Can peptides cause nausea or vomiting?

Each answer says whether nausea or vomiting was reported, and how often where that’s known. “Not reported” means the label or trials didn’t list it, not that it can’t happen. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any symptom that worries you.

From a product label 40

What the prescribing information says, with rates against placebo where the label gives them.

AbaloparatideApproved drug

LabelNausea 8% vs 3% on placebo in women and 3% vs 0% in men; it was the most common reason women stopped (2%).

CalcitoninApproved drug

LabelNausea, with or without vomiting, in about 10% on injections, mostly at the start. It rises with dose and is less frequent with evening doses after meals (UK label).

CerebrolysinApproved drug

LabelNausea: 0.7% vs 1.0% on placebo in pooled trials (EU label); vomiting is listed as uncommon.

CetrorelixApproved drug

LabelNausea: 1.3% of 949 women in trials (US label); uncommon in the EU label.

CosyntropinApproved drug

LabelNausea and vomiting can be signs of an allergic reaction (UK labels); they aren’t listed as a separate effect of the test dose.

DasiglucagonApproved drug

LabelNausea 57% and vomiting 25% vs 4% and 2% on placebo in adults, within 12 hours. The instructions say to roll an unconscious person onto their side.

DesmopressinApproved drug

LabelNausea is listed with large doses and is also a warning sign of low sodium, especially with headache or vomiting.

DulaglutideApproved drug

LabelNausea 12.4% and 21.1% vs 5.3% on placebo, and vomiting 6.0% and 12.7% vs 2.3%, at 0.75 and 1.5 mg; most common early and after dose increases.

ExenatideApproved drug

LabelNausea 44% and vomiting 13% vs 18% and 4% on placebo in the 30-week trials. Nausea is dose-related and fades for most; 3% stopped because of it.

GanirelixApproved drug

LabelNausea: 1.1% of 794 women in the US trials; uncommon in the EU label.

GHRP-2Approved drug

LabelNausea and stomach discomfort are each listed at 0.1–5% after the IV test dose.

GlucagonApproved drug

LabelNausea 26–30% and vomiting 15–16% in adult rescue trials (Baqsimi, Gvoke); nausea in 37% after an IV radiology dose. Higher doses cause more.

GonadorelinApproved drug

LabelNausea and belly discomfort are rare (fewer than 1 in 1,000 people) in the UK label.

IcotrokinraApproved drug

LabelNausea: 1.2% vs 0.5% on placebo through week 16; gastritis and stomach discomfort occurred in under 1%.

L-CarnitineApproved drug

LabelThe label notes transient nausea and vomiting. In its dialysis trials, nausea (8% vs 10%) and vomiting (15% vs 16%) weren’t more common than on placebo.

LeuprolideApproved drug

LabelNausea or vomiting: 13% vs 3% on placebo in endometriosis trials and 5% vs 4% in fibroid trials.

LinaclotideApproved drug

LabelNausea and vomiting are uncommon (under 1 in 100) in the UK label; vomiting was under 2% in US IBS-C trials, and nausea has been reported since approval.

LiraglutideApproved drug

LabelNausea 39.3% and vomiting 15.7% on Saxenda vs 13.8% and 3.9% on placebo; nausea eased as treatment went on. At Victoza’s lower doses, nausea hit 18–20% vs 5%.

LixisenatideApproved drug

LabelNausea 25% and vomiting 10% vs 6% and 2% on placebo, mostly in the first 3 weeks. With Soliqua’s gradual dosing, nausea was 10%.

MacimorelinApproved drug

LabelNausea: 3.2% after the single test dose.

MecaserminApproved drug

LabelVomiting in 5% or more of children in trials. Nausea or vomiting can also signal raised pressure in the skull.

Melanotan 1Approved drug

LabelNausea: 19% vs 14% on placebo implants (US label); vomiting is common in the EU label. Small injected-tanning studies also reported stomach upset and facial flushing.

OctreotideApproved drug

LabelNausea: 30% on daily injections and 10% on the depot in acromegaly, and 21% vs 11% on placebo with Mycapssa. Vomiting in 4–14%.

