Metabolism plays a big role in our health, it’s not just about helping your digestive system work smoothly, but the way your body breaks down the food and helps nutrients get absorbed into the body that matters. But often due to one reason or the other, your metabolism can slow down, which then causes issues with people. Many people think that the reason they may be gaining weight could be because of their poor metabolism, so how does one go about fixing this issue and how do you even know that the fault lies with your metabolism.

To understand why your metabolism may be slowing down, we must understand what role it exactly plays. Metabolism is the process your body uses to turn food into energy. It's essential for everything from breathing and digestion to keeping you warm. Several things affect how fast your metabolism works, including your genes, health, and lifestyle. A slow metabolism means your body burns fewer calories, which can lead to tiredness, dry skin, weight gain, and cravings.

Why Does Your Metabolism Slow Down?

There can be many reasons why your metabolism may be slowing down. You inherit some of it, and it tends to slow down as you age, often due to changes in your body and less muscle. Men and women have different metabolisms because of body size, makeup, and hormones. What you eat matters too – not enough healthy food or a very low-calorie or high-fat diet can slow it down. A lazy lifestyle, lack of sleep, and stress can also make your metabolism sluggish. Certain health problems like diabetes or an underactive thyroid, and even environmental factors, may also play a role.

Signs You Need To Improve Your Metabolism

While these are some common signs, it is best to visit a healthcare professional and ask for their opinions before you try a solution. There are many underlying reasons as to why you are experiencing slow metabolism, it can also be a side-effect of some medicine. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way, especially for people who already have digestive issues, kidney or even mental health issues like stress and anxiety.

Constant Fatigue

Feeling tired all the time, even without a good reason, could mean your metabolism is slow. A slow metabolism means your body breaks down food into energy slowly, leaving you with low energy levels. You might feel sluggish or get tired easily throughout the day. Changes in what you eat or your body composition (how much fat and muscle you have) can also make you feel more tired.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is common in winter, but if you have it all the time, it could be a sign of a slow metabolism. Thyroid hormones help control your metabolism and also keep your skin hydrated. If your thyroid isn't working right and your metabolism is slow, your skin might get very dry.

Weight Gain

If you're eating healthy and exercising but still gaining weight, a slow metabolism could be the problem. A slow metabolism doesn't turn food into energy quickly, so you burn fewer calories. Extra calories are stored as fat, making it hard to lose weight.

Feeling Cold

Feeling cold even when it's not cold outside can be a sign of a slow metabolism. Your body generates heat through metabolism. If your metabolism is slow, your body temperature might be lower. Some studies show that people with an underactive thyroid or obesity may have lower body temperatures because of a slow metabolism. This can be because of problems with thyroid hormones, which help your body make heat.

Food Cravings

Craving sugary or fatty foods can be a sign of a slow metabolism. Studies show that cravings are related to metabolic health. This is especially true for people who don't eat enough healthy foods, have bad eating habits, or have low muscle mass and high fat mass. Cravings might also mean your body isn't getting enough energy from the food you eat, so it wants more energy.

Mood Swings

Everyone has mood swings sometimes. But if you have them often, it could be from a slow metabolism. Low energy and hormone problems that come with a slow metabolism can make you irritable and frustrated. Some older research also suggests a link between mental health issues and a slow metabolism.

Digestive Problems

Digestion and metabolism are connected. Digestion breaks down food, and metabolism turns it into energy. If your metabolism changes, like slowing down, it can affect your digestion. A slow metabolism can cause constipation, bloating, or diarrhea.

For 25-year-old Kaela Knight, a nail artist from Colorado, taking tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound, brought an unusual side effect: skin so sensitive that even a light touch hurt.

Knight started treatment in September 2024 at 210 pounds and eventually reached 125 pounds. But during her second month, as her dose increased from 2.5 mg to 5 mg, she began experiencing burning sensations.

"I always describe it as feeling like a sunburn without any visible redness or irritation," she told the Daily Mail.

The sensation affected her hips, forearms and neck. Episodes lasted 24–48 hours, although some persisted for about a week.

Other patients taking Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and also Mounjaro have reported similar experiences.

Known as allodynia, this nerve-pain condition makes normally harmless sensations, such as clothing brushing against the skin or a light touch, painful. Patients describe it as a sunburn without visible redness or irritation.

Although it is not an established side effect of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, medical reports have documented similar symptoms. A direct link remains unproven.

"I have [areas] all over that are burning. It's driving me nuts," one Reddit user wrote. Another said painkillers and lidocaine gels offered little relief.

