6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions

When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But as Everyday Health recently reported, they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions.

“These medications don’t just act on your stomach,” said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. “They also act on the brain.”

Research suggests that GLP-1s act on satiety centers in the brain, which control hunger and eating behavior, and on reward centers, which affect pleasure and the motivation to engage in enjoyable activities.

By reducing reward-seeking behavior, GLP-1s might curb more than overeating. Emerging research suggests these medications could also help people cut back on drinking, smoking and illicit drug use.

The direct effect of GLP-1s on the brain can partially explain their emotional impact. Weight loss itself, which can become noticeable in a matter of weeks, can also affect a person's emotions.

Here are six ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect a person's emotions:

1. You may feel more grateful

2. Your sex life may improve

3. You may have better impulse control

4. Your mood may improve

5. You may feel more hopeful about your future

6. You may feel a stronger sense of belonging

Read the complete Everyday Health article for an explanation of each of the six ways.

Featured image at top: Weight loss drug injection pens and a measuring tape. Photo/iStock/Alones Creative.