Users Reporting Weird Ozempic Side Effect

Losing Their Desire to Drink Alcohol

As reported by Dani Blum, via the New York Times, some patients using Ozempic have reported a weird side effect. Losing their desire to drink alcohol. Scientist are asking why. But, one could question whether this is a good or bad thing.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, a Glucagon Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist. This class of drug was designed to lower A1C levels in diabetics and to treat type II diabetes. GLP-1 medications mimic a hormone which makes us feel full. It also lessens our desire for food.

One of the reported side effects of using Ozempic was weight loss. Doctors then began prescribing these drugs off-label for weight loss. With patients reporting losing their desire for alcohol, could these drugs now be used to treat alcoholism? Only time will tell, but studies are underway.

Scientist are Studying This Weird Ozempic Side Effect

Studies are being conducted on animals to research this weird side effect of not only Ozempic but other drugs in the GLP-1 class as well. In one study GLP-1 receptor agonists have proven to reduce the consumption of alcohol and reduce the desire for it as well in rats, mice and monkeys that have been treated with them, compared to those that have not been treated with them.

According to Ms. Blum’s research, a few human studies on alcohol and medications like Ozempic are underway.

It was recently revealed by Danish researchers that a clinical study was being conducted on patients with alcohol use disorders in order to test another GLP-1 receptor agonist.

In both groups of patients, alcohol consumption actually decreased. However, patients who received the GLP-1 compound along with therapy, as compared with those who only received a placebo and therapy, had a dramatic reduction in their alcohol consumption.

Hopefully these studies on this weird Ozempic side effect are just the beginning for getting drugs like Ozempic approved by the FDA to treat alcohol disorders.