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Symptom question · incretin class

Does tirzepatide cause constipation?

Yes. 6 of the 36 compounds here list constipation as a reported side effect. The rate differs by drug and study. The table below gives each source’s figure.

Source: checked against 36 compound guides; rates are shown exactly as reportedFDA label

No label or trial reports how long constipation lasts. They also cannot predict whether it will happen to you. A frequency range describes a study group, not one person’s odds.

Tirzepatide is the molecule sold as Zepbound and as Mounjaro. One active drug means one reaction profile. So searches for either brand and searches for the drug itself are asking about the same record, the one cited in the table below.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Montecillo, MD · non-practicing medical reviewer

Information checked 2026-08-20

At a glance

Compounds that list it

8 of 36

Only in a combined category

2

No published human safety data

11

Best available source

FDA label

Which compounds list constipation

Compare constipation across every covered compound. Each row keeps the wording and frequency from its own label or trial, and unlike measurements are not averaged together.

◆ Constipation across 36 compoundssource shown for every row
Every compound covered on this site, showing whether it lists constipation and at what frequency its own cited source states.
CompoundHow it appearsFrequency reportedSource type
TirzepatideZepbound, MounjaroConstipationVery common (≥10%)FDA label
SemaglutideWegovy, Ozempic, RybelsusConstipationVery common (≥10%)FDA label
LiraglutideVictoza, SaxendaConstipationReported in Saxenda trials (≥5%)FDA label
RetatrutideConstipationReported in trialsHuman trial
CagrilintideStomach and gut events overall (nausea, constipation, diarrhea)counted inside a grouped figure, not on its ownReported in 41–63% across trial doses (vs 32% placebo)Human trial
SurvodutideStomach and gut events overall (nausea, vomiting, constipation)counted inside a grouped figure, not on its ownReported in 75% of survodutide recipients (vs 42% placebo)Human trial
BPC-157No published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
TesamorelinEgrifta SV, Egrifta WRNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—FDA label
PT-141VyleesiNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—FDA label
CJC-1295Not listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
IpamorelinNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—Human trial
TB-500No published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
GHK-CuNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
SermorelinNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
MOTS-cNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
AOD-9604Not listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
NAD+Not listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
EpitalonNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
Kisspeptin-10No published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
DSIPNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
HexarelinNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
IGF-1 LR3No published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
PEG-MGFNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
LL-37Not listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
KPVNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
Thymosin alpha-1Not listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
SS-31ForzinityNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—FDA label
SemaxNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
SelankNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
Melanotan IINot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
MazdutideNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—Human trial
PinealonNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—limited human data
AHK-CuNo published human safety dataNo human trial has published enough safety data to list reactions for this compound.—no human dose shown to work
VK2735ConstipationTreatment-related event in 37 of 175 participants in the phase 2 safety populationHuman trial
ZenagamtideNot listed in the source checkedThe label or study checked for this compound does not list this reaction.—Human trial
PemvidutideConstipationIn RECLAIM, the sponsor reported 26% with pemvidutide versus 6% with placeboHuman trial

A blank result means the label or study checked here does not list the reaction. It does not prove the reaction cannot happen, and it does not replace the full prescribing information. A pharmacist or clinician can review the complete label alongside the rest of a person’s medicines.

What people reported to the FDA

The first table summarizes labels and published trials. This table shows reports filed with the FDA after the medicines went on sale. Each percentage is the share of reports for that product that mention this symptom—not the share of patients who experienced it.

Each GLP-1 brand in the FDA snapshot, and what share of its reports names this symptom.
ProductShare of its own reportsAll reports
Ozempicsemaglutide6.7% of Ozempic reports66,161 reports
Rybelsussemaglutide5.7% of Rybelsus reports7,379 reports
Wegovysemaglutide4.8% of Wegovy reports21,044 reports
Zepboundtirzepatide4.3% of Zepbound reports70,141 reports
Saxendaliraglutide3.9% of Saxenda reports10,040 reports
Mounjarotirzepatide3.9% of Mounjaro reports93,975 reports
Victozaliraglutide3.0% of Victoza reports44,086 reports
Trulicitydulaglutide2.7% of Trulicity reports88,332 reports

A row reading “below” is not a zero. The snapshot keeps each product’s 25 most-reported terms, so a term missing from that list was either never reported or reported and ranked 26th. All that can be proved is that it sits under the 25th. Read from FDA on 2026-08-17.

