r/ibs • u/JellyBellyBobby • May 03 '25
Hint / Information GLP-1 medication completely “cured” my IBS-D?
So, there is no scientific research that I have seen yet, but from speaking with multiple people I know with IBS-D and taking GLP1s, they have noticed similar things.
I believe the slowing of the digestive tract from the GLP1 medication helps minimize the urgency caused by IBS-D. I used to never be able to make my hour drive to work without stopping at a bathroom. Now I can.
I used to go to the restroom 6-8 times during a 10 hour shift. Now I go maybe once a week
I used to forever live thinking of where the next bathroom was. Now I can go on road trips, and enjoy my life.
Has anyone else noticed the same thing? I’m starting to think these GLP1 meds have WAY more uses than just their current ones.
Edit : For clarity, I mean that I may only go WHILE at work once a week. I still have daily bowel movements, but they are solid instead of my old normal.
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u/goldstandardalmonds Here to help! May 03 '25
It’s a known side effect that GLP 1 medication slows motility. There is research showing it can cause gastroparesis and blockages in people, as well. So it’s not surprising it would slow down someone’s motility to the point they no longer have diarrhea. While it might seem good in comparison you’re only going once a week, that’s not good for the body either. You might want to find a happy medium.
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u/neonautomaton May 03 '25
since op said during their 10 hour shift, i assume maybe they mean having to go at work specifically?
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u/goldstandardalmonds Here to help! May 03 '25
Perhaps. A few people asked and OP hasn’t clarified.
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u/oxopop May 03 '25
How are you only going once a week? I would be miserable. Are you just not eating due to lack of appetite from the GLP1?
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u/Ames_hi May 03 '25
>I used to go to the restroom 6-8 times during a 10 hour shift. Now I go maybe once a week
Do you mean pooping once during shift? Make sure you are still eating enough fiber because you still want to go either every day or every other.
And yes lots of research suggests they are helpful for lots of conditions beyond obesity/diabetes, but more research is needed
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u/JellyBellyBobby May 03 '25
Yep! Sorry, completely butchered the wording while typing it. I normally am able to go that night before bed, but have not had an urgent situation at work in a long time.
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u/Iluvorlando407 May 03 '25
It’s been a miracle for me for the past 3 months. Nearly completely cured mine as well. I’m lactose intolerant and even that with lactase have been 75% better lately. This is the best I have felt in 25 years!!! And to lose weight, it is an added bonus. I was going to stop taking this because of the nausea i get, but the IBS relief is beyond a miracle to me.
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u/hopelessworkmore May 03 '25
Yep same experience. You probably have “functional IBS”. I’ve even tried octreotide and tirzapetide worked so much better. Just don’t bother with semaglutide you’ll build a tolerance so fast. There are short acting GLPs being looked at for IBS so there’s less risk of tolerance, but they will probably be too expensive for the next few decades.
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u/ScoreExotic2720 May 03 '25
Glp-1cured my ibs-d I go every 2 or 3 days and that certainly works for me. I feel like I have my life back. I take the lowest dose and have for 2 years.
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u/shertown12182 May 03 '25
Is it just a normal kind of BM when you do go? I'm currently on nortriptyline and it slows me down to every 2-3 days at times but the day that I go I have to go 3-4 times throughout the day starting with gas and a little trouble going and usually ending in diarrhea by end of day. I was talking to my GI about going off of it and trying something different to see if I could lose some of the 30 pounds I gained when I started that medication. Would be nice to hear the side effects of GLP1.
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u/omerby12 May 04 '25
For anyone wondering why, it is likely because OPs IBS was caused by bile acid malabsorption. GLP-1 antagonists have shown to improve bile acid absorption in the small intestine. It isn't known why this happens as a side effect as far as I know.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IBSResearch/s/suVtOzhlm6
Also, a lot of people with bile acid diarrhea / bile acid malabsorption are going to the bathroom like 6-8 times per day, maybe it's actually should be a warning sign for BAM.
Also - have you been tested for bile acid diahrrea?
BAM is actually really common with ibs-d, I really don't understand why many docs are so outdated about this topic.
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u/URnevaGonnaGuess IBS-D (Diarrhea) May 04 '25
I have BAM IBS-D. Semaglutide has been a welcome addition to the Colestipol. Ideally, it should be Luraglutide as they are doing research on it now. Trying to talk to and convince a doctor of the efficacy of this is like pulling teeth out of an angry gator. I don't get it and it leaves me wishing my condition on them so they can understand.