OrforglipronApproved drug

LabelNausea 26–35% and vomiting 13–24% vs 10% and 4% on placebo, highest while the dose is being raised; 3–6% stopped for stomach or gut effects vs 0.7%.

OxytocinApproved drug

LabelNausea and vomiting are listed for IV labor use and can signal water intoxication. In a 24-week nasal trial, they were less common than on placebo (4.1% vs 8.3%).

PalopegteriparatideApproved drug

LabelNausea is very common (over 1 in 10) in the EU label, mostly in the first 3 months; vomiting is common. Nausea can also signal high calcium.

PlecanatideApproved drug

LabelNausea: 1–2% in the IBS-C trials, slightly more than on placebo. Vomiting has been reported since approval.

PramlintideApproved drug

LabelNausea 48% vs 17% on placebo in type 1 diabetes and 28% vs 12% in type 2; vomiting 11% vs 7% and 8% vs 4%. It fades over time.

PT-141Approved drug

LabelNausea 40% vs 1.3% on placebo, highest after the first dose (21%), about 3% after later doses. Ondansetron, an anti-nausea pill, taken 30 minutes before didn’t prevent it.

SemaglutideApproved drug

LabelNausea 44% and vomiting 24% at 2.4 mg, vs 16% and 6% on placebo. Most common while the dose is being stepped up.

SetmelanotideApproved drug

LabelNausea 55% vs 25% and vomiting 38% vs 19% on placebo in hypothalamic obesity, mostly in the first month and usually mild, per the UK label.

Somatropin (HGH)Approved drug

LabelNausea: 9.1% vs 4.9% on placebo in HIV wasting at 0.1 mg/kg daily (Serostim). Nausea with vomiting can also signal raised pressure in the skull.

TeduglutideApproved drug

LabelNausea 23% vs 20% and vomiting 12% vs 10% on placebo in the 24-week trials.

TeriparatideApproved drug

LabelNausea 8.5% vs 6.7% and vomiting 3.0% vs 2.3% on placebo; in the steroid trial, nausea 14% vs 7% on alendronate.

TesamorelinApproved drug

LabelVomiting: 3% vs 0% on placebo in the 26-week trials. The original 2010 label put nausea at 4.4% vs 3.8%, close to placebo.

TirzepatideApproved drug

LabelNausea 25–29% and vomiting 8–13% in the weight trials, vs 8% and 2% on placebo. Most happened while the dose was being stepped up and eased over time.

TriptorelinApproved drug

LabelNausea is common (1–10 in 100) in the UK label. In US trials, vomiting was reported in 2.1% on 3.75 mg and nausea in 2.9% on 11.25 mg.

ZiconotideApproved drug

LabelNausea 40% vs 29% and vomiting 16% vs 14% on placebo in the slow-titration trial.

hCGApproved drug

LabelNot listed for men. In women it can signal ovarian overstimulation; after recombinant hCG in IVF trials, 3.4% had nausea and 2.5% vomiting (no placebo group).

SermorelinHuman studies

LabelNausea and vomiting were noted after IV test doses, but weren’t listed among side effects of nightly shots in the Geref trials (350 patients).

From human studies 17

What published trials and case reports found.

DSIPApproved drug

TrialAmong 107 people given IV DSIP for withdrawal, nausea was among the minor effects in 9, and one had repeated bouts of discomfort with sweating and nausea.

EcnoglutideApproved drug

TrialNausea 7–13% vs 10% on placebo in EECOH-1, and 12% vs 3% in the phase 2 trial; vomiting 3% vs 0%. Most common while the dose was being raised.

MazdutideApproved drug

TrialNausea 41.0% and vomiting 27.9% at 6 mg vs 4.8% and 3.2% on placebo (24-week Chinese phase 2); at 9 mg, 46.9% and 53.1% vs 3.2% and 1.3% (GLORY-2).

AOD9604Human studies

TrialCommon after single oral doses in 17 men, with no trend vs placebo. In a small IV pain trial, 2 of 17 had nausea on it, none on placebo.

