The present invention provides novel conformationally-defined macrocyclic compounds that have been demonstrated to be selective agonists of the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHS-R1a and subtypes, isoforms and variants thereof). Such compounds are useful as medicaments for treatment and prevention of a range of medical conditions characterized by disturbed gastrointestinal motility including, but not limited to, post-surgical gastroparesis and post-operative ileus in combination with opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. These agents are effective for multiple disorders at dose levels equivalent to those required to treat a single disorder.