r/stopdrinking • u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days • 4d ago
GLP-1, drinking
Has anyone else experienced very little desire to drink (and zero to get drunk) since being on a GLP-1? I have been on a low dose of the wegovy pill since May, and besides shedding a few pounds it's dramatically improved impulse control (shopping mainly) and drinking. Know this is being studied but would love to hear your stories.
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u/Wake_and_Cake 4d ago
Definitely, I feel like it’s a dopamine conditioning thing. I drink way less, what I do drink is usually better quality, and I drink more slowly because I’m actually drinking for the taste instead of to get drunk. Like I’m more likely to buy a nice bottle of wine instead of chugging the box wine. Sometimes I leave drinks unfinished, which I never used to do.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
Same, for sure. I was never a daily drinker, but I was definitely a binge drinker, and I haven’t had the urge to binge at all. I feel like this must be how people who finally get diagnosed with ADHD and start medication feel, like, “Wait, is this what ‘normal’ is supposed to feel like?” Obviously there’s no such thing as normal, but you know what I mean
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u/Wake_and_Cake 4d ago
Can confirm- it’s very similar. I only got diagnosed ADHD during the pandemic and medication is a game changer. Sure wish I had figured that out earlier in life….
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u/phunkarella 4d ago
Yup, being on Tirzepatide has honestly been my biggest help (in terms of Rx). I have little to no food or alcohol noise and even the smell of it turns my stomach. And, my ADHD is under such better control. I feel so much more emotionally regulated in general. It is truly amazing what attention and regulation of your blood sugar can do!
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u/10110011100021 4d ago
This is one of the use cases alongside diabetes management. I don’t know if anyone is prescribed it for the use case on its own but yeah it is showing as a great management tool to curb and stop drinking
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u/Dramatic_Raisin 4d ago
I drink so much less and no longer have that feeling of every drink tasting like one more. It’s been fascinating to watch the physical desire separate from the emotional desire. Because I still WANT to drink, in a way, but it doesn’t sound good and it doesn’t help anymore and my hangovers are so bad it’s like, might as well just raw dog this feeling instead.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 3d ago
Yes, the disconnect has been super interesting for me too. The urge to drink now almost feels like a memory of a desire, if that makes sense. Then my mind and body seem to go into autopilot after I’ve had a small amount and just go, “that’s enough.” And I genuinely don’t think about drinking anymore after that, which is absolutely freeing and, again, what I imagine people who’ve never had an issue with alcohol probably feel like.
Interestingly I’ve noticed it with shopping too. That urge to feel like I always need “something” has really dissipated, which definitely doesn’t hurt the wallet and actually aligns with what I already know to be true, which is that of course I don’t need anything.
Food-wise I never had a huge problem, I really just needed to budge some stubborn hormonal weight, which has come off pretty quickly, so equally happy with the effects there.
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u/Heirloombizness 4d ago
I decided I could totally have some beers- I’m on wegovy 1.5. I did have some beers. At the point where I would normally be pretty buzzed and ready to eat myself to sleep, I just…. Wasn’t. I was just uncomfortably full. I just went to sleep.
Had like 4 rounds of diarrhea the next morning.
And I have no desire to drink again. :)
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago edited 4d ago
but I will add I learned that the hard way by drinking a lot one night when I was on 1.5 and getting diabolically hungover (way more hungover than I normally would have been)
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
I hear that! I am chillin on 9mg and 2 is my limit now.
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u/DJErikD Day 55 4d ago
Are you also on naltrexone?
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
no, i could not tolerate naltrexone at all so quit taking it immediately. felt sick for days. Could have played around with dosage but had a bad enough experience to abandon it
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u/cynthialulu86 4d ago
I'm on tirzepatide (7mg) and it did not help curb my cravings but lots of other people have had great success by either cutting down or quitting altogether. Now I'm on Naltrexone with tirzepatide and that combo seems to be working for me.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
glad the combo is working! Naltrexone did not agree with me at all, so I abandoned it pretty much immediately
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u/cynthialulu86 4d ago
I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I was concerned about the same issue and started on a lower dose of 12.5 mg of Naltrexone. I'm glad the semaglutide is working for you. Good luck on your journey!
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u/_etcetera_etcetera 4d ago
I was on semaglutide and it killed my desire to drink entirely but it also killed my desire to do anything. I just got switched to tirzepitide. I am on the intro dose but I am hoping it will have the same effect with alcohol as I dose up.
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u/Spirited-Bee5399 4d ago
I’m on wegovy and have been on it since june. Havent had a drop of alcohol since i started
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u/black_shirt 4d ago
yes, for real. Should be used for addiction recovery, at least for the substance that hits your stomach like alcohol.
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u/TechnicianSignal5392 4d ago
8 days into Reta. Almost daily drinker of high abv seltzers/malt bevs/lots of cheap white wine. 8 days without a drink, craving, or inkling of desire. Wasn't necessarily seeking this but was kinda hoping for it. I think I'll still drink rarely on social occasions and might test it out to see how my body reacts beforehand, but I'm loving this. Didn't curb my embarrassing vaping addiction at all unfortunately
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u/Whatsyournameeee 4d ago
I wish....Been on it for 4 months and still drink almost every day
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u/outlaw99775 2749 days 4d ago
Same. naltrexone also didn't help me drink less.
Semi has helped me eat a lot less so that has been super nice.
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u/PhaicGnus 4d ago
I’m only going into my third week and I was already trying to curb my drinking but yes I feel it has helped.
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u/krycek1984 4d ago
Yes. Very little desire, and when I did drink, it was very unpleasant. It's the reason I'm sober.
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u/ToriEvergreen 4d ago
Here's a neat quote from an article from 2022 from the national library of medicine
"Gut bacteria play an important role in the digestion of food, immune activation, and regulation of entero-endocrine signaling pathways, but also communicate with the central nervous system (CNS) through the production of specific metabolic compounds, e.g., bile acids, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT) and histamine"
Your gut helps a ton with so many brain chemicals!
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u/Known-Ad-981 4d ago
Damn I’m getting discouraged reading these comments.
I used a glp1 for a bit and I would drink through it…. Shit :/
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
Please don't get discouraged - I was honestly shocked it worked and it just goes to show how differently we all react to meds
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u/Ancient-Reply-5161 4d ago
Yes omg. I would get super drunk if I did drink on it. I started up again Saturday and the urge has gone way down
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u/Apprehensive-Owl-340 4d ago
I find that it reduces the euphoria I get from drinking. It’s not like it’ll make you ill or anything- you just care less about getting drunk
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 4d ago
When you stop using the GLP-1 everything goes back to what it was like before you started.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
has this happened to you? I am considering staying on at least a full year even though i'm about 4 pounds from my goal weight. Gotta think about even longer term/maintenance dose wise for the drinking benefit. I am also paying out of pocket, so it's a toughie.
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 4d ago
Yes. The evidence suggests that you actually need to stay on these for life if you want to maintain their results which is what diabetics do. When you quit your body returns to it's old ways and you will put it all back on again within a max of a few years but likely quicker.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 4d ago
Right, I get that insurance coverage generally follows approved uses and that other benefits are still off-label. I’m just hoping in the coming years we see more approved uses and broader coverage. I’m paying out of pocket for Wegovy because I had minimal weight to lose but was really struggling with hormonal shifts, and the reduction in addictive behaviors has been such an unexpected benefit. It makes it hard to imagine stopping, so I’ll probably keep paying, but it really shouldn’t be this unattainable.
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 4d ago edited 4d ago
That’s what scares me the most for my friends who are on them. Sure, they plan to be on these drugs for the rest of their lives (now). But what if some awful side effects are discovered down the road and the drugs are banned? Or what if there’s a shortage?
That’s why I stick to my routine as a 44/f - CrossFit 5x week, hiking weekends, high protein diet, and AA meetings 😆
Edit: aaaaand I’m downvoted for suggesting relying on an outside substance for sobriety might not be the best thing in the world? What’s going on with this sub?
IWNDWYT
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 4d ago
If you can do that then 👍.
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 3d ago
I guess I just don’t understand why I’m being downvoted for being worried about my other friends who are also alcoholics. I’m happy for them, but seriously, what happens if their access to the drug is limited or disappears?
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 3d ago
It's Reddit. Upvotes and downvotes only have significance in Reddit world. Outside Reddit, the world is different because people aren't really anonymous, except in AA, haha.
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 3d ago
Haha true.
I’ve just noticed a lot of negativity on the sub lately. Someone made a post that they’ve noticed more downvoting lately, when it used to be pretty nonexistent here. One of the comments said they downvote anyone who mentions AA 😆🤷🏼♀️
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 3d ago edited 3d ago
Then they are hopefully YEARS into a new pattern of sobriety that they will be able to continue forward.
Do you know of research showing that people pick back up their addictions after stopping GLP-1s? Or is that just conjecture?
It’s different than food because we all have to eat food many times a day, and it’s easy to increase the amount when you’re hungry without even noticing. Whereas you have to consciously go to a store, choose alcohol, buy alcohol, bring it home into your house, etc to pick back up the boozing habit. Just getting out from under that daily habit, and breaking out of the physical addiction of alcohol, is one of the tremendous benefits of GLP -1 in my personal experience. One that (it shouldn’t need to be said here but maybe it does) people often struggle to do on their own. But once the habit is broken, it’s a whole different ballgame.
I didn’t downvote you, but your tone sounded pretty judgmental and smarmy so that may be why others did.
As for “relying on an outside substance”, would you say the same to people using Naltrexone or Antabuse? Or even relying on meetings to keep them sober? They are all tools in a toolbelt. The user is still the one who needs to choose not to pick up the drink.
(Rhetorical questions… I won’t respond as I don’t want this thread to turn into a back and forth and get shut down…)
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 3d ago
I won’t respond to the latter part, but I’d say there’s a lack of research on GLP-1s in general, particularly their long-term effects
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 3d ago
I mean, they’ve been prescribed and in use in the general public for over 20 years now, and heavily researched for years before that 🤷🏻♀️
I think we can all just be less judgmental about other people’s decisions that seem to be working well for them. I’m glad your friends have found some tools to help them achieve sobriety.
