HMM. BUG, OR FEATURE? Some People on Ozempic Lose the Desire to Drink. Scientists Are Asking Why.
As Ozempic gains more attention and more people use the diabetes drug off-label to lose weight, doctors say that many patients are reporting similar experiences: They start the medication and then stop wanting to drink alcohol.
“It’s certainly something I’ve heard many of my patients say, usually in a positive way,” said Dr. Robert Gabbay, the chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association.
Tina Zarpour, 46, who works at a museum in San Diego, used to have a glass of wine a few times a week while she cooked dinner. But after she started taking Wegovy — a weight loss drug containing semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Ozempic — in 2021, she found herself “repelled” by alcohol, she said. She would try to have a drink but struggled to finish. “It was like, ugh, I don’t want to,” she said.
Even during a birthday lunch, the type of social event where she would typically enjoy a cocktail or two, she couldn’t bring herself to drink. She ended up ordering tea. “I just wasn’t expecting it,” she said of her new distaste for alcohol. But she said she was grateful for the push to cut back on drinking.
Scientists are working to understand why people like Ms. Zarpour experience this side effect. There are some clues: Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, which mimic a hormone in our bodies that makes us feel full. Semaglutide helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, and can also potentially affect the areas in the brain that regulate our desire for food, said Dr. Janice Jin Hwang, the division chief of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Some people taking Ozempic have reported feeling less excited or, in some cases, even disgusted by the foods they once enjoyed. It’s unclear why that reaction may extend to alcohol.
Nearly all of the existing research on GLP-1 receptor agonists and alcohol over the last decade has been conducted on animals and with compounds similar, but not identical, to semaglutide. Rats, mice and monkeys receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists have been shown to consume less alcohol and exhibit less of a desire for it than those that are not given the medication. (Animal studies involving these chemicals and drugs like nicotine, opioids and cocaine have reported similar findings.)
Whether it’s a plus or not depends. If you’re a sommelier, or a master distiller, it’s probably a major drawback. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a plus.