Moujaro and low mood

[Plasticchesse]

Hi. I’ve been on moujaro for 5 months and lost 2 stone. I only take 5mg as I’m worried about what happens when I stop. I have sometimes wondered if I’m less happy, less fun on moujaro. Obviously I don’t enjoy or look forward to meals out anymore. It’s also (as I think is well documented now) turned off my interest in alcohol. Just not interested and after one glass of wine I’ve had enough if I do drink. But more than that, I just wonder if I’m a bit flattened out all round. Anyone else?

Maybe you’re not taking well to the drug, I’ve been on nearly two years, last 11 months in maintenance and I’ve enjoyed food throughout, i just eat healthy portions and healthy food. I’ve always went out for meals throughout, just had healthy option again, ie fish and salads, veg etc,

im not interested in booze and don’t drink at home, but happily go out and socialise and drink.

maybe you need to get your dopamine hit from somewhere else. What about new clothes and treating yourself.

I've stopped taking it because I am sick of feeling flat OP. I've been on it a year and lost a lot of weight but I've stopped without titrating down (only made it to just over 8mg as that's all I could tolerate).

I just felt like I lost my zest for life on it. I don't really drink - never was a big drinker so it isn't that, I just cba in almost all areas of my life outside of working for a living so decided that it is time to stop.

The other thing to consider is you’re on a diet. And normally that’s not a fun time for anyone, so you can either feel deprived and struggle to stick to the diet, want stuff and can’t have it or this, if this is how the drugs impact you.

but I do think finding another source of dopamine is critical. For me I got loads of new clothes on vinted, enjoyed my changing appearance, loved being in control and not feeling deprived and enjoyed exercising and seeing how my fitness improved.

The flat feeling aka anhedonia is well documented and yes I have it too. I do miss the anticipation and enjoyment of certain food, especially at the weekends but it’s more than that. I went on mj only a couple of months after stopping sertraline so don’t think I’ve felt real joy/excitement in years. It’s probably one of the main reasons I will probably try stopping after my pens run out (been maintaining at goal a couple of months now and running down my stash from august).

Well it’s more a small number of people report it, it wasn’t found in trials and it’s not yet clear if its impact on the brain or due to lifestyle changes. It’s potentially the latter.

as said though, very few people enjoy being on a diet, and if you’re used to getting your dopamine from food and drink it’s very important to find another outlet.

we are all on these meds for health so I think instead of jist quitting and deciding it’s the drugs and then potentially going back to getting your reward from food and drink as it makes you happy, then finding another way to get that ddopamine hit it key.

its also one of the reasons people fail on diets, and critically maintenance, they struggle with the lifestyle changes, their pleasure comes from the food and drink, and that’s what causes us to be fat in the first place. So finding if we can get that dopamine elsewhere is critical.

my sil would love to be on the drugs, she’s very obese, but her life is focused on food, cooking, eating, shopping for it, trying new recipes, she gets huge huge pleasure from it, and can’t work out what she would do to replace it and feels she’d be fucking miserable. She knows full well it would ne the same dieting without the drugs, so right now she picks obesity.

I’ve felt quite the opposite tbh, I’m so happy with how my life has turned a corner now I’m not constantly thinking about food. I enjoy my meals and look forward to planning lunches to take to work that are nutritious and tasty.
Ive also rediscovered my love of exercise and clothes, it’s been so exciting dressing for my new (old) shape.
Regarding booze, I’d drastically reduced that about a year before going on MJ anyway due to hideous hangovers. Since being on it I’ve not stopped eating out, will just choose something light from the menu. And I’ll have a drink every now and then if I fancy it but it tends to just be one and done.
I’ve been on it since October ‘24 and not planning on stopping.

I had that flat feeling. I didn’t mind not looking forward to meals etc and was never a big drinker but I have a job that requires creative thinking and feel that it has definitely affected that… so I have triated down. So far my appetite isn’t out of control which is good and the do feel a bit more creative now…

Yes, unfortunately some people do experience anhedonia on the medication.

