Wegovy Can Slow Digestion. Here’s What It Means for Your Gut

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

But Wegovy can cause side effects, like nausea or vomiting because of how it affects the gut. 

Does Wegovy slow digestion?

Yes, Wegovy slows digestion. 

Wegovy slows down how quickly your stomach empties. This allows food to stay in your stomach longer and lowers your appetite. Over time, people taking Wegovy eat less, and they lose weight. 

Wegovy also slows down how quickly the rest of your gut moves too. This can lead to other side effects like heartburn and constipation. 

Are digestive changes normal with Wegovy?

It’s normal to experience changes in digestion if you’re taking Wegovy. In clinical studies, about 1 in 5 people experienced at least one digestion-related side effect. 

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But only about 1% of people in clinical trials stopped taking Wegovy because of gut-related side effects. This suggests that the benefits of Wegovy outweighed the discomfort of these side effects.

There’s some evidence that Wegovy’s effects on digestion tend to get better over time as your body adjusts to the medication.

What are the most common digestion side effects from Wegovy?

People taking Wegovy can experience many digestion-related side effects. The most common symptoms people experience include:

• Nausea or upset stomach

• Vomiting

• Heartburn

• Bloating and gas

• Stomach pain and cramps

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

Most people experience mild side effects. But some people have experienced more serious problems such as gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) and intestinal obstruction (bowel blockage). These are serious medical conditions that need urgent medical care.

How can you improve digestion while taking Wegovy?

There are steps you can take to improve your digestion while taking Wegovy. This may help ease side effects and keep you comfortable. Here are some things you can try.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals

Large meals will sit in your stomach for long periods of time if you’re taking Wegovy. This can trigger heartburn, bloating, and stomach discomfort. 

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Instead, try eating smaller portions more often. Smaller meals won’t enlarge your stomach like big meals can. And they’re less likely to trigger these symptoms. 

Drink more water

Drink enough water each day to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated helps lubricate your gut so that food can move through it more easily. This can help ease bloating and constipation. 

Drinking water also keeps your stool from drying out. Dried-out stool is more difficult to pass. So staying hydrated will help you avoid straining and constipation. 

Avoid foods that worsen side effects

Some foods are more likely to trigger gut side effects like nausea, vomiting, and bloating. Avoiding these foods can help ease your symptoms. You should limit or avoid these foods while taking Wegovy:

• Fatty and fried foods

• Sugary foods and drinks

• Ultra-processed carbohydrates like white bread, rice, and pasta

• Alcohol

Eat more fiber

Fiber is a prebiotic. It feeds the good bacteria in your gut. A strong gut microbiome keeps your digestion healthy and regular. 

Fiber also helps bulk up your stools, which lowers the risk of constipation. Try adding high-fiber foods to your diet, like:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Beans and legumes

• Whole grains

• Nuts and seeds

You may want to add these foods slowly to give your body time to adjust. Eating a lot of fiber all at once may worsen bloating and gas. But these symptoms go away as your body adjusts to the fiber.

When should you seek care for digestive issues while taking Wegovy?

Most people only experience mild side effects while taking Wegovy. These side effects tend to get better and even go away over time. So most people never need to seek care for digestive issues.

But some people experience more serious side effects. People taking Wegovy have developed serious complications like:

• Pancreatitis 

• Gallstones

• Gastroparesis (stomach paralysis)

• Bowel obstruction

It’s not clear if Wegovy directly causes these complications. Researchers are trying to understand if taking Wegovy increases the risk of developing these conditions. 

But many people taking Wegovy are often at higher risk for developing these conditions due to other medical conditions. So it’s important to be on alert for signs of these conditions if you’re taking Wegovy. 

When to get care for Wegovy digestive issues

Signs you should seek immediate medical care include:

• Fever 

• Severe stomach pain that doesn’t go away

• Right-sided stomach or right shoulder pain

• Severe back pain

• Inability to eat or drink due to pain or vomiting

• Severe bloating or stomach distention

• Severe vomiting 

• Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)

You should also talk to your healthcare team if your symptoms don’t get better within 4 weeks of starting Wegovy. Side effects should get better over time. It’s important to talk with your team if your symptoms aren’t getting better.

You should also reach out if your symptoms get worse at any point. Your symptoms may get worse if you start taking a higher dose of Wegovy. Your healthcare team may need to adjust your dose more slowly if your symptoms are worse.

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Written by:

Jonathan Santana, DO

Jonathan Santana, DO, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatrician, with board certification in primary-care sports medicine. He has been in academic practice for 8 years as an assistant professor in orthopedics.

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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