Liraglutide: Side Effects & Safety
Part of the Liraglutide Complete Guide
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Overall Safety Profile
Liraglutide has extensive safety data from clinical trials (9,340 participants in LEADER alone) and over a decade of post-marketing experience. The side effect profile is consistent with the GLP-1 agonist class, with GI effects predominating.
Reported Side Effects
- Nausea (28–39%): Most common, usually improves over weeks
- Vomiting (10–16%)
- Diarrhea (12–21%)
- Constipation (10–19%)
- Headache
- Injection site reactions: Mild
Serious Safety Considerations
- Pancreatitis: Rare but reported — same class warning as all GLP-1 agonists
- Thyroid C-cell tumors: Boxed warning based on rodent studies
- Gallbladder events: Increased gallstone incidence
- Acute kidney injury: Reported in some cases, likely related to dehydration from GI effects
Contraindications
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2)
- Known hypersensitivity to liraglutide
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding