Why do people on Ozempic and other obesity drugs lose interest in alcohol

Being on weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro not only curbs your appetite but also your cravings for alcohol as many people on the obesity drug are reporting cutting back on their habit of drinking and feeling amazing.
A new study of WeightWatchers members who take obesity drugs and had alcohol said half of them reduced intake after they started the medication. One of the reasons could be that the people on weight loss drugs experienced changes in their alcohol tolerance.
Tamara Hall, 45, and a mother of three started taking Mounjaro in 2023. She was quoted as telling NPR that she started feeling full and dizzy after one drink while earlier her tolerance to alcohol was much better. She said that she felt the impact of alcohol more intensely and this encouraged her to cut back.
“I didn’t know it would have the impact of me not wanting the alcohol — so I think it’s a huge benefit,” she said.

There is research to prove Hall’s claims. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry recently found that

glucagon-like peptide 1 drugs

such as semaglutide and liraglutide can effectively curb alcohol abuse. This finding can help addicts cut on their dependency.

Researchers believe that Ozempic and Wegovy, different brand names for the injectable drug semaglutide, that work by regulating blood sugar and appetite, may also potentially influence the brain’s reward system in ways that reduce alcohol cravings.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, containing the active ingredient semaglutide, may help curb alcohol cravings in addition to reducing food intake. A study in Nature Communications found that among over 88,000 participants:

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

How weight loss drugs can decrease drinking

Semaglutide can affect brain’s rewarding system in a way that alcohol loses its appeal to it. Besides, drugs like semaglutide may curb drinking because they alter digestion which could alter the impact on metabolism and its effects.

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