All the GLPs can cause gastrointestinal side effects, from tummy upset, constipation, nausea to diarrhea. Diarrhea is one of the most common side effects.
WHAT IS DIARRHEA?
The medical definition of diarrhea is
- Loose or watery stools
- More than 3 bowel movements within 24 hours
- Urgency or inability to hold the stool in.
WHEN DO YOU SEE DIARRHEA?
The most common time to see side effects like these are when you initially start the medication or when you are increasing the dose. This is why we recommend starting at a lower dose and increasing slowly- it truly helps let your body adjust to limit side effects.
The reason you see GI side effect is that GLPs slow gastric emptying and change gut motility. In some people this manifests as diarrhea, in others constipation. In our clinic we see constipation more commonly. The symptoms may take a week or two to show up.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP IF YOU HAVE DIARRHEA ON A GLP
- Analyze when this happened. Did you just start the medication? or did a dose increase? Then know this may be temporary as your body adjusts.
- What is your GLP source? We know our quality at Biohackr Health. But from other sources? There was a study published in JAMA that showed wild variation in dosage, strength, and purity when GLPs were sourced from “the internet.” JAMA STUDY
- Adjust how you eat. Frequent small meals, not large ones. Avoid high fat, greasy or spicy food.
- Hydrate, particularly with liquids with electrolytes.
- BRAT foods tend to be easier. B= banana, R = rice, A = applesauce, T = toast
WHEN SHOULD YOU WORRY IF YOU HAVE DIARRHEA?
Do not let the fact you are on a GLP keep you from getting medical help if you need it. You can still get food poisoning, gastroenteritis, stress induced diarrhea, and appendicitis while on these medications.
- Severe abdominal pain. There have been rare associations with pancreatitis.
- Blood in stool
- Fever
- Dehydration causing dizziness, dark urine, or dry mouth
- Diarrhea lasting more than 2 days without improvement.
HOW CAN BIOHACKR HEALTH HELP?
If you are in our Medial Weight Loss program, tell us about your symptoms and our medical care team will review with you. As we discussed above we are careful in our progression to try to minimize side effects. We carry a probiotic that helps with GI symptoms on the medications.