Some patients report improvement after reducing their dose or stopping treatment.

Also read: Ozempic Hair: GLP-1 Drug Use Linked To 7% Higher Baldness Risk In Men

Why Could Weight-Loss Injections Cause Burning Skin?

Semaglutide, used in Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics the GLP-1 hormone. Tirzepatide, used in Mounjaro and Zepbound, targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

Dr Richard Siegel, an endocrinologist at Tufts Medicine, told the Daily Mail that these drugs could potentially affect nerve signalling through the brain and spinal cord.

Another theory involves changes in the fat layer beneath the skin during weight loss, which could affect nerve sensitivity. Neither explanation has been proven.

What Do Medical Reports Reveal?

An October 2025 report documented two cases:

• A 56-year-old woman developed painful skin sensations after switching to semaglutide 2.4 mg. Symptoms resolved without treatment after six weeks.
• A 75-year-old man with type 2 diabetes developed widespread burning after switching to tirzepatide. Symptoms resolved after he discontinued it and returned to oral semaglutide.

Some patients report improvement over time or after reducing their dose.

Dr Siegel said symptoms can last days to weeks, potentially becoming less noticeable as the body adjusts to treatment, much like nausea and constipation.

"It's possible something similar is happening here, where temporary changes in receptor activity alter nerve signaling at first, but become less noticeable as the body adjusts," he said.

Read More: Stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Linked To 22% Higher Heart Attack, Stroke Risk: Study

Newer Weight-Loss Drugs May Carry A Higher Risk

Clinical trials have also recorded dysesthesia, a broader category of abnormal sensations, including burning and tingling. It is not necessarily the same as allodynia.

In a high-dose oral semaglutide trial, dysesthesia occurred in fewer than 3% of 334 participants, compared with none receiving placebo.

Phase 3 trials of retatrutide, an experimental drug targeting GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors, reported:

• 9 mg dose: 8.8%
• 12 mg dose: 20.9%
• Placebo: 0.7%

Who Is More Vulnerable To Allodynia?

Risk factors remain unclear. Dr Siegel believes higher doses could play a role.

"As best as I can tell, it would mostly be people on higher doses of these medications," he said.

He also suggested that people with greater pain sensitivity, including those with fibromyalgia, might be more susceptible.

What Should Patients Do?

Patients experiencing unusual skin burning or sensitivity should consult their doctor. Dose adjustments or alternative treatments may be considered, but medication should not be changed or stopped without medical advice.

Allodynia can also occur with shingles, migraines and nerve damage, so symptoms should not automatically be attributed to weight-loss drugs.

Dr Siegel recommends recording when symptoms occur, where they appear and what makes them better or worse.

Persistent or worsening pain should be medically evaluated.

When was the last time you took the stairs without thinking twice, walked to the market without needing a break, or said yes to an outing without worrying about how tiring it might be?

Sometimes, the first sign that something has changed with your health is not a new symptom, but an activity you have quietly given up. A morning walk gets shorter, a flight of stairs calls for a pause, or a favourite weekend outing starts to feel like too much effort. It is easy to put these changes down to age, but they may be telling you something worth investigating.

A simple “activity audit” can help you connect the dots. Instead of asking only whether you feel unwell, compare what you could comfortably do a few years ago with what you can manage today.

Could you walk the same distance without stopping? Have stairs that once felt routine become difficult? Have you cut back on morning walks, stopped playing a favourite sport or become less inclined to leave the house? Do everyday activities such as grocery shopping, gardening or household chores require more effort than before?

These questions are particularly relevant after age 45, when declining stamina may be attributed entirely to ageing. However, a persistent change in exercise tolerance or everyday activity should not automatically be dismissed as a normal consequence of ageing.

Breathlessness during activity, unusual fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, swelling in the feet or ankles, and palpitations can occur in people with heart valve disease. These symptoms can also have other causes, but if they are persistent, unexplained or worsening, they warrant discussion with a healthcare professional.

Heart valve disease can develop gradually, allowing people to adapt their routines without recognising the underlying problem. Someone who becomes breathless while walking may take shorter routes, while another person may avoid stairs or social activities that involve physical exertion. Eventually, these adjustments can become part of daily life, making it harder to recognise a change in health.

Looking back can help restore that perspective. A simple three-part comparison offers a useful starting point: What could I do before? What can I do now? What changed in between?

