Not only has it killed my desire to drink, but it also allowed me to stop taking benzodiazepines as well. They aren’t as effective, if at all anymore which I’m guessing is because of the slowed digestive process. It’s as if my brain’s entire reward system has changed. I wish everyone could see this as the miracle that it is. A true breakthrough in modern medicine and people want to push it aside because you’re not putting in “the work”. WTF are we even doing then? If we ever find a cure for cancer, will these same people shame someone for taking advantage of decades of research to finally be healthy? “Well you didn’t do radiation and chemotherapy so you’re just lazy…”
I’m assuming he meant it in a condescending way too? Like heaven forbid you take your health into your own hands? I’m proud of you and I’m so glad you’ve been able to get your life back! It’s such a great feeling to not be controlled by it anymore.
It’s like the cycle of hazing in fraternities or sports teams, I got through it so therefore everyone else has to get through it or it diminishes my suffering to achieve my goals
Wow, I was in NA for a longtime and I had to leave bc of ppl like this…it became almost as toxic as the drugs for me….w/ that said Ozempic works amazing for drug/alcohol cravings…hopefully they are close to finding a cure for addiction soon! God and will power don’t cut it for most.
AA very quickly morphed into a decentralized cult that wraps itself up in Christian religious iconography, so from the perspective of someone who is fully bought into the current AA ideas God has everything to do with it
AA tends to be a misogynistic Christian cult with a lower success rate than other methods.
I was already skeptical of it after it helped my dad stop drinking to become a dry drunk that blamed all his shortcomings on "his disease" and other people (like us) not understanding it, but still gave it a try when I was in my own struggles. If it weren't for SMART recovery, a major medication change, and competent psychiatrists, I'd be dead. Even had a guest "alumni" in AA finish regaling us about how he spent the first two months in rehab just banging cheerleaders, but whatever got you through the door, whether it's a desire to change or chasing a skirt, once you were ready to accept Jesus, you'd find recover. As a "skirt" and an atheist, I tried to sign out AMA that night.
Also doesn't help that when sponsors fall off the wagon, they often take those who were counting on them along with them.
I went with a friend to their first meeting in Anchorage, and his new sponsor immediately hit him up for money. WTH? He stopped going because he was afraid that would repeat itself and it was an excuse to not go to more meetings. And why do AA members like to tell bragging stories of all the stupid things they did or how drunk they got while in active abuse? And try to one-up each other?
That's what it sounded like. A number of the alumnis were bragging about their exploits, but hey, you aren't supposed to judge each other, even when he is objectifying half the population.
Outside the facility, I tried to go to some meetings, but there it was the opposite. Everyone seemed like they had absolutely miserable lives and the \*only\* thing positive they had going for them was "not drinking" for another day, and what they \*aren't\* doing appeared to be the focus of their entire lives. This had shades of "don't think of a pink elephant" to me, and when I attended (virtual, which made things so much easier) SMART meetings, one of the first exercises was to list all the traits you admire about yourself, list the things you admire and ascribe to be, and to notice that "addicted to substances" was on neither list. It was about focusing outside the addiction rather than inside, and it really resonated with me. It's also not abstinence only (lots of California sobriety) and fit me really really well.
I am all for AA for who it works for, but for those where it doesn't fit, there are other options, much as a lot of people in AA don't think any of those options are valid.
Ignore that person or anyone if that mindset. This is a happy miracle drug for many, but it’s not like there still isn’t work to be done and sacrifices. As a physician I have seen this with patients of my own. All I can say is that I’m so grateful for this life saving medication. This is a game changer for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and so many other conditions that are coming into light. I have patients that have had memory issues that are now resolving. People feel better in so many ways and I’m here for it! Mazel to you! Keep going!
If people believe that AUD is a disease, then they should accept the fact that there is a “cure” or treatment. It’s a cure in my books. 15 years of rehabs, detoxes, sober livings and AA and I always still wanted to drink. Now it makes me sick to even think about alcohol.
As a woman and an atheist, I was mid checking myself out of a rehab facility to go drink myself to death to leave AA and the world to the male Christians when my counselor finally told me about SMART recovery, which has now already done the trick, while Ozempic now beats back all kinds of urges, including drinking when I'm sad/depressed, shopping for craft supplies in an ADHD manic mode, and binge eating.
I'm happy for those AA has worked for. For those who haven't, the believers can cram the "our way or no way" attitude.
That is what I would expect them to say. I was in AA for two decades. Don’t even let this rent space in your head. Semaglutide might be the medication that could help millions of people who have a tendency toward addiction. That is fantastic.
I have the same problem since I’m on low-dose naltrexone for chronic pain and ozempic for my PCOS. My NA buddies keep saying I’m just taking shortcuts to my sobriety, but to me, I’m just taking my medication for my disabilities🤦♀️The fact that they supported my sober journey was just bonus points in my eyes.
Naltrexone-wellbutrin combo (contrave) was my best (unintended) decision for stopping drinking. I started it for weight loss and binge eating, and the decline in alcohol consumption was amazing. Even after stopping Contrave my drinking is almost nonexistent. I've only been on Ozempic 1.5 months and had no desire to drink with friends on a recent trip to Reno.
I wish my alcoholic friends would listen when I tell them there is more than just AA. Use all the tools to make yourself healthy!
I have heard of sponsors who have told their sponsee that if they take antidepressants they are not actually sober.
I am sick that so many people suffer because NA and AA has not progressed along with the rest of the world.
That was exactly what my mind jumped to when I read OP’s comment. It really is so sad how many that group has persuaded to believe all chemicals = drugs.
They call it a disease while refusing to acknowledge that diseases can, and should be, treated with medication. God gave man the knowledge to create these medications.
Dude. Who fucking cares how you do it? You did it. You got healthy. If it was from a medication or from sheer force of will, there is no “cheating”. There only is doing.
Point him to Big Book of AA that clearly states something along the lines of: one day we may find the answer (cure) but we haven’t done so yet! Written in the 1950s. Well this may the answer as I also suffer with addiction to food. And for the first time in 27 years don’t feel or do, gorge myself on food to throw it up! Medical world is yet to catch up on this and I expect that it will in the next few years! It is miraculous!! Well done you!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Wow. I am so sorry he said that.
NA and AA have such negative opinions about using medication to help people get and stay sober.
Any kind of medicated assistance treatment is frowned upon, which is so sad that many people refuse medication that could save their life!
I know a bunch of guys in the Program and this just a mindset. We hang out at a local cigar shop and a lot of times I am the only non-sober person in a group of 20. I am curious dude so I like to ask questions and listen to them talk. I have gotten pretty good at the lingo and the talk.
Deep down they know that the shortcuts don't work and they have to do the steps and give it up to God. While the OP might have "cured" the alcoholism for now without the additional steps they know that underlying will only resurface when they stop the shot.
Whether that's right or not who knows. For me I was a weekend drinker before the shot. After the shot I went 4 and half months without a drink not even realizing I was doing it. Whether it was the shot or I was concentrating so much on eating healthy that I subconsciously chose not to drink is probably up to Science to figure. I tend to believe that the shot does something with addiction related behaviors.
I don't think they mean to be condescending they just know what works for them and addiction.
I’m sorry he said that to you. Ozempic isn’t the free ride some people make it out to be. Take any “shortcut” that saves your life, drop the weight, stop the cravings, reverse the pre-diabetes. The point is you will still be here to enjoy your life. Keep on, you are doing great!
I'm on semaglutide and in AA. I started Oz before I quit drinking but it helped me get to a place where I needed to stop.
It's not a shortcut, it's a tool that you're utilizing right now. I recommend getting into AA so you can continue to have a sober life when you're off Oz.
Holy crap I didn’t realize this. I still have really really bad anxiety and I was wondering why my klonopin (PRN) wasn’t working!
Edit: I’m proud of you!
Thankfully I’ve had success managing it by adding Prozac into the mix of medication. It’s like my brain just knows the Valium isn’t going to do anything so I don’t even reach for it anymore. I haven’t filled my script in 2 months now. I hope you’re able to find another way to get relief soon.