ARA-290Human studies

TrialNausea in 5 of 46 people on 1–8 mg vs 0 of 16 on placebo over 28 days; vomiting wasn’t reported.

CagrilintideHuman studies

TrialNausea 20–47% vs 18% on placebo and vomiting 5–9% vs 3% in the 26-week trial of cagrilintide alone, with nausea generally rising with dose.

CJC-1295 with DACHuman studies

TrialNausea or stomach pain affected 20% of those on the drug, and no one on placebo, in one small trial.

IpamorelinHuman studies

TrialIn the IV surgery trial, nausea and vomiting were common but slightly less frequent on ipamorelin than placebo; one person stopped it for nausea.

LarazotideHuman studies

TrialGut side effects, the most common kind, were equally frequent on larazotide and placebo over 12 weeks in 342 adults.

Melanotan 2Human studies

TrialCommon: mild nausea at most doses in the 1996 pilot and severe nausea after 4 of 19 injections in a 2000 trial. Bremelanotide’s label: nausea 40% vs 1.3%.

MK-677Human studies

TrialUncommon: mild belly pain was reported by a few people in early trials, and vomiting by 2 of 12 children in a 1-week study.

RetatrutideHuman studies

TrialNausea 28.6–42.4% and vomiting 10.6–25.3% in TRIUMPH-1, vs 14.8% and 4.8% on placebo, rising with dose. Starting at 2 mg cut stomach side effects in phase 2.

SurvodutideHuman studies

TrialNausea 56.2% and vomiting 42.5% vs 14.3% and 7.1% on placebo in SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD (6.0 mg), mostly during step-ups; 19.9% vs 4.3% stopped over stomach side effects.

TesofensineHuman studies

TrialNausea was among the most common side effects in the obesity trial. With metoprolol in a 90-day diabetes trial, 7 of 30 had nausea vs 2 of 30 on placebo.

Thymosin Beta-4Human studies

TrialNausea in 3 of 53 people on the gel vs 0 of 18 on placebo in a pressure-ulcer trial; not listed in the Chinese IV trial.

GlutathioneApproved drug

TrialNot listed in the label. Nausea was among symptoms in the 2026 outbreak tied to contaminated supplement-grade injections; in a cisplatin trial, vomiting scores improved with glutathione.

Thymosin Alpha-1Approved drug

TrialNot listed in the labels. In an early study of single high doses in 14 people with advanced cancer, 2 had mild nausea, at about 8 and 16 mg.

From user reports 6

Commonly reported by people who use it, not established in a study.

DihexaHuman studies

CommunityUsers report occasional stomach upset when taking it by mouth. No study has given dihexa itself; nausea wasn’t common in its prodrug’s trials.

NAD+Human studies

CommunityUsers report nausea, mainly when IV drips run fast. The one published IV study, a slow 6-hour infusion in 8 men, reported no side effects.

5-Amino-1MQPreclinical

CommunityUsers report stomach upset or nausea, mostly when starting at higher doses. No study has checked.

BPC-157Preclinical

CommunityUsers report occasional mild nausea. None of the 12 women in the bladder study had nausea or vomiting; the other studies gave few safety details.

KPVPreclinical

CommunityUsers report nausea or stomach upset, mostly with oral doses. No human study has measured it.

TB-500Preclinical

CommunityUsers occasionally report mild nausea around the time of injection. No human study exists to measure it.

A precaution, not measured 2

A concern that follows from how it works or from a related drug.

IGF-1 DESPreclinical

PrecautionNo human data for DES. The related approved drug mecasermin lists vomiting in 5% or more of treated children, and nausea or vomiting with raised pressure in the skull.

IGF-1 LR3Preclinical

PrecautionNo human data for LR3. The related approved drug mecasermin lists vomiting in 5% or more of treated children, and nausea or vomiting with raised pressure in the skull.

Studied in people, not reported 14

Labels or trials covered enough people and didn’t report it. It can still happen.

EnlicitideApproved drug

Not reportedNausea isn’t listed in the label; side effects overall matched placebo in the 2,904-person, 52-week trial.

SelankApproved drug

Not reportedNot listed or reported in trials. The label notes only an unpleasant taste when drops run from the nose into the throat.

