Mounjaro and anxiety

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I have been on Mounjaro for three weeks. Amazing results - 17lbs loss.

Full disclosure I am also on any depressants and have been for years but very stable.

After my third jab I started feeling odd - has led to a full anxiety/panic disorder that I'm now working through with diazepam. It's genuinely been one of the worst weeks of my life.

Just wanted to mention here in case anyone has had similar and if not just to keep an eye out. I hope I was just incredibly unlucky

Hey, sorry to hear you've had a rough week. It's not uncommon, if you search on reddit you'll see lots of people have had this too, so you're not alone x

I got the same thing in my first week of 2.5mg - unbearable anxiety and panic attacks + palpitations. It was sooo awful, and I honestly wasn't sure if I'd continue. In case this is helpful, a few things that have really helped me - electrolytes everyday, magnesium, but also having some sugar (honey, glucose tablet) - apparently low blood sugar can also trigger anxiety too xx

Hope you feel better soon!

I had the same thing - panic attacks, waves of fear, insomnia, racing heart, after my first dose. This was back in April and it wasn't acknowledged (and I got a lot of hostility from people on here for raising it as a possible issue!) I decided not to continue. Now losing weight slowly on intermittent fasting - but at least I don't feel like I am going mad!

@VoyOySaveloy

I've seen you on a couple of threads say this and I have to say it surprises me. Are you suggesting that people on here don't want anyone to raise their issues about the side effects they experience(d) on Mounjaro (which i find difficult to believe for most people here) or did you have an exchange with one or two posters about something that you now interpret as "a lot of hostility from people on here for raising it as a possible issue"?

I'd like to know the thread(s) where you got a lot of hostility from people because you raised this as a possible issue, because I know some other people have too and from what I can tell, they haven't received any issues expressing their side effects and they've even gotten support and encouragement to come off MJ because of them. What was truly the issue? Were you warning people off MJ because of your side effect and/or did you have an argument with someone about it?

It just seems like you're on a bit of a crusade with this, suggesting some sort of cult-like 'don't speak evil about Mounjaro' which looking at this board alone can be easily disproved as many people openly talk about their negative experiences here and other places. You say 'it wasn't acknowledged' and it seems you're having a hard time letting go of this exchange you had with a poster...back in April (?).

It's mostly posters accusing me of being on a crusade because they have seen me say to people on more than one thread that severe side effects affecting mental health do happen and I know because it happened to me. Lol.

When I say it wasn't acknowledged I mean it wasn't acknowledged by the manufacturers as a potential side effect which means a lot of people are dismissed by providers or GP when they ask about whether these panic attacks could be linked. This is what happened to me at the time and I did my own research and found a lot of people were finding it either significantly improved or significantly worsened their MH. There is a great deal of talk of digestive side effects of course, and a lot of evangelizing about mounjaro as the best thing people have ever done, not only here but on other platforms. I am trying to ensure that some balance is struck I suppose, and that other women experiencing severe exacerbation in mental health don't get gaslighted by medical profs or assume it's something else and a coincidence. I would imagine within a year or two it will be properly acknowledged to impact mental health one way or another but it's lonely when you think that you are literally going mad and medical people around you are saying the medication doesn't cause that kind of effect.

And I said hostility from "people" which was probably just a couple of people, accusing me of being a downer and destroying the vibe. Then others saying that it would only be valid if a person had never ever experienced anxiety before otherwise there's no proof it's mounjaro. That sort of thing. I can't be bothered to find the threads. No doubt you can search my user name if you are that interested.

This can be a symptom of weight loss based on calorie restriction not necessarily the jab itself. Or it could be something more serious. Provided you've had your blood pressure tested and ruled out gallbladder / pancreatic problems then a generic supplement should help.

In any case I'm a weight loss nurse and have had training on Mounjaro - if you have any questions please do DM me or I'd be happynto put you in touch with someone in your area.

@VoyOySaveloy

Thanks for the explanation which clarifies what i expected. I did search and saw the one exchange that you're referring to and I'd hardly call it anything let alone "hostility" but I suppose we perceive things differently through different lenses. Being generally anxious can lead to that too.

I agree that Mounjaro can raise heart rates (I think it's written somewhere as a rare side effect but I'm not sure now) and it can cause some people to become really anxious - now if that's a direct cause of the meds or simply a response to the raised heart rate/having taking meds and being afraid in general/the unknown, etc, no one knows. This is what I've seen people say. If medical professionals are saying similarly but you want to insist it's Mounjaro because you feel they'd rather hail it as a miracle drug than accept your opinion as a medical fact, then I can see why you feel it's not acknowledged. I've not seen any dismissal about any side effects - big or small - but I accept your experience is yours.

As I said, people report several side effects about Mounjaro and it still is the best thing some people have ever done, including for some people with side effects (both things can be true at once and there's no need to feel the need to bring a dampener or "balance" to their "evangelism" as I don't think your news of side effects is doing anything different from what others do as well. Everybody knows that MJ has side effects like other meds - some of them are serious and can be fatal.

For example, this thread has not received any hostility because they mentioned it nor has anyone said they or anyone who reported side effects are on a crusade. It's just you due to the pattern that clearly more than one person have noticed about being fixated on making hyperbolic statements about and not letting go of this one exchange with a poster and possibly another exchange with a medical professional who said anxiety isn't one of the known side effects. It does seem like a pattern and I don't even think it's about Mounjaro anymore but more a personality trait that could be about anything when it happens. Lol

However, on a more serious note, I'm sorry your experience of Mounjaro was negative. It must have been awful as I know firsthand how anxiety attacks can be. I hope your intermittent fasting is going well. Incase you are not aware and haven't done so yet, you can report any side effects of Mounjaro to the yellow card scheme. This will probably be of more help. Goodluck.