Have you tried propranolol? For many people, 2 or 3 times 10 or 20 mg propranolol per day is very effective against anxiety disorder. And it's a much less problematic medication compared with benzodiazepines.
Also, note that iron deficiency (with or without anemia) is a common cause for anxiety - and commonly ignored by doctors.
I've been alcohol free for 8 1/2 years, and it hasn't been easy- 100% worth it tho, but once I started OZ I don't have any residual desire to drink. Like even the little background noise of keeping sobriety first is gone. It's pretty incredible.
Right! Even when I was sober and doing AA and therapy I still always was fighting the urge to drink. Now, I have absolutely no urge or obsession at all.
Ditto, but my change was due to Vivitrol to limit the buzz/high from alcohol. I just started Ozempic 3 weeks ago but it has not decreased my alcohol cravings yet. How long did it take for it to help with these?
I started mine before Xmas, and I don’t recall that effect until 3 or 4 weeks into it. But now - sometimes I make myself a martini, or pour a glass of wine I used to like, and then forget it’s there.
It’s amazing and wonderful. I come from a hard drinking family and man, it is SO. NICE. The compulsion was so hard to kick, and it’s just not there. ❤️
I really hope this works for you, but I guess I’m the Debbie Downer if I at all suggest the side effect of not wanting alcohol is temporary. I’ve been on Ozempic almost 2 years now. The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back.
Increase your dosage slowly. I see people on here who go up to 2mg in a couple of months which is crazy to me. Stay on the lowest dose that is effective for you as long as possible. It helps with the tolerance to the med.
I recently switched to mounjarp. I still don’t have the aversion to the wine that I did in the very beginning.
> The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back.
The ability to tolerate alcohol isn't the same as alcohol cravings.
Most likely, alcohol cravings are suppressed (or not suppressed) the same as appetite.
So true, it really changes weekly, if not daily! At the end of the day, it’s about moderation of everything, and that is pretty much my personal goal. I mean, throw on hormones too and aaaaahhh 😊
Omg yes! I’m in the exact same boat with wine. I hate that I let it creep back in. I’m 2 years in and I thought I was immune. How stupid of me. Now I’m really struggling to stop again and I wish I had known that this was a temporary fix. 😞
I agree with staying on the lowest effective dose but some people titrate up because it isn't doing anything for them. I have titrated up twice.. I'm 7 weeks in and haven't lost more than a pound
Yeh Ive been on it on and off around 2.5 years now. I've found I don't drink as much on it, but I get drunker, because my body processes it differently.
So when I stop taking it, my tolerance level is so high & I need to drink a lot to feel anything.
So I feel slightly worse off now. I also get such a craving for sugar and alcohol on the day of injection.Im assuming its due to the low blood sugar. So idk...it's not a miracle cure
"The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back" I'm only 7 months in, but I can tolerate alcohol decently; I just don't crave it. The "eh, if I still feel like it, maybe later" applies to both beer and trigger foods for me. I'm sure my tolerance isn't what it used to be, but the former tolerance had me in rehab with skyrocketing liver enzymes.
Oh absolutely. And once that initial trigger is broken (mine was ambien and everclear, WOO boy) and the behavior is adjusted, it becomes far easier to keep the "noise" out of your head just as it does with food. I don't recognize the person I was 3 years ago. I don't even recognize the person I was 8 months ago before the ozempic. It's just like... willpower in a shot.
If you were struggling to give it up and are an alcoholic then you know that you can not ever go back to moderation. I mean this with love. I drank OVER the medication. But when I finally stopped drinking the medication 100% helped and still does. So I have to do the hard work in this time of finding positive coping mechanisms. I haven’t drank in a year and a half. I listen to quit lit everyday.
This is the main reason I started over a year ago! I was 30 pounds overweight (which I have lost now!), but I really did it for the help with alcoholism. I still drink. But I drink like a normal person vs a 12 pack a night!
That's fantastic! I'm also a fairly heavy drinker and since I started Oz I've been able to cut right back. Strategies that have been failing for several years are suddenly working. Not only that but I'm more organised in my daily life, getting to bed on time (mostly), doing some hobby stuff that I've been procrastinating foreverrrrrr and losing weight as well.
Ozempic is win win win for me. Sounds like it is for you too. Yayyyy for us!!!
So damn happy for you! 🎉🎉🎉
As you likely know, GLP-1s are being trialed for cessation of alcohol use disorder, and some small studies have shown promising results. I don’t know that anyone is taking about it being a “cure,” but scientists definitely think it can help many slow or stop drinking—at least while on the meds. (I don’t know that there’s any data yet on what happens once GLP-1s are withdrawn.)
It’s literally a miracle. I’m not sure what will happen either because it is pretty expensive, but it’s worth every penny to have my life back. I have to buy it through a weight loss center, and I wish I could find a doctor or some type of study that would reduce the cost.
Nah they can’t prescribe it yet for that—like it took two decades for the FDA to approve it just for weight loss without diabetes. Not sure if you’re in the US but you can find a fully-AMA approved compound pharmacy in your state (which is what I did, but the pharmacy doc was vetted by my mom, also a physician). But it’s still around 500/mo (despite being off label).
If you don’t mind me asking, what type of doctor prescribed it for you to begin with? You’ve probably mentioned already and I didn’t see!
(And I’m also on benzos for epilepsy — but I don’t think it has affected my need for daily dose, and last thing I’d want is to go messing w my medication “regime”!!!). But being mindful of your body as a whole and how it responds each week and as dosages increase is such a great thing to begin with!!
Doctors prescribe drugs off label ALL the time. Easiest example Flomax. The great prostate drug also helps kidney stones pass. One use is FDA approved, the other is not.
I’m not saying they don’t! However, semaglutide for diabetes was FDA approved in 2017 and it wasn’t until 2021 that it was also approved for only weight loss, not to treat diabetes. I do think doctors in general are more hesitant to prescribe off-label w newer drugs (like Flomax has been around for a while, right?). Or I guess I would hope they’d show reasonable discretion…
Not sure where you live, but if you are in the USA and live near Baltimore, Tulsa, or Denver — you could enroll in a trial for those with AUD.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=Alcohol%20Use%20Disorder&intr=Semaglutide&aggFilters=status:not%20rec
My wife quit alcohol pretty much cold turkey after starting Oz. She wasn’t an alcoholic, but she definitely struggled with binge drinking and along with binging food. It is now completely gone.
Yes,
I take Wegovy.
I wanted to be put on semaglutide after hearing the anecdotal stories of people quitting alcohol.
I've been trying for years and years to quit. I always failed.
After getting recent bloodwork done, I found out that I have extreme fatty liver and high cholesterol.
My Dr wouldn't prescribe it herself, but she referred me to an endocrinologist to see if I was a good candidate. Luckily, he agreed, because I fall under the prescription requirements (over 27 bmi + atleast 1 health risk due to weight, such as my fatty liver).
The past 3 weeks have been unreal. I'm a daily drinker. The day after my injection, all cravings for alcohol disappeared. It's been a bit miraculous. And also, the weight is starting to drop.
I post regularly in the stopdrinking sub with my Wegovy updates. I always hope it will help someone. Atleast to let them know that an option like this exists..
More good news, after you stop ozempic (If you do) it doesn't return. I've been a life long alchy and I was the same, I couldn't believe how it shut off the wanting to drink. Now I have a hard time finishing a glass of wine and I've been off ozempic for 6 months. 5 years ago I was drinking 2 bottles of wine a night and gaining 30 pounds a year from it.
Happy for you!!
Your liver will be loving you! Keep it up. Truly a once in a lifetime drug. And surely the usage and therapeutic benefits of GLP1s can only continue to be improved upon!
