Q. I'm experiencing severe side effects from GLP-1 medications like Saxenda or Wegovy. Can Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) help?
Yes, it can. We utilize herbal medicine and acupuncture to regulate metabolic imbalances and improve impaired digestive functions, helping to alleviate medication-induced side effects.
📝 Detailed Answer
Many patients currently experience nausea, vomiting, or severe constipation after using GLP-1 receptor agonists. From a physiological perspective, these occur because the medications not only target the satiety center of the brain but also significantly slow down gastrointestinal motility.
In Traditional Korean Medicine, this state is viewed as Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛), where the Spleen's function of 'transportation and transformation' (Un-hwa, 運化) is impaired. When the digestive system fails to function properly, food stagnates, leading to the accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-jeok, 痰積), which manifests as nausea and bloating.
💡 Treatment Goals
Rather than forced suppression, we focus on 'functional recovery'—restoring the body's innate ability to digest and eliminate—to reduce side effects and improve overall vitality.
- Promoting GI Motility: Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture are used to stimulate sluggish gastrointestinal movement.
- Eliminating Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-eum, 痰飮): We clear accumulated metabolic waste from the body to relieve nausea and edema.
- Tonic Therapy: We address Qi and Blood Deficiency (Gi-hyeol-bu-jok, 氣血不足) caused by rapid caloric restriction to combat lethargy and fatigue.
Please note that the direction of treatment differs significantly depending on whether you are still using the medication or are in a recovery phase after discontinuation. Therefore, it is important to first share the specific symptoms you are experiencing.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.21