Monday, April 20, 2026 – One in six couples worldwide face infertility issues but there is hope for those who are trying for pregnancy. Dr. Rekha Kumar, endocrinologist at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, joins TODAY to break down how long it should take to get pregnant at different age ranges before seeking medical help, why some people saw increased fertility after being on weight loss drugs, and more.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – A new study identified several overlooked side effects of GLP-1 drugs through self-reporting among Reddit users. Image Credit: Fiordaliso/Getty Images

A recent study found various “hidden” side effects of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, including chills, hot flashes, and irregular periods.

The researchers used self-reported Reddit data to examine the real-world effects of these medications. 

An expert weighs in on why hidden side effects, such as Ozempic chills, may occur.

GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, have various known side effects, including nausea, fatigue, constipation, and diarrhea. 

However, a recent study published in Nature Health found that GLP-1 drugs may also come with certain “hidden” side effects. 

The researchers analyzed 410,198 Reddit posts that mentioned either semaglutide or tirzepatide. They found a total of 67,008 users who self-reported using these medications. Of those, 43.5% posted about at least one side effect. 

Reproductive issues, such as menstrual irregularities and temperature-related complaints, like chills and hot flashes, were the most notable unrecognized side effects of GLP-1s. 

Jeffrey Lee, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of JL Plastic Surgery in Boston, MA, who was not involved in the study, spoke to Healthline about these “hidden” side effects, why they may occur, and what people may misunderstand about GLP-1s from social media posts. 

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.

How common are the ‘hidden’ side effects of GLP-1s like Ozempic?

Lee: The most common side effects I see in practice are gastrointestinal, things like nausea, bloating, or constipation.

These are typically temporary and often dose-dependent, meaning they can improve over time or with a dosage adjustment.

Of the lesser-known side effects mentioned in the study, I have occasionally had patients report fatigue, but it’s not something I see frequently.

I have not personally seen most of the other symptoms highlighted in the study in a consistent or clinically significant way.

What’s behind side effects like Ozempic chills, hot flashes?

Lee: GLP-1 agonists primarily affect the gastrointestinal system, but they also act on the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, which regulates many core functions, including hormones, temperature, and appetite.

Because of this, it’s plausible that some patients could experience broader systemic effects, including hormonal or temperature-related symptoms.

That said, these effects are not yet well established clinically, and more research is needed to determine whether they are directly caused by the medication or influenced by factors such as weight loss, metabolic changes, or individual physiology.

What are the effects of GLP-1s on mood shifts, libido? 

Lee: There is growing interest in how GLP-1 medications may influence the brain’s reward system, particularly dopamine signaling.

Clinically, we are seeing that some patients report a reduced sense of reward from certain behaviors.

For example, there have been reports of individuals with alcohol use issues experiencing a decreased urge to drink. This suggests that GLP-1s may blunt the reward response, which could be beneficial in some contexts.

However, that same mechanism may also translate into a dampening of emotional highs and lows, which some patients may interpret as apathy or decreased libido. This is still an emerging area of research, but it’s one of the more interesting potential effects of these medications.

Do ‘hidden’ GLP-1 side effects vary based on individual behaviors? 

Lee: Patient behavior can absolutely play a role.

If someone is actively restricting intake beyond what the medication is already doing, they may experience symptoms like irritability or mood swings.

On the other hand, if a patient is fully reliant on the medication and experiences little to no hunger, those fluctuations may be less noticeable.

So there’s often an interplay between the medication’s effects and the patient’s behavioral response.

How might self-reported GLP-1 side effects be misunderstood? 

Lee: One of the biggest challenges with social media is that it captures anecdotal, self-reported experiences without context.

It can be difficult to determine whether a symptom is directly caused by the medication, related to rapid weight loss, influenced by other medications, or tied to underlying health conditions.

Without that clinical context, it’s easy for associations to be made that aren’t necessarily causal. That’s why it’s important to interpret these reports carefully and in conjunction with clinical data.

A note about self-reported side effects on social media

The study’s researchers note several limitations. These include the potential that people who use weight-loss subreddits may differ from the general population who are prescribed GLP-1s. Reddit users are typically younger and disproportionately from the United States. 

Individuals on Reddit are also not prompted or required to disclose all their side effects. This makes it difficult to estimate their true prevalence. Also, self-reporting can’t always be consistently reliable.

Finally, language processing can overlook or misclassify nuanced context. 

What are the issues with self-reported side effects in studies like these? 

Lee: These limitations are significant. For findings to be broadly applicable, the study population needs to reflect real-world patients in terms of age, gender, medical history, and dosing.

Self-reported data, especially from platforms like Reddit, can introduce bias, as it often captures a narrower or more vocal subset of users.

That said, studies like this can still be valuable as an early signal. They can help generate hypotheses and guide more rigorous, controlled research that allows us to draw more definitive conclusions.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/BravoThe Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is TV’s best soap opera, week after week offering twists more shocking than secret twins and characters returning from the dead. That’s because it’s all real, happening in the most haunted suburb in the continental United States.Where else do two women connect over knowing the long-lost birth father of one’s child? Is there another city where women squabble over body positivity in a parking lot off the side of a snowy mountain? Surely, there’s no other place on Earth where Lisa Barlow could come across anywhere near a voice of reason.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are transforming weight loss, but a new UVA study warns they're not improving a critical measure of health: cardiorespiratory fitness. While these medications help people shed fat, they also strip away vital muscle mass raising concerns about long-term heart health, physical function, and mortality. The researchers urge combining treatment with exercise, protein intake, and possibly future drugs to avoid hidden downsides of rapid weight loss.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - Ozempic’s weight loss benefits might come at the cost of muscle strength, even if muscle size remains relatively stable. This raises significant concerns for older adults, who are already at risk for muscle loss and reduced mobility. Researchers stress the urgent need for human clinical trials to understand these effects fully.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - Scientists are racing to improve weight loss treatments beyond drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are effective but plagued by nausea, bone loss, and weight regain. Tufts University chemists have created a new multi-target compound that goes beyond the usual GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon approaches by adding a fourth hormone, PYY. This “quadruple-action” design aims to deliver weight loss results on par with bariatric surgery—up to 30%—without invasive procedures, and could change the future of obesity treatment.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - Some people taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro notice that food suddenly tastes sweeter or saltier, and this subtle shift in flavor perception appears tied to reduced appetite and stronger feelings of fullness. In a study of more than 400 patients, roughly one in five experienced heightened taste sensitivity, and many reported being less hungry and more easily satisfied.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Monday, April 20 - Semaglutide appears to safeguard the heart even when patients lose little weight. In a massive international trial, heart attack and stroke risk dropped by 20% regardless of BMI. The benefit seems tied not just to slimming down but to deeper biological effects on inflammation, blood pressure, and vessel health. Researchers say this could expand who qualifies for the drug.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide 25 mg achieved up to 16.6% weight loss in a landmark study, rivaling injectable Wegovy. The pill also improved cardiovascular risk factors and physical activity levels. With a safety profile consistent with existing treatments, experts see it as a breakthrough for patients preferring oral options.

Monday, April 20, 2026 – Scientists are uncovering how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy act on brain regions that control hunger, nausea, pleasure-based eating, and thirst. These discoveries may help create treatments that keep the benefits of weight loss while reducing unwanted side effects.