Prathankarnpap / Shutterstock.com
Dysaesthesia has been included on the list of possible adverse reactions to semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, when used in the treatment of diabetes.
A summary of products characteristics for Rybelsus (semaglutide; Novo Nordisk) tablets, updated on 7 April 2026, lists dysaesthesia — abnormal and unpleasant touch-based sensations — as a “common” adverse reaction.
For Ozempic (semaglutide; Novo Nordisk) in pre-filled pens, an update on 7 April 2026 listed dysaesthesia as an adverse reaction, of which the frequency is not yet known.
Dysaesthesia has been reported in some clinical trials of semaglutide, including the ‘STEP UP T2D’ trial of subcutaneous semaglutide, results of which showed that the adverse effect was more common with 7.2 mg doses (n=58 [18.9%] of 307) compared with 2.4 mg doses (n=five [4.9%] of 103).
In March 2024, a scoping review of 15 clinical trials, six case reports and one retrospective cohort study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that dysaesthesia occurred in 6 of 334 participants (1.8%) taking semaglutide and not in any patients taking placebo.
The authors wrote that higher rates of dysaesthesia were seen in people taking oral semaglutide. “Variations in dosage and administration routes could influence the types and severity of skin findings, underscoring the need for additional research,” they said.
Sehar Shahid, a National Pharmacy Association board member and trainer for weight-management prescribing, said: “Dysaesthesia is a broad term covering abnormal sensations such as burning, tingling, numbness or altered skin sensitivity, so healthcare professionals should be alert to patients reporting these symptoms while taking semaglutide.”
“In practice, many side effects only become clearer once a medicine is used at scale in the real world,” Shahid added.
“From a pharmacist perspective, this does mean clinicians should be mindful of patients presenting with new sensory symptoms after starting semaglutide. That does not mean every case will be caused by the medicine, because people with diabetes may already be at risk of neuropathic symptoms for other reasons, but it should now be part of the differential diagnosis and assessed in context.”
