Zepbound Headache: How Common, How Long It Lasts, What Helps
Headache is not included in the Zepbound label as a side effect. What people mean by it: pain in the head.
- In the label
- Not listed
- Most common in the label
- Nausea 29%
Zepbound in brief
The drug has a half-life of 5 to 6 days: half of it is gone after 5.5 d, and five half-lives (27.5 d) leave about 3% still present.
SURMOUNT-1 covered 72 weeks and reported 20.9% of body weight, compared with 3.1% on placebo.
Price points per month in US dollars cover the list price and self-pay offers, with each one taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), Eli Lilly 1 2, cnbc.com.
Instead: what the Zepbound label lists
Headache is not included in the Zepbound label. It lists these five side effects most often.
| Side effect | Placebo | Zepbound 5 mg | Zepbound 10 mg | Zepbound 15 mg | More than placebo, 15 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 8% | 25% | 29% | 28% | +20 points |
| Diarrhea | 8% | 19% | 21% | 23% | +15 points |
| Constipation | 5% | 17% | 14% | 11% | +6 points |
| Vomiting | 2% | 8% | 11% | 13% | +11 points |
| Abdominal Pain | 5% | 9% | 9% | 10% | +5 points |
Source: Zepbound label (DailyMed).
Headache on Zepbound compared with other GLP-1s
Each label covers its own trials, which included different groups of people. Treat this as a rough guide.
The table also lists the pill forms: Foundayo.
| Medicine | Highest rate in the label | Dose group | Placebo | People in the trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wegovy | 14% | 2.4 mg | 10% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
 Saxenda | 13.6% | all doses | 12.6% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
 Victoza | 11% | 1.2 mg | 7% | Adults with type 2 diabetes |
 Foundayo | 9% | 9 mg | 7% | Adults with obesity or overweight (weight management) |
| Byetta | 9% | all doses | 6% | Adults with type 2 diabetes |
 Ozempic | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Rybelsus | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Mounjaro | Not listed | – | – | – |
| Zepbound | Not listed | – | – | – |
 Trulicity | Not listed | – | – | – |
Sources: Wegovy label (DailyMed), Foundayo label (DailyMed), Saxenda label (DailyMed), Victoza label (DailyMed), Byetta label (DailyMed).
Source: FDA label (DailyMed).