HOUSTON — People using the now-popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have reported both positive and negative side effects.
But recently, patients have reported a different side effect -- the drugs lessening their addictive behaviors or tendencies.
"Some addictions or compulsive behaviors, to alcohol, smoking, or even cravings for sweet things, have come down for many people," Dr. Chinyere Okpaleke said.
Okpaleke -- who goes by Dr. Chi -- is a family medicine physician who said her patients who are on these types of drugs have reported having fewer urges to drink, smoke or gamble. On websites like Reddit, posters claim to no longer have the urge to compulsively shop while taking weight-loss drugs.
Katy resident Robert Stalnaker said taking semaglutide shots (the main ingredient in drugs like Ozempic) over the last year has made alcohol unappealing.
"I like Crown (Royal) and Coke, and normally I'd get a double," Stalnaker said. "I'd probably have four or five of them some nights."
But these days, Stalnaker's liquor cabinet is practically empty and his distaste for alcohol has changed his social habits.
"I actually make decisions now on what we’re doing, who we’re going out with, how much drinking is going on, and whether or not I want to be a part of it," he said.
There are no major studies in the works right now, and most reports are anecdotal, but doctors are hopeful these drugs may unlock new findings about addictive behavior.
"I don't see us saying, 'Take Ozempic to fight drug addiction,'" Dr. Chi said. "But if you do have diabetes or weight loss issues, and you're on these drugs, we can advise patients and tell them certain compulsive behaviors might improve as well."
Scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden have published nearly a dozen studies showing how GLP1 drugs, like Ozempic, are significantly reducing or stopping binge drinking and overall alcohol consumption.
But so far, all of those tests have involved rats or mice. Large-scale, randomized controlled trials in humans are the next step, but it could be years before they happen.