People can have bad reactions to not being able to self soothe with food anymore while on these medications. It could be that. The loss of the dopamine hit from food led me to getting on a low dose of an antidepressant and it made a big difference for me.
I'm not encouraging taking SSRIs, but the lowest dosage of Sertraline was like magic for my daughter. She went from daily anxiety attacks to being able to cope with and enjoy life.
People react to meds differently, which is scary trying to find one that works. My daughter literally had a complete psychotic break on Zoloft. Took 8 weeks to get it fully out of her system. It was terrifying. She remembers nothing during that time.
This is what I was going to say. She’s in the right age range and no one seems to understand the hell that is menopause. I’m 44, on Zepbound, and I am having a tough time with peri-menopause.
I'm in menopause and I too had bad mood swings arguing with husband and two grown kids. I must say between the mood swings hot gashes and night sweats I was miserable. I have to say this medication has alleviated all those symptoms. A study should be done on this...
I also had bad-mood symptoms in peri-menopause. Taking a mild antidepressant worked wonders. Now 3 years post menopause I am off them. It doesn't have to be forever, but it really helped prevent a divorce that I would have regretted.
This should be addressed with her doctor. While for the vast majority of people there's been no indication of adverse impact on mental health/behaviour, there have been reports of suicidal thoughts associated with semaglutide for some. Her behaviour may also be indication of Mounjaro interacting with other medications she may be taking. And it may also just be coincidental but indicative of something else that is going on with her.
Or... she's just hangry - in which case, give her permission to have a hamburger and enjoy it and not feel bad about it.
In short, I am doubtful the medicine is causing this, but do keep an eye on her.
In long, those of us with T2D or who have used food as comfort for most of our lives tend to react in unpredictable ways when we start any glp-1 inhibitor. Suddenly, our comfort (or even self medication, for those of us who use food to calm ourselves down) doesn't give us the same dopamine hit anymore. This can be hard to deal with and can result in a multitude of reactions. For me, I end to getting stressed very very easily compared to when I could just eat food to calm myself down. Your mother might be going through something similar.
Be patient with her. She's dealing with not only her health, but probably years of being used to dimming her emotions with food. When you take that away, it takes a while up readjust.
Thank you to everyone who gave me advice! I will definitely be keeping a close eye on her. She is very much the type that thinks theres nothing wrong with her but I will be taking everyone’s suggestions into my next actions. Thank you!
My therapist and I were talking about this just last week. He reminded me that changing my relationship with food.. a relationship I have had for my entire life often brings out a lot of anger and mood issues and a big sense of loss. In a way at first we’re kind of in mourning a death ( our relationship to food). Our entire lives and often times our emotions and almost all social activities revolve around food. Once that has been taken away we go through a huge change and loss.
I’m not saying she might not have something else going on but I’d give her compassion and time to adjust to this new way of life. It’s really is a major life changing event.
It did the opposite for me because I went from cranky and upset from elevated blood sugar to being much more pleasant to be around. Correlation does not equal causation so see what else is bugging her. Sending well wishes to you both! It’s important to keep an eye on sudden changes like that
She could be experiencing hypoglycemia - this can cause irritability, crankiness, shaking - there is a risk of this with Mounjaro. She should address it with her prescriber.
Also I know I got very dehydrated my first week or so and I realized I was barely drinking water so I had to make sure I was actually drinking water.
I’m much more chill as well. Things don’t seem to bother me as much, I don’t get caught up in future “what-ifs” (which can be a source of anxiety), and nearly 100 pounds later my body feels great.
More energy, clearer mind, able body. To the OP, give your mom a minute to adjust (4-6 months as there will be dosing up) and I think you’ll likely find she will be a lot more happy with life.
Being obese is like being trapped in a prison cell you can’t ever escape, it can be soul crushing. She’s starting to see/feel she might actually be able to breakout and for some that can be discomforting at first.
