Body Aches / Muscle Aches / Sore Muscles
Users on Reddit have reported experiencing body aches, muscle aches, and sore muscles while taking GLP-1 medications. These symptoms can vary in intensity and some users with pre-existing conditions like fibromyalgia report amplified pain.
Experiences with Body Aches / Muscle Aches / Sore Muscles:
A user reported, "Pain in muscles, like after a hard work out but no reason for it. "[6]
Another user with fibromyalgia noted, "I get bad body pain for a day or so... I feel like I have the flu for about a day. "[2]
One user on Trulicity for type 2 diabetes mentioned developing a "strange disease that is making my muscles ache the day after working out. This is like full blown flu aches but sharp instead of dull. Almost unbearable. "[7]
A user starting GLP-1 experienced weakness and sore muscles: "I started my initial dosage on Friday afternoon and 24 hrs later, I am feeling weak with sore muscles, nauseated with a bit of lightheadedness, dry mouth even after drinking so much water. "[5]
Some users report muscle loss, which can contribute to weakness. One user on semaglutide said, "I have had muscle loss. Which I’m now working on rectifying. "[4] Another user noted, "Sarcopenia - when people lose weight, it's inevitable that some of it is muscle loss. The faster you lose it, the more of it comes from muscle. People on GLP-1s lose weight fast. "[8]
Remedies and Preventions Recommended:
Magnesium Malate and CoQ10: For fatigue and body aches, a user recommended "magnesium malate and CoQ10. They seem to give me more energy. "[1]
Heated Blanket and Tylenol: For chills and body aches, the same user suggested, "For the chills, I used a heated blanket and sometimes took a Tylenol. "[1]
Vibration Plate Exercise Machine: One user asked how to tolerate awful muscle aches in legs and arms, and another replied, "The vibration plate exercise machine thing has been great for this. I don't know how it works for actual fitness but it does help with muscle aches. "[9, 10]
Resistance Training and Protein Intake: To combat muscle loss, which can lead to weakness and potentially aches, users recommend resistance training and adequate protein. One user stated, "Protein consumption is good but it’s useless without any form of resistance training. "[11] Another emphasized, "everyone absolutely needs to lift heavy weights, 2-4x per week. "[12] A user also shared, "If you're not using your muscles, then your body will pull from muscle and fat, but if you resistance train you're telling your body that you're using that muscle and not to break it down for energy. Assuming you're getting enough protein... you can minimize muscle loss while losing fat. "[13] Another user advised, "Make sure that you are getting enough protein. When eating less, its easy not to get enough and you want to keep as much of your muscle mass as you can... some of the research he's seen shows that there are people who are losing a good bit of muscle during the weight loss process on GLP-1’s. "[14]
Carb Cycling and Ashwagandha: One user suggested, "for keeping muscle while on a caloric restriction: you can either resistance train and have a very high protein diet. Or you can carb cycle while still maintaining your caloric deficit... Lastly: ashwaganda reduces cortisol levels. When cortisol is high, the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss shifts higher to the muscle loss. When cortisol is low, you lose more fat than muscle. "[15]
It's important to note that some users, particularly those with fibromyalgia, report that GLP-1 medications can exacerbate their existing pain and fatigue.
Experiences with Body Aches / Muscle Aches / Sore Muscles:
- Some users experience general body pain.
Remedies and Preventions Recommended:
- Electrolytes: One user mentioned keeping up with electrolytes to help with body aches and chills.
It's important to note that some users, particularly those with fibromyalgia, report that GLP-1 medications can exacerbate their existing pain and fatigue.