(news nation) — Doctors report that some Ozempic users find the drug suppresses appetite and reduces cravings for alcohol, making the connection between weight loss drugs and curbing addiction. This indicates that there is a possibility that there is a relationship between the two.
“I used to use alcohol as a sort of numbing drug to reward myself and self-medicate at night, and that became a bit of a problem. But since I started taking semaglutide, “I realized I had no desire for alcohol, almost an aversion to it,” Christy Martin said.
Former Ozempic user Martin said,newsnation prime” shared her experience of taking diabetes medication. popularity has skyrocketed Because it has a weight loss effect.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Kaplan said anecdotal evidence suggests Ozempic suppresses a variety of addictive behaviors, although comprehensive research on this link has not yet been conducted.
“We have over 600 patients in our program and we hear similar stories from them. But now we can also crowdsource all these comments from TikTok. Thousands of people there are talking about how they're biting their nails less, shopping less online, drinking less, smoking less,” Kaplan told NewsNation.
It's not entirely clear why this link exists, but Kaplan says it makes sense to use drugs because overeating can be an addictive behavior. Target neural pathways Because overeating can also affect other addictive behaviors.
“We obviously need to do long-term studies of the clinical evidence that this works, but we also need basic science research to figure out exactly the pathways of why it works the way it does,” Kaplan said. Stated.
Martin recently said: left Ozempicand although she gained a few pounds back, her craving for alcohol hasn't returned.
“The eating noise was starting to come back, so I was worried about the effects of alcohol, but it didn't really come back. And I gained a few pounds back, so I started doing things once a month to keep it up. We might consider using it as a,” Martin said.
Kaplan told NewsNation that although Ozempic is not approved to treat addiction, doctors can prescribe Ozempic to patients who may be battling the disease.
“It would be considered off-label, but it wouldn't be illegal for a doctor to prescribe it,” Kaplan said. “I know you're hearing about this on the news, but… gastroparesisBut those significant risks are very few and far between. ”