Reports are not rates and a report is not proof the drug did it. How to read this data, and the questions it answers on its own.

3Read deeperWhy it happens, when it appears, and what the page proves

Why constipation is an expected question for this class

Slowed gastric emptying is not an accident of these compounds so much as part of how they work. Acting on the GLP-1 receptor slows how fast the stomach empties, and slows the gut generally. The fullness that makes the class work and the transit changes that make it uncomfortable both come from that same signal. Every compound in the table above acts at that receptor, alone or alongside the GIP, glucagon or amylin receptors.

This explains why constipation is possible, but it cannot explain one person’s symptoms. The studies and labels tell us that constipation was reported. They do not tell us why it happened to a particular person.

The adjacent reaction that sits on the same records

Decreased appetite is also listed for Tirzepatide (common (1–10%)), Liraglutide (reported in Victoza trials (≥5%)), Retatrutide (reported in trials) and Cagrilintide (reported in trials). Each result links to its original source.

Eating less also means less food, fiber and fluid moving through the gut. That could add to constipation, but no study separates this effect from slower gut movement.

Where in a course of treatment it tends to be reported

The documents behind these sources put stomach and gut side effects at two points rather than spread evenly. Those points are the start of treatment and each increase in dose. Someone steady for months at one dose who then steps up is, in the language these sources use, at a beginning again. They are not in the middle of something.

The approved schedules are built around that. Tirzepatide and semaglutide both open at a dose their labels call a starting dose rather than a treatment dose. Both hold each step for a stated minimum before the next one is considered. That structure exists partly to keep side effects bearable. It is why the step-up schedule and the reaction profile are best read side by side rather than separately.

None of these sources commits to a duration, and neither does this page. A reaction that is getting worse, or that has not settled after a full interval on a held dose, is information for the prescribing clinician. It is not something to wait out on the strength of a general pattern.

What the evidence shows—and what remains unknown

The distinction below is the whole reason this page exists. Almost every claim circulating about constipation on these compounds sits in the right-hand column.

The claimWhat the evidence shows
Constipation is a recognized reaction to these compounds.Supported. It is listed by name on both FDA-labeled records here and on one investigational record, and appears inside the combined stomach-and-gut figures of two more.
It affects a specific share of people who take it.Not supported as a personal figure. The bands and percentages in the table are population figures measured under one trial’s conditions, in populations selected by that trial’s criteria. They do not transfer to an individual.
It lasts a set number of days or weeks.Not supported. No label or trial reports a set duration.
It is worse on higher doses.Partially supported, and only where a source says so. Two investigational records describe their stomach and gut side effects as bigger at bigger doses, in the trial that measured them. The labeled records give a band without splitting it by dose. The table reports each as written.
It means the compound is working.Not supported. Nothing in these sources ties a side effect to the size of a result in the same person. The studies measure and report those two things separately.

When abdominal symptoms need medical attention

Constipation itself is not listed as a serious side effect in these sources. Lasting belly pain or vomiting that will not stop can point to a more serious problem. Those symptoms need medical attention.

Acute pancreatitis

Urgent

Signs: Severe pain high in the abdomen that will not let up and may bore through to the back, often with nausea or vomiting that does not settle. People describe it as different from ordinary post-dose nausea, in that it does not come and go with meals.

The prescribing information lists this as a reaction that needs medical assessment. Call a clinician without waiting for the next appointment, or emergency services if the pain is severe.

Gallbladder disease

Prompt

Signs: Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, sometimes after eating, with fever, yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, unusually pale stools, or dark urine.

These are signs to get seen promptly rather than wait and watch.

Recognition is the only job of this section. Assessment belongs to a clinician, who can weigh a symptom against the rest of the picture in a way no page can.

EmergencySome symptoms should not wait for an appointment. Call emergency services (911 in the US) if they are severe, getting worse fast, or involve trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting or confusion.

Common questions

Is constipation listed on the tirzepatide label?

Yes. The cited label lists constipation among the very common reactions, and the table keeps that frequency band unchanged.

Semaglutide’s record carries the same band from its own label. The two are separate documents about separate molecules that happen to agree, not one figure copied across.

Is Mounjaro constipation different from Zepbound constipation?

No. Mounjaro and Zepbound are brand names for one active molecule, tirzepatide, and its side-effect profile belongs to the molecule rather than to the carton.

The two products are approved for different uses and come in different forms. The reaction and its frequency band come from the tirzepatide label cited on this page.

How long does constipation on tirzepatide last?

No label or trial reports a set duration.