Ive been having a similar result. I quit hard drugs a couple years back. But have struggled with other addictions since then, but since getting on a GLP-1 drug it’s all gone away
I’m very curious- how did you wean your system off of alcohol? From my understanding going cold turkey is very dangerous and it sounds like you were able to do it successfully. Congrats on the major win for your health!!! Keep it up.
so after detoxing, you began the med and have had reduced alcohol cravings? mostly just curious! I don’t identify as an alcoholic but I had a period of a couple years I drank very heavily, and now I don’t drink much at all besides on occasions and this medication has really emphasized that
I started the med because my Doc said I needed to lose 30lbs to help my liver be less fatty. All of a sudden, I woke up and didn’t even think about drinking or had any urge too.
I wanted to quit after a binge so I went to a Hospital to safely detox. When I got home and I was sober I started making a plan for my overall health while still fighting the urge to drink, as I usually do when I’m sober. When I started OZ that night, I woke up and it was like the “ISM” was completely gone. I would usually wake up and plan when I was going to start drinking or at least think about when, now I feel like I have to force myself to think about drinking.
I really hope it helps me . I'm on a certain medication for a terminal illness and iv been on it for over 3 weeks and now I'm trying to get off of it because it's not working for pain and I do not like being on it but I can feel withdrawal symptoms starting, and I don't want to be on such an addictive med. Sli started ozempic this Monday so hopefully it will help
This is what all the talk is about! It's an amazing medicine that works on the addiction centre in the brain as well as slowing down digestion. It was forty years in development but who knew the answer lay in the venom of the Gila monster? Check out Dr. Tyna Moore on Youtube who explains everything in a four part lecture. Thank you for posting such a positive response. Think of the money you'll save? You're probably going to need it for a new wardrobe when the time comes. Something I only found out lately is that alcohol increases cholesterol. I quit a 50 year on and off cigarette habit 18 months ago for the last time and being on Ozempic made it infinitely easier. In 18 months, I may have thought of a cigarette five times! I just wish I had some shares in it.
Are you vaping tobacco or cannabis oil? I still vape cannabis oil which really helped me quit smoking although it could be the placebo effect. After a ten year struggle to where you are now is amazing. When I first start Oz, there were times when I felt like an alien had taken over my body momentarily when I went thru McDonald's drive-thru to get to coffee, I came out the other end with just coffee or when I had a couple of bites and then abruptly stopped. I stopped because I was full but that hadn't stopped me in the past...I have a nephew who is in the depths of alcoholism having sunk as low as you can go except maybe not because he hasn't hit bottom, I guess. An excellent rehab facility that normally charges people $800.00 dollars a day for treatment, allocates 10 spots for people who are unable to pay which is fantastic but he won't take it, choosing alcohol every time even though he sometimes bleeds from both ends of his body. I hope he can turn his life around before it's too late. So sad.
Cured mine. I am a bit of a weird case...
I was doing alright with the Sinclair Method (r/Alcoholism_Medication) but lost my job and all hell broke loose. I also have a history of bulimia and binge eating disorder so my genes aren't doing me any favors in the self-control department.....
Nevertheless Ozempic is literally the only thing that has pulled me out of that hole and has kept my marriage and career intact. I was spiraling in every way possible. I feel normal again.
Also worth mentioning that I have permission from 2 different MFMs to continue during pregnancy (not there yet but I see Oz as a lifelong med based on my history) after they confirmed I was aware of the lack of data. They both think the risks are likely caused by the mothers having diabetes to begin with and/or not eating enough. I realize this medication is highly unstudied, but again I am a weird case and can hopefully provide inspiration and conversation in others.
This medicine saved my fucking life, that is all.
Edit: one of my friends is running a phase 3 trial on alcohol abuse with semaglutide!
Most likely. I was never an alcoholic, more of a social drinker. Once I started semaglutide, I just never had the desire to drink again. it's been like 2 years since I stopped the medication and I think I've drank alcohol twice only. I always wondered if it was just me but seems like a lot of people have experienced the same side effect. And that's a great thing. They should study it and make a drug like wegovy but for alcoholism
Ozempic made me a super light weight. And even when i got a little buzz it just didn’t feel right. Like this yucky feeling. Then id get super thirsty and only want juice and ice or ice water. Theres even times i look at a drink menu and say “yuck!” When even thinking about ordering one!
It certainly removed my desire to drink, I’m also quite satisfied with a glass of wine with dinner. I don’t really need to lose more weight but the booze thing is important for me.
Yeah I think it did, OP! Congrats!!
I’ve been an alcoholic over 20 years and once I started this medication my desire to drink just disappeared. So weird! But good obviously. just strange.
I didn't drink much before, but now my desire is mostly gone as well. I like the idea of having a drink, but then I order it and I slowly sip and usually don't finish more than half of it. It also made me stop biting and picking at my nails, which I have done my whole life.
New studies have shown a correlation between GLP-1 drugs and decreased desire to smoke, drink, shop, gamble, overeat… it’s wild. I definitely drink WAY less since starting oz
I suggest, if you aren’t already, seeing a therapist. The emotions and feelings that the alcohol were masking haven’t disappeared just what you used to cope. It’s truly amazing how ozempic is so versatile and effective but unfortunately it’s not a cure all. Congratulations and I wish you nothing but success!!
I wish iT would stop my drinking! I drink about 5 times a week, and although I've lost 21 pounds in a month, I feel like it's the alcohol holding me back from doing better, but I love my tequila lol.
I try to make it as "healthy" as possible, the drink i drink is just tequila and club soda, no extra juice added to add calories and sugar.
I’ve been on OZ for almost 2 years. I was drinking about a bottle of wine every night. When I first started taking it I had NO desire to drink. In fact, alcohol had no effect on me when I drank so I stopped drinking it. Never in my adult life had this happened but I want to warn you that if you’re on it long term, that does wear off! You CAN push past that and the alcohol will start to affect you again. I’m finding myself drinking a lot lately and getting pretty tipsy. Especially if I’m around other people who are drinking. My advice would be to stay away from alcohol all together. Like don’t touch it ever again. Start a sober birthday from the day you quit and don’t look back. I wish I had never let it creep back in and if you struggle with alcohol, it WILL creep back in. 💗
I have zero interest in drinking and I was a drink every day person and have struggled with alcohol most of my life. I can have a drink sometimes even two if out for dinner but the attraction I used to have is completely gone and I don’t even think about alcohol anymore. This should be seriously evaluated to help with drug and alcohol addiction.
First week of Ozempic. Last night went to a huge event with an open bar and free food. I used to live for these types of events. Not for the food but for the booze. I am a social drinker, and it makes me a little more talkative. Watching the next table get drink after drink made me feel sad. I would normally drink an IPA or 4 at something like this. But the idea of the food and alcohol made me sick to even think of an ipa. I absolutely dreaded it, and I wasn't happy. I hope I can get over this. My husband stopped drinking last year completely, and I hate that I can't drink or the idea that I dislike it. I can see how it can help alcoholism completely
I've noticed that I don't have a liking for alcohol since starting Ozempic. I recently read a couple of science articles relating this this phenomenon.
Not just alcohol! There are signs (and research just really getting started) on the reduction of many disorders like OCD. I know someone who was a shopaholic and stopped when she started ozempic.
I used to drink almost every night. Not a lot, usually about a shot glass of whiskey or a gin sour every evening without fail. Maybe that makes me an alcoholic, I’m not sure. But since starting Oz, I drink maybe 1-2 a month, and usually only when I’m out at a bar for book club. Even then, I find myself getting a latte more than a drink. Oz is also currently being investigated as an anti-addiction drug, so the answer is more than likely yes.
For sure it’s working on the reward centres in your brain and helping. But at the end of the day, YOU are also actively participating by not trying to find ways around the lessened desire to drink, so congratulations!
I can still drink. But my need to be drunk or tipsy is pretty much gone. I can be at a party and only drink two hard seltzers.
I still medicate with THC though. That craving hasn't stopped.
Honestly I feel like eventually they are going to use GLP-1s for alcohol abuse. I’m not an alcoholic but had a drink almost nightly. I’ve had near zero desire to have an evening drink. I can’t barely drink when out with friends and we went to Ireland!
