Wegovy Can Make You Poop – Here’s How It Affects Your Gut

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a medication that’s FDA approved for weight management and for lowering the risk of serious heart problems, like heart attacks and strokes. Injectable Wegovy is also FDA approved to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with liver scarring.

Wegovy increases your body’s levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that affects your appetite and how quickly your stomach empties. GLP-1 also encourages your pancreas to release insulin, which helps lower blood sugar.

These changes lead to surprising side effects. Here’s how Wegovy can affect how often you go to the bathroom. 

Does Wegovy cause diarrhea?

Yes, Wegovy can make you poop more often. In clinical trials for injectable Wegovy, diarrhea was the second most commonly reported side effect by adults, just after nausea. About 3 in 10 adults taking injectable Wegovy experienced diarrhea while taking the medication. Teens were slightly less likely to experience diarrhea when taking injectable Wegovy. About 2 in 10 teens experienced diarrhea, making it the third most common side effect in this group. 

Diarrhea is a commonly reported side effect of the Wegovy pill too. About 3 in 10 adults taking the Wegovy pill also experienced diarrhea. So it’s likely that both forms of Wegovy cause similar rates of diarrhea.

The good news is that Wegovy-related diarrhea doesn’t seem to last very long. In studies, diarrhea lasted between 2 and 4 days.

Is it more common to experience diarrhea or constipation with Wegovy?

You might be surprised to learn that Wegovy can cause constipation in addition to diarrhea. But it’s less common to experience constipation than diarrhea while taking Wegovy.

In clinical trials, about 1 in 4 adults experienced constipation while taking injectable Wegovy, making it the fourth most commonly reported side effect. Rates were similar in adults taking Wegovy pills. Teens were less likely to experience constipation while taking injectable Wegovy. Only about 6% of teens reported constipation. 

The good news is that most people in clinical trials continued taking Wegovy despite these side effects. This suggests the following: 

• Both Wegovy-related diarrhea and constipation are mild. 

• The benefits of Wegovy outweigh the discomfort of these side effects. 

There’s also evidence that these side effects get better over time as your body adjusts to the medication. Diarrhea and constipation may come back if you increase your dose. But these side effects should go away as your body adjusts to the new dose.

Why does Wegovy cause bowel movement changes?

Research suggests that people develop diarrhea and constipation because of how semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy — works on your gut.

How can you treat digestive issues from Wegovy?

Stool changes from Wegovy usually go away on their own as your body adjusts to the medication. But there are steps you can take to ease your symptoms and make your stools more regular. 

You can manage Wegovy-related diarrhea at home by:

• Drinking plenty of water

• Eating hydrating foods

• Drinking electrolyte drinks after exercise

You can manage Wegovy-related constipation by:

• Adding more fiber to your diet

• Drinking plenty of water

• Taking over-the-counter (OTC) constipation-relieving medications, like polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX) or docusate (Colace)

• Moving more throughout the day

When should you seek medical care for stool changes from Wegovy?

Let your healthcare team know if you’re experiencing constipation or diarrhea that doesn’t get better within a few days. 

Your team may want to adjust your Wegovy dose or slow down how quickly you increase your dose. They may also suggest prescription treatments that can help you manage your symptoms.

In rare cases, Wegovy-related diarrhea can lead to serious medical issues, including abnormal electrolyte levels and kidney injury. It’s rare, but Wegovy-related constipation can also be an early sign of intestinal blockage.

Contact your healthcare team right away if you have:

• Bloody stools

• More than 3 episodes of diarrhea per day

• Severe stomach pain

• Severe stomach bloating

• Inability to eat or drink due to vomiting, stomach pain, or nausea

• Fever

• Dark urine or less urine

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Written by:

Tracy Norfleet, MD, FACP

Dr. Tracy Norfleet is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician, health expert, and physician leader with over 20 years of experience practicing adult medicine. Dual-certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Tracy possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both traditional medical practices and innovative lifestyle interventions for chronic disease management and reversal.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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