Reta and Bowel Movements

On Reta, my gastrointestinal issues are pretty much a non-issue. After dealing with severe GI problems while on a high dose of Tirz, this feels like a huge weight off my shoulders.
 
RoadRash said:

BNLFL said:

Is anyone else struggling to go for #2? Personally I'm okay, but the volume has dropped a lot, while my wife is dealing with some trouble going. She's always been a bit irregular with that bodily function, though normally she goes in the morning. According to her, it's been about 2 days now. We've pretty much eliminated carbs almost entirely, apart from a few drinks each day. We're also eating less than we used to, but that's the appetite effect of the Reta, and it's certainly real. Just injected the second 4mg last Friday, following 4 doses of 2mg. Strange topic, but this seems like the right place to ask.

TL;DR My wife's poop schedule is off.
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Nope, not in my case. When I compare it with semaglutide and tirzepitide, Reta comes out far ahead as far as my GI tract goes. Burping and a bit of indigestion did show up, and that's to be expected, but my routine has stayed consistent and nothing has gone wrong.

MFGamesta said:

While taking tirzapatide, I picked up the habit of incorporating fiber. Kashi Crunch (also known as colon blow) is my usual choice. Caution: for experts only.

On reta, things are far more regular.
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After long stretches using semaglutide and tirzepitide, I can say Reta keeps me more regular than either of them.
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Honestly, this was aimed at my wife rather than myself. Still, it's nice that it's done some good for a handful of other people as well. Heartburn is something I deal with, though it was already a thing before I ever touched Reta. My 7th injection overall — the 3rd one at 4mg — went in just 15 minutes ago.
 
I put Miralax into my morning protein shakes.

Since I'm already adding creatine, it's a simple thing to include.

Also, increase your fluid intake by a lot. With GLP's, staying hydrated turns into a bigger concern.
 
lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
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Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
 
Winnifer said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
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Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
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Since beginning treatment months back, this has been my situation, and by now I simply tolerate it. Plenty of water goes down my throat daily, so being hydrated isn't the problem. My guess is that my digestive tract is just not fond of me. Someone I know brought up Gruns gummies. If anyone has managed to get good results from them, I'd like to know.
 
lovemycats2025 said:

Winnifer said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
Click to expand...
Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
Click to expand...
Since beginning treatment months back, this has been my situation, and by now I simply tolerate it. Plenty of water goes down my throat daily, so being hydrated isn't the problem. My guess is that my digestive tract is just not fond of me. Someone I know brought up Gruns gummies. If anyone has managed to get good results from them, I'd like to know.
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That's really unfortunate! I hope you're able to figure out a solution that helps.
 
lovemycats2025 said:

Winnifer said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
Click to expand...
Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
Click to expand...
Since beginning treatment months back, this has been my situation, and by now I simply tolerate it. Plenty of water goes down my throat daily, so being hydrated isn't the problem. My guess is that my digestive tract is just not fond of me. Someone I know brought up Gruns gummies. If anyone has managed to get good results from them, I'd like to know.
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Black Cumin — has that been on your radar? Someone from my group is a big believer in it. Completely natural.
 
My solution of choice: 'carb control' wraps. Load whatever you're eating into one, and you've got yourself a portable meal cylinder that typically contributes 12g of fiber per piece. Have a pair of them? Get ready to spend some quality time on the toilet.
 
Nothing gets going for me before I've had my first mug of coffee and taken care of my morning bathroom routine.

So of course, when I first began reta, there were a handful of rough days. 😆

To say it again, based on the helpful suggestions I picked up from folks in this community:

A magnesium citrate gummie, 1 psyllium husk cap in the morning plus 2 at night, chia seeds sprinkled on my cereal, and fluids with electrolytes. Everything is moving just fine now!
 
At this point, my wife has essentially returned to her usual state—or as usual as she can get. As noted earlier, she only brings it up less often.
 
Constipation is a known side effect of Reta. You brought up low-carb eating too. Carbs are typically where fiber comes from, so when carbs are removed, fiber intake drops as well. The fiber supplements people mentioned earlier are one option to make up for that.

Another thing to keep in mind: Reta may reduce your thirst drive. Constipation can also result from dehydration.

