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Pancreatitis that has not settled after stopping Ozempic: workup question sheet
Use this for the follow-up or specialist visit: when you stopped Ozempic, the results and scans so far, which causes have been checked, and how symptoms have changed day by day since the last injection.
The attack so far
Date the pain began
Last Ozempic injection: date and dose
Highest lipase, with the lab's upper limit of normal
Scans done, dates and what they showed
Days in hospital, if admitted
Causes this page says to check (tick what has been done)
- Gallstones or sludge looked for on ultrasound, CT, MRI or endoscopic ultrasound
- Fasting triglycerides measured
- Blood calcium measured
- Alcohol intake discussed honestly
- Every current medicine reviewed for other pancreatitis-linked drugs
- Autoimmune pancreatitis (IgG4) considered
- A pancreas mass excluded when no other cause is found
Day by day since the last injection
| Date | Days since last Ozempic dose | Pain (0 to 10) | Eating and drinking normally? | Fever or vomiting? | Results or scans that day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Numbers to have in mind
- Ozempic label: semaglutide remains in circulation for about 5 weeks after the final dose.[1]
- Ozempic label: average lipase rose 22% and amylase 13% from baseline on Ozempic in placebo-controlled trials; placebo groups did not show these changes.[1]
- Ozempic label: gallstones were reported in 1.5% (0.5 mg) and 0.4% (1 mg) of treated patients and in none on placebo.[1]
- US first-attack cohort: 22% were readmitted with acute pancreatitis as the main diagnosis and 6% later received a main diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, over a median of 40 months.[2]
- Copenhagen cohort: 24.1% of 352 patients progressed from acute to chronic pancreatitis over decades of follow-up, with smoking the strongest risk factor.[3]
Tell your healthcare provider right away about
- Stomach pain that is severe or will not ease, sometimes spreading to the back, with or without nausea or vomiting.[1]
- Upper stomach pain, fever, yellow skin or eyes, or clay-colored stools, which can be signs of a gallbladder problem.[1]
For the specialist
- Is my lipase high enough to count as pancreatitis, or is it the smaller rise seen on Ozempic?
- Has imaging looked for gallstones, sludge, fluid collections or necrosis?
- Should a gastroenterologist or pancreas specialist take over the workup?
- What should control my blood sugar while Ozempic is stopped?
- Would stopping smoking or alcohol change my risk of another attack?
Sources for the facts on this sheet
- Novo Nordisk, via DailyMed. Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use: prescribing information and Medication Guide. Effective 2026-06-01. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=adec4fd2-6858-4c99-91d4-531f5f2a2d79
- Yadav D, O'Connell M, Papachristou GI. Natural history following the first attack of acute pancreatitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2012. PMID 22613906. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22613906/
- Nøjgaard C, Becker U, Matzen P, Andersen JR, Holst C, Bendtsen F. Progression from acute to chronic pancreatitis: prognostic factors, mortality, and natural course. Pancreas 2011. PMID 21926938. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21926938/
This sheet records information for a conversation with your prescriber or pharmacist. It does not replace their instructions or the medication's prescribing information.