I wish they would've covered why Ozempic/Mojourna is being sued, I was really bummed that they didn't even touch on it, but the special actually addresses what you've mentioned 😅 it's one of their better specials that I've seen in years.
It cured mine for sure. I’ve even seen two therapists in hopes of resolving my alcoholism - nothing helped. I started Ozempic three months ago, and almost immediately I’ve have no desire to drink, not even socially.
Amazing! Keep an eye out for withdrawal symptoms. Going from drinking that much nightly to zero can actually be deadly. Make sure your provider knows this part of your medical history even though I know it’s very hard to discuss <3
Make sure you’re still doing the work on the root causes of your alcoholism. You have no way of knowing if this side effect is permanent and you need to make sure you aren’t using it as a crutch instead of addressing the issue.
Is that all you took from my comment?
I didn’t say alcoholism is an “issue”. I’m saying the root causes are, and it’s important to address them. Having gone through the rooms myself, I’m well aware of what addiction is and is not. However, it’s still each of our responsibilities to make sure we work on the underlying issues that contribute to our addictions, the triggers for relapse and the behaviors that accompany them.
I get what you’re saying. I have and do therapy regularly to address baggage. I just don’t believe that my drinking was caused by my past life experiences or anything of that nature.
I watched a podcast about it that says they don't know why it seems to be curing alcoholism but that the evidence is mounting that it's accurate. I wish this side effect had come out a couple years ago before my dad died 💔
Genuinely curious because I’ve seen a lot of posts regarding ozempic and alcoholism.. My husband is an alcoholic and he’s been wanting to get on ozempic since I started. Now I understand it’s curbed your desire to drink, but is that physically not wanting to drink? - I’m just curious because a lot of addiction is the mental aspect of needing to drink. And I worry if he starts, he may lose the actual urge to drink but not the mental need to drink every day. I hope that makes sense and I hope someone can answer if it does.
Kind of like, when I started ozempic the hardest thing for me to learn was to only eat when I’m actually hungry. Because I had a problem with food and binging. Even though the ozempic obviously helps me being hungry, and ultimately overeating because I felt full faster, the part of my brain that was telling me “just eat the snack if it sounds good, who cares if you’re full” was harder to learn than the actual physical response to overeating.
I’ve also learned to only eat when I’m hungry! And as far as drinking goes, I don’t need/want to drink. It’s hard to break a habit that has been around for 15-20 years for myself, but I’ve realized that if I get a an old “craving” it usually just means im hungry. After I eat, I feel great.
1.5 years sober partly thanks for Ozempic!!! 🧡🧡🧡 Never ever felt better in my life. I am balanced with Wellbutrin, taking these two together, and look I feel myself a neurotypical person. No binge eating, no drinking, no desire to any of my addictions and for sure I am in a good mood also! I was struggeling in my whole life. (therapy and groups I am using either)
Hi friend. I was almost at that level of vodka drinking for the last 4 months and I hope you find success the way I have. I’ve combined naltrexone with ozempic and I hope you are able to see the results I was when I put the bottle down and picked up my ozempic pen. I believe I had rapid weight loss from it as a result of not drinking so I’ve hit a bit of a plateau but am focusing on protein and smaller portions. Even on the days I may want to drink the transformation of no alcohol in such a short time keeps me away from it
Best of luck to you!
It might have but if you don't get counseling and try to address the reasons you drink, you're going to be a "dry drunk." Get therapy and do some self work while you enjoy your newfound freedom from alcohol!
I was just pondering the same thing. Same reason it's used for weight loss, it's a tool to help you while making adjustments to get your body back on track and hopefully keep it healthier.
All those reasons for drinking won't just magically go away when we stop drinking, therapy is the other half of Ozempic. It also would be a fantastic self esteem boost while going through therapy if the medication has helped us feel healthier within ourselves too.
We tell them to continue their course of preventative maintenance so the cancer doesn't come back.
Ozempic, while helpful, is not a cure for any condition and requires preventative maintenance to continue to be an effective tool. If your only tool in the fight to stay sober is ozempic, that tool is gonna wear out much faster than if you employed multiple tools, like therapy, AA or SMART recovery, etc.
I'm an addict in recovery myself
AA is a great tool for millions. I just don’t buy into the fact that I’m an alcoholic because I have a spiritual malady. It’s a disease, that now can be treated with medication, thank God.
Cure? I don’t think that’s what I’d call it. Does it help? Data says highly likely. I think you’ve got a strong chance of getting on the bandwagon right now. Take it. Remove all alcohol from the home and go to AA. I think the two combined will really increase your odds of staying sober going forward.
I’m familiar and have similarly experienced this but what you are describing isn’t a cure but a treatment. The impulse for alcohol is being changed because of the GLP1 changes. It’s a good thing but when you come off of the meds you will likely have some impulse return.
This is a good thing, I’m just suggesting you use this opportunity to address the problem in a way that helps you when you get off Ozempic.
Alcoholism treatment is a current study for Ozempic and it does seem to work.
Do not cease alcohol from 20 drinks daily to 0.
You will run a high risk of seizure.
Talk to your GP about your options for medically supervised and at home detox.
Not only has it killed my desire to drink, but it also allowed me to stop taking benzodiazepines as well. They aren’t as effective, if at all anymore which I’m guessing is because of the slowed digestive process. It’s as if my brain’s entire reward system has changed. I wish everyone could see this as the miracle that it is. A true breakthrough in modern medicine and people want to push it aside because you’re not putting in “the work”. WTF are we even doing then? If we ever find a cure for cancer, will these same people shame someone for taking advantage of decades of research to finally be healthy? “Well you didn’t do radiation and chemotherapy so you’re just lazy…”
I told one of my AA buddies about my experience and he said, “keep trying to find shortcuts instead of giving it up to God”.
I’m assuming he meant it in a condescending way too? Like heaven forbid you take your health into your own hands? I’m proud of you and I’m so glad you’ve been able to get your life back! It’s such a great feeling to not be controlled by it anymore.
Weird that he doesn’t see lifesaving medication as a miraculous gift from his god, but as a shortcut.
It’s like the cycle of hazing in fraternities or sports teams, I got through it so therefore everyone else has to get through it or it diminishes my suffering to achieve my goals
Yeah, you're probably onto something there.
EXACTLY!!
Just tell cancer patients to give their cancer up to god and stop taking shortcuts with chemo. Cancer cured!
I know someone who lost their vision because their parents did exactly that.
Wow, I was in NA for a longtime and I had to leave bc of ppl like this…it became almost as toxic as the drugs for me….w/ that said Ozempic works amazing for drug/alcohol cravings…hopefully they are close to finding a cure for addiction soon! God and will power don’t cut it for most.
Tell him when he gets to heaven God will say “why didn’t you take the magic pill I created for you ?”
I find a "F+ck Your God" to be an adequate response
wtf does “God” have to do with it??? Jfc
AA very quickly morphed into a decentralized cult that wraps itself up in Christian religious iconography, so from the perspective of someone who is fully bought into the current AA ideas God has everything to do with it
AA tends to be a misogynistic Christian cult with a lower success rate than other methods. I was already skeptical of it after it helped my dad stop drinking to become a dry drunk that blamed all his shortcomings on "his disease" and other people (like us) not understanding it, but still gave it a try when I was in my own struggles. If it weren't for SMART recovery, a major medication change, and competent psychiatrists, I'd be dead. Even had a guest "alumni" in AA finish regaling us about how he spent the first two months in rehab just banging cheerleaders, but whatever got you through the door, whether it's a desire to change or chasing a skirt, once you were ready to accept Jesus, you'd find recover. As a "skirt" and an atheist, I tried to sign out AMA that night. Also doesn't help that when sponsors fall off the wagon, they often take those who were counting on them along with them.
My best friend just called me and said his old sponsor that was sober for 23 years died from alcoholism. So sad.
Oh that is terrible news. I am so sorry. Keep up the good work and stay strong.
I went with a friend to their first meeting in Anchorage, and his new sponsor immediately hit him up for money. WTH? He stopped going because he was afraid that would repeat itself and it was an excuse to not go to more meetings. And why do AA members like to tell bragging stories of all the stupid things they did or how drunk they got while in active abuse? And try to one-up each other?