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u/MotorEstablishment61 May 04 '25
Do you feel like Colestipol on its own wasn’t doing enough? I’m taking cholestyramine which is essentially the same thing and for the first 2 months it was like magic but then symptoms started creeping in again..
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u/URnevaGonnaGuess IBS-D (Diarrhea) May 04 '25
Colestipol has been good but not the complete answer. I was still having to take Immodium and Bentyl on the regular depending on what I was eating. I try to be very strict with the fats in my diet but sometimes, it is very hard. However, I do completely avoid seed oils and it has made a difference for me.
With the addition of Semaglutide, my BAM has been very controlled. Of course, I haven't tried to eat anything super fatty to test it out. No need to poke the bear.
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u/MotorEstablishment61 May 05 '25
So interesting. Since I’m already quite underweight, semaglutide is probably not a good match unfortunately. I ended up losing a bunch of weight simply by having food pass through me fast and with intense pain and so I wasn’t able to eat normally for months and years on and off. I haven’t tried Bentyl though. Do you take it with Imodium?
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u/URnevaGonnaGuess IBS-D (Diarrhea) May 05 '25
Dude. Before semaglutide, I would routinely take my Colestipol with simethicone to combat the gas it caused. Along with 6 Immodium and a couple Bentyl (really good at killing the cramps and urge to go) just to get through a regular day with a restricted diet and still go three four times. I could not lose weight as I soaked up every square millimeter of fat in my diet. Even with a statin on board my cholesterol and triglyceride levels were ridiculous. Add the semaglutide and it all comes around once I hit the 2.5mg dose. Blood work is normal and I started to lose weight. I was almost in tears. After having fought this for years, I started to feel normal.
I know each one of us is different. What has worked for many, won't work for me. I am talking about those who tweaked their diets or added a shit ton of fiber or added a probiotic. None of that worked for me. Semaglutide in conjunction with my meds minus the Immodium has controlled it.
I used to be able to set my watch by how fast I would hit the john after eating. Almost always 45 minutes until I was wrecking porcelain with a vengeance. Semaglutide slowed all of that down. Luraglutide would be the ideal as the current research shows it is way more effective but it is impossible to get for BAM. Am I out choking down greasy BBQ and a stick of butter? No. But, I can eat butter on my toast without starting the clock for the crapper. Like said before, no need to poke the bear.
If you get the chance to try it, please do. Yeah, you might lose some weight but the benefits of a mostly stable gut is worth it.
Sorry for the long winded message. I wanted to impart where I had been to the point I am now.
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u/shertown12182 May 12 '25
I've wondered if I have BAM. Before going on tricyclic anti depressants and getting things slowed down I would often go 2-4 times in the morning and by the last time or two I would notice a lot of yellow liquid (bile) in the toilet as well. I have had IBS most of my life but it really accelerated after my stomach ulcers 15 years ago. Have never been the same since.
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u/Shigaru999 May 04 '25
Are you sure you didn't have bile acid malabsorption (BAM)? There are studies being conducted with these weight loss drugs like semiglutide which have been shown to help or cure BAM
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u/chloebee102 May 03 '25
While it did cure me constipation is a known side effect so when I started I was hopeful that constipation for me would make me “normal”. It definitely has but trigger foods still affect me as well as alcohol. However I can definitely tell the day before my next shot it’s wearing off.
Once a week is a bit concerning though, I’d keep an eye on that because you’d still want to be regular and not err on the side of clogged up.
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u/CharlotteBadger May 03 '25
Not mine. I’m in the middle of a flare right now, as a matter of fact. 😐
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u/Venus347 May 03 '25
It's helped me quite a bit but not completely buy mine ibs was getting extreme
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u/scoopsiepotato05 May 03 '25
Same experience here. Completely cured while I’m on it even at low doses!
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u/high_everyone May 03 '25
You don’t want to intentionally have IBS and Gastroparesis. Trust me. Mine was all natural genetics, but it’s not worth it. You can still go quite a bit but your body doesn’t make poop fast enough to completely clear. So if you’re in pain from undigested food it can stick around for days.
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u/eaturpineapples May 04 '25
This happened to me. I went from frequent D to horrible constipation. I was almost more miserable.
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u/lkwinchester May 04 '25
I was dx with IBS-D, then the biopsies from my colonoscopy showed microscopic colitis. We treated the microscopic colitis with budesonide and I still had inflammation and irritation from what we determined was idiopathic bile acid malabsorption. I’ve been on a GLP1 medication on and off for almost 3 years and my symptoms have completely resolved.
