Why Ozempic Causes Diarrhea and How to Manage Your Symptoms - GoodRx (2024)

Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable medication that’s FDA-approved to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is a powerful tool for diabetes management. Ozempic can help improve your blood sugar levels, and it can also lower your risk of developing heart attacks and stroke.

Ozempic can also lead to side effects, which may deter some people from taking this medication. Diarrhea is a common Ozempic-related side effect. And it can be unpleasant enough to make some people completely stop the medication.

If you’re taking Ozempic and have been experiencing diarrhea, don’t give up. There’s data that shows Ozempic-related diarrhea does go away on its own. And there are ways to treat it, too. Here’s everything to expect if you’re having Ozempic-related diarrhea.

Does Ozempic cause diarrhea?

Yes, Ozempic causes diarrhea.

In clinical trials, diarrhea was the third most commonly reported side effect, just behind nausea and vomiting. About 8% of people experienced diarrhea while taking Ozempic. So most people didn’t experience diarrhea.

Also, one study showed about 4% of people who experience gut-related side effects end up opting to stop taking Ozempic. This study suggests that while symptoms are bothersome, they aren’t debilitating.

At this point, you might be wondering why there’s so much discussion about semaglutide and diarrhea online if the rates are so low. The answer has to do with the form of semaglutide.

Diarrhea is a much more common side effect for people who take Wegovy. Wegovy is another form of semaglutide that’s FDA-approved to treat overweight and obesity. In clinical trials, about 1 in 3 people reported diarrhea while taking Wegovy. This is probably due to the fact that this group was taking higher doses of semaglutide.

So if you’ve been prescribed Ozempic, don’t let the stories you hear scare you off. Diarrhea can happen, but it’s less common than you might think.

How long does Ozempic diarrhea last?

It’s not clear. In one study, diarrhea lasted an average of 3 days. In studies, most Ozempic-related side effects went away within a few weeks. So this suggests that diarrhea may be one of the side effects with the shortest duration.

Keep in mind that diarrhea episodes typically flare when people go up on their dose. Give your body a few days to adjust to your new dose if you experience a new wave of diarrhea with a dose increase.

Why does Ozempic cause diarrhea?

It’s not clear. Research suggests that people develop diarrhea because of how Ozempic works on the gut.

Ozempic changes how the body absorbs some nutrients, which can lead to diarrhea. Ozempic also affects how quickly the gut moves. Ozempic slows down how fast the stomach empties. It can also slow down the rest of the gut. But in some people, this can also trigger the stooling reflex, leading to diarrhea.

Ozempic can also cause constipation. When people get constipated, old, hard stool can sit inside the colon and block the colon from working. As new stool forms, the blocked colon can’t absorb the water out of the new stool.

So the new stool stays liquidy and leaks around the older, harder stool. This is called overflow diarrhea and it’s very common in people who experience chronic constipation. Some experts think overflow diarrhea is the actual reason why so many people experience diarrhea while taking different forms of semaglutide.

How do you treat diarrhea from Ozempic?

If you’re experiencing Ozempic-related diarrhea, there are things you can do to get relief. These things can also help you avoid future episodes of diarrhea when you have dose changes.

Avoid certain foods and drinks

Certain foods and drinks can aggravate diarrhea, no matter what’s causing your loose stools.

Try to cut down or remove these foods from your diet until your diarrhea goes away:

• Caffeinated drinks

• Alcohol

• Sugary beverages

• Milk

High-fat foods can worsen Ozempic-related diarrhea. You should also avoid high-fat foods like full-fat dairy products like:

• Milk

• Cheese

• Yogurt

• Ice cream

Fried or greasy foods can also worsen symptoms. Avoid foods like:

• French fries

  See Also

  Ozempic® Side Effects | Ozempic® (semaglutide) injection

• Pizza

• Hamburgers

• Fried chicken

Instead, try to boil, grill, or bake food whenever possible. You can also swap out full-fat dairy products for nonfat or low-fat options. As your body gets used to Ozempic, you may be able to slowly add some of these foods back into your diet.

Drink more water

When you have diarrhea, you want to increase your fluid intake to replace what you’re losing. Opt for water, clear drinks that contain electrolyte, or broth. Most people need between 91 oz and 125 oz of fluid each day.

Getting enough fluid will also help you avoid Ozempic-related constipation and overflow diarrhea.

Talk with your healthcare provider

It’s also a good idea to talk with your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing diarrhea while taking Ozempic. Your healthcare provider might slow down the rate in which you’re going up on your dose to avoid diarrhea.

It’s also possible that your other medications are also contributing to diarrhea. For example, many people taking Ozempic also take metformin. It’s a first-line medication for diabetes treatment, but metformin can cause diarrhea. Your healthcare provider might adjust your other medications or swap them out for something else. Just make sure you don’t stop taking any of your medications without talking with your healthcare professional.