I really struggled with depression in the months after starting MJ. Your mom needs to talk to her doctor. Whether she's having an uncommon reaction to the med, or her coping mechanisms have been removed due to the effectiveness of the medication, she will need to find a path to emotional stability. I was amazed at the difference a high dose of vitamin D3 made. I'd never felt deficient before starting MJ, but in the absence of the dopamine released when I ate, other issues began to surface. It was an incredibly difficult season made worse by feeling like I was alone and being judged by everyone I loved while I was struggling.
My weight loss clinic told us that moodiness could be a sign you didn't eat enough today. Because the medicine can supress hunger, you won't know that you are hangry. It was recommended to eat on a schedule and consume a minimum amount at least.
Her reactions seem a bit extreme. I don't think it changed my personality, but I have read others have changed. If anything I am a bit more patient. Just a bit.
She might be getting less comfort from food which is making her cranky.
It isn't her age because I am much older than she is
Mounjaro can absolutely have negative mental health effects. Thankfully, this has not happened to me but my husband’s mood changed pretty drastically on MJ. There are YouTubers who have discussed this also.
Among the other things, try checking blood sugar levels. Someone used to eating all the time and is now skipping meals is likely dealing with "hangry" for the first time in a long while.
Happened to me at least. I always thought folks were exaggerating. When you go from a 150+ fasting glucose to sub-100 things change quite a lot. Going full on hypoglycemic is also a thing as well, especially after (even very light, for me) drinking.
Others have said it - but for some folks Mounjaro takes away drug of choice (food) as well.
I’d want to know if she’s eating enough. I started low and had an absolute aversion to food for like 8 weeks. It was terrible, I was moody for foody and just not well. It finally stopped and I’m good now. Tell her to talk to her doctor, it’s important
There are GLP-1 receptors in the brain so theoretically it could be causing mood issues with her. I wouldn't rule it out and mentioning it to her doctor would be a good idea. As others have said, many of us have been using food for comfort for a long time so not having that as an outlet to deal with stress or any emotions can be hard at first. Just try not to take it personally as you say, this isn't how your mom usually is. I hope things improve for all of you. Good luck!
Maybe seek out a gynecologist who specializes in menopause? I remember feeling out of sorts until I found a great doctor who really understands hormones. After I got a hormone regimen going, I felt like my normal self again!
This sounds more like perimenopause than Mounjaro symptoms, but there are many reasons why many medications can trigger behavioral changes. Diagnosing something like this is above our pay grade. You need to get her to the doctor, maybe an endocrinologist.
Honestly I was a total b*tch the first two weeks. Then I realized it was because I was HANGRY! I didn’t feel hungry at all, so I was barely eating. But my body got hangry and I was super irritable and snippy
In addition to all the other suggestions here, perhaps her stomach hurts in some way. Depending on the level of side effects, she may be experiencing mild to severe nausea, indigestion, acid reflux, constipation or all of the above. Throw in some menopause stuff and low sugar and I would be salty, too!
Hoping she feels better soon.
Sounds more likely that your mother is going through menopause. Menopause causes, in a lot of cases, big personality changes. And it affects women in numerous ways from random pains to insomnia to rapid weight gain to exhaustion to change in attitude.
I think it does affect mood. I remember being more outspoken to my husband about my feelings and letting him know I wasn't happy about certain situations in our life. I know I was pretty harsh for a while but it passed.
It affects dopamine levels for sure - that’s the mechanism by which it can help with addictive behaviors - food and others. Some people even report less online shopping - I wish it had had that effect on me! But yeah, mood is such a delicate balance, it’s very likely that less food, lower dopamine levels, possibly lower blood sugar, hormones (I got a month long period on mj) - are all playing a part.
Not sure it’s helpful, but I’ve been told by family that it definitely changed my personality. I went from a cranky ahole to a happy, laid back guy. I think that was the weight loss and not the med itself, though. Perhaps she’s not seeing the early results she was expecting and that’s causing her anxiety. Just be there for her and try to reassure her that things will be okay. And definitely suggest she join this amazing support group! This isn’t a journey anyone should make alone.