I don’t often drink alcohol now, and if I do, I stop at two as that’s enough. I haven’t felt down, flat, or remotely depressed though luckily.

Like any other medication, people are affected differently. I hope you find a way forward. 💐

I've felt it badly since oct 24 and even on wegovy now, to the extent I don't want to socialise or leave the house other than for work or shopping. I have also been going through some ongoing pressures and stressful periods though too since then so I think it's a combination. Exercise does help but when I am exhausted it's hard finding the motivation to do it. I'm also studying for a qualification in my spare time on top of 11-12hr work days 5 days a week and 1 in 4 3hr Saturday shifts with a 2hr commute so I'm wiped.
It definitely interrupts the dopamine pathway and I believe mine was low for decades and this has made it worse.

It does impact dopamine pathway but controlled blood sugar leads to reduced depression symptoms, and as said it’s not simple, and it could be due to lifestyle changes,

logically the key teller I think is if there is something that was not food and drink related that gave you pleasure and that stopped, then it could be the drug, so for example if you used to love reading or doing crossword, knitting etc l use these as they are not energy related, as energy can be diet related. It’s a v complex area I think made more complex as no one had it in the trials.

My friend had it, she was very bubbly and enthusiastic and became very meh, but she pushed through it as she saw the weight coming off. Once she stopped the jabs she returned to her usual personality so it was only temporary.

I'm on wegovy now which doesn't have GIP so doesn't control my blood sugar as well as mj. I was also diabetic when starting and had high blood sugar for a long time and insulin resistance since 18 as I remember my symptoms. The food that I'm missing or reduced is carbs, I craved them constantly pre mj due to untreated high blood sugar, prediabetes then diabetes for years but on mj I was strict calorie counting and my tdee was 1800-1500 over my journey of 4st loss, so I had to go down to 1300-1000 to lose and cut carbs and the anehdonia got worse, especially with the higher doses, needing 10mg just to resolve my high blood sugar symptoms and went upto 15mg, I was like a zombie during that month and quickly dropped the doses as I'd hit bmi 25 and my insulin sensitivity must have increased as the doses were suddenly strong, even though previously wore off very quickly both for suppression and satiety and food noise would come back strong.
Currently I'm trying to be healthy again and lose a little more and limiting carbs after a 6 week period of maintenance cals and eating what I want as I needed a diet break after 14 months of strict dieting, so I'm feeling the anehdonia again, it did reduce when I was eating carbs daily again during my maintenance but with insulin resistance carbs are the devil for me!
Maybe all of us who have anehdonia have high blood sugars too. I hear about it all the time and have friends who have it.

This was my DH. I am very convinced that Ozempic contributed to a very bad depression he had. Maybe wean off and see if you feel better? I found for me some coaching and high protein eating almost replicated the jab.

I felt very flat on it so as a result stopped after 3 pens. I decided to love myself, enjoy fashion more and focus on exercise and health instead. I have no regrets.

@Plasticchesse
^^
Obviously I don’t enjoy or look forward to meals out anymore. It’s also (as I think is well documented now) turned off my interest in alcohol.

I really don’t understand this comment. Are you saying that you only enjoyed eating out pre MJ, because you could stuff yourself silly and get pissed with gay abandon?

What happened over Christmas? Do the people you spend time with think this way too? If so, that could be a problem you need to address because otherwise, you’ll plough all the weight straight back on again as soon as you stop taking MJ and go back to old habits.

Seriously, have you stopped and worked out why you were so overweight in the first place and what changes you need to make to stop the situation recurring?

This is a question that everyone on a diet inc. WLI needs to ask themselves.

My obesity crept up gradually over several years and mainly relates to too big portion sizes and snacking on junk like crisps and chocolate in the evenings.

My DH is an alcoholic in recovery. He’s been in recovery for more than 30yrs now and I met him when he was sober. When he chose sobriety, he had to ditch his old lifestyle and those friends because otherwise he knew his recovery would definitely fail at some point. He’d seen it happen to others on his program.

