Why do people on Ozempic and other obesity drugs lose interest in alcohol – haroonabadvital.com

Taking weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro not only curbs your appetite but also your cravings for alcohol, with many people taking obesity medications reporting reducing their drinking habit and feeling amazing.

A new study of Weightwatchers members who took obesity medications and drank alcohol said half of them cut back on their medication after starting the medication. One reason may be that people taking weight-loss medications have experienced changes in their tolerance to alcohol.

Tamara Hall, 45, a mother of three, started taking Monjaro in 2023. She was quoted as telling NPR that she started feeling full and dizzy after one drink whereas her tolerance for alcohol was much better earlier. She said she felt the effects of alcohol intensely and this encouraged her to stop.

“I didn’t know it would have an effect on me not wanting to drink alcohol, so I think it’s a huge benefit,” she said.

There is research to prove Hall’s claims. A study recently published in JAMA Psychiatry found just that Glucagon-like peptide drugs 1 Such as semaglutide and liraglutide can effectively limit alcohol abuse. This finding could help addicts reduce their dependence.

Researchers believe that Ozempic and Wegovy, two different brand names for the injectable drug semaglutide, which works by regulating blood sugar and appetite, may also affect the brain’s reward system in ways that reduce alcohol cravings.
GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, which contain the active ingredient semaglutide, may help reduce alcohol cravings as well as reduce food intake. A study in Nature Communications found that among more than 88,000 participants:

It was found that the risk of developing alcohol use disorder was 50% lower in those taking semaglutide compared to other weight loss medications. Relapse rates for individuals with a history of alcohol use disorder were 56% lower with semaglutide.
Semaglutide was also superior to older anti-addiction medications such as naltrexone and topiramate in reducing new cases and relapses of alcohol use disorder.

How weight loss medications can reduce drinking

Semaglutide can affect the brain’s reward system in such a way that alcohol loses its appeal. Furthermore, medications such as semaglutide may limit drinking because they alter the digestive process which may alter the effect on metabolism and its effects.

“Semaglutide belongs to a family of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which interrupt the signals in the brain that control our desire for rewards, helping to reduce food cravings. These same brain circuits can fuel alcohol addiction.” And other drugs, may also be affected by semaglutide, says W. Kyle Simmons, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and physiology at Oklahoma State University Health Sciences Center in Tulsa.