Once doses get higher, Reta leaves you in a glycogen-depleted state. That makes tough lifting sessions or long cardio sessions difficult - you'll suddenly stall out and be confused about the cause (this happened to me). Fasting and low-carb eating are older strategies that don't work well alongside Reta. I wouldn't claim low carb is outright contraindicated with Reta, but combining low-carb eating with glycogen depletion is likely not optimal.
 
I picked up the store-brand orange fiber powder at Walmart. Taking 1tbsp daily stirred into water has made a big difference for me.
 
Chili777 said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Winnifer said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
Click to expand...
Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
Click to expand...
Since beginning treatment months back, this has been my situation, and by now I simply tolerate it. Plenty of water goes down my throat daily, so being hydrated isn't the problem. My guess is that my digestive tract is just not fond of me. Someone I know brought up Gruns gummies. If anyone has managed to get good results from them, I'd like to know.
Click to expand...
Black Cumin — has that been on your radar? Someone from my group is a big believer in it. Completely natural.
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Nope, so I appreciate you mentioning that—I'll check it out!
 
Occindemure said:

I put Miralax into my morning protein shakes.

Since I'm already adding creatine, it's a simple thing to include.

Also, increase your fluid intake by a lot. With GLP's, staying hydrated turns into a bigger concern.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I'm wary of the psyllium husk suggestions. Without enough liquid intake, it can cause constipation, and on glp-1s that risk shows up really fast.

MiraLAX does its job only in the "assist" direction, and it does so gently. After someone has settled into their glp-1 dose, they could switch to natural options if they prefer.

Stool softeners are another route. They draw more water into the digestive tract. Since they aren't laxatives, there's no stimulation and no cramping.

And sure, "happy poo" cereals are a simple choice.

Back when I was pregnant, prunes were a big thing. I never joined in on that 🤷‍♀️ but there were individually wrapped ones that seemed to be a favorite.

One more thing: cheap iron in a daily vitamin can also back a person up.
 
Chili777 said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Winnifer said:

lovemycats2025 said:

Good thing somebody had the guts to start this thread. For me, getting to the bathroom daily isn't the problem. What happens is a gradual, crampy pressure that kicks in near 4 am and just sits there until roughly 7 am. That means 3 hours of stomach discomfort in the early morning, which has been rough. I've given all sorts of things a shot, and none of them truly made a difference. IBS is in the mix for me, and that plays a role. It makes me scratch my head: if I'm consuming less food, why is there still so much "stuff"? LOL..
Click to expand...
Same here! Mine cleared up around the 3-4 week mark, and these days it only pops up every so often if I go up on my dose. It always calms back down in the end, though.
Click to expand...
Since beginning treatment months back, this has been my situation, and by now I simply tolerate it. Plenty of water goes down my throat daily, so being hydrated isn't the problem. My guess is that my digestive tract is just not fond of me. Someone I know brought up Gruns gummies. If anyone has managed to get good results from them, I'd like to know.
Click to expand...
Black Cumin — has that been on your radar? Someone from my group is a big believer in it. Completely natural.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the suggestion! I'll look into that!
 
Magnesium Glycinate is my go-to; it's the gentlest option for the stomach, since Citrate can feel a little rough for me.
 
MFGamesta said:

While taking tirzapatide, I picked up the habit of incorporating fiber. Kashi Crunch (also known as colon blow) is my usual choice. Caution: for experts only.

On reta, things are far more regular.
Click to expand...
kashi tastes good. your remark got a chuckle out of me.
 
Adjusting to a regular pattern has been quite difficult for me, since I went from 2-3 times daily down to once or twice every 2-3 days. It gets to me, and during the first 5 weeks I was sort of misusing miralax by habitually taking a cap full every day. Of course I realize that with no more 3000-5000 calories a day, it follows that less going in means less coming out, but I have not made my peace with this shift.
 
Oh my god, ever since I began Tirzepatide, I’ve been destroying my peach ring in the bathroom — I definitely need to consume more fiber and water.
 
nitrohyper said:

Oh my god, ever since I began Tirzepatide, I’ve been destroying my peach ring in the bathroom — I definitely need to consume more fiber and water.
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Psyllium husk, buddy — knock it back with water as though it were a big tequila shot. I take 1 in the morning and another once I'm back from work. It speeds up cholesterol clearance and stops gallstones provided you maintain the water intake .

Naturally it works whether or not Tequila is involved🙂
 
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