Heartburn and indigestion on GLP-1 medicines

In short

Indigestion and reflux show up in GLP-1 label tables, usually as a burning chest or upper belly feeling after meals. Smaller, earlier dinners help many people.

Why it happens

When the stomach empties slowly, food and acid stay in it longer. More pressure in a full stomach makes it easier for acid to push up into the esophagus, which causes the burning feeling.

Lying down soon after eating, large late meals and trigger foods like coffee, alcohol, chocolate and citrus can make it worse.

When it starts and fades

Reflux and indigestion tend to be most noticeable when starting treatment and after dose steps, along with other stomach effects that were mostly mild to moderate in trials.

Ongoing heartburn more than twice a week, or symptoms that wake you at night, are worth raising with your care team.

What helps

• Make dinner smaller and finish it at least 3 hours before bed.
• Stay upright after meals instead of lying on the couch.
• Raise the head of your bed slightly if night symptoms bother you.
• Notice personal triggers such as coffee, alcohol, mint, chocolate or tomato sauce.
• Eat slowly and stop when you first feel full.
• Ask a pharmacist about over-the-counter options that fit your other medicines.