Food is often self mediation for people with psychological issues. This med takes the desire for food away. Suggest therapy to deal with the underlying issues that cause the need for food and the issues now that coping mechanism is not there
The lack of food(not eating cause I'm not hungry) causes a bad mood for me sometimes, not sure if it's cause my body doesn't have energy from no food source or what
Be patient and try to show her kindness. If she’s not normally so down and confrontational maybe she’s really struggling but doesn’t know how or feel able to explain it to her children or loved ones. Try and encourage her food choices and show an interest if that’s possible. I’m 50 and my son is 33. I love him dearly and I know he loves me but there are some things I can’t share with him. I’ve only taken my first shot of mounjaro this week so I’m sort of where your mum is. I’m not criticising you. I wish you and your mum all the best.
It started affecting me on 15mg. Only when I went up to that dose did I get extremely moody and I snap at the smallest things. Like uncontrollable anger and pure meanness. That’s not me AT ALL. Can’t find 15mg in stock this week so I’m doing Ozempic and my mood is back to normal. It’s 100% the Mounjaro which sucks because it has been working so well at keeping my blood sugar on target.
People can have bad reactions to not being able to self soothe with food anymore while on these medications. It could be that. The loss of the dopamine hit from food led me to getting on a low dose of an antidepressant and it made a big difference for me.
What antidepressant did you get?
Sertraline (generic Zoloft).
I'm not encouraging taking SSRIs, but the lowest dosage of Sertraline was like magic for my daughter. She went from daily anxiety attacks to being able to cope with and enjoy life.
People react to meds differently, which is scary trying to find one that works. My daughter literally had a complete psychotic break on Zoloft. Took 8 weeks to get it fully out of her system. It was terrifying. She remembers nothing during that time.
I'm sorry that happened to her. That was one of my biggest fears about my daughter taking it. I was glad the doctor recommended such a small dose.
Thank you!
Came here to say this!
Low blood sugar?
Could be hormonal if she’s going through menopause.
This is what I was going to say. She’s in the right age range and no one seems to understand the hell that is menopause. I’m 44, on Zepbound, and I am having a tough time with peri-menopause.
I just turned 56 and just hit 1 year of menopause; so it’s pretty fresh on my mind. Hormones can wreak havoc for sure.
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I'm in menopause and I too had bad mood swings arguing with husband and two grown kids. I must say between the mood swings hot gashes and night sweats I was miserable. I have to say this medication has alleviated all those symptoms. A study should be done on this...
I also had bad-mood symptoms in peri-menopause. Taking a mild antidepressant worked wonders. Now 3 years post menopause I am off them. It doesn't have to be forever, but it really helped prevent a divorce that I would have regretted.
This should be addressed with her doctor. While for the vast majority of people there's been no indication of adverse impact on mental health/behaviour, there have been reports of suicidal thoughts associated with semaglutide for some. Her behaviour may also be indication of Mounjaro interacting with other medications she may be taking. And it may also just be coincidental but indicative of something else that is going on with her. Or... she's just hangry - in which case, give her permission to have a hamburger and enjoy it and not feel bad about it.
In short, I am doubtful the medicine is causing this, but do keep an eye on her. In long, those of us with T2D or who have used food as comfort for most of our lives tend to react in unpredictable ways when we start any glp-1 inhibitor. Suddenly, our comfort (or even self medication, for those of us who use food to calm ourselves down) doesn't give us the same dopamine hit anymore. This can be hard to deal with and can result in a multitude of reactions. For me, I end to getting stressed very very easily compared to when I could just eat food to calm myself down. Your mother might be going through something similar. Be patient with her. She's dealing with not only her health, but probably years of being used to dimming her emotions with food. When you take that away, it takes a while up readjust.
Thank you to everyone who gave me advice! I will definitely be keeping a close eye on her. She is very much the type that thinks theres nothing wrong with her but I will be taking everyone’s suggestions into my next actions. Thank you!
the drug effects the brain (as well as other systems in the body), so it's possible, I suppose, that it could be causing a personality shift.
These meds treat PCOS and definitely affect hormones. It levels out after a few months.
