Medical safety
When to stop, and who to call.
This page is deliberately blunt. Read it once now so you are not reading it for the first time at 2am.
Call 911 immediately
- Chest pain, pressure or tightness
- Difficulty breathing
- Fainting, or feeling you are about to
- Sudden severe abdominal pain radiating to the back
- Confusion, slurred speech, one-sided weakness
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction — swelling of face, lips or throat
Do not message us and wait for a reply. Call emergency services, then tell us afterwards.
Contact the care team
Same day, not urgent enough for 911
You cannot keep fluids down
Vomiting through a whole day, or any sign of dehydration — dizziness on standing, very dark urine, no urine for many hours.
Persistent abdominal pain
Pain that does not settle, is worse than usual reflux, or wakes you. Do not take the next dose until you have spoken to a clinician.
A neck lump, hoarseness or trouble swallowing
Uncommon, but always reviewed rather than watched.
Vision changes with diabetes
Any new blurring or change in vision needs assessment quickly.
Racing heartbeat or new palpitations
Especially with lightheadedness or if it does not settle at rest.
Mood changes or thoughts of self-harm
Tell us. This is a medical matter and it is treated as one. In crisis, call or text 988.
Eligibility
Who should not take these medications
A clinician makes this decision at assessment. This list is not exhaustive.
- Pregnancy, planned pregnancy or breastfeeding
- A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or MEN2
- A history of pancreatitis
- Active or previous gallbladder disease, depending on the picture
- Severe gastrointestinal disease, including gastroparesis
- A current or recent eating disorder
- Type 1 diabetes, unless under specialist supervision
- Certain other medications, which is why we ask for a complete list
Never stop or change a dose on your own
Limits of support
What Ask Advantage will never do
Our support assistant is a fast way to get everyday answers. It is not a clinician, and it does not pretend to be one.
It will answer
- How to hit your protein target this week
- What to eat when appetite is gone
- How to start strength training from where you are
- How the program, pricing and reviews work
It will hand you to a human
- Anything about your dose
- Any symptom, however minor it sounds
- Eligibility, interactions and other medications
- Anything it is not confident about
Nothing on this website is medical advice, and reading it does not create a clinician–patient relationship. Advice specific to you comes from your clinician after an assessment.
Questions we have not answered here.
The FAQ covers the rest, including the ones people find awkward to ask.