SemaxApproved drug

Not reportedNot listed in the Russian labels or reported in the small Russian trials (27–187 patients, mostly 10-day courses).

SS-31Approved drug

Not reportedNot a listed side effect, and not reported by 5% or more of 117 adults over 48 weeks, or by 2 or more of 30 in a 4-week trial.

ThymalinApproved drug

Not reportedNot listed in the Russian label, which names only allergic reactions; published trials, mostly small and from Russia, gave few safety details.

VIPApproved drug

Not reportedNot listed in Invicorp’s label. In a 196-person trial of 3-day IV infusions, no side effect type except diarrhea was more common than on placebo.

ArgirelineHuman studies

Not reportedNot reported in the small skin trials (up to 60 people, mostly 4–8 weeks); the most reliable lab tests found almost none reaches deeper skin.

GHK-CuHuman studies

Not reportedNot reported in the small topical studies (13–86 people, mostly 8–12 weeks), which gave few safety details. Injection hasn’t been studied in people.

GHRP-6Human studies

Not reportedNot reported in single-dose studies, including a 250-person diagnostic study that found no side effects. Repeated use hasn’t been studied.

HexarelinHuman studies

Not reportedNot reported: 60 children and young people had no side effects after one IV dose, and studies of up to 16 weeks gave few safety details.

Kisspeptin-10Human studies

Not reportedNot reported in small, short human studies (about 300 people, single doses to 12 days), which often didn’t track side effects.

LL-37Human studies

Not reportedNot among the side effects reported in the ulcer trials (about 200 people, up to 13 weeks), which applied it to wounds. Injected use hasn’t been studied.

MatrixylHuman studies

Not reportedNot reported in the skin trials (93 women for 12 weeks; 196 using a mix for 8 weeks), where it was well tolerated.

SNAP-8Human studies

Not reportedNot reported in two small patch studies that mixed it with other actives (24 people for 28 days; another for 12 weeks); SNAP-8 alone hasn’t been studied.

No human safety data 15

No one has been given it in a published study, so it can’t be ruled in or out.

AdamaxPreclinical

No dataNo human or animal safety data; Adamax has never been studied.

AHK-CuPreclinical

No dataNo human safety data: AHK-Cu has never been tested in people, on the skin or by injection.

CartalaxPreclinical

No dataNo human data: no study of cartalax in people has been published, so side effects are unknown.

CJC-1295 (no DAC)Preclinical

No dataNo human safety data for this peptide. In a small trial of CJC-1295 with DAC, a different molecule, 20% had nausea or stomach pain.

EpithalonPreclinical

No dataNo human safety data: FDA found no study that assessed safety, and its one placebo-controlled trial (40 women, 20-day spray) didn’t report side effects.

Follistatin-344Preclinical

No dataNo human data for injected follistatin; nausea and vomiting weren’t reported in the muscle gene-therapy trials.

FOXO4-DRIPreclinical

No dataNo human data: no one has been given FOXO4-DRI in a published study, so side effects are unknown.

HGH Fragment 176-191Preclinical

No dataNo human safety data for this peptide.

HumaninPreclinical

No dataNo human data: no one has been given humanin or its stronger version HNG in a published study, so side effects are unknown.

MGFPreclinical

No dataNo human safety data: no published study has given MGF to a person, and FDA’s public adverse-event data hold no reports naming it.

MOTS-cPreclinical

No dataNo human safety data for MOTS-c itself. In a 4-week trial of a modified version, CB4211, injection-site reactions were the only side effect in over 10% of the 11 treated.

PE-22-28Preclinical

No dataNo human data: PE-22-28 has never been given to a person in a study.

PEG-MGFPreclinical

No dataNo human safety data: FDA found no human exposure data for PEG-MGF by any route, and no animal study has been published.

PinealonPreclinical

No dataNo useful human safety data: the few small Russian reports on pinealon gave no details of side effects.

SLU-PP-332Preclinical

No dataNo human safety data: no published study has given it to a person.

Sources

Each answer comes from the compound’s own page, under “Can it cause …?”, where its sources are listed.