Why Throwing Up Happens and What Helps

Vomiting is often the next step after nausea when the body can't find relief. While nausea acts as your system's warning flag, vomiting becomes the emergency exit.

According to scientific studies, approximately 10–15% of GLP-1 medication users report vomiting as a side effect.

The primary cause of nausea and vomiting is delayed gastric emptying. GLP-1 agonists slow the movement of food from your stomach to your intestines, creating a sensation of fullness that can trigger vomiting — particularly after consuming large or fatty meals.

For most patients, vomiting is a temporary side effect that diminishes over time as your body adjusts to the medication. This negative effect is generally manageable, sometimes with the help of anti-nausea medications like Zofran.

Common Triggers for Vomiting Include:

• High-fat meals. Many users (myself included) report that vomiting episodes are strongly tied to food choices. Fried foods and GLP-1 medications typically don't mix well. Your body is essentially revealing how small your stomach actually is and fatty foods are particularly difficult to digest. While some people continue consuming greasy food, most find they can't tolerate it without consequences. Beware of fried and greasy meals!

• Overeating. Eating past fullness significantly increases your risk of nausea and vomiting. The key is learning to listen to your fullness. Not the old fullness you used to push past, but the new signal that tells you to stop at “just enough.”

• Dosage rank-up. Timing plays a significant role, with vomiting most commonly occurring during the first few weeks of treatment or after dose increases. Your dosage approach matters too — higher starting doses or rapid escalations significantly increase your risk of this side effect.

An interesting fact: some studies suggest women and those with lower BMI may be more susceptible to gastrointestinal side effects like vomiting.

Managing Vomiting When It Occurs

The best medical option is Zofran, a prescription anti-nausea medication. It acts quickly, especially in the dissolvable tablet form (you place it under your tongue, no need to swallow). It doesn’t make most people sleepy, unlike some over-the-counter nausea med and it's generally well tolerated.

I have a long post about how people battle nausea — please check it out to find a suitable solution for yourself.

What to Eat After Vomiting

In the first few hours after vomiting, it’s best to stick with light, soothing options. Chicken soup and broths are ideal during this phase — they’re gentle on the stomach and help restore lost fluids.

As your body begins to recover, usually around the 6 hour mark, you can start adding soft-cooked vegetables or small pieces of chicken to your soup to gradually boost your calorie and nutrient intake.

Once you feel more stable, transition to starchy, plain foods like rice, mashed potatoes, or plain noodles. These are easy to digest and less likely to irritate your stomach.

Bananas can also be a helpful option at this stage. They're naturally soft, easy to digest, and rich in potassium, which helps replace lost electrolytes while providing a gentle source of energy through natural sugars and carbohydrates.