What the sources describe is a shape, not a schedule. Reactions bunch up after starting and after each dose increase, then ease while a dose is held steady. That is a pattern across trial populations. It is not a prediction, and some number of days presented as a fact is a fabricated number wherever it appears.

Does constipation get worse at higher tirzepatide doses?

The labeled records here band the reaction without splitting it by dose, so they do not answer the question directly.

Two investigational records do describe their stomach and gut side effects as bigger at bigger doses, in the trials that measured them. Those trials reached their higher arms by stepping up gradually rather than starting there. A dose reached gradually and the same dose started outright are different exposures, and only the staged version was studied.

Do other GLP-1 compounds cause constipation too?

Yes. Every compound in this comparison with published human safety data reports constipation.

Two studies include constipation within a combined stomach-and-gut figure instead of counting it alone. Those combined totals stay combined so they are not made to look more precise than the study was.

What helps with constipation on these compounds?

The labels and trials in this comparison do not test constipation remedies, so no treatment is recommended.

There is a specific reason to ask a clinician or pharmacist rather than a search engine. Anything you reach for over the counter interacts with the rest of your medicine list. The person holding that list is the one who can weigh it. Constipation is also usually discussed separately from nausea, because the levers are different.

When does constipation stop being routine?

Severe or lasting belly pain. Vomiting that will not settle. A big change that does not clear up. At any of those, the question stops being about putting up with it.

The serious reactions listed on these sources include conditions that present as abdominal pain, which is why the section above describes what they look like. Recognition is what a reader can do; the assessment is a clinician’s.

Does the frequency band mean my chance of getting it?

No. A band such as very common means the reaction was recorded in at least that share of a studied population under that trial’s conditions.

Individual risk depends on dose, other medicines, existing conditions and factors no published table holds. A population figure and a personal probability are different objects, and treating one as the other is the most common misreading of a label.

Want the full picture for one compound? Open its guide for uses, dosage information, side effects and serious warnings.

The full tirzepatide profile behind its constipation entry

Frequencies as the tirzepatide source states them, read directly rather than via constipation.

Every semaglutide reaction, not only constipation

9 common and 6 serious semaglutide reactions, in full past constipation.

Fatigue read the same way as constipation

5 of 36 pages carry fatigue, counted class-wide rather than within constipation.

Nausea read the same way as constipation

12 of 36 pages carry nausea, counted class-wide rather than within constipation.

Every compound guide, beyond the constipation list

Class, approval status and strongest available source for every compound, with constipation as one example

What else VK2735 lists besides constipation

No boxed warning applies to VK2735, on the VK2735 page rather than on constipation.

Every liraglutide reaction, not only constipation

6 common and 4 serious liraglutide reactions, in full past constipation.

Every pemvidutide reaction, not only constipation

5 common and 0 serious pemvidutide reactions, in full past constipation.

The constipation question, asked about duration

A frequency band counts people rather than days, which is why it cannot answer this, with constipation as context

Every symptom in this section is listed on the symptom questions index.

Questions readers ask

How to stop constipation on tirzepatide?

No cited study tests a constipation remedy. The label shows that constipation is very common and that side effects often cluster near the start and after dose increases.

The step-up schedule exists partly for that, and each step is held for a stated minimum before the next. What to try is a question for a prescriber or pharmacist, because anything over the counter meets the rest of your medicine list.

Can tirzepatide cause fecal impaction?

The cited labels and trials do not report a rate for fecal impaction. They do list constipation, but not as a serious side effect.

The serious reactions these sources do list show up as lasting belly pain, or as vomiting that will not settle. Those are the point where the question stops being about putting up with it. Telling them apart is a clinician’s job rather than a page’s.

How do you get rid of constipation on GLP-1?

The cited studies do not test constipation remedies, so none is recommended. Every compound with published human safety data reports constipation; two studies include it within a broader stomach-and-gut total.

Two routes to the same symptom sit on the pages and no source separates them. The gut moves more slowly, and eating less means less food, fiber and fluid moving through it.

Can I take MiraLAX while on tirzepatide?

No cited source reports an interaction between tirzepatide and MiraLAX. That is neither a green light nor a warning; a pharmacist or prescriber can check the full medicine list.

The reason the question belongs to a prescriber is specific. These compounds slow how fast the stomach empties, which changes the conditions anything else you swallow meets. The prescriber holds the rest of the list; a general page cannot see it.

40primary sources, each with the day we read it — open the documents used on this page