Loss of Life's Pleasures

I went through severe anhedonia once I reached about 4.5 mg of Reta each week. It seems fairly typical based on what I've seen reported. It never got better for me, but I reached my goal weight and stopped, then felt much better once I switched to Tirz for maintenance. I already deal with dopamine-related mood problems so this hit me especially hard.

Get some Tirz and switch once the Reta has cleared. You can always restart later. I dealt with it the first time around but after restarting it disappeared completely.

I experienced the same thing strongly while on Tirz. Starting Wellbutrin again made a clear difference. On weekends I would try to come up with anything I felt like doing and nothing came to mind, so I just sat on the couch. There was no spark for any activity. Once I restarted the medication I noticed improvement in about five days and now I have interests and motivation again.

This issue shows up often once people reach higher amounts of Reta. Many seem to run into it past 3 or 4 mg per week, though timing varies. For me it felt like part of the whole process. Some report fewer of these symptoms on Tirz, though that's just what I've heard. Other things like eating too few calories, not enough carbs, or dehydration could also play a role, so it might be worth checking those first.

Since beginning Reta I've become very focused on researching peptides and it feels almost like an obsession. At first I blamed it on phone habits, but with a recent family death and the heavy tasks that followed I can't rule out that the medication has added to a flat feeling.

I was already somewhat like that beforehand, but Reta has made the feeling stronger.

I developed strong apathy at 4 mg of Reta and one week at 5 mg made it unbearable. After getting my hormones checked I found my testosterone was very low. I dropped back to 2 mg, added testosterone, and now feel like myself again with more energy every day. I don't actually need to lose weight, just adjust body composition, and now I have the drive to lift again.

No way, get rid of it right now.

I'm dealing with this at the moment and I'm trying Mots-c to see if it adds any energy.

I had the same problem on Tirz. It would fade then return when I increased the dose, then fade again. Adding a small amount of Survo helped quite a bit. I never experienced it on Reta.

It comes and goes in waves. Scrolling probably doesn't help the situation. Could you pick one or two small tasks the night before so you have something to aim for? I keep a list even though I never feel like doing any of it. This week I'm aiming for two pantry shelves daily. I pushed myself last night and afterward my mood improved and I got a good start today. The effort is worth it.

Lots of people have gone through this. I'm on high doses of both Reta and Tirz with no clear mental changes I can identify, though I do get the usual stomach issues. I'd rather deal with the flat feeling than the physical problems.

I'm also noticing the anhedonia at 4 mg per week.

I felt something similar after reaching 4 mg weekly, a kind of disconnection where I didn't feel like talking much with people close to me. Oddly I never had the stomach problems others mention. At that point it seems sensible to lower the dose for a while and see how it goes, since this isn't a race.

I'm noticing similar changes in myself, though I don't know what my baseline was before Reta. I still make sure to meet my daily targets and set aside time for things even when I don't feel like them, such as going to the gym, cardio, seeing friends, or talking with someone. Sometimes just starting helps, and once it becomes routine it gets easier.

In my case it actually helped. I used to play phone games constantly but haven't touched them in six weeks. I also gambled a lot and that's decreased. I still enjoy working out, time with family and friends, and my sex life hasn't changed. If the flat feeling had happened to me I would stop immediately.

It's that anhedonia problem again. You need to do something to boost dopamine. Semax is one option, or a very low-carb high-fat diet that gets you into ketosis, though that's tough on a GLP-1. Exercise, yoga, fasting, or meditation are other ideas I've heard. Some psychedelic compounds have also been mentioned, though I'm not suggesting anyone try them. These medications seem to affect dopamine in a negative way for some people, and it appears fairly common. I had a mild version when I started Tirz and Semax helped reduce it.

Semax helped me quite a bit. I had more apathy than true anhedonia; I could still enjoy things but getting the motivation to start anything felt nearly impossible.

I was feeling guilty about getting nothing done, which is the worst part, until I realized I'm still completing tasks even without motivation. It's similar to how food noise disappears and you have to make yourself eat. The important thing is starting the activities you would normally do anyway. My older dogs became less active but we kept feeding them the same amount until I switched them to one meal a day; they perked up once they weren't constantly full. Satiety seems to have a big effect on energy and drive, like how people feel sluggish after a big holiday meal. We're basically experiencing that all the time on these medications.

The anhedonia is tough. I got some new whiteboards to help me track tasks and get the small reward of checking them off, and it's helping me get things done even when I don't feel like it.

My dose went from 2 mg up to 10 mg over time. The flat feeling didn't appear until 8 mg and hit hard at 10 mg, but otherwise I felt good and accepted it as temporary. Once I hit my goal I slowly lowered the dose over months until I started feeling music again and my workout playlist got me energized. I settled at 5 mg where hunger and overall mood feel balanced. Everyone's body chemistry differs so results will vary.

Another reason to move to Tirz after reaching goals. Some research also suggests long-term kidney glycogen depletion can have downsides, so Reta should probably be cycled at some point.

I feel more focused rather than losing desire. Things I knew were bad habits or distractions just don't interest me anymore. Fried foods and regular soda are gone. I've been consistent in the gym and focused on living instead of just getting through the day.