Family members can also help identify differences that an older relative may have overlooked. A parent who once travelled regularly may begin avoiding trips, while someone who enjoyed gardening, shopping or meeting friends may increasingly prefer to stay home. These observations cannot establish a diagnosis, but they can prompt a timely conversation about health.

If breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, swelling, or palpitations are new, persistent, or interfering with everyday activities, consulting a doctor can help determine the cause. Depending on the symptoms and medical history, the evaluation may include a physical examination and an echocardiogram, commonly called a 2D echo. This ultrasound test helps assess the heart's structure and how its valves function.

An activity audit is not a diagnostic test. Its purpose is to help people recognise changes that might otherwise go unnoticed and decide when to seek medical advice.

Growing older does not necessarily mean giving up the activities that make everyday life enjoyable. Paying attention to changes in physical ability can help distinguish an expected adjustment from a potential health concern.

Start your activity audit today. Think about three activities you could comfortably do a few years ago but now find difficult, tiring or have stopped altogether. Note when these changes began and whether you have experienced symptoms such as breathlessness, unusual fatigue, dizziness or palpitations. If you notice a persistent or unexplained decline, schedule a consultation with your doctor and discuss whether further evaluation, including an echocardiogram, may be appropriate.

The question is simple: What have you stopped doing, and could your health be the reason? Taking that first step can help you understand the change and decide what to do next.

(By Dr. Sumanto Mukhopadhyay, a Senior Consultant Interventional and Structural Cardiologist, Apollo Hospital, Kolkata)

In a shocking viral trend, women in Kenya are reportedly inserting cetirizine, an allergy medication, into their vaginas in an attempt to achieve vaginal tightening and enhance sexual pleasure.

The practice has prompted warnings from pharmacists and health authorities, who caution that the drug is not meant for vaginal use and could pose health risks.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) has warned against the practice, stating that the medicine is not intended for vaginal use.

"Cetirizine is an allergy medicine, taken by mouth. It is not approved or tested for any other purpose, and definitely not for vaginal use," the PSK said in a statement issued on Thursday.

It advised women who had tried the practice to stop and seek medical attention if they experienced pain, bleeding, burning, itching, unusual discharge or fever.

What Is The Cetirizine Vaginal Tightening Trend?

Also read: Is Your Allergy Medicine Safe? FDA Recalls Antihistamine Tablets Over Life-Threatening Contamination Concerns

Posts circulating on Kenyan social media, particularly TikTok, claim that cetirizine can reduce vaginal moisture and create a sensation of tightness during sex, BBC reported.

The claims have sparked online debate, with some users endorsing the practice and others questioning its safety.

The trend has also reportedly increased demand for the drug, with local media reporting price rises and shortages at some pharmacies in Nairobi.

What Is Cetirizine And Why Is Its Misuse Dangerous?

Cetirizine is an oral antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and hives.

Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) clarified in a public safety alert issued on November 4 that cetirizine is used to treat allergic rhinitis and urticaria. It is intended for oral use and should be taken only as directed by a healthcare professional.

The Board stressed that "the drug is not approved for vaginal use or tightening and that no established scientific evidence supports such claims".

On the other hand, inserting the tablets may cause vaginal irritation, burning, soreness, pain and discomfort. It may also disrupt the vagina's natural protective environment and increase infection risk.

The PSK cautioned against confusing dryness with tightening.

"Dryness is not tightness... instead, it may increase friction, discomfort, and the risk of tissue injury," it said.

Taking more than the recommended cetirizine dose can also cause excessive sleepiness, dizziness, restlessness, confusion, shaking, a rapid heartbeat and difficulty passing urine, the PPB warned.

Kenya's Health Ministry Raises Concern

Read More: California Reports 4 Cases Of Deadly Clade I Mpox virus: What To Know About Local Transmission Risk

Kenya's health ministry had also flagged the trend a day earlier. Ouma Oluga, a senior health official, expressed concern that social media users were dismissing medical warnings without considering the consequences, the BBC reported.

He suggested that authorities could introduce a system to monitor medicine distribution and purchases to identify potential misuse. No formal decision has been announced.

Pharmacists Warn Of Shortages And Misuse

The PSK said it had received reports of increased cetirizine demand, rising prices and shortages at some pharmacies.

It urged retailers not to exploit the trend, warning that people who need the drug for allergies could struggle to access it. Pharmacists were also advised against knowingly dispensing medicines for misuse.

The PPB urged women not to insert cetirizine or other oral medicines into the vagina and to consult healthcare professionals about vaginal dryness or sexual health concerns rather than follow unverified online advice.