Gosh bit harsh lifeislemons

“I really don’t understand this comment. Are you saying that you only enjoyed eating out pre MJ, because you could stuff yourself silly and get pissed with gay abandon”.

i mean I am not very motivated by food now. And if I go out for a nice meal I objectively know it tasted good but I don’t enjoy it as much. And I’m full quicker and need to be careful as if I eat too much (like a started and a main) I will feel sick.

it would also be nice to go out and share a bottle of wine and have a giggle. But I don’t really fancy a drink and if I do drink I don’t seem to get in that giggly merry way.

in terms of why I was “so overweight in the first place” as you so kindly put it. I’ve gained about half a stone per year since 2020 due to perimenopause.

Thank you to the others who have responded with kindness and thoughtfulness. Anhedonia was the word I was looking for. And using that in Google has hit a lot more info that “low mood” did.

you are right, I need to find a less lazy dopamine hit. Kids are older now and it’s on my mind I need to find some interests anyway.

The poster was maybe a bit blunt but the spirit of it was valid, as much as it’s hard to hear;

why don’t you treat yourself, as said for me it was clothes, mainly bought on vinted, but higher end brands on new or very good condition. It helped me see how much weight I was losing and I liked my ever improving appearance. I did this for health, but the improved appearance was the cherry on top.

i also work out, even just doing 20 mins is importing, ear buds in, do something, seeing rhe muscle build is motivation in itself.

but for you it maybe different, what makes you happy past food and drink, what can you treat yourself to, or do, thay would give you thay dopamine hit.

for me at 11 months maintaining, on a low dose, it’s still my appearance and fitness levels. Every single day I get up and put something lovely on. I seldom go never wear black any more, and no stretchy clothes to hide the fat.

im a size eight, from an 18, I’ve lost my fat face and double chins, and I’ve muscle definition. When I wear something form fitting you can see I work out. My big stomach is now totally flat with a ring of muscle. You can see my bicep muscles, and my thing muscles. My backside stands up on its own.

So my focus went from food and drink to my ever improving appearance. In the first six months of weight loss it was about getting my blood pressure under control, my cortisol levels and my sleep apnea resolved, then fitness and vanity took over when I’d completed that.

being confident in our appearance, is a huge plus point.

Sorry OP but being blunt means there’s less chance for misunderstandings.

TBH, I think you’re still in denial and kidding yourself. Perimenopause itself doesn’t make you fat. Not all women over 40 are fat are they? Didn’t you notice how your skinny mates eat much less and/or they exercise a lot more than you do?

Consuming more calories than your body needs and not burning the excess off makes you fat. Basic science that we all know. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I mean I am not very motivated by food now. And if I go out for a nice meal I objectively know it tasted good but I don’t enjoy it as much. And I’m full quicker and need to be careful as if I eat too much (like a started and a main) I will feel sick.

Perimenopause and Menopause is Mother Nature’s way of telling you that your body is changing and your brain and eyes need to catch up. We all want to have the body and stamina of a 20yr old out on the razz but that’s completely unrealistic for the vast majority of women as we age.

Maybe it’s time to accept that if you want to eat 2 courses or more and drink to get giggly when out with friends post MJ, you will still be able to do that occasionally, BUT you’ll have to cut back somewhere else that week otherwise the weight WILL creep back on again.

Sadly a lot of women over 40 who spend their lives yo-yo dieting are in denial about this. Look at how many posters on the WL threads haven’t changed their habits and re-start the WLI within a year of stopping them.

Will that be you too?

I think it’s a bit unfair to call out wli for this, as much as once again I understand your point, it’s the same for all diets. Look at the low carb boot camp threads, many of them just keep restaring. Or the slimming world, which is way worse, with many of them been on it for decades and still fat. Even the general weight loss threads, so many starting again, losing and gaining.

obesity is a relapse disease, irrelevant of how you lost the weight. And it’s seldom due to ignorance of how to do it. Often it’s a result of life, willpower and metabolic issues.

