First legal users of weight loss drug Reta report ‘genuinely unbearable’ side effect
The first legal users outside of clinic trials for a new mega weight-loss drug has come with some side effects that had one person saying her 'soul left [her] body'.
Retatrutide is an experimental drug developed by Eli Lilly, which comes in the form of a once-weekly injectable medication.
Having shown promising results, it was put through Phase 3 of clinical trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes to see just how it compares to other drugs on the market.
Known as the 'Godzilla' of weight loss, unlike its competition Wegovy and Mounjaro, this drug targets three different hormone receptors to suppress appetite and increase fat burning.
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In its trial, people were able to lose around 28.3 percent of their body weight, or five stone whilst taking it.
But despite being known as 'exercise in a jab', that doesn't' mean it's without its downsides.
Like most meds, side effects are something to be wary of, but when it comes to Reta, some have found them to be 'unbearable'.
On Reddit, retatrutide users said the drug left them 'unable to experience joy or happiness,' which has been 'genuinely unbearable.'
Clinically, this feeling is known as anhedonia, which has been reported as being a side effect for many weight loss drugs by social media users.
Speaking of her own experience was Tian Molnar, who told the Daily Mail it led to 'severe mental health side effects' that made her 'lose it.'
The 26-year-old beautician from Australia was already slim but used the loss drug 'on and off' for three months at 20mg every five days.
While her body was noticeably improving, she said the same couldn't be said for her mental health.
"Over time, I noticed significant changes in my mood and motivation," she said. "I felt unusually tired, flat and extremely unmotivated, and I experienced periods where I felt very sad and insecure.
"There were times when things I would normally enjoy didn't give me the same feeling of happiness or excitement. "
In the end, she said she hit 'rock bottom'.
So, why is this happening?
According to Dr Mary Sco, it's because of its dopamine blunting properties.
She told the outlet: "GLP-1s blunt the amount of dopamine that's being released in the brain when we eat.
"If we're blunting that dopamine response, decreasing our cravings and reducing the amount of pleasure we experience from food, it could potentially blunt the pleasure we experience from other things in life as well."
She added: "So I'm not at all surprised that someone might say their attraction to others, or their interest in things generally, has decreased."
Known side effects of the drug are pretty similar to that of other weight loss medications.
Namely, it impacts the digestive system.
"As with other medicines in the incretin-based drug class, retatrutide is associated with a range of side effects, the majority of which relate to the gastrointestinal system," Bolt Pharmacy explains.
Retatrutide is not yet available in the UK and has not been approved for use by any regulatory bodies, but people have been reportedly getting their fix through the black market - which is not advisable, by the way.
According to its Phase 2 trial data, the most commonly reported adverse effects included:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Decreased appetite
LADbible Group contacted Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk for comment.
Topics: Health, Mental Health
Britt Jones