, which your care team monitors

GROWTH HORMONE SUPPORT · SERMORELIN

Sermorelin

Most patients tolerate sermorelin very well. When side effects happen, they're typically mild and often fade as your body adjusts.

Common side effects

• Minor injection-site reactions such as redness or tenderness
• A brief headache or occasional flushing
• Temporary fatigue or mild dizziness early on

Less common

Elevated blood sugar and allergic reactions are rare risks. Your care team monitors you throughout treatment.

TISSUE REPAIR · BPC-157

BPC-157

A peptide originally isolated from human gastric juice, studied for tissue repair, gut healing, and reduced inflammation — often prescribed alongside TB-500 for a broader recovery effect.

Common side effects

• Redness, itching, or a small firm lump where you injected. This is common with every peptide and is not specific to BPC-157. Rotating your injection sites is the fix, and icing the spot beforehand or applying hydrocortisone cream afterward can help.

Less common

BPC-157 has a long track record in animal studies and growing use in people, but there have been few human trials. That means there is no long list of published side effects to check yours against. The full range of possible side effects is not yet known — the same sentence you agreed to on your assessment. If you notice something that is not on the list above, tell us rather than assuming it is normal.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW

If your protocol pairs BPC-157 with TB-500 and you compete in a tested sport, talk to your provider first — TB-500 appears on some prohibited substance lists.

METABOLIC HEALTH · MOTS-C

MOTS-c

A mitochondria-derived peptide studied for insulin sensitivity, fat metabolism, and exercise tolerance — meant to support and amplify physical activity, not replace it.

Common side effects

• Feeling anxious or jittery, a bit like too much coffee. A direct consequence of a higher metabolic rate. It usually settles.
• A faster heartbeat, or a fluttering feeling in your chest. Common on its own. Contact a provider if this feeling is associated with chest pain, lightheadedness, or lasts more than a few seconds at a time.
• Redness or irritation where you inject. Rotating sites is the fix.
• Disturbed sleep. This is usually a timing problem rather than a medication problem — a dose taken late in the day can keep you up. Move it to the morning.
• Feeling tired instead of energized. A minority of people react this way and we do not fully understand why. It is not dangerous on its own, but it is worth telling us — it is a reason to reassess rather than to push through.

Less common, and more serious

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). MOTS-c makes you more sensitive to insulin, so your blood sugar can drop too low. More likely if you also take a GLP-1, or if you skip a meal or train hard. The signs and the rule of 15 are in "How do I store, handle, and inject MOTS-c?" — read that before your first injection.
• A serious allergic reaction. Any peptide can cause one, and this has happened rarely with MOTS-c.

STILL NEED HELP?

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Message your care team anytime through the patient portal. Most questions get a reply within 24 hours on business days.