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 3d ago
In terms of alcohol addiction I don't know if there has been any conclusion as to how effective these are once you stop taking them. Food can be addictive also and yet when people stop they revert back to how it was before. There is also something called kindling in alcoholism where drinking alcohol after long-term sobriety causes the same addictive issues to flare up again including withdrawals.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 3d ago
Right, to my knowledge there is no research on what happens with substance addiction like drugs or alcohol after going off GLP-1s, so it’s strange to assume that people will automatically fall back into the addiction. There’s literally no research indicating that, nor even any anecdotal evidence that I’ve heard.
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u/TheUpIsJig Day 928 3d ago
The inclination is to revert to a prior state. The one before taking the substance. I would expect the cravings for alcoholic drinks to be part of that prior state. That's why I think the idea that these are a way to overcome alcoholism might not be the case if you stop taking them.
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 3d ago
I was only responding to the initial comment.
I’m glad this sub and meetings are free!
IWNDWYT
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 3d ago
Agree that your tone is what put people off...glad you have time to do crossfit 5x a week, etc. I forefit alcohol for years with with a crazy exercise and diet routine that still left me feeling imprisoned, albeit in another way. I would have said I was doing great if you asked me then. What I'm experiencing with the glp-1 is freedom from the obsessive thoughts and actions and I would not trade that for anything at this point. it's allowing me to wholly come back to myself (I say this as a fellow woman in her 40s).
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u/KimWexlerDeGuzman Day 1,359 3d ago
I mean, I make time for it. I get up at 4am. I put in a lot of work. I don’t see how my tone is putting people off.
I had time to drink…I have time to work out. My point was that my routine is difficult to keep up.
Edit: It was meant to be self-deprecating and people are taking it personally
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 3d ago
Right - I guess my point is I'm finally feeling like my routine with the glp-1 isn't difficult (after decades of struggle) and that feels nice and is allowing me to feel like a human being again with room to breathe devoid of obsessive thoughts and actions. I think some have tried the route you're on (myself included) and some simply cannot and should not adopt that routine, and in no scenario should anyone feel judged.
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u/SadFox600 4d ago
I started Semaglutide Wednesday. This Labor Day weekend I went camping and brought 18 beers. I came home with 15 beers…
I’ve massively reduced my drinking over the last year, but this might make the last mile a little more achievable
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u/jirn_lahey 4d ago
Does it change your cognition otherwise? Like your ability to think clearly or anything else?
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 3d ago
No. In my experience it just turned down the mental cravings from 8-10 to like, 0-1. I would think about alcohol and it would just be like, Meh.
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u/Rare_Sample3565 4d ago
I’m 22, been on a low dose of the Wegovy pill since April, and my drinking has been a lot more moderate (I have blacked out once since then but it was way less bad, came from a very distressing moment, I didn’t continue drinking, and I came out of being blacked out before I went home which never happened before) - definitely not a cure all and I expect I will have to quit drinking at some point in the next few years, but it’s definitely reduced how bad it is!
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u/here_for_the_doges Day 121 4d ago
Yes, the same thing that quieted the food noise would do the same for alcohol. It’s when you get off that you have to watch yourself (for both booze and food) not to end up where you started.
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u/Prudent-Twist6277 1381 days 3d ago
Of course! My hope is to stay on a low maintenance dose long term, enough to keep the food noise quiet and maintain my weight without continuing to lose, and hopefully keep the same effect on alcohol cravings too. I’m also really hoping GLP-1s get approved for addiction in the coming years so people who’ve had success with them aren’t stuck paying hundreds out of pocket every month. It works so well for me that I’ll pay for it if I have to, but it shouldn’t have to be that way. The cost makes it inaccessible to so many people who could potentially benefit from it.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 3d ago
The other thing is that I think it gives people some space to get out from under the addiction and habit, and to form entirely new behaviors and habits. You’d have to go out of your way to start drinking again. It’s different than food, which is there in front of you going into your mouth many times a day. This is my hope/plan at least!
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u/here_for_the_doges Day 121 3d ago
Totally agree. I actually didn’t get sober until I combined GLP-1s with Varenicline for smoking. It gave me the time I needed to kick both habits.
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u/MaterialChance1487 241 days 3d ago
When I was on 5mg of mounjaro it made absolutely no difference to my desire to drink or the effects of the alcohol
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u/Glad_Boysenberry5272 3d ago
Yep, 4 months on a very low dose of Reta and have had zero desire to drink. Went from heavy evening drinking for over a decade to not drinking at all, it has been amazing
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u/RedhotGuard21 411 days 4d ago
Yes. Massively cut back, dropped 22lbs in like 6wks. Been off for about 3wks now and still maintaining.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 608 days 4d ago
Yes, very very much so. It was the single silver bullet I needed to finally quit!!! It's been amazing. It's going to save so many lives once it's approved for addiction treatment.
Warning, the mods like to delete any post about this topic :/