GLP-1 has turned me into a ‘normal’ drinker.

[moderateme]

I’ve been taking mounjaro for a few weeks now. One of my main motivations was what I had heard about its impact on people’s drinking. I don’t drink every day but I do drink too much and I think about how much I am going to drink a lot. I don’t have ‘food noise’, I have ‘alcohol noise’ and it’s gone. I have had a drink (when it’s been offered to me) but I’m genuinely ambivalent. It’s amazing. I don’t want to stay on MJ just to control my drinking but I’m so relieved that there is something that exists which can take away my preoccupation with booze.
I am assuming it will come back when I stop but I wondered if there is any ‘learning’ going on in my brain given I am clearly not being rewarded by drink in the same way. Has anyone been on WLIs and found they drink less when they come off them?

I’m going to post this on the alcohol support board too so apols if you are seeing a duplicate.

It interrupts the dopamine pathway so we are less prone to carrying out addictive or compulsive behaviours as we don't find pleasure in them anymore. Alcohol is also purely carbs and sugar and I have found I'm less craving carbs and sugar so it could be linked to that.

It’s definitely more than just the calories / sugar. A LOT of my brain space was taken up by thoughts of whether to drink, how much to drink, when to drink etc. now it’s gone, vanished from my mind. It’s amazing.

It stopped me drinking,but triggered an eating disorder.
Very strange, I obviously used to seek out alcohol for the dopamine hit,but that totally lost its appeal. Instead I got incredible hits from not eating, I thought well ok that's kind of the point of mounjaro, and I lost a lot of weight very quickly, I thought ok when I stop this thinking will stop,except it didn't, so now even though I don't take mounjaro, I stopped drinking,but stopped eating,

I’m really keen to hear more about this. I definitely drink too much and it’s why I am on the cusp of qualifying for private MJ based on weight. I am struggling with the concept of paying £200ish a month but it’s probably the equivalent of what I’m spending on drink, so…

I can definitely see how this could happen. I’m sorry it’s happened like this for you. Are you able to manage the desire to restrict your eating now your off MJ?

I started 2 days ago and I’m finding the same, it’s unreal.

I ordered it one day when I was feeling pretty hopeless. Stuck in a rut of drinking too much but struggling to be able to change my life sufficiently to be able to stop. I drink to escape - my life isn’t awful but I’m unhappy a lot of the time. Anyway, I won’t bore you with the details but I was probably drinking about 50 units a week on average. Not every day but it has definitely become an issue. It occupied a lot of my thoughts.

now…. It’s just disappeared. I can take a drink or leave it. If I have one I’m not immediately thinking about the next one. How I can have ‘enough’ without anyone noticing. I’m genuinely not bothered and it happened immediately. I’m only in 2.5mgs as I’ve just started.

You’re lucky. I know a couple of big drinkers and they have no problem with drinking loads. They both save their calories for alcohol at weekends. Eat less but drink as before.

I guess I knew my brain was wired differently (through years of using alcohol in an unhealthy way) but to feel the switch flick in the way it has is amazing. I’m the same person, but my brain is not trying to get me to drink all the time 🤯

I have heard the alcohol impact does vary alot from person to person so I am definitely very grateful for the way I’ve responded

I can drink just fine when I’m socialising but the urge to drink has gone. I’ve been on the meds well over two years, I take a low maintenance dose and I never drink ah home anymore. I used to drink about 2 bottles a week, maybe one during thr week, one at the weekend, it simply doesn’t occur to me now, and hasn’t since the start.

So it’s been a long time since I’ve thought shit day at work, open the wine, or nice day, glass of wine in the garden, and I don’t miss it, as I’ve no desire for it.

i also notice even though I can drink fine when I socialise, I never had an off switch, but now, the max I can do is 3 large wines over the course of the evening and then I don’t fancy it.

weirdly though I never get hangovers any more. I think my liver has obviously healed, mounjaro reduces inflammation which allows our internal organs to regenerate like they used to basically. Used to be one glass of wine would disrupt my sleep, now I sleep like a baby and no hangover. Even after the best part of a bottle.

my husband used to drink most nights, but not much, a couple of drinks, wine or beer, and he’s also stopped. He’s on it too. And I’ve noticed when we socialise he also drinks less and stops.

This all sounds very positive for you both! I had 2 small glasses of wine a couple of days after my first jab and that was a total disaster. Felt so sick, thought I was going to be sick. Since then I’ve only had a couple of beers. Wine doesn’t appeal to me at all anymore.

do you mind me asking what your maintenance dose is?

I went teetotal the week I started. I came off MJ after 6 months and still haven’t had a drink and nor do I want one. It’s been 9 months.

Wow - that’s amazing! Well done you 👏

I’ve been on Wegovy since September. I used to drink 2-4 drinks weekly. I’d have a big weekend every couple of months.

I’ve drunk maybe 15 drinks in total since September. That includes my 50th, DH’s 50th and DS’s 21st. I just don’t fancy it any more. Wine often tastes too sweet, fizzy drinks make me feel uncomfortable so G&T doesn’t appeal.

No, I don't know anyone else that it's affected this way,the stopping drinking yes, but the eating restriction no.
I don't think many people when starting it give much thought to the fact that it's altering your brain pathways and for some people it can get a bit messed up.
I have stopped taking it but the desire to not eat and the euphoria I get from not eating has remained, very strange.

Literally had this same day today and I’ve taken the plunge and ordered.

No idea if it will work - I’ll give it a pen and see- but thank you for the inspiration :)

Sorry to derail, I wonder if it has the same effect on smokers?

I definitely don't want to drink again, but I do get a massive hit from not eating, even though I'm off the drug now,I'm a size 6 now and can't really get any smaller but the compulsion to not eat is real.

I’ve just asked Claude and apparently so but some caveats;

”Nicotine is a more direct stimulant of dopamine release than alcohol, so it’s not entirely clear the effect will be as strong. Some researchers think the appetite-suppression effect of GLP-1 meds may also interact with smoking cessation in a useful way — one reason many people resist quitting is fear of weight gain, and GLP-1 agonists obviously counteract that.

Clinical trials are underway specifically looking at GLP-1 agonists as a smoking cessation aid. It’s not an approved use yet, and existing treatments like varenicline (Champix) still have a stronger evidence base. But the mechanistic logic is sound and it’s an active area.

The broader picture emerging is that these drugs may be genuinely useful for a range of compulsive or addictive behaviours — which would make them quite remarkable if the trial data bears out.”

I hope it works for you. I feel much more positive just knowing there is something which can break the cycle. I know I ultimately need to sort myself out but I feel much more hopeful and all the while my body is getting a break from the booze.

I hope you are able to manage this ok long term. Thanks for sharing your experience

Me too! Been off jabs 2 months now and still not massively interested in alcohol 🙌

I love these stories of the effect persisting! Did you drink much before you went on the jabs may I ask?

Much easier to maintain your weight loss while not drinking so that must be a great benefit.

I’m overweight but not obese and been considering WLI

Very interested to hear the anti-alcohol effect. I drink far too much and it’s a significant % of my calorie intake