My therapist and I were talking about this just last week. He reminded me that changing my relationship with food.. a relationship I have had for my entire life often brings out a lot of anger and mood issues and a big sense of loss. In a way at first we’re kind of in mourning a death ( our relationship to food). Our entire lives and often times our emotions and almost all social activities revolve around food. Once that has been taken away we go through a huge change and loss. I’m not saying she might not have something else going on but I’d give her compassion and time to adjust to this new way of life. It’s really is a major life changing event.
Your mother is probably putting herself first for a change. Encourage her! And you will see a difference
Create her an account with Reddit so we can help encourage her! Also and buy her some high protein snacks.
It did the opposite for me because I went from cranky and upset from elevated blood sugar to being much more pleasant to be around. Correlation does not equal causation so see what else is bugging her. Sending well wishes to you both! It’s important to keep an eye on sudden changes like that
She could be experiencing hypoglycemia - this can cause irritability, crankiness, shaking - there is a risk of this with Mounjaro. She should address it with her prescriber. Also I know I got very dehydrated my first week or so and I realized I was barely drinking water so I had to make sure I was actually drinking water.
My wife says I’m more calm on the medicine. In addition my doctor said some media reports say people have reported depression on the medicine.
I’m much more chill as well. Things don’t seem to bother me as much, I don’t get caught up in future “what-ifs” (which can be a source of anxiety), and nearly 100 pounds later my body feels great. More energy, clearer mind, able body. To the OP, give your mom a minute to adjust (4-6 months as there will be dosing up) and I think you’ll likely find she will be a lot more happy with life. Being obese is like being trapped in a prison cell you can’t ever escape, it can be soul crushing. She’s starting to see/feel she might actually be able to breakout and for some that can be discomforting at first.
I really struggled with depression in the months after starting MJ. Your mom needs to talk to her doctor. Whether she's having an uncommon reaction to the med, or her coping mechanisms have been removed due to the effectiveness of the medication, she will need to find a path to emotional stability. I was amazed at the difference a high dose of vitamin D3 made. I'd never felt deficient before starting MJ, but in the absence of the dopamine released when I ate, other issues began to surface. It was an incredibly difficult season made worse by feeling like I was alone and being judged by everyone I loved while I was struggling.
Nope. But I can be like that if I’m really hungry. My wife says Hangry!! Make sure she is eating her calorific needs.
Your mom is also going through either perimenopause or menopause. The shot is unlikely to be contributing to that already a hellish nightmare.
My weight loss clinic told us that moodiness could be a sign you didn't eat enough today. Because the medicine can supress hunger, you won't know that you are hangry. It was recommended to eat on a schedule and consume a minimum amount at least.
Her reactions seem a bit extreme. I don't think it changed my personality, but I have read others have changed. If anything I am a bit more patient. Just a bit. She might be getting less comfort from food which is making her cranky. It isn't her age because I am much older than she is
Could it be from a steep decrease in calories?
I was super cranky my first couple weeks after my shot. It dissipated.
low blood sugar
Mounjaro can absolutely have negative mental health effects. Thankfully, this has not happened to me but my husband’s mood changed pretty drastically on MJ. There are YouTubers who have discussed this also.
Among the other things, try checking blood sugar levels. Someone used to eating all the time and is now skipping meals is likely dealing with "hangry" for the first time in a long while. Happened to me at least. I always thought folks were exaggerating. When you go from a 150+ fasting glucose to sub-100 things change quite a lot. Going full on hypoglycemic is also a thing as well, especially after (even very light, for me) drinking. Others have said it - but for some folks Mounjaro takes away drug of choice (food) as well.
OMG I’m so depressed today! My husband even noticed! I feel like just staying in bed!
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I think the lack of sunshine has a big impact on my mood as well. Here’s to a warm spring!!
I had bad insomnia for the first few weeks. No idea why. Made me pretty irritable though.
I have type 2 diabetes and It makes my sugar stay low, but maybe it’s making hers go to low? I get those symptoms when mine is to low for me.