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Forgot to quote you @VoyOySaveloy

No, it was the jab. Happened to me within 5 or 6 hours of taking it. I had barely even restricted my calories by that point. This is what I mean. The manufacturers don't take people's word for it. There are lots of people saying this happened to them and being told it essentially didn't. But it did.

You see, you are doing it too. Telling me it is me and a personality trait and hyperbolic.

I am a perfectly reasonable person who is supporting and validating others who have been taken back by discovering that MJ gave them panic attacks, and acknowledging that yes, it can do that, it happened to me, but the manufacturer hasn't put it on the side effects (yet) so it can be hard to get medical professionals to confirm it. No you aren't going mad, yes it's probably the MJ, and if you decide to stop taking it the anxiety will sort itself out.

I don't need you or anyone else to tell me not to keep doing this. You aren't the Mounjaro police. And I already made a yellow card report, thank you.

My PMS (including anxiety, night terrors) came back with a vengeance as my cycles began to regulate.
I track my cycles so I quickly picked up a pattern and am now looking into taking supplements to help.

Could this be the same for you?

@VoyOySaveloy
I didn't say what you experienced is...never mind. I cba to repeat myself. It's obvious what the problem is and gladly I'm not the only one who's noticed it.

Goodluck with your health and hope the anxiety has been sorted out now that you're no longer on Mounjaro.

@TheGoingGetsEasyAfterItGetsTough
There isn't "a problem" with me.

I am hardly posting daily rants. I have posted on 4 threads over the past 6 months where people have spoken about their anxiety being worsened to agree with them, and disagree with people who are telling those posters that it's probably not the jab. That's all. Meanwhile I post in a load of other topics under my other user name, have been on here for 10 years with no deletions or warnings (so not a fanatic of any sort) and live a completely ordinary life.

If I am wrong in detecting hostility then I apologise for that but its wearing being told that what happened to you probably actually didn't happen. It's obvious that in such a new medication all side effects may not be identified - just like the COVID jabs causing pericarditis in some young men wasn't realised at first. Because it is rare doesn't mean it didn't happen.

@VoyOySaveloy Ok

I am a weight loss nurse. It's my job to check patients before a weight loss medication is prescribed. As patients are often obese / morbidly obese they can often have pre-existing illnesses that they aren't aware of.

Anxiety symptoms six hours after taking the treatment suggests pre-existing high blood pressure / prediabetes or dehydration. Yes heart rate can increase in some people after taking Mounjaro but it's often because obese people often have higher blood glucose levels & don't drink enough water in the first place.

Unless you took Mounjaro with a medical professional and were monitored you can't say the drug caused your symptoms.

My blood pressure was mildly high but not needing treatment (130/90 iirc) and my doctor prechecked my blood sugars as I was convinced I was prediabetic. HBA1C was 34.

I am very reactive to adrenaline and get jitters /anxiety feelings with the gum injections that contain adrenaline. I also react strongly to wine with a fast heart rate that causes feelings of anxiety. I don't know if this is relevant. I can share my post written at the time if you are medically interested in what happened?

Day I took it

It's interesting that you have all these similar reactions to different things as well but you think Mounjaro is the problem. Have you stopped using them and also gone to tell people about these side effects of adrenaline, injections and wine 'for balance' as well and reported to yellow card scheme?

Next morning.
I actually titrated down and took 1.25 the following week and that reduced the anxiety waves but I was still having insomnia. I then stopped.

I think I am probably a person who has a particular sensitivity to something that is common in all these situations.

Actually I mentioned that I was feeling jittery after the numbing injection and now I get given adrenaline free injections at the dentist and I don't drink wine.

Not hostile at all, are you? I am completely imagining that.

If that's how you see a normal discussion on mumsnet, go for it. I wouldn't trust your odd interpretation of things though. Sorry

(Following your edit afterwards: If you say so. You said it, not me).

Okay you've stopped drinking wine as well due to the reaction. That's good as well as for the other reactions (adrenaline at the dentist, etc).

I had this for the first few weeks. I'm ten months in now and no anxiety. Well. No more than normal.

Ok so in that case your symptoms are what I'd expect. Mounjaro can lower high pressure (and sometimes quite quickly - one of my patients went from 140/100 to 130/90 after first dose and then 120/80 after second which is where she has been ever since) so the jitters / anxious feeling could be normal side effect of that.

The caffeine in the coke, the sulphur in the beans / grapes/protein (via gas), your high bp can all cause symptoms of anxiety and can all cause your heart rate to go up.

I think something you ate that day or the day before / preexisting high bp is probably the source of it. Not necessarily Mounjaro

My anxiety is much worse on MJ. I've had to go back on my meds. However it's been worth it, as I am 6 stone down since march.

I've also spoken about this on here and haven't had any bad comments, a few of us have chatted about it on the threads I'm on.

That might be the case - all I am saying - all I have ever said - is that for whatever reason taking MJ precipitated unpleasant side effects of a fast heart at night that woke me and made me feel like I was having panic attacks. I don't understand the mechanism of course but it happened.

My doctor told me to stop the jabs as a small % of people suffer anxiety. I have, I'm two weeks on, it's knocked my anti depressants out of whack and I'm on Valium.

I believe you Saveloy.

For those for whom it works I'm so pleased and it's an amazing drug. I wanted to rip my brain out after 3 jabs.

There is a study that shows around 3% of people suffer with mental health on any weight loss injections.

It's also worth noting the jab affects the birth control pill and makes it less effective. I wonder if that will be the case for offer medications too?