Can Retatrutide Cause Ankle Pain?
There is no evidence that retatrutide causes ankle pain. The available clinical trial data for retatrutide do not report ankle pain, joint pain, or musculoskeletal symptoms as adverse events associated with this medication.
Evidence from Clinical Trials
The safety profile of retatrutide has been evaluated in multiple phase 2 trials involving adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes:
In the 48-week obesity trial (n=338), the most common adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature—including nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting—with no mention of ankle pain or musculoskeletal complaints. 1
In the 36-week type 2 diabetes trial (n=281), mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse events were reported in 35% of retatrutide-treated participants, but ankle pain was not documented as an adverse event. 2
The body composition substudy (n=189) specifically assessed musculoskeletal outcomes through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and reported no ankle pain or joint-related adverse events. 3
Known Adverse Event Profile
The documented side effects of retatrutide are:
Gastrointestinal symptoms (dose-related, mostly mild-to-moderate): nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation 1, 2
Cardiovascular effects: dose-dependent increases in heart rate (up to 6.7 beats/min), which peaked at 24 weeks and declined thereafter 1, 4
No serious musculoskeletal, joint, or ankle-related adverse events have been reported in any published trial data 1, 3, 2
Clinical Context
If a patient taking retatrutide develops ankle pain, alternative etiologies should be investigated:
Ankle pain is not a recognized side effect of GLP-1, GIP, or glucagon receptor agonists, the three receptors targeted by retatrutide 5, 2
Common causes of ankle pain—such as ankle sprains, arthritis, tendinitis, or other mechanical injuries—should be evaluated using standard diagnostic approaches 6
The absence of ankle pain in clinical trials involving 338 participants over 48 weeks and 281 participants over 36 weeks provides strong reassurance that this is not a drug-related effect 1, 2