GLP-1 drug semaglutide linked to transient small bowel intussusception that resolved without surgery | Research

The takeaway

A 32-year-old woman on semaglutide was incidentally found to have transient small bowel intussusception on imaging, which resolved without intervention, suggesting GLP-1-induced motility changes may cause this rare GI complication.

Rare GI complication noted
Semaglutide-associated transient intussusception adds to the spectrum of GLP-1 drug motility effects beyond nausea and gastroparesis

What the researchers found

Age 32; semaglutide user. Transient small bowel intussusception on CT enterography (incidental finding). No obstruction or lead point. Resolved without intervention. Proposed mechanism: GLP-1-induced altered motility.

Why it matters

While adult intussusception is rare, GLP-1 drugs' profound motility effects could create conditions favoring this complication. As millions take these drugs, even rare complications become clinically relevant.

How the study worked

Single case report with CT enterography imaging documentation.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case. Intussusception could be coincidental. No rechallenge. Adult intussusception often has other causes. Incidental finding during anemia workup.

How to read the evidence

Single case report. Adds to safety monitoring.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

GLP-1 drugs' motility effects continue to reveal unexpected GI complications beyond nausea, from gastroparesis to intussusception. Understanding the full spectrum of motility-related risks is important for informed prescribing.

Questions still open

How common is transient intussusception in GLP-1 drug users?
Should GLP-1 drugs be held in patients with recurrent abdominal pain?
Does dose reduction reduce motility-related complications?

Common questions

Can semaglutide cause bowel problems?

This case reports a rare complication—small bowel intussusception (telescoping of one bowel section into another)—in a semaglutide user. It resolved on its own without surgery. While extremely rare, it adds to the range of GI effects from GLP-1 drugs' motility-slowing properties.

What is intussusception?

It occurs when one segment of bowel slides into an adjacent segment, like a telescope collapsing. In adults it is rare and usually has a specific cause. In this case, GLP-1 drug-altered motility may have created irregular peristaltic patterns that triggered this telescoping.

Read the original research

From Glycemic Control to Gut Telescoping: Intussusception in a Patient on a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist.

ACG case reports journal, 12(5), e01679

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Thakkar, Bianca; Nguyen, Minh Thu T; Hagen, Rachael; Parikh, Neil. (2025). From Glycemic Control to Gut Telescoping: Intussusception in a Patient on a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist.. ACG case reports journal, 12(5), e01679. https://doi.org/10.14309/crj.0000000000001679