Reta making anyone else panicky?

Veggie_Guy

Veggie_Guy

Active member
Everything was smooth sailing for the initial month. But then, over the past couple of weeks, I've had two episodes that felt like panic attacks show up a few days post-injection — heart pounding, like anxiety outta nowhere, just this overwhelming feeling. The last one was bad enough that I had to go to urgent care and they gave me a shot of something to calm me down plus some fluids 'til I leveled out.

Thing is, I've barely ever had panic attacks before, and when I did there was something obviously setting me off. This time... nothing. I'm on top of my electrolytes and keeping my blood sugar stable, and that didn't help at all. Bloodwork was normal too, which surprised everyone.

So for those of you who've been on retatrutide longer:
• Did panic-like feelings start later on, not right at the beginning?
• If so, did they hit you a day or two after your shot?
• Any tricks that helped besides lowering the dose or just waiting it out?

Just looking for shared experiences, not treatment advice. Gonna run this through a grammar checker to make sure it's readable.
 
What's your dosage when these panic attacks started? I haven't had that happen with reta, but I've dealt with panic attacks way back. For me, it was things like not enough sleep, too much coffee, or even some over-the-counter cold meds. Might not apply, but just throwing it out there!
 
Those panic-like feelings (racing heart, anxiety) a day or two after injecting are reported by some on retatrutide; often they show up or worsen after 4–6 weeks as the medication builds up. The glucagon aspect can cause your heart rate to increase, triggering anxiety in some of us. Common suggestions from other users:
Drop the dose (usually the best solution)
Beta-blockers or clonidine (prescription, for the heart thing)
Techniques for breathing to break the cycle
Lay off caffeine
Try injecting earlier in the day
Many report it gets better as you get used to it (around week 24) or by switching meds.

If you switch to tirzepatide, most who’ve switched report less or no panic/palpitations. Tirz causes less heart rate elevation (no glucagon part), and the side effects tend to be easier on the cardiovascular system + anxiety, while still offering good weight loss.

Hope this is helpful!
 
Reta seems to activate the nervous system more than other GLP drugs, so it's more likely to cause this kind of thing than tirzepatide. The timing a day or two after your dose? That's probably when the meds are peaking. It's probably smart to lower the dose or switch to tirzepatide and increase doses slowly. If the panic attacks keep happening, get them treated, it can train you into being agoraphobic without you realizing it.
 
Low blood sugar could also cause those symptoms. I once felt like I was having a panic attack after a workout, and then I realized I forgot to eat!
 
Good info! Reta can also cause pretty bad dehydration, I've read. That can also worsen palpitations and feelings of anxiety. I add an electrolyte packet to my water daily.

Also, if you're worried about more panic attacks, maybe look at Tirz?
 
Whoa, perfect timing - just saw this thread.

Last night my heart rate spiked to 189 for no reason. I was just chilling in bed, then felt anxious. Checked my watch, and my resting heart rate was 100 while I was just lying there. (Normally it's 70-85 on Reta, like 65 when I'm sleeping).

I remembered breathing exercises can sometimes help, so I tried a few deep breaths but I felt like I couldn't get any air. It kept climbing to 110, 120, 140, 150, then 189. My left hand got numb and I felt dizzy. Super scary feeling, like something was seriously wrong.

Ended up in the ER, heart rate stayed at 120 all night. They did bloodwork and scans, but found nothing. I didn't tell them about the experimental stuff, lol. Got discharged and slept on it, but it's still around 100bpm.

For reference, this was a purple top. Currently at 9.5mg, increasing 0.5mg every month if I felt less effect. Was previously on 7mg tirz. Been on this GLP-1 thing for over a year, half on tirz/reta.

After this, I'm going back to tirz for my sanity. Reta just wasn't doing as much for me anyway. If this was a panic attack, it's my first one ever. I'm an incident commander and even during emergencies my heart rate barely goes up to 140. I was calm, but my body was freaking out.
 
Dude, that SUUUUCKS... now the VA shrink and nurses won't leave me alone. They think this was 'an episode' since they can't find anything wrong.
 
Never gave me panic attacks, but my resting heart rate definitely jumped up! I also had random palpitations sometimes. After being off it for a couple weeks, it's back to normal.

The low blood sugar feelings were intense! I always carried a snack with me in case I felt it coming on!

It messed with my sleep, but now I can sleep for like six hours straight. Overall, it was worth it, no pain no gain... I'm honestly looking forward to using it again during a cut!
 
With reta and other GLPs, it's more likely to be *pseudo*hypoglycemia (relative hypoglycemia) than actual hypoglycemia. Symptoms similar to low blood sugar, but caused by something else:

For your heart, have you tried taurine and CoQ10? I also stay hydrated with electrolytes.
 
I'm literally doing ALL that stuff. The docs can't figure it out. Now they want me to get my ears checked... seriously?!?
 
Yep, heart rate rising. It sucks so much when I'm at work (at my desk) I have to step outside lol. I went to the ER because my resting BPM was 140-160...

Knowing it's just the peptides and not something mental keeps me calm, even though my heart rate spiking tricks me into panicking. Might be what's happening to you.
 
Someone on reddit was saying reta gave them a panic attack the other day.

But that's the first I had heard of it.

Coulda been you sharing the same story over there. Or maybe it's a new side effect that's coming out and you're one of the first.
 
I had that on Mounjaro. Not full-blown panic attacks, but the feeling of one about to happen? Most of the time, it was my own brain making it worse. Like, in a meeting I'd think *please don't let me freak out right now*, and that thought would trigger it.

I can usually calm myself down, but sometimes I have to step out for a minute. Just started reta this week, so wish me luck!
 
I'm no expert, and I haven't tried it, but I've heard good things about people using Selank for anxiety and panic attacks. From what I've read, it's been a game-changer for some folks.

Might be worth looking into. Could help with those panic attacks.
 
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