GLP-1 Digestive Side Effects Explained: Bloating, Constipation, IBS & What Actually Helps

If you’re in midlife and exploring GLP-1 or dual GLP-1/GIP medications for weight management or metabolic support, you may have noticed that all of a sudden you’re more bloated and heavy than ever before. Not to mention the nausea and constipation!

While these medications can bring powerful benefits, but for many of us they also bring digestive changes that impact daily life.

Let’s talk about why that happens, and more importantly—how thoughtful nutrition and gentle gut-support strategies can ease symptoms and restore a sense of balance.

How GLP-1 & GLP-1/GIP Medications Work (and how they mess with digestion)

GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist drugs—like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro) or tirzepatide—are designed to mimic naturally occurring gut hormones that are part of appetite and glucose regulation. They work by:

• Slowing gastric emptying — meaning food stays in your stomach longer, so you feel full sooner and for longer.

• Signaling fullness to your brain to help reduce appetite.

• Sometimes affecting intestinal motility (movement of food and waste through your gut).

While these actions can support weight loss and stable blood sugar, they also create a digestive workload that feels very different from what many of us are used to—especially if your gut was already sensitive before starting medication.

Common Digestive Symptoms

Many people experience at least one of the following when their body is adjusting:

• Nausea or feeling “full fast”

• Bloating or gas

• Constipation (slowed bowel movements)

• Acid reflux/indigestion

• Occasional diarrhea or irregularity

These symptoms are especially common when starting treatment or after a dose increase, and they tend to improve as your body adjusts. But you shouldn’t just suffer through them—nutrition strategies can make a real difference.

simple nutrition tips to calm the gut

1. Smaller, Frequent, Easy-to-Digest Meals

Because your stomach empties more slowly, large meals can overwhelm your digestive system and worsen nausea, bloating, or reflux.

Eat small amounts every 2–3 hours, and stop when you feel comfortably satisfied—not stuffed. Chew slowly and mindfully to support digestion from the first bite.

You may want to watch how much high FODMAP foods you consume as these are fermented and produce excess gas which can cause more bloating and discomfort.

Instead of legumes in soups or stews, try potato or other root vegetables.

For protein choices, choose lean meats, eggs or protein powder instead of legumes.

Raw onion and garlic can be poorly tolerated - try cooked, in smaller amounts.

2. Prioritize Lean, Lower-Fat Foods

Fat slows gastric emptying even more—something your medication is already doing. High-fat meals can worsen constipation, nausea, and reflux, and can be especially difficult if you’re also dealing with gallbladder sensitivity or rapid weight changes.

Instead, focus on:

• Lean proteins (chicken, turkey, fish, tofu)

• Cooked vegetables (gentler on the gut than raw)

• Simple carbohydrate sources like rice, potatoes, and squash

But you don’t want to avoid fat either - healthy fat is important for brain health, skin and more.

If any amount of fat makes you feel uncomfortable or gives you heartburn, you can try adding a high quality digestive enzyme with HCl and ox bile, or a digestive bitters before meals.

Tip: If you’ve had gallbladder issues or are prone to gallstones, leaner meals and regular, balanced eating patterns can reduce stress on bile flow and help you feel more comfortable.

HOW TO GET REEGULAR WITHOUT LAXATIVES

Constipation while on GLP-1/GIP therapy is common because the slowed movement of food through your intestines can make stool harder and less frequent. Here’s how to support regularity gently and effectively.

Gentle Probiotic Support

Certain probiotic strains have research showing benefits for bowel regularity, gas, and digestive comfort—especially Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis.

Probiotic food sources:

• Unsweetened yogurt or kefir

• Fermented veggies (sauerkraut, kimchi)
  or targeted supplements with those strains.

Hydration + Movement

Water and daily gentle movement like walking can stimulate the gastro-colic reflex—the body’s natural cue to have a bowel movement. Increasing fluids is one of the simplest ways to ease constipation on these medications.

Natural & Supplement Support

When constipation persists:

Gentle natural options:

• Castor oil packs on the belly can increase circulation and promote movement.

• Gentle laxatives like magnesium (as magnesium citrate or glycinate) or herbal teas like senna occasionally can help—but consult before use if you’re on other medications or have kidney issues.

Fiber Supplements: while fibre is important, and psyllium husk or other fibre blends can be helpful, they aret often too much for people with chronic digestive symptoms.

I typically recommend starting with adding more gentle fibre to your diet such as:

• ground flax to your yogourt, oatmeal or smoothies

• oatmeal

• quinoa: as as pilaf or salad

• swapping white rice for brown rice and high fibre bread for white bread

• aiming for 1/2 your plate veggies

• adding a fruit snack such as apple with peanut butter

• having avocado with your eggs

Play around with your fibre intake and adjust to your tolerance.

Soothing Nausea & Indigestion Support

Nausea and indigestion can be among the most discouraging side effects—but specific nutrition strategies can soften the experience.

Ginger

Ginger is one of the most evidence-supported natural remedies for nausea. It can calm the stomach and support gastric motility.

Try:

• Fresh ginger tea

• Ginger chews

• Cook with fresh ginger in stir fries, curries or other dishes

Digestive Enzymes

Sometimes nausea and fullness come from food lingering too long. Digestive enzyme supplements taken just before meals may help your system break foods down more efficiently—especially fats and proteins.

I typically recommend a high quality broad spectrum digestive enzyme that contains betaine HCl (stomach acid) and/or one with ox bile, especially if you have trouble digesting fats.

Bland, Comfortable Foods

On tougher nausea days, simple options like bananas, rice, applesauce, toast (the BRAT framework) or plain crackers can be protective and easier to tolerate.

THE GUT-WEIGHT CONNECTION

The irony of GLP-1 medications for weight loss is that your gut health plays a huge role in your metabolism. This is why it’s important to manage your digestive symptoms instead of just “dealing with it”.

At first, digestive symptoms may just be uncomfortable, but if they become chronic, they can cause a great deal of inflammation in the gut and throughout the body which dysregulates hormones and your thyroid, and can promote weight gain, especially if the medication is discontinued.

This chronic constipation and gut inflammation can also cause the development of additional food sensitivities, which limits your ability to enjoy food, and enjoy your life.

don’t let GLP-1 symptoms keep you from living your life

While it’s common to exerpeince nausea, gas, bloating or constipation on GLP-1 or GIP medications you don’t have to suffer.

With a few nutrition adjustments and some supplements, you can feel yourself again.

our journey through midlife, medication changes, and digestive adaptation deserves support that’s personalized, compassionate, and rooted in evidence. These strategies are a great start—but every woman’s body responds differently.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by digestive side effects or unsure how to nourish your body in a way that supports both comfort and your wellness goals, I’d love to work with you one-on-one.

You deserve to feel good and enjoy food on your weight loss journey. Let’s do this together.

Book a nutrition consultation with me and let’s create a plan that works for you— no shame, no keto, just simple nutrition swaps.