When is enough enough?
Satiety is how your body knows you have had enough.
Common diabetes and weight loss medications like semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic and Weygovy - target satiety receptors in your stomach and brain.
These parts of the brain are also active in addiction. Addiction and craving are the opposite of satiety.
Patients taking medications like semaglutide have significantly reduced addictive behaviors like drinking and smoking.
Semaglutide for Alcohol Use
We are just beginning to understand how semaglutide can be used to help patients reduce alcohol use.
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There are 3 established, FDA approved medications for alcohol use disorder. While Semaglutide is still being studied, it seems to be more effective than other existing medications. Semaglutide is also known to have many other beneficial effects on weight, heart health, and diabetes.
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Semaglutide is given as weekly injections.
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While using semaglutide for alcohol use is new, the medication has been used for diabetes since 2017. Semaglutide has a strong track record of safety. Large studies following patients using semaglutide have not found significant safety issues.
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Semaglutide was only available in the US as brand name Ozempic, Rybelsus and Weygovy. Brand name semaglutide costs a minimum of $1000 a month. Due to the shortage of these medications, the FDA has allowed independent compounding pharmacies to produce semaglutide medications. These pharmacies are regulated by state pharmacy boards but not the FDA. By using compounded semaglutide we are able to offer the medication for about $75 per weekly dose.
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A compounding pharmacy is a specialized type of pharmacy that customizes medications for individuals, their family members, or even pets. These medications are not commerically available and are tailored to meet specific needs, addressing complex or rare health problems. They are regulated by state pharmacy boards but not the FDA.
Other Medications to Reduce Alcohol Use
There are 3 FDA approved medications for Alcohol Use Disorder
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Naltrexone blocks the “feel-good” response to drinking alcohol. By doing so, Naltrexone can reduce the urge to drink and prevent excessive alcohol consumption. Naltrexone can be taken as a pill or given as a long acting injection, and can be started when a patient is still drinking.
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Acamprosate has been shown to help maintain abstinence in patients recently detoxed from alcohol. It is the preferred medications for patients who are prescribed opioids, or have advanced liver disease.
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Disulfiram, or Antabuse, causes patients who take the medication and then drink alcohol to experience and uncomfortable physical reaction including vomiting, flushing, and headaches. The use of disulfiram has decreased in favor of medications like naltrexone and acamprosate.
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Growing Evidence
What is the evidence for using Semaglutide for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may help reduce alcohol use. Growing evidence includes animal studies, case series, observational studies, and recent randomized trials.
Case series
A case series found that patients with AUD who took semaglutide for weight loss had significantly reduced AUD symptoms.
Observational studies
A study of electronic health records found that semaglutide was associated with a 50%–56% lower risk of both the incidence and recurrence of alcohol use disorder.
A study in Sweden found that people with alcohol use disorder and type two diabetes who took semaglutide were less likely to be hospitalized for issues related to alcohol.
Randomized Controlled Trials
The first placebo controlled trial to specifically study semaglutide for alcohol use showed reductions in both intensity of drinking and amount of alcohol consumed.
Other findings
A study of social media posts show people who take semaglutide report reduced alcohol cravings.
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