Addiction to incretin mimetics

[stickfigure]

This is sparked by a conversation in a different thread.

Are We Becoming Addicted to Incretin Mimetics?

Are we witnessing a new wave of dependency right under our noses with drugs like semaglutide, retatrutide and tirzepatide? Are patients—facing what could be a lifetime treatment—exhibiting drug-seeking behaviors reminiscent of more notorious addictive substances? Are people combing through online forums and discord servers, searching for the cheapest GLP-1 supply, disregarding safety concerns and turning to sketchy, non-FDA-approved no -for-human-use sources?

Is Big Pharma, whether intentionally or not, creating a generation of patients dependent on these drugs, just like when opioids were heralded as miracle treatments but ultimately led to tragic addiction crises? Sure, incretin mimetics might not carry the same level of health risks as opioids, but does the pattern of reliance and desperation look eerily similar?

Do we see parallels in the marketing strategy, painted as “for the greater good,” only to have people scrambling for a lifetime prescription, pinned to the allure of weight loss or glucose control? Could it be that the quest to feel better or lose a few extra pounds is driving some users to risk buying untested products from underground markets, like the urge to feel better forces drug addicts to ignore the risks?

And if so, where does the responsibility lie?

What do you think? Is it time for a deeper conversation about possible long-term dependence on incretin mimetics?


Anticipating the frequently expected answer, "I am not addicted" is something all addicts say. Unless you are seriously prepared to stop using GLP-1s cold turkey and for good, you are addicted, for one reason or another. Let's have a serious conversation here.

 

[stickfigure]

I'll start with myself. I am at my target weight. But I like maintaining it and I want to continue experiencing all the positive side effects of COCAINE which are not related to weight loss.
I think I can stop. But in reality I probably would not stop as long as I can find a cheap supply, even if the safety of the supply is questionable at best. Is this an addiction? Thinking critically about it, it has all signs of an addiction.

 

[GimmeABreak]

This is sparked by a conversation in a different thread.

Are We Becoming Addicted to Incretin Mimetics?

Are we witnessing a new wave of dependency right under our noses with drugs like semaglutide, retatrutide and tirzepatide? Are patients—facing what could be a lifetime treatment—exhibiting drug-seeking behaviors reminiscent of more notorious addictive substances? Are people combing through online forums and discord servers, searching for the cheapest GLP-1 supply, disregarding safety concerns and turning to sketchy, non-FDA-approved no -for-human-use sources?

Is Big Pharma, whether intentionally or not, creating a generation of patients dependent on these drugs, just like when opioids were heralded as miracle treatments but ultimately led to tragic addiction crises? Sure, incretin mimetics might not carry the same level of health risks as opioids, but does the pattern of reliance and desperation look eerily similar?

Do we see parallels in the marketing strategy, painted as “for the greater good,” only to have people scrambling for a lifetime prescription, pinned to the allure of weight loss or glucose control? Could it be that the quest to feel better or lose a few extra pounds is driving some users to risk buying untested products from underground markets, like the urge to feel better forces drug addicts to ignore the risks?

And if so, where does the responsibility lie?

What do you think? Is it time for a deeper conversation about possible long-term dependence on incretin mimetics?


Anticipating the frequently expected answer, "I am not addicted" is something all addicts say. Unless you are seriously prepared to stop using GLP-1s cold turkey and for good, you are addicted, for one reason or another. Let's have a serious conversation here.

I think there is a difference between addiction and dependency. Are diabetics addicted to insulin or dependent on insulin? If they were to lose access to pharmacy provided insulin would they risk acquiring it through other channels?

 

[stickfigure]

I think there is a difference with insulin. They stop using insulin they die.
We stop using incretin mimetics we don't die. At least not immediately.

 

[DwightTheDelight]

I don't know if it's addiction in the typical sense, but I do think there is something going on that can be discussed. I've mentioned this a few times, but I feel like I've replaced binge eating with shopping for these substances. I've also just taken another max dose zep bound shot multiple days early, because the temptations of christmas and new years food was getting to me, so maybe I am displaying some typical addiction behavior by making excuses to behave like this. I'll be curious to see how I handle all of this once I hit my goal weight, because my initial plan was to slowly cut my usage down and then stop, but I can see that idea slowly changing as that time closes in.

 

[noggin]

I think this is a very important thread and a good question to be asking ourselves. While I would not equate what I've seen in these communities to opioid drug seeking behavior, there is something to say about the psychology behind food addiction and weight loss. For some (many) people, food is used as a coping mechanism or comfort. When the desire for food is no longer there, it's not far fetched to assume we might seek out other coping mechanisms to deal with problems. One part of those maladaptive coping mechanisms could be a shopping addiction, as the thrill of purchasing grey was once so great that users seek to purchase more and fill that void. Another aspect could be that the confidence and self-image improvements after losing weight could be so satisfying one might look to seek more of that social validation through other (possibly unapproved) incretin mimetics. This type of behavior being more akin to an eating disorder. I see many people ignoring the risks to try other completely human-untested peptides simply out of the thrill that GLP-1 drugs once gave. This behavior is definitely dangerous and I see some of it in myself - I have tried ipamorelin now despite starting out thinking I won't try any FDA unapproved peptides. Everyone must make their own judgement on the risk to rewards but it would be foolish not to say these drugs in some psychological aspect are altering our judgement.

 

[stickfigure]

These drugs are researched for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. They definitely impact reward pathways in brain in some way. Are they replacing addiction to drugs and alcohol with addiction to incretin mimetics? There is at least a possibility they do.

Let's draw some parallels to AAS world. AAS users are claiming they are improving their health and well-being, improving themselves through the calculated and planned use of PEDs. And yet AAS abuse is widely recognized as an addiction. Are GLP-1s different?

 

[YoYoFat]

I think there is a difference with insulin. They stop using insulin they die.

Not necessarily with T2Ds. For almost a century, T2Ds were referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetics.

And the ovwhelmijg majority of diabetics are T2.

 

[YoYoFat]

These drugs are researched for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. They definitely impact reward pathways in brain in some way. Are they replacing addiction to drugs and alcohol with addiction to incretin mimetics? There is at least a possibility they do.

This belies a misunderstanding of how these peptides and drugs work.

They work on the same reward center of the brain not by providing a reward, but by inhibiting it. It’s the reward is what causes addiction. The inhibition of the reward prevents/treats addiction. The less reward you get for eating/doing drugs/gambling/etc., the less you’ll do that thing.

 

[stickfigure]

Receptor inhibitors do cause dependence. Look at SSRIs - someone on SSRI could not just stop cold turkey without causing major serotonin withdrawal and negative effects like depression and lethargy.

If you inhibit reward receptors, the moment you are off the inhibitors, receptors are buzzing again.

Is dependence an addiction? That is an open question.

Will sudden food noise from dropping incretin mimetics make you obsessed with finding food or another dose of GLP-1s? Quite possibly. Is this a form of an addiction? I think it's fair to have a discussion on this even for the purposes of search of incretin mimetics which are easiest to abandon.

Some may be more 'addicting' or causing dependence if you will. Some may be less. Could some of them be considered 'a gateway drug' while others 'an exit drug' for those who want to titrate down and discontinue their use? I think this community is well equipped to look into these questions.

Big Pharma sees these drugs as money making machine, so they have absolutely no motivation to research this, like during Oxy crisis. But we are not Big Pharma and it is in our best interest to explore these