With weight loss injections your metabolic issues are resolved, and you can stay on long enough to learn new habits, to have maintenance embed itself.

the op isn’t alone in feeling low, as said, it’s not clear if this is the meds alone or simply due to lifestyle changes. Many people use food and alcohol as a comfort or a reward, something ri look forward to. Or to eat their feelings, or relieve boredom, as they don’t have any other way, nothing else to get that dopamine hit from, or to deal with feelings, or alleviate boredom. And when you take that away, as you do with any diet, leaves them feeling fairly miserable, life is better when you’re eating lots of lovely food and enjoying a few drinks; when dieting , however you do it, it’s removed.

so the pshycological impact hits, it’s also why some plateau or stop , diet fatigue sets in.

so getting that dopamine hit from something else, filling that boredom with something else, dealing with feelings, finding another way to reward yourself is really important as if you don’t, then you’re going to fail.

i have always enjoyed dinners out, cooking, socialising and having a few drinks throughout, and I was just as happy with healthy food on those occasions or smaller portions, or a few drinks rather than many, but I found other ways to reward myself.

its the same for any diet, however you lose weight, this needs to be dealt with, not just wli.

I did that bought loads of clothes, more than I will ever wear. It gave me the dopamine hit alright but I need to stop now 😅
Do you go to the gym OP? It can give you a massive high and make you feel great. Ive lost 5 stone and have replaced my food obsession with exercise. Food is just fuel to me now.
If you don't find a replacement for food now the weight will all just pile back on again. Food shouldn't be a "treat" that you are deprived of.
Id much sooner be slim and fit than go back to 15 stone me who looked awful and could hardly move.
Find a hobby or sport that you love and do that.

OP I definitely feel flat,low mood the day after I have my weekly dose . It took a few weeks for me to join up the dots ! I now vary which day ( maybe a day early or late) i have my injection according to my other commitments.
So tomorrow I am starting a new job and will have dose tomorrow evening rather than today.
Generally I do enjoy food and drinks but less of it.

I’m the exact same except I started at 15 and a half and am just under 9 now. I exercise most days, and have bought far far too many clothes, I’m still bloody doing it, I’m going to have to start selling some of the earlier ones back sigh, as my style has evolved since I hit goal.

I love how my body has changed, not just due to weight loss, but the exercise itself, I like seeing the muscle and definition. That I feel confident in swimwear. I had some crepey skin when I hit goal. You could see I’d lost weight, and after six months of body recomp it’s totally gone, I look like I’ve always been this weight. I enjoy my gym sessions, I enjoy how fit I feel. I love that I now sleep eight hours a night, that my skin is so clear and bright, likely due to all the water and healthy food, and I love that when I get dressed, I like my appearance again. And I love that I’ve so much energy now, before I was tired and sluggish, bloated, stiff ankles, and dressed to try to hide the fat.

not tucking into a takeaway or eating fatty or sugary food, or drinking too much is a price I’m more than willing to pay for that.

mounjaro made me very anxious and depressed. I took 3 shots and stopped after that when I started feeling high anxiety almost panic level. There followed depression as this drug stopped my antidepressants from working, even though my dosage was increased twice. There is a Facebook group full of people with the same experience all still struggling, some who had never had anxiety and depression before.

I think, it’s not that I’m doing less of things I enjoyed, it’s that I am flatter. For example the gym. I do go 3 x per week but don’t get the same buzz. I got really into lifting a couple of years ago and now I can see definition as the fat has gone but there is no mid morning buzz after a trip to gym before work.

i have a holiday and am not really looking forward and not really arsed to buy the new clothes I need. Feels like a chore.

I have a lot of stress at the moment with other stuff so that doesn’t help. But I do wonder if I need to come off. Or will coming off make a difference? What if I’ve accidentally re-wired myself?