Emily* had been on Ozempic for just two weeks when she first noticed the change.

‘I had no nausea and no burps – but this feeling where I couldn’t really be bothered doing anything started coming on pretty strong,’ she tells Daily Mail.

‘I felt flat, like I had no mojo, just a damp, grey cloud hanging over my head.’ 

The mother-of-two, from Sydney, says she kept her low mood to herself. ‘I was losing weight for the first time in years so if I felt a little down in the dumps, well, I know this sounds bad, but I was sort of prepared to live with it,’ she says. 

But as the weeks turned into months, the fatigue and general feeling of malaise only grew stronger. 

‘It was getting to the point where I could barely get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to lie there. I had kids who needed to get to school and a full-time job so it was turning into a bit of a problem.’

After four months, Emily went back to her GP. ‘She told me that the fatigue and low mood could be possible side effects and suggested Mounjaro.’

Mounjaro is a more expensive, dual-action drug that targets two hormone receptors, while Ozempic targets one. 

'It was getting to the point where I could barely get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to lie there,' Emily* tells Daily Mail

‘It was getting to the point where I could barely get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to lie there,’ Emily* tells Daily Mail 

‘As soon as I took [Mounjaro], I felt better. I still had fatigue but I didn’t have that heavy, grey feeling that I’d had before,’ Emily says. 

When the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released a safety alert last week, warning that weight-loss medications – including Ozempic and Mounjaro – could lead to ‘new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts and/or unusual changes in mood or behaviour’, Emily says she felt validated.

‘I knew I felt bad and not just because I was eating less! I knew it wasn’t in my head!’ 

But she’s quick to add, ‘I never felt like I should go and harm myself, I just felt like sinking into the bed and never getting up.’

Emily is not alone. Writer Allison Davis documented her listless tumble into what she called ‘inability to experience joy or pleasure’ in New York Magazine last month.

‘I wasn’t sad, exactly. Instead, things suddenly felt “just fine”. Nothing excited me. I wasn’t really looking forward to anything… my brain felt swaddled in a beige blanket,’ she wrote.

‘Eventually, I realised my new affinity for beige and appearing dead-eyed in photos had coincided with an increase in the dosage of my GLP-1.’

And while actress Amy Schumer credits her 22.6kg (50lb) weight loss to Mounjaro, she’s previously spoken about the struggles she suffered while on Ozempic.

Ozempic users are reporting a gradual decline in mood, loss of desire, and persistent fatigue

Ozempic users are reporting a gradual decline in mood, loss of desire, and persistent fatigue

‘I lost 30 pounds so quick,’ she told Howard Stern in January. ‘I looked great, but I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. So what’s the point?’ 

These experiences mirror hundreds of anecdotal accounts on social media and Reddit, where people report that it’s not just nausea – they describe a gradual decline in mood, loss of desire and persistent fatigue.

The TGA notes that ‘there is a complex interplay between mental illness and chronic endocrine disorders for which GLP-1 RAs may be used for treatment.’

Put simply, medicines that affect the brain’s reward system could also impact mental health. While this is just one of several theories being explored by researchers and doctors, Dr Brad McKay says the warning is more about exercising caution than responding to any major risk.

‘Some patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists have reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours. To put this into context, it’s estimated that over 500,000 Australians have been using GLP-1 receptor agonists, and less than 100 people around the country have reported suicidal thoughts or behaviours.’

McKay also suggests the relationship between weight-loss medications and low mood is considered to be an association with the medication rather than a direct cause.

‘It’s common for patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists to feel nauseated, reduce their food or fluid intake, and subsequently feel lightheaded,’ says McKay, who recommends starting off slowly on a lower dose and only increasing that dose when you feel comfortable.

But, says McKay, ‘Research shows that people taking tirzepatide [Mounjaro] generally achieve greater weight loss and experience fewer side effects compared with people taking semaglutide [Ozempic].’

Emily is now on a low ‘maintenance’ dose of Mounjaro, but says the difference in her mood might not just be about a change in medication. 

Dr Brad McKay says the warning is more about exercising caution than responding to any major risk

Dr Brad McKay says the warning is more about exercising caution than responding to any major risk

‘I started exercising more with Mounjaro because I’d lost so much muscle and that seems to offset my grey cloud feeling more than anything else,’ she says.

‘It’s also helped me keep the weight off.’ 

While the overall risk of severe mental health side effects appears to be low, it’s still important to pay attention to how you’re feeling.

If you notice persistent low mood, anxiety, or any change in your mental health, while taking GLP-1 medications, speak to your doctor.

They can help assess your symptoms, adjust your dose, or consider switching you to a different medication if needed.

For some, such as Emily, moving to Mounjaro has meant fewer side effects and better overall health. It’s a reminder that everyone responds differently – and that finding the right medication, dose, and lifestyle balance matters.

* Names have been changed Â