Low mood getting worse as dose increases

[tryingtobesogood]

I found that my mood has been getting lower as I’ve moved up the doses of MJ. I am on my third week of 10 mg, and had noticed that my mood is affecting my ability to do exercise, my enthusiasm to work, and I don’t want to socialise. This is so unlike me, I love to exercise and I’m really social. Plus I’ve just spent years retraining to get my dream job, and I just want to quit.I don’t have any major stresses I don’t have any reason to be unhappy, and the only thing that’s changed is the dose of MJ that I take.

So I’m thinking of dropping down to 5 mg in the hope that I still get some effect from MJ, but we’ll see an improvement in my mood which will help me to feel more positive and happier about my perfectly normal happy life.

Has anyone else experienced this? How did you manage it? I don’t think I can face going up in dose any more, and had been thinking about coming off altogether.

edited to add that I’ve lost 32lb and have about the same to lose again, but I don’t mind it taking a really long time.

I’m a mental health nurse. Due to the way that GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro work, there are a small number of people whose mood can be very badly affected. Honestly, if it’s bad enough for you to notice then I’d come of it completely for now as it’s likely affecting you much more significantly than you realise. These things can creep up until someone is really unwell without being fully aware of it. Let your mind settle off the drug for a few weeks and then re-evaluate whether or not going back on it at a lower dose is wise.

That is very sound advice thank you. I am titrating down over the next couple of weeks, if things don't improve I suspect stopping may be the answer.

And yes, it probably has been creeping up on me slowly, but at least I have spotted it.

Op, how is your sugar intake, it is very likely it’s not the drugs, but low blood sugar, which is dropping as you increase dose. Low blood sugar, can give low mood, irritability, anxiety, fatigue etc. your brain needs glucose to function, and if yours is low it can have significant side effects. You may also feel light headed or a little dizzy,

when I had it I used dextrose glucose tablets, keep some around the house and in your bag, just pop one every now and again, I also now eat a lot of fruit, pineapple, mango, grapes etc, which also helps. I would try these things first.

A lot of people don’t understand the impacts of low blood sugar on our moods, and there is a lot of misinformation out there,

That is an interesting point, I will keep an eye on my blood sugars, though my mood is consistent through the day and across the week. There aren't particularly times when I feel better or worse, just consistently low.

Also are you eating properly? Have you calculated the calories your body needs and try to eat only a 500 calory deficit. If you aren't eating properly you are going to be miserable with no energy.

I think your first reply is sensible advice though. Come off it and have a reset then if you want to try again start very low and aim for the lowest effective dose.

Very good advice/suggestions above, especially @JennieTheZebra
Sorry to throw another suggestion into the mix!

How old are you? Could this be the start/part of menopause process.
My first symptom was inability to sleep, and then depression and anxiety crept in and built up. I saw a male GP who said it couldn't be hormonal. Fortunately the hot flushes started and were really bad, saw a female GP who put me on HRT. Hot flushes stopped, sleep improved dramatically and all depression/anxiety faded away.

I do hope that whatever you decide to do, you feel happier and more in balance soon.

Yes likely consistently low blood sugar. Depending on what you eat. I mean your call you can come off, but if you want it to work, I’d look at my blood sugars spend a few days ensuring you eat plenty of fruit, beans etc and pop a few glucose tabs, see if it helps.

id also look at was food a major source of dopamine for you? Some people get all their joy from food, and removing it just gives them something missing, and they’ve not found another way to get their dopamine hit, be it new clothes, going out, exercise etc,

All good points to consider. I am post menopause so I don’t have to worry about that thankfully.

I keep a close eye on my food intake, most days I eat my WW points, which is what I use to manage my intake. I eat a variety of foods and have the odd treat.

Exercise has always been my dopamine hit, along with my career so the loss of this is hitting me hard.

Thank you all though, it’s really good to hear all of these possible explanations

Been on Mounjaro for 7 months and lost 3 1/2 stones. I've eaten really well, no calorie counting, 16:8 but no UPF, lots of protein, veg, 100g carbs daily, olive oil and lots of fruit and was expecting to have really high energy levels like I've had on previous diets eating like this. So the constant low mood and low energy levels have really thrown me. Nausea is also an issue. When the price rises hit I feel that made the decision for me to come off a no-brainer. I don't think it's a blood sugar thing with me, I am definitely an emotional eater and I think the low mood is due to me not having that outlet and being left with the feelings. But why, despite eating very well, my energy levels have been so low, I can only guess it is the Mounjaro. It does slow down food going through the gut so perhaps it's slowing energy down too...who knows? I've got enough needles and dosage in my last 10mg pen to last 10 weeks, gradually lowering the dose each time. I've probably got a stone to go so hopefully that'll come off in the 10 weeks. Someone did comment this week though that my skin was looking amazing so all that healthy food is having an impact.!
I wouldn't rule out going back on Mounjaro in the future if my eating got out of control again but choosing real food over UPF has helped me to maintain in the past so that's my plan for now.