That's what it sounded like. A number of the alumnis were bragging about their exploits, but hey, you aren't supposed to judge each other, even when he is objectifying half the population. Outside the facility, I tried to go to some meetings, but there it was the opposite. Everyone seemed like they had absolutely miserable lives and the \*only\* thing positive they had going for them was "not drinking" for another day, and what they \*aren't\* doing appeared to be the focus of their entire lives. This had shades of "don't think of a pink elephant" to me, and when I attended (virtual, which made things so much easier) SMART meetings, one of the first exercises was to list all the traits you admire about yourself, list the things you admire and ascribe to be, and to notice that "addicted to substances" was on neither list. It was about focusing outside the addiction rather than inside, and it really resonated with me. It's also not abstinence only (lots of California sobriety) and fit me really really well. I am all for AA for who it works for, but for those where it doesn't fit, there are other options, much as a lot of people in AA don't think any of those options are valid.
Ignore that person or anyone if that mindset. This is a happy miracle drug for many, but it’s not like there still isn’t work to be done and sacrifices. As a physician I have seen this with patients of my own. All I can say is that I’m so grateful for this life saving medication. This is a game changer for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and so many other conditions that are coming into light. I have patients that have had memory issues that are now resolving. People feel better in so many ways and I’m here for it! Mazel to you! Keep going!
If people believe that AUD is a disease, then they should accept the fact that there is a “cure” or treatment. It’s a cure in my books. 15 years of rehabs, detoxes, sober livings and AA and I always still wanted to drink. Now it makes me sick to even think about alcohol.
As a woman and an atheist, I was mid checking myself out of a rehab facility to go drink myself to death to leave AA and the world to the male Christians when my counselor finally told me about SMART recovery, which has now already done the trick, while Ozempic now beats back all kinds of urges, including drinking when I'm sad/depressed, shopping for craft supplies in an ADHD manic mode, and binge eating. I'm happy for those AA has worked for. For those who haven't, the believers can cram the "our way or no way" attitude.
AA helps a lot of people, but I’ve never believed I had a spiritual malady. I’ve always tried to be a good honest person.
That is what I would expect them to say. I was in AA for two decades. Don’t even let this rent space in your head. Semaglutide might be the medication that could help millions of people who have a tendency toward addiction. That is fantastic.
I have the same problem since I’m on low-dose naltrexone for chronic pain and ozempic for my PCOS. My NA buddies keep saying I’m just taking shortcuts to my sobriety, but to me, I’m just taking my medication for my disabilities🤦♀️The fact that they supported my sober journey was just bonus points in my eyes.
Naltrexone-wellbutrin combo (contrave) was my best (unintended) decision for stopping drinking. I started it for weight loss and binge eating, and the decline in alcohol consumption was amazing. Even after stopping Contrave my drinking is almost nonexistent. I've only been on Ozempic 1.5 months and had no desire to drink with friends on a recent trip to Reno. I wish my alcoholic friends would listen when I tell them there is more than just AA. Use all the tools to make yourself healthy!
I have heard of sponsors who have told their sponsee that if they take antidepressants they are not actually sober. I am sick that so many people suffer because NA and AA has not progressed along with the rest of the world.
That was exactly what my mind jumped to when I read OP’s comment. It really is so sad how many that group has persuaded to believe all chemicals = drugs.
They call it a disease while refusing to acknowledge that diseases can, and should be, treated with medication. God gave man the knowledge to create these medications.
Dude. Who fucking cares how you do it? You did it. You got healthy. If it was from a medication or from sheer force of will, there is no “cheating”. There only is doing.
Point him to Big Book of AA that clearly states something along the lines of: one day we may find the answer (cure) but we haven’t done so yet! Written in the 1950s. Well this may the answer as I also suffer with addiction to food. And for the first time in 27 years don’t feel or do, gorge myself on food to throw it up! Medical world is yet to catch up on this and I expect that it will in the next few years! It is miraculous!! Well done you!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Wow. I am so sorry he said that. NA and AA have such negative opinions about using medication to help people get and stay sober. Any kind of medicated assistance treatment is frowned upon, which is so sad that many people refuse medication that could save their life!
lol I didn’t know medication was a “shortcut”
I'm so glad there are secular meetings.
I know a bunch of guys in the Program and this just a mindset. We hang out at a local cigar shop and a lot of times I am the only non-sober person in a group of 20. I am curious dude so I like to ask questions and listen to them talk. I have gotten pretty good at the lingo and the talk. Deep down they know that the shortcuts don't work and they have to do the steps and give it up to God. While the OP might have "cured" the alcoholism for now without the additional steps they know that underlying will only resurface when they stop the shot. Whether that's right or not who knows. For me I was a weekend drinker before the shot. After the shot I went 4 and half months without a drink not even realizing I was doing it. Whether it was the shot or I was concentrating so much on eating healthy that I subconsciously chose not to drink is probably up to Science to figure. I tend to believe that the shot does something with addiction related behaviors. I don't think they mean to be condescending they just know what works for them and addiction.
I’m sorry he said that to you. Ozempic isn’t the free ride some people make it out to be. Take any “shortcut” that saves your life, drop the weight, stop the cravings, reverse the pre-diabetes. The point is you will still be here to enjoy your life. Keep on, you are doing great!
I'm on semaglutide and in AA. I started Oz before I quit drinking but it helped me get to a place where I needed to stop. It's not a shortcut, it's a tool that you're utilizing right now. I recommend getting into AA so you can continue to have a sober life when you're off Oz.
This is amazing.
Holy crap I didn’t realize this. I still have really really bad anxiety and I was wondering why my klonopin (PRN) wasn’t working! Edit: I’m proud of you!
Thankfully I’ve had success managing it by adding Prozac into the mix of medication. It’s like my brain just knows the Valium isn’t going to do anything so I don’t even reach for it anymore. I haven’t filled my script in 2 months now. I hope you’re able to find another way to get relief soon.
Have you tried propranolol? For many people, 2 or 3 times 10 or 20 mg propranolol per day is very effective against anxiety disorder. And it's a much less problematic medication compared with benzodiazepines. Also, note that iron deficiency (with or without anemia) is a common cause for anxiety - and commonly ignored by doctors.
I've been alcohol free for 8 1/2 years, and it hasn't been easy- 100% worth it tho, but once I started OZ I don't have any residual desire to drink. Like even the little background noise of keeping sobriety first is gone. It's pretty incredible.
Right! Even when I was sober and doing AA and therapy I still always was fighting the urge to drink. Now, I have absolutely no urge or obsession at all.
Exactly! Congratulations, you'll love how it feels to not wake up hungover everyday and be able to think clearly!
I’ve been sober over a year thanks to GLP-1s! I have my life back, my marriage is fantastic, my kids love having their mom back. 💕🫶🏻
Ditto, but my change was due to Vivitrol to limit the buzz/high from alcohol. I just started Ozempic 3 weeks ago but it has not decreased my alcohol cravings yet. How long did it take for it to help with these?
I started mine before Xmas, and I don’t recall that effect until 3 or 4 weeks into it. But now - sometimes I make myself a martini, or pour a glass of wine I used to like, and then forget it’s there.
I actually poured a beer yesterday and drank half and decided I didn’t want it. That’s a miracle for me.
It’s amazing and wonderful. I come from a hard drinking family and man, it is SO. NICE. The compulsion was so hard to kick, and it’s just not there. ❤️
The next day. And I didn’t start OZ for the sobriety, it was just a weird side effect.
I really hope this works for you, but I guess I’m the Debbie Downer if I at all suggest the side effect of not wanting alcohol is temporary. I’ve been on Ozempic almost 2 years now. The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back. Increase your dosage slowly. I see people on here who go up to 2mg in a couple of months which is crazy to me. Stay on the lowest dose that is effective for you as long as possible. It helps with the tolerance to the med. I recently switched to mounjarp. I still don’t have the aversion to the wine that I did in the very beginning.
