Lifestyle

SHARP JABS

GLP-1 Patients Report New Side Effect—and It’s Hitting Relationships Hard

Here’s why expert are warning of a so-called “divorce boom.”

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedApr 10, 2026, 1:29 PM EDT

UpdatedApr 10, 2026, 1:33 PM EDT

Updated Apr 10, 2026, 1:33 PM EDTPublished Apr 10, 2026, 1:29 PM EDT

Move over, “Ozempic itch.” A new side effect is raising alarm among experts, and it goes well beyond the physical effects associated with weight-loss drugs.

Medical experts warn that getting jabs of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist drugs, more commonly known as GLP-1s, may lead to separation or divorce.

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A 2022 study found that married patients who underwent bariatric surgery were more than twice as likely to divorce compared to the general public. The study’s results also indicated a possible connection between greater weight loss and higher divorce rates among participants.

Now, similar effects are expected for GLP-1 users on medications such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy.

“The effect likely unfolds in several stages,” Per-Arne Svensson, a professor and researcher at the University of Gothenburg’s Institute of Health and Care Sciences in Sweden, told Fox News Digital.

“First, a substantial amount of weight must be lost, which typically occurs within the first year. Subsequently, changes in relationship dynamics may begin to emerge, followed by the legal processes associated with divorce.”

The Seven-Pound Itch

GLP-1 Patients Report a Side Effect Worse Than Ozempic Face

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The change in relationship dynamics following a physical transformation may be driven by newfound confidence and increased attention.

“Weight loss itself may increase a sense of autonomy or confidence, potentially empowering individuals to leave unhealthy relationships,” Svensson told the outlet.

Another reason is a possible change in lifestyle: people who have experienced weight loss often become more social, which the other partner must then adapt to.

These concerns aren’t merely hypothetical: In the r/GLP1Researchtalk Subreddit, where members share information and firsthand experiences, one Zepbound user reported feeling distant from their husband, who is not taking any medication.

“It’s almost like he considers it cheating,” they wrote. “He keeps mentioning doing it the natural way and that the side effects are unnatural and shouldn’t be there when you’re losing weight. While I’ve lost 12 pounds, he’s gained 12.”

The poster concluded, “I’m losing my husband now, together with the weight.”

Another user in the group responded with sympathy and reassured the original poster that their experience is "very common."

“Buckle up, friend,” the commenter wrote. “It’s really worth starting couples therapy now to address some of these issues.”

They added a warning that “if this is happening after 12 pounds of weight loss, things are likely to get even more strained and tense when you lose enough weight to see improvements in your quality of life, mobility, stamina, [etcetera], and when your weight loss becomes noticeable to others.”

Social media platforms like TikTok, too, are filled with users who say that going on GLP-1s “ruined” their relationships.

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There is good news for couples in which both spouses are candidates for weight-loss treatment: Svensson said that taking the journey together can actually benefit the relationship.

The medication has been linked to changes in libido, directly impacting intimacy in relationships.

“From a physical perspective, GLP-1 medications affect smooth muscle activity, which can influence arousability and orgasm due to changes in blood flow to the genital area,” general practitioner Naveed Asif told The Guardian.

The Seven-Pound Itch

GLP-1 Patients Report a Side Effect Worse Than Ozempic Face

Roosa Rahkonen

“Chemically, the effects may vary among different patient groups, but there’s also a dopaminergic component: dopamine, a hormone released in the brain in response to stimuli, may decrease when using these peptides,” Asift explained. “This creates challenges related to desire and sexual attraction, potentially impacting overall sexual function.”

According to him, GLP-1s can also disrupt the balance of the estrogen hormone, noting that “this issue appears to be more pronounced in women using these peptides.”

He continued, “I have observed that many women experience significant side effects that lead them to discontinue the medication. Some patients reported worsening mental health, including increased depression and anxiety, which likely affects sexual function as a secondary consequence.”

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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