I am definitely an emotional eater and I think the low mood is due to me not having that outlet and being left with the feelings

I think that is the issue for some people yes, as well as food being the source of dopamine for some.its hugely complex, I have a very overweight friend,she isn’t taking rhe drugs, as she says food and eating is too important to her, shopping cooking, eating, it’s an enormous part of her life, and as much as she is losing weight very slowly, she doesn’t wish to lose that love of food, and doesn’t want to risk it,

remember though mounjaro manages reduces your blood sugar levels by increasing insulin,and reduces the amount of sugar released into your blood, it’s one of its core purposes, so it’s not like when you’re not on the drugs, and low blood sugar does cause fatigue, anxiety, confusion, irritability etc, as your brain needs glucose to operate, snd I think a lot of people underestimate this and quite how signficant it can be, and how easy it is to resolve.

It disrupts the dopamine pathway leading to low mood, lethargy and no motivation.
I felt the drop in mood since the start, 11 months on I still have it and it worsened the higher up I went. As a prediabetic I needed the higher doses so I went up to 15mg and genuinely, I spent all month just laying about, my house was a mess, I had zero motivation to even clean, I didn't want to leave the house or speak to anyone and I was exhausted, I wanted to quit my job too and I'm a manager in the NHS, training for 20+ years to get here with a degree, masters degree and 4 professional qualifications.
I started taking L tyrosine which converts to dopamine in May (12.5mg), and the change was immense, I was suddenly doing DIY that I had procrastinated over for months/years, going out, having fun, going for walks, being sociable but as I got up to 15mg, I couldn't swallow capsules or tablets, so stopped taking it after 8 weeks then the symptoms came back. I'm now tapering down and im at 10mg, still get symptoms but not as bad as before, more active and taken L tyrosine again last 2 days and feel uplifted already.
If you can reduce your dose, do that otherwise might be worth trying L tyrosine. There are many reviews you can read.

Hi OP, same as @Mysticmaiden here re L-tyrosine. I hit a very low mood early on (about 3 weeks in so was only on 2.5mg!) and thought yikes this isn't sustainable. Did some reading about causes and MJ possibly having an effect on the dopamine pathways. L-tyrosine is an amino acid so I couldn't really see what harm it would do to try it and I've felt much better mood-wise on the whole. Something to consider if reducing your dose doesn't work?

Someone recommended L-tyrosine the other day, it sounds like it could really help. I think I will give it a go first before I reduce the dose. I’ve nothing to lose. I’m also going to push myself to exercise more, do something every day, maybe I need to get into a routine with it.

Low blood sugar is extremely rare in people without T1 diabetes. If you truly believe you are having low blood sugar episodes then you need to see a doctor to be checked for diabetes.

More often than that the sensation of low blood sugar is related to basic under eating, under hydration, under sleeping etc and will resolve with better lifestyle habits.

It really is not rare on mounjaro, it’s very common, remember we are talking about on the drug, not the general population

I have started on L-Tyrosin today and I have made myself do some exercise even though I didn't want to. I feel so much better, not sure which one is having the positive effect but will continue with both. I have also stepped down a dose of MJ to 7.5mg from 10 and will make a bit more conscious effort with my eating and exercise to lose weight. I don't think I will stop yet, I think I will try and tackle this first and see if I can alleviate the symptoms.

Thank you all for your advice, I have taken it all on board

Good luck, hope it helps

@tryingtobesogood did you find reducing your dose helped with mood? Or has the L-tyrosine helped?

I'm still taking L-tyrosine but getting a bit blah about everything again. Have never taken more than a 5mg MJ dose and am thinking about coming off soon (2lbs off a healthy BMI now) and wondering if my mood will improve as I titrate down? Sorta really want stable mood me back now. Anyone found mood improves as you start to come off?

Hello @GeraniumRoseblush I did take the L-tyrosine but not consistently. However dropping the MJ dose has made all the difference. I feel so much better, my mood has lifted and I have more enthusiasm for life.

I won’t go back up again, I don’t think it would be good for me and I have thought about stopping after Christmas to have a break. I have enough MJ to last till then.

@tryingtobesogood that’s great news, I’m 4 mths in and still on 5mg but I completely relate to the mood impact so this thread is helpful and il order some of the supplement suggested. I won’t be able to stay on this long term as the side effect of low mood, flat- ness and zero motivation is too much, hoping to Do one or two more pens and that’s it.

Just to comment I have had the same experience OP. Pre MJ my mental health wasn’t the best anyway but there has been a noticeable decline when I move up a dose. Especially the first few days after injecting. The higher the suppression the greater the effect on my mood so I have been slow to titrate up & when I do it’s half doses. A few weeks ago I thought that I was ready for 15 but my mood dropped so went back down. I also had really high suppression which I don’t like. I have been on MJ for 13 months. 6 stone lost with 3 to go. If I stay on for maintenance I am hoping that I can maintain on 5 due to the cost & low mood issue.

@tryingtobesogood good to hear your mood improved as you've dropped doses. How long did it take before you felt a difference?

@GeraniumRoseblush pretty quickly, I delayed my next dose a couple of days to let my levels drop, injected the loser dose and by the end of the next week I felt noticeably better.

Loser lol