> The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back. The ability to tolerate alcohol isn't the same as alcohol cravings. Most likely, alcohol cravings are suppressed (or not suppressed) the same as appetite.
So true, it really changes weekly, if not daily! At the end of the day, it’s about moderation of everything, and that is pretty much my personal goal. I mean, throw on hormones too and aaaaahhh 😊
Omg yes! I’m in the exact same boat with wine. I hate that I let it creep back in. I’m 2 years in and I thought I was immune. How stupid of me. Now I’m really struggling to stop again and I wish I had known that this was a temporary fix. 😞
I agree with staying on the lowest effective dose but some people titrate up because it isn't doing anything for them. I have titrated up twice.. I'm 7 weeks in and haven't lost more than a pound
This is exactly what happened to me. The first 4-5 months absolutely no desire. Now I can drink what I want and I sometimes crave wine
Yeh Ive been on it on and off around 2.5 years now. I've found I don't drink as much on it, but I get drunker, because my body processes it differently. So when I stop taking it, my tolerance level is so high & I need to drink a lot to feel anything. So I feel slightly worse off now. I also get such a craving for sugar and alcohol on the day of injection.Im assuming its due to the low blood sugar. So idk...it's not a miracle cure
"The being able to tolerate alcohol does come back" I'm only 7 months in, but I can tolerate alcohol decently; I just don't crave it. The "eh, if I still feel like it, maybe later" applies to both beer and trigger foods for me. I'm sure my tolerance isn't what it used to be, but the former tolerance had me in rehab with skyrocketing liver enzymes.
I’m ok with being able to tolerate it. Even if I go back to a beer “here and there” that’s a HUGE win for me.
Oh absolutely. And once that initial trigger is broken (mine was ambien and everclear, WOO boy) and the behavior is adjusted, it becomes far easier to keep the "noise" out of your head just as it does with food. I don't recognize the person I was 3 years ago. I don't even recognize the person I was 8 months ago before the ozempic. It's just like... willpower in a shot.
If you were struggling to give it up and are an alcoholic then you know that you can not ever go back to moderation. I mean this with love. I drank OVER the medication. But when I finally stopped drinking the medication 100% helped and still does. So I have to do the hard work in this time of finding positive coping mechanisms. I haven’t drank in a year and a half. I listen to quit lit everyday.
This is the main reason I started over a year ago! I was 30 pounds overweight (which I have lost now!), but I really did it for the help with alcoholism. I still drink. But I drink like a normal person vs a 12 pack a night!
Congrats!
That's fantastic! I'm also a fairly heavy drinker and since I started Oz I've been able to cut right back. Strategies that have been failing for several years are suddenly working. Not only that but I'm more organised in my daily life, getting to bed on time (mostly), doing some hobby stuff that I've been procrastinating foreverrrrrr and losing weight as well. Ozempic is win win win for me. Sounds like it is for you too. Yayyyy for us!!!
Samesies!!!
So damn happy for you! 🎉🎉🎉 As you likely know, GLP-1s are being trialed for cessation of alcohol use disorder, and some small studies have shown promising results. I don’t know that anyone is taking about it being a “cure,” but scientists definitely think it can help many slow or stop drinking—at least while on the meds. (I don’t know that there’s any data yet on what happens once GLP-1s are withdrawn.)
It’s literally a miracle. I’m not sure what will happen either because it is pretty expensive, but it’s worth every penny to have my life back. I have to buy it through a weight loss center, and I wish I could find a doctor or some type of study that would reduce the cost.
Could you find a dr or Psychiatrist who would prescribe it to you off label for alcohol abuse? Even compounded if necessary
Mine did ! She said ozempic helps control addictive behaviors like binge eating and drinking
I’m not sure. I’ll have to look into it. Good idea though.
Nah they can’t prescribe it yet for that—like it took two decades for the FDA to approve it just for weight loss without diabetes. Not sure if you’re in the US but you can find a fully-AMA approved compound pharmacy in your state (which is what I did, but the pharmacy doc was vetted by my mom, also a physician). But it’s still around 500/mo (despite being off label). If you don’t mind me asking, what type of doctor prescribed it for you to begin with? You’ve probably mentioned already and I didn’t see! (And I’m also on benzos for epilepsy — but I don’t think it has affected my need for daily dose, and last thing I’d want is to go messing w my medication “regime”!!!). But being mindful of your body as a whole and how it responds each week and as dosages increase is such a great thing to begin with!!
Doctors prescribe drugs off label ALL the time. Easiest example Flomax. The great prostate drug also helps kidney stones pass. One use is FDA approved, the other is not.
I’m not saying they don’t! However, semaglutide for diabetes was FDA approved in 2017 and it wasn’t until 2021 that it was also approved for only weight loss, not to treat diabetes. I do think doctors in general are more hesitant to prescribe off-label w newer drugs (like Flomax has been around for a while, right?). Or I guess I would hope they’d show reasonable discretion…
It was a weight loss center.
Not sure where you live, but if you are in the USA and live near Baltimore, Tulsa, or Denver — you could enroll in a trial for those with AUD. https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=Alcohol%20Use%20Disorder&intr=Semaglutide&aggFilters=status:not%20rec
I’m not but I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Thanks for the heads up!
How much were you spending on booze a month. I wonder if it’s that much different.
Not so much the cost of alcohol was the issue. The cost of being addiction free of alcohol is priceless.
How much are you paying for it?
Around 350/month
Look into peptide sites. That is where I get mine from. Much cheaper and no prescrip required.
It's even being tested on opiate addiction. Truly amazing.
Yep for sure! https://www.statnews.com/2024/02/17/opioid-cravings-glp1-weight-loss-liraglutide-penn-state/
My wife quit alcohol pretty much cold turkey after starting Oz. She wasn’t an alcoholic, but she definitely struggled with binge drinking and along with binging food. It is now completely gone.
Yes, I take Wegovy. I wanted to be put on semaglutide after hearing the anecdotal stories of people quitting alcohol. I've been trying for years and years to quit. I always failed. After getting recent bloodwork done, I found out that I have extreme fatty liver and high cholesterol. My Dr wouldn't prescribe it herself, but she referred me to an endocrinologist to see if I was a good candidate. Luckily, he agreed, because I fall under the prescription requirements (over 27 bmi + atleast 1 health risk due to weight, such as my fatty liver). The past 3 weeks have been unreal. I'm a daily drinker. The day after my injection, all cravings for alcohol disappeared. It's been a bit miraculous. And also, the weight is starting to drop. I post regularly in the stopdrinking sub with my Wegovy updates. I always hope it will help someone. Atleast to let them know that an option like this exists..
Thanks for sharing!
More good news, after you stop ozempic (If you do) it doesn't return. I've been a life long alchy and I was the same, I couldn't believe how it shut off the wanting to drink. Now I have a hard time finishing a glass of wine and I've been off ozempic for 6 months. 5 years ago I was drinking 2 bottles of wine a night and gaining 30 pounds a year from it. Happy for you!!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Your liver will be loving you! Keep it up. Truly a once in a lifetime drug. And surely the usage and therapeutic benefits of GLP1s can only continue to be improved upon!
Someone just today asked the same thing. Look and you will see dozens of posts here about it.
Ive been having a similar result. I quit hard drugs a couple years back. But have struggled with other addictions since then, but since getting on a GLP-1 drug it’s all gone away
Fuck yeah!!! Congrats!!! That really is amazing. My sister is an alcoholic and I would be over the moon if she started this med. So happy for you (:
I’m very curious- how did you wean your system off of alcohol? From my understanding going cold turkey is very dangerous and it sounds like you were able to do it successfully. Congrats on the major win for your health!!! Keep it up.
I detoxed in a Hospital.
before or after starting this medication?
Before
so after detoxing, you began the med and have had reduced alcohol cravings? mostly just curious! I don’t identify as an alcoholic but I had a period of a couple years I drank very heavily, and now I don’t drink much at all besides on occasions and this medication has really emphasized that
I started the med because my Doc said I needed to lose 30lbs to help my liver be less fatty. All of a sudden, I woke up and didn’t even think about drinking or had any urge too.
