We arrived at the club less than an hour later and I turned to my husband and said, “Sorry, I’m going back to the hotel.” I really don’t feel well. ” He looked just as disappointed as I felt.
So we were in Ibiza, on a mini-vacation without kids, trying to recapture those heady days of drinking late into the night and clubbing until dawn when we first met, but all in vain. I thought so. The desire for hedonism has disappeared. Everything I once loved made me feel that way. . . there is nothing.
It wasn’t until I read Dr. Max’s column last week that I realized what was behind it all. The weight loss drug Ozempic, which I have been taking for the past five months, not only helped me lose weight, but also affected the pleasure I got from other things. Like Dr. Pemberton, Ozempic had a dramatic impact not only on his relationship with food but also with alcohol.
Since I started drinking last summer, I hardly drink anymore. And it had a huge impact on my life in my 40s, when I still had a bit of a reputation as a party girl.
The decision to take Ozempic, which is prescribed to treat my type 2 diabetes, was not one I made lightly. (A different brand, Wegovy, is currently prescribed on the NHS for weight loss treatment.)
After reading Dr. Max Pemberton’s column last week, I realized that Ozempic was affecting my relationship with alcohol.
I’m 42 years old and had a baby two years ago. Despite eating healthy and staying fit (I had a personal trainer, ran marathons, and tried many different types of exercise), I couldn’t lose weight.
At 5ft 3in and over 12 stone, I was classified as obese. I didn’t recognize myself.
I consulted several friends who take Ozempic, looked up medical literature on Ozempic, and then submitted the details and photos to an online pharmacy. The pharmacy recognized me as a suitable candidate.
As soon as I started taking it last June, my attitude towards food changed. Not only did it relieve the hunger pangs, but I realized it wasn’t anything fancy like I had. “I really want to eat pizza,” I thought. Or, “I want a Preto sandwich.” Or I want a baked potato.
But that wasn’t the case. It was a strange suppression of my food cravings.
Alcohol had a similar effect. I work in digital marketing and I also do quite a bit of entertainment for clients. I love margaritas, espresso martinis, and champagne. . . Or did it.
But after taking Ozempic, I couldn’t taste anything. It was bitter or sour, and even when I drank it, I didn’t feel the buzz of alcohol.
In the past, when I went out with clients, I’d have a few cocktails and then share a few bottles of wine during dinner. When I go out with friends, I drink champagne or margaritas. When I went clubbing on the weekends with my husband and friends, it wasn’t uncommon for me to have a couple of gin and tonics before leaving the house and eight or nine vodka sodas throughout the night.
However, in Ozempic he completely stopped drinking alcohol.
Even though I didn’t tell them I was taking Ozempic, most people knew I was on a health journey, so it wasn’t hard to explain the changes in my behavior. And if anyone wondered where I found my willpower, they didn’t ask. I was still out with customers and friends, but I ordered one drink and had a bottle of soda to keep me going all night.
Of course, there’s no doubt that quitting alcohol helped me lose weight, but I also experienced other benefits of sobriety. I’m sleeping better (even when the kids aren’t sleeping), I’m more productive by not getting hangovers, and I’m better able to handle my toddler’s tantrums.
I don’t know if I would have quit alcohol if it wasn’t for Ozempic, but I couldn’t complain about it.
That night in Ibiza surprised me. I had had sangria earlier that evening, and I think the unexpected sugar injection hit me hard. I don’t know if it’s physiological or psychological, but it makes me want to make healthier choices and live a healthier life.
And when it doesn’t, you really feel it.
Ozempic, prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, can help you lose weight
The rest of the trip was no different. I had tickets to some of my favorite clubs, but my heart wasn’t in it. By 1 a.m., I had no booze to keep me going and had no interest in being awake at all. I also didn’t want to collapse into bed doing something I had enjoyed before giving birth.
Losing weight with Ozempic made me feel very happy with my body. Now, eight months later, she’s closer to her target weight of eight-and-a-half stone and is now more comfortable walking around in her underwear and being naked. Our sex life wasn’t great.
To be honest, I don’t know if I can blame Ozempic alone for my low sex drive. Having a toddler who won’t sleep takes a toll on that score, and my husband doesn’t have a huge sex drive, so it was often me who started things.
But lately he’s been suggesting an “early night” so I’m just going along with it. Ozempic has definitely changed the way I feel and react to things that used to bring me joy, but I’m starting to think it’s also affecting me in the bedroom.
If that’s the case, I hope your sex drive will come back once it’s gone. Once you reach your goal weight, aim to maintain it without jabs.
I feel like my brain has been reprogrammed when it comes to food. I can’t imagine going out and ordering a huge pizza or craving something sweet like I used to. We don’t know if the same is true for alcohol, but we do know that cutting back on alcohol can help you stay lean.
Until I started drinking Ozempic and quit drinking, I had no idea that I could end up consuming 3,000 calories just from drinks on a big night out. Training and waking up in the morning will be much more pleasant when you are not at work with a hangover.
As a new sober person, I would like to stay here. But whether Ozempic temporarily tamed the party girl in me or banished her forever remains to be seen.
