14 hours Ago By McKenzie Beard
They’re called “doctor’s orders” — not “doctor’s suggestions” — for a reason. “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Jennifer Fessler learned that the hard way when she suffered a painful side effect from a GLP-1 weight loss drug after she “ignored” her doctor’s advice. “I did everything wrong,” Fessler, 55, told The Post, recalling how a brutal bout of constipation landed her in the hospital with an impacted bowel — and a hefty dose of regret.
The drug Fessler was taking when she suffered the agonizing side effect was semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist sold under the brand names Ozempic , Wegovy and Rybelsus. Originally approved to treat type 2 diabetes , this injectable medication has become popular as a weight loss solution that helps users feel fuller for longer. In 2023, nearly 5 million Americans were prescribed semaglutide, with almost 40% using it for weight management, according to a data analysis by Epic Research shared exclusively with CNN .
Fessler’s reality check Fessler didn’t set out looking for a GLP-1. The reality TV star began working with a hormone specialist after struggling with severe hot flashes during perimenopause. “I was on this TV show and filming, and all of a sudden, I would break out in sweat.
It was very frustrating, not to mention the fact that my whole body was really achy,” Fessler said. She also admitted to “gaining a lot of weight” during the menopause transition, but pointed out that her battle with the scale had been a lifelong one. “Food and weight have always plagued me,” Fessler said.
While losing pounds had never been easy, “the change” made it even harder for her. Then came semaglutide — and everything changed. Fessler had “tremendous success” with the injectable medication, saying her hunger pangs vanished, and she felt full faster.
Suddenly, she wasn’t consumed with thoughts of food and her weight, shedding about 20 pounds in the process. “Of course, the aesthetics of it are great. I love being thinner and being able to fit into clothes I want to wear and feeling good about my body,” Fessler said.
“But the biggest benefit for me is the lowering of the volume of all those voices in my head about food and about my body. They have all really quieted down. It’s been life changing for me,” she continued.
But, of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. “Before I even started taking the medication, my doctor told me to drink lots of water, eat lots of vegetables and take Colace or Miralax,” two over-the-counter laxatives that can help with semaglutide’s potential constipation side effect, Fessler explained. “I ignored all of it,” she confessed.
It didn’t take long before Fessler started experiencing constipation . She brushed it off at first, but after nearly two weeks without passing stool, she checked herself into the hospital with an impacted bowel. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” she said.
“It wasn’t a fun experience, but I knew that I had not been following directions.” Now, Fessler, still on a GLP-1 drug, stays on top of drinking water, eating plenty of fibrous vegetables and taking Miralax regularly. “I have not had a problem since, and that’s going back two years now,” she said.
Semaglutide and your gut While side effects like constipation, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain are common with semaglutide, the drug’s impact on the bowels continues to be studied. One of the ways semaglutide works is by slowing down gastric emptying — the rate at which food moves through the stomach and intestines. This slower process causes food to stay in the stomach longer, which can cause more water to be absorbed in the colon.
The result? Hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass. As stool builds up in your colon, it can create blockages, leading to constipation and, in serious cases, an impacted bowel. This can cause severe stomach pain, bloating, nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue.
Since they hit the market, the FDA has updated the labels of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus to warn about the risk of “severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions.” That includes the chance of developing ileus — a life-threatening condition where the intestines stop moving food and waste, potentially leading to blockages that restrict blood flow to organs and cause tissue death. The agency has received 239 reports of ileus in patients taking semaglutide, including five deaths, as of December 31, 2024.
The drug has also been linked to severe gastroparesis , a rare condition that affects the spontaneous movement of the stomach muscles and can delay bowel movements..