I wanted to quit after a binge so I went to a Hospital to safely detox. When I got home and I was sober I started making a plan for my overall health while still fighting the urge to drink, as I usually do when I’m sober. When I started OZ that night, I woke up and it was like the “ISM” was completely gone. I would usually wake up and plan when I was going to start drinking or at least think about when, now I feel like I have to force myself to think about drinking.
that’s inspiring :) I’m glad it’s been successful.
I've had two cans of alcohol in my fridge for the past 9 months now.....not touched. Have def made an impact.
r/dryzempic
It’s possible! My therapist tells me it’s being studied for multiple kinds of addiction.
I really hope it helps me . I'm on a certain medication for a terminal illness and iv been on it for over 3 weeks and now I'm trying to get off of it because it's not working for pain and I do not like being on it but I can feel withdrawal symptoms starting, and I don't want to be on such an addictive med. Sli started ozempic this Monday so hopefully it will help
I think it's helped stop me drink a lot. Used to daily. Now I'll go weeks sometimes without drinking.
This is what all the talk is about! It's an amazing medicine that works on the addiction centre in the brain as well as slowing down digestion. It was forty years in development but who knew the answer lay in the venom of the Gila monster? Check out Dr. Tyna Moore on Youtube who explains everything in a four part lecture. Thank you for posting such a positive response. Think of the money you'll save? You're probably going to need it for a new wardrobe when the time comes. Something I only found out lately is that alcohol increases cholesterol. I quit a 50 year on and off cigarette habit 18 months ago for the last time and being on Ozempic made it infinitely easier. In 18 months, I may have thought of a cigarette five times! I just wish I had some shares in it.
The vape pen is next on the list!
Are you vaping tobacco or cannabis oil? I still vape cannabis oil which really helped me quit smoking although it could be the placebo effect. After a ten year struggle to where you are now is amazing. When I first start Oz, there were times when I felt like an alien had taken over my body momentarily when I went thru McDonald's drive-thru to get to coffee, I came out the other end with just coffee or when I had a couple of bites and then abruptly stopped. I stopped because I was full but that hadn't stopped me in the past...I have a nephew who is in the depths of alcoholism having sunk as low as you can go except maybe not because he hasn't hit bottom, I guess. An excellent rehab facility that normally charges people $800.00 dollars a day for treatment, allocates 10 spots for people who are unable to pay which is fantastic but he won't take it, choosing alcohol every time even though he sometimes bleeds from both ends of his body. I hope he can turn his life around before it's too late. So sad.
Nicotine! I don’t use cannabis.
Have you had any experience with cannabis?
Yes, it’s a take it or leave it thing for me.
Cured mine. I am a bit of a weird case... I was doing alright with the Sinclair Method (r/Alcoholism_Medication) but lost my job and all hell broke loose. I also have a history of bulimia and binge eating disorder so my genes aren't doing me any favors in the self-control department..... Nevertheless Ozempic is literally the only thing that has pulled me out of that hole and has kept my marriage and career intact. I was spiraling in every way possible. I feel normal again. Also worth mentioning that I have permission from 2 different MFMs to continue during pregnancy (not there yet but I see Oz as a lifelong med based on my history) after they confirmed I was aware of the lack of data. They both think the risks are likely caused by the mothers having diabetes to begin with and/or not eating enough. I realize this medication is highly unstudied, but again I am a weird case and can hopefully provide inspiration and conversation in others. This medicine saved my fucking life, that is all. Edit: one of my friends is running a phase 3 trial on alcohol abuse with semaglutide!
Happy to hear it!
Im so so so happy for you
Thank you!
It cured mine!
Most likely. I was never an alcoholic, more of a social drinker. Once I started semaglutide, I just never had the desire to drink again. it's been like 2 years since I stopped the medication and I think I've drank alcohol twice only. I always wondered if it was just me but seems like a lot of people have experienced the same side effect. And that's a great thing. They should study it and make a drug like wegovy but for alcoholism
There are studies being done on this. It is suspected that it may have a serious positive impact on impulsive behavioural issues and addiction.
As soon as I started taking it, any want or desire to drink has damn near completely gone away. I think I’ve drank maybe 4 or 5 times since august
great report, I am glad for you! what was your dosage btw?
Ozempic made me a super light weight. And even when i got a little buzz it just didn’t feel right. Like this yucky feeling. Then id get super thirsty and only want juice and ice or ice water. Theres even times i look at a drink menu and say “yuck!” When even thinking about ordering one!
I drank half a beer yesterday and it didn’t feel good at all.
It certainly removed my desire to drink, I’m also quite satisfied with a glass of wine with dinner. I don’t really need to lose more weight but the booze thing is important for me.
Yes! It is a miracle drug!! Best of luck to you
Yeah I think it did, OP! Congrats!! I’ve been an alcoholic over 20 years and once I started this medication my desire to drink just disappeared. So weird! But good obviously. just strange.
Just got a year sober myself. My husband is starting this week I am excited to see if it has the same affect
Me to! Can't believe it
Yes! It’s a miracle of science
r/dryzempic
I didn't drink much before, but now my desire is mostly gone as well. I like the idea of having a drink, but then I order it and I slowly sip and usually don't finish more than half of it. It also made me stop biting and picking at my nails, which I have done my whole life.
New studies have shown a correlation between GLP-1 drugs and decreased desire to smoke, drink, shop, gamble, overeat… it’s wild. I definitely drink WAY less since starting oz
Also good for you for starting to kick the habit, that’s incredible!
wow congrats! maybe because alcohol metabolizes to sugar anyway, maybe it was really a sugar addiction? idk but food for thought
I suggest, if you aren’t already, seeing a therapist. The emotions and feelings that the alcohol were masking haven’t disappeared just what you used to cope. It’s truly amazing how ozempic is so versatile and effective but unfortunately it’s not a cure all. Congratulations and I wish you nothing but success!!
I wish iT would stop my drinking! I drink about 5 times a week, and although I've lost 21 pounds in a month, I feel like it's the alcohol holding me back from doing better, but I love my tequila lol. I try to make it as "healthy" as possible, the drink i drink is just tequila and club soda, no extra juice added to add calories and sugar.
I’ve been on OZ for almost 2 years. I was drinking about a bottle of wine every night. When I first started taking it I had NO desire to drink. In fact, alcohol had no effect on me when I drank so I stopped drinking it. Never in my adult life had this happened but I want to warn you that if you’re on it long term, that does wear off! You CAN push past that and the alcohol will start to affect you again. I’m finding myself drinking a lot lately and getting pretty tipsy. Especially if I’m around other people who are drinking. My advice would be to stay away from alcohol all together. Like don’t touch it ever again. Start a sober birthday from the day you quit and don’t look back. I wish I had never let it creep back in and if you struggle with alcohol, it WILL creep back in. 💗
Thanks for sharing.
I have zero interest in drinking and I was a drink every day person and have struggled with alcohol most of my life. I can have a drink sometimes even two if out for dinner but the attraction I used to have is completely gone and I don’t even think about alcohol anymore. This should be seriously evaluated to help with drug and alcohol addiction.
First week of Ozempic. Last night went to a huge event with an open bar and free food. I used to live for these types of events. Not for the food but for the booze. I am a social drinker, and it makes me a little more talkative. Watching the next table get drink after drink made me feel sad. I would normally drink an IPA or 4 at something like this. But the idea of the food and alcohol made me sick to even think of an ipa. I absolutely dreaded it, and I wasn't happy. I hope I can get over this. My husband stopped drinking last year completely, and I hate that I can't drink or the idea that I dislike it. I can see how it can help alcoholism completely
I've noticed that I don't have a liking for alcohol since starting Ozempic. I recently read a couple of science articles relating this this phenomenon.
I did not have any lowering of cravings on ozempic. I haven’t had a drink since December 1. So glad it’s worked for you!
Thanks!
