Loss of Life's Pleasures

senglish510 said:

I've been on Reta for several months now, currently at 5mg. Over the last few weeks, nothing I usually enjoy appeals to me anymore. Hobbies, sex, socializing, time with my family—none of it brings me joy. Food is the exception, but that's expected. I have zero desire to leave the house, or even get off the couch.

Last weekend my husband took the kids out of town, so I had the place to myself. I didn't get out of my bedroom until 5pm, just scrolling on my phone the whole time. At first I figured my depression had just gotten worse, even though this feels somewhat different. Then I came across information about anhedonia as a Reta side effect, and I'm now fairly sure that's what this is.

If you've gone through this, did Wellbutrin or Auvelity make a difference for the Anhedonia? Was there anything else that brought relief? Did lowering your dose help? I'm desperate for this feeling to go away. I really don't want to live this way, but I also don't want to be fat anymore. Please help!
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I can't speak to what your routine looked like before Reta, but these same shifts are showing up in me. Still, I push myself to meet my daily targets and carve out additional time for activities regardless of whether I'm in the mood—five gym sessions each week, cardio, spending time with friends, or opening up to somebody. There are moments when simply taking action and getting your body moving is what gets you through; after it turns into a routine, you become unstoppable.
 
In a sense, it benefited me. My phone games used to occupy me constantly, yet for 6 weeks now I haven't launched a single one. Gambling was another heavy habit of mine, and that too has decreased.

Fortunately, workouts, time with family and friends, and my sex life remain enjoyable — no shift there at all. If I were to lose that, I'd quit immediately, no question.
 
SoCalGirl said:

It really does ebb and flow. I'm not convinced that scrolling on your phone is doing any good, but I understand the impulse. What if, the evening before, you pick 1 or 2 modest things to accomplish the next day, so there's a small target to aim at? I maintain a list that keeps growing, and I NEVER feel like tackling a single item on it. This week it's 2 pantry shelves per day. I FORCED myself — it was so hard — to start on it last night, and wouldn't you know it, my mood improved and I'd already made solid progress on my morning, today. Best of luck. The struggle is real.
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Good grief, on certain weekends the highlight feels like, “I managed to brush my teeth! Go me!”
 
Yep, that anhedonia beast — a damnable creature straight out of Hades' depths.

Something has to be done to lift your dopamine. Perhaps Semax; a diet with carbs low enough and fat high enough that ketone burning kicks in — tough while on a GLP-1, no question. Plenty of working out, Yoga, fasting, meditation (or so I've heard). A handful of psychedelic compounds (not suggesting anyone attempt this at home).

Still, it appears the GLP-1s are messing with your dopamine in a way that isn't positive. Comes across as a pretty common side effect. When I first began Tirz, I had a mild taste of it. I turned to Semax to push back against it, and it worked to some extent.
 
Semax has made a real difference for me. Still, what I mostly dealt with felt closer to apathy. Enjoyment was possible, yet summoning any drive to actually do something was nearly out of reach.
 
I used to carry a lot of guilt over getting nothing done, and honestly that guilt is the hardest piece of anhedonia. Then it hit me: even though the drive isn't there, I am in fact still getting things done.

It's similar to that moment when the food noise switches off and eating feels like a chore, so you basically have to push yourself into it. Like a few of you said earlier, the trick seems to be forcing yourself to begin the activities you'd do regardless, since beginning is what takes the most effort.

My dogs have gotten old, and they'd put on weight since we kept giving them the same portions despite them moving around far less in their later years. We switched them to a single meal per day, which works great (both are now at a healthy weight), but you could tell the drop in satiety changed them mentally: they had extra bounce in their step, more eagerness and enthusiasm.

Satiety genuinely makes an enormous difference for us, and it also brings to mind how sluggish and lazy everyone feels after christmas dinner; on these peps we're experiencing a bit of that sensation constantly.
 
Anhedonia is genuinely tough. This week I picked up some new self-stick white boards that are fun, hoping they'd help me stay on track and feel good about crossing items off — and it's doing the job, meaning I am getting through what has to get done (even when I truly can't be bothered most of the time!).
 
My time on reta began at 2mg, and eventually I climbed to 10mg. Below 8mg, that sensation never really showed up; at 10mg it struck me hard, yet everything else felt excellent, and my results-focused mindset tolerated the temporary trade-off because I knew it wouldn't last. After reaching my target, I spent a few months tapering the dose down until I could "Feel the music" again. The moment my workout playlist started pumping me up once more, I understood everything had returned to equilibrium, and I've stayed at that level (5mg) ever since. Appetite is only as potent as it needs to be, the vibes are only as strong as they need to be, and so on. Each person will be different. Our body chemistries are all unique. You'll discover what works for you.
 
Yet another argument for moving over to tirz after you've reached your targets

On top of that, certain research indicates that extended depletion of kidney glycogen carries downsides, meaning Reta ought to be cycled at some point
 
My mind feels sharper rather than my cravings disappearing. The stuff I already recognized as harmful or just noise no longer pulls me at all. Fried foods? No thanks. Regular soda? Not interested. These days I'm at the gym and putting my energy into actually living, not just dragging myself to the next day.
 
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