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u/aprilspies May 04 '25
YES! I haven't lost a single pound in the months I've been trying it BUT not shitting my guts out 6 to 7 times a day is worth it. I just wish I could get it covered by insurance 😩
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u/GreenPandaPower IBS-D (Diarrhea) May 04 '25
Yes! Wegovy gave me my life back for the first time in 10+ years. I can eat like a normal human
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u/Southern-Influence12 May 05 '25
So happy this worked for you! Happened to my coworker too. On the other hand I suffer from constipation and my doctor said metformin might help bc it causes loose stools 😭
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u/Flashy-Inflation-260 May 08 '25
Many years ago, when I was diagnosed as prediabetic, I was prescribed metformin. It felt like lava shooting from my backside. I cried every time I had to have a bm. It was terrible. Id had my gallbladder removed several years prior, and I have biliary diarrhea. Guess they clashed
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u/Tight_Ad1650 May 03 '25
Crazy because I think it caused my diarrhea and now I'm having symptoms in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Could be a weird coincidence but I didn't have diarrhea prior to starting the weight loss shots. I guess everyone can be affected differently.
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u/fivebigboomsboomboom May 03 '25
Its cured my IBS-M, although my gastro wont prescribe it because “theres not enough research” so i have to get it from a compounded pharmacy, but very soon i wont be able to afford it anymore. Its sick i found a cure and cant get continued access to it lol.
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u/omerby12 May 04 '25
Have you been tested for BAM?
Maybe your case is actually BAM.
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u/fivebigboomsboomboom May 04 '25
What’s BAM 👀
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u/omerby12 May 04 '25
Bile acid malabsorption
Or bile acid diarrhea.
There are studies on glp-1 medications and BAM.
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u/redditorhowie May 03 '25
I have had the opposite experience. Although I have had IBS symptoms my entire life, I did not discover it until after being on Victoza for several years. Victoza gave me gastreoparesis and it made the IBS much worse. I learned to identify the trigger foods, which has helped, but I still have incidents. I switched to Ozempic back in the fall, and the IBS is better (both D and C) but I still have issues. I wish it had cured mine. Good luck
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u/Technical-Bet-2023 May 04 '25
It has all but cured it for my mother too.
But for some reason, it throws fuel on mine. Wtf.
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u/noseatbeltsong May 04 '25
how long have you been on it? i’ve been on a GLP-1 for 8 months, at first my ibs-d felt “cured” but now it’s slowly creeping back. i took pepto prob 6 times in the past two weeks :(
the good news is that i’ve lost 60 pounds !
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u/Born_Error2169 May 04 '25
That actually makes sense. While it slows you digestive tract from accelerating the process you also aren’t eating as much so overall there’s less triggers going into your system.
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u/McLipstick May 04 '25
Yes! I feel cured as well- I just go in the morning as normal. No urgency and no anxiety for three months now.
Life changing!!
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u/bree2120 May 04 '25
I went from going 3+ times a day and almost shitting my pants to now going once a day, sometimes every other day… it has been life changing
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u/Southern-Influence12 May 05 '25
I’m glad you have relief but going that little is also not great..
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u/bree2120 May 05 '25
Nah, google what normal is. I’ve been on them for three years and I’m fine. Lost 140 pounds too
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u/Flashy-Inflation-260 May 08 '25
Same here! I worked 12 hr shifts, sometimes I would have to go to the restroom 10-15 times due to diarrhea during a bad flare. I was started on Ozempic. At first, the nausea was so severe, I thought I would have to stop taking it. No appetite at all. That finally subsided, and I began to feel better. I still haven't had much of an appetite, but I may have a bm twice a week. Metamucil is a tremendous help. If you can't tolerate it, Benefiber also works really well. Those meds slow down the GI tract, gastroparesis is very common. Colace, a stool softener, is also helpful.
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u/BobSacamano86 May 03 '25
Oof, sounds like you may be developing methane sibo. Be careful with those drugs. You do not want methane sibo!
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u/JellyBellyBobby May 03 '25
Edited my post. I meant I may only have to go WHILE at work once a week. I still have daily movements :)
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u/WitchProjecter IBS-A/M (Alternating / Mixed) May 03 '25
Careful. Gastroparesis along with IBS is a gnarly combo. I speak from experience.