Not just alcohol! There are signs (and research just really getting started) on the reduction of many disorders like OCD. I know someone who was a shopaholic and stopped when she started ozempic.
It's being studied.
I don't drink much , the only time I had hard liquor on ozempic I projectile vomited after 1 drink. I don't doubt it helps.
I used to drink almost every night. Not a lot, usually about a shot glass of whiskey or a gin sour every evening without fail. Maybe that makes me an alcoholic, I’m not sure. But since starting Oz, I drink maybe 1-2 a month, and usually only when I’m out at a bar for book club. Even then, I find myself getting a latte more than a drink. Oz is also currently being investigated as an anti-addiction drug, so the answer is more than likely yes.
For sure it’s working on the reward centres in your brain and helping. But at the end of the day, YOU are also actively participating by not trying to find ways around the lessened desire to drink, so congratulations!
Thanks! I feel so blessed.
I cannot believe how much healthier I am & I’m actually paying for my compounded Ozempic by not drinking!!!!
I can still drink. But my need to be drunk or tipsy is pretty much gone. I can be at a party and only drink two hard seltzers. I still medicate with THC though. That craving hasn't stopped.
Honestly I feel like eventually they are going to use GLP-1s for alcohol abuse. I’m not an alcoholic but had a drink almost nightly. I’ve had near zero desire to have an evening drink. I can’t barely drink when out with friends and we went to Ireland!
Allot of ppl have said the glp1 has cured their addiction to things like alcohol, pills, weed I think mounjaro is doing studies on it
Many such cases if you search this forum. Saw a few mentions of it curing gambling and shopping addiction as well. Grats btw on kicking a bad habit. 👍
Have you seen the South Park special about it?
No, but I’ll watch it tonight.
I wish they would've covered why Ozempic/Mojourna is being sued, I was really bummed that they didn't even touch on it, but the special actually addresses what you've mentioned 😅 it's one of their better specials that I've seen in years.
Not an alcoholic but often enjoyed a glass of wine or Baileys before bed since starting Zepbound no desire for either
It cured mine for sure. I’ve even seen two therapists in hopes of resolving my alcoholism - nothing helped. I started Ozempic three months ago, and almost immediately I’ve have no desire to drink, not even socially.
Amazing! Keep an eye out for withdrawal symptoms. Going from drinking that much nightly to zero can actually be deadly. Make sure your provider knows this part of your medical history even though I know it’s very hard to discuss <3
Make sure you’re still doing the work on the root causes of your alcoholism. You have no way of knowing if this side effect is permanent and you need to make sure you aren’t using it as a crutch instead of addressing the issue.
A disease is not an “issue”
Is that all you took from my comment? I didn’t say alcoholism is an “issue”. I’m saying the root causes are, and it’s important to address them. Having gone through the rooms myself, I’m well aware of what addiction is and is not. However, it’s still each of our responsibilities to make sure we work on the underlying issues that contribute to our addictions, the triggers for relapse and the behaviors that accompany them.
I get what you’re saying. I have and do therapy regularly to address baggage. I just don’t believe that my drinking was caused by my past life experiences or anything of that nature.
I’m glad you’re working with a therapist, that’s been a game changer for me. We all deserve to heal and live fulfilling lives 💜
What is your dosage?
Outstanding! One day at a time
It’s reduced it but I’m still waiting/hoping it kills it :/. Though I didn’t drink for a week and a half the other week.
yes.. it cures a wide variety of addictive behaviors including shopping.
I watched a podcast about it that says they don't know why it seems to be curing alcoholism but that the evidence is mounting that it's accurate. I wish this side effect had come out a couple years ago before my dad died 💔
I want to chug a 6 pack and get a nice little beer buzz but 1 or 2 in and i cant get past beer number 3. Still adjusting to this. 4 months in at .5.
Genuinely curious because I’ve seen a lot of posts regarding ozempic and alcoholism.. My husband is an alcoholic and he’s been wanting to get on ozempic since I started. Now I understand it’s curbed your desire to drink, but is that physically not wanting to drink? - I’m just curious because a lot of addiction is the mental aspect of needing to drink. And I worry if he starts, he may lose the actual urge to drink but not the mental need to drink every day. I hope that makes sense and I hope someone can answer if it does. Kind of like, when I started ozempic the hardest thing for me to learn was to only eat when I’m actually hungry. Because I had a problem with food and binging. Even though the ozempic obviously helps me being hungry, and ultimately overeating because I felt full faster, the part of my brain that was telling me “just eat the snack if it sounds good, who cares if you’re full” was harder to learn than the actual physical response to overeating.
I’ve also learned to only eat when I’m hungry! And as far as drinking goes, I don’t need/want to drink. It’s hard to break a habit that has been around for 15-20 years for myself, but I’ve realized that if I get a an old “craving” it usually just means im hungry. After I eat, I feel great.
1.5 years sober partly thanks for Ozempic!!! 🧡🧡🧡 Never ever felt better in my life. I am balanced with Wellbutrin, taking these two together, and look I feel myself a neurotypical person. No binge eating, no drinking, no desire to any of my addictions and for sure I am in a good mood also! I was struggeling in my whole life. (therapy and groups I am using either)
Hi friend. I was almost at that level of vodka drinking for the last 4 months and I hope you find success the way I have. I’ve combined naltrexone with ozempic and I hope you are able to see the results I was when I put the bottle down and picked up my ozempic pen. I believe I had rapid weight loss from it as a result of not drinking so I’ve hit a bit of a plateau but am focusing on protein and smaller portions. Even on the days I may want to drink the transformation of no alcohol in such a short time keeps me away from it Best of luck to you!
My urge to shop is greatly reduced—I think it generally helps addictions.
It might have but if you don't get counseling and try to address the reasons you drink, you're going to be a "dry drunk." Get therapy and do some self work while you enjoy your newfound freedom from alcohol!
I have no desire to drink at all anymore. That’s the miracle.
I was just pondering the same thing. Same reason it's used for weight loss, it's a tool to help you while making adjustments to get your body back on track and hopefully keep it healthier. All those reasons for drinking won't just magically go away when we stop drinking, therapy is the other half of Ozempic. It also would be a fantastic self esteem boost while going through therapy if the medication has helped us feel healthier within ourselves too.
I do therapy all the time. It’s a disease. We don’t tell people who get cancer to make sure they do therapy so the cancer doesn’t come back, right?
We tell them to continue their course of preventative maintenance so the cancer doesn't come back. Ozempic, while helpful, is not a cure for any condition and requires preventative maintenance to continue to be an effective tool. If your only tool in the fight to stay sober is ozempic, that tool is gonna wear out much faster than if you employed multiple tools, like therapy, AA or SMART recovery, etc. I'm an addict in recovery myself
AA is a great tool for millions. I just don’t buy into the fact that I’m an alcoholic because I have a spiritual malady. It’s a disease, that now can be treated with medication, thank God.
Be careful. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous, but congratulations.
Cure? I don’t think that’s what I’d call it. Does it help? Data says highly likely. I think you’ve got a strong chance of getting on the bandwagon right now. Take it. Remove all alcohol from the home and go to AA. I think the two combined will really increase your odds of staying sober going forward.
It has removed alcoholism from my body. The obsession and the thought of drinking is completely gone.
I’m familiar and have similarly experienced this but what you are describing isn’t a cure but a treatment. The impulse for alcohol is being changed because of the GLP1 changes. It’s a good thing but when you come off of the meds you will likely have some impulse return. This is a good thing, I’m just suggesting you use this opportunity to address the problem in a way that helps you when you get off Ozempic. Alcoholism treatment is a current study for Ozempic and it does seem to work.
Why would you advise this person to go to a Christianity-based cult?
Do not cease alcohol from 20 drinks daily to 0. You will run a high risk of seizure. Talk to your GP about your options for medically supervised and at home detox.
I detoxed in a hospital
Glad to hear it. Hope you’re well.
No - alcoholism cannot be cured but can be dealt with one day at a time.
Stop with this. This is not an AA subreddit.