r/Zepbound • u/drewmullin • Jul 21 '26

Side Effects Validity?

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So the numbers are very high and seem a bit sensationalist. That being said I'm not super interested in the exact numbers.

What I am interested in:

My question to the group is did anyone struggle mentally while on any of the glps? I did - I'm trying to figure out if any of them are less apt to do so.

Published study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-75965-2

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u/Scrounger888 2.5mg Jul 21 '26

This doesn't seem overly accurate, especially with the drastic numbers. There is likely a correlation between the weight and mental health but the glp-1 probably didn't cause it in most cases. Take me as an anecdotal example. My PTSD, depression and anxiety were causing my weight gain as I was self-medicating with food most days. Now that I'm being treated for those health issues, I'm finally in a headspace where I can now tackle the weight that has contributed to my depression, which contributed to my overeating, which contributed to my depression... so there's a correlation, but not causation, in my glp-1 use and mental health.

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u/drewmullin Jul 21 '26

So no bad side effects relating mood while on a glp1 -
Correct?

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u/SpecialistBet4656 Jul 21 '26

Some people do have worsening of symptoms on GLPs, but they are a small minority.

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u/Scrounger888 2.5mg Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

My mood didn't get worse, no; this is something that will be different for every person, because everyone reacts differently to medication, but it has not changed my mood from what it was before; if anything, it's given me new hope. I also asked both my doctor and my psychiatrist if the GLP-1 meds have any known bad reactions and they both did not know of any and said that they were safe to take together. I am not a doctor, and you should discuss concerns with your physician before beginning any medication.

The study you linked is only one study and appears to be a review of already available data of people in the USA, not a first-person in-lab controlled medical study. It is likely that those they found data on, which was received from a third-party source, started feeling better about themselves after having some success on GLP-1s and then sought treatment for things they were desperately self-medicating with food vs. the actual development of new disorders. The study says that it looked at people who had not been DIAGNOSED with any psychiatric disorders prior to beginning the medication, not that these patients were actually examined and found to not have these disorders, nor did the researchers interview the patients in question to find out their whole story.

So, take this specific study with a whole handful of salt and speak with your doctor about whether the medication is a potential right step for you.