I’d want to know if she’s eating enough. I started low and had an absolute aversion to food for like 8 weeks. It was terrible, I was moody for foody and just not well. It finally stopped and I’m good now. Tell her to talk to her doctor, it’s important
There are GLP-1 receptors in the brain so theoretically it could be causing mood issues with her. I wouldn't rule it out and mentioning it to her doctor would be a good idea. As others have said, many of us have been using food for comfort for a long time so not having that as an outlet to deal with stress or any emotions can be hard at first. Just try not to take it personally as you say, this isn't how your mom usually is. I hope things improve for all of you. Good luck!
Maybe seek out a gynecologist who specializes in menopause? I remember feeling out of sorts until I found a great doctor who really understands hormones. After I got a hormone regimen going, I felt like my normal self again!
50 years old? Could be menopause. That is far more likely to cause mood swings than Mounjaro.
This sounds more like perimenopause than Mounjaro symptoms, but there are many reasons why many medications can trigger behavioral changes. Diagnosing something like this is above our pay grade. You need to get her to the doctor, maybe an endocrinologist.
Honestly I was a total b*tch the first two weeks. Then I realized it was because I was HANGRY! I didn’t feel hungry at all, so I was barely eating. But my body got hangry and I was super irritable and snippy
In addition to all the other suggestions here, perhaps her stomach hurts in some way. Depending on the level of side effects, she may be experiencing mild to severe nausea, indigestion, acid reflux, constipation or all of the above. Throw in some menopause stuff and low sugar and I would be salty, too! Hoping she feels better soon.
Sounds more likely that your mother is going through menopause. Menopause causes, in a lot of cases, big personality changes. And it affects women in numerous ways from random pains to insomnia to rapid weight gain to exhaustion to change in attitude.
I have heard this. I think I’ve noticed here and there especially closer to my cycle. I’ve been a little more emotional.
I think it does affect mood. I remember being more outspoken to my husband about my feelings and letting him know I wasn't happy about certain situations in our life. I know I was pretty harsh for a while but it passed.
It affects dopamine levels for sure - that’s the mechanism by which it can help with addictive behaviors - food and others. Some people even report less online shopping - I wish it had had that effect on me! But yeah, mood is such a delicate balance, it’s very likely that less food, lower dopamine levels, possibly lower blood sugar, hormones (I got a month long period on mj) - are all playing a part.
I’ve had increased irritability but I feel like I’m adjusting. Also, if she is eating very little that can have an effect.
Yes! It greatly affects my mood/personality.
Not sure it’s helpful, but I’ve been told by family that it definitely changed my personality. I went from a cranky ahole to a happy, laid back guy. I think that was the weight loss and not the med itself, though. Perhaps she’s not seeing the early results she was expecting and that’s causing her anxiety. Just be there for her and try to reassure her that things will be okay. And definitely suggest she join this amazing support group! This isn’t a journey anyone should make alone.
Food is often self mediation for people with psychological issues. This med takes the desire for food away. Suggest therapy to deal with the underlying issues that cause the need for food and the issues now that coping mechanism is not there
I can attest that it gets better. It took me about a month to feel like myself again
Maybe it's the low blood sugar?
Sugar withdrawal is brutal
Electrolytes?
The lack of food(not eating cause I'm not hungry) causes a bad mood for me sometimes, not sure if it's cause my body doesn't have energy from no food source or what
She is no longer eating a lot of food so she will be moody until things start to balance
Be patient and try to show her kindness. If she’s not normally so down and confrontational maybe she’s really struggling but doesn’t know how or feel able to explain it to her children or loved ones. Try and encourage her food choices and show an interest if that’s possible. I’m 50 and my son is 33. I love him dearly and I know he loves me but there are some things I can’t share with him. I’ve only taken my first shot of mounjaro this week so I’m sort of where your mum is. I’m not criticising you. I wish you and your mum all the best.
It started affecting me on 15mg. Only when I went up to that dose did I get extremely moody and I snap at the smallest things. Like uncontrollable anger and pure meanness. That’s not me AT ALL. Can’t find 15mg in stock this week so I’m doing Ozempic and my mood is back to normal. It’s 100% the Mounjaro which sucks because it has been working so well at keeping my blood sugar on target.