Yesterday I ended up in the ER for 12 hours after waking up around 9:30 a.m. with some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt. It came in intense spasms centered right below my sternum and around/below my belly button—like my stomach/intestines were being squeezed and twisted. The pain was so severe (easily 9/10) that I was sweating, couldn’t stand upright, and had to call an ambulance because I couldn’t drive myself.
The spasms came back-to-back for 2–3 hours and the pain didn’t fully calm down until later that afternoon. While it was happening, I was still able to have bowel movements and nothing seemed obstructed, which made it even more confusing.
At the ER they only did bloodwork and a urine sample. No imaging, no ultrasound, no CT. They said my labs looked “great” and discharged me, but I’m following up with my PCP because I’m wondering if this could be gallbladder-related, GI spasms, or something semaglutide triggered.
For context:
I’ve been on semaglutide for about 3 months
I recently had a dose increase
I’ve lost about 22–25 lbs
I take Miralax daily and usually have regular, easy bowel movements
I drink ~60 oz of water daily and stay on top of protein/fiber
I was not constipated leading up to this
Today the pain is much milder (maybe 2–3/10), but I can still feel a faint version of it, plus weird stomach gurgling/noises. I’m also constipated today, but I assume that’s because I spent all day in the hospital yesterday barely eating or drinking.
What concerns me most is how sudden and extreme this was. I’ve had nausea and appetite suppression on semaglutide, but nothing remotely like this. The pain was bad enough that it honestly makes me want to stop the medication entirely.
Has anyone else had severe abdominal spasms like this on semaglutide? If so, what did it end up being (gallbladder, constipation, gastroparesis, pancreatitis, intestinal spasms, etc.) and did you stay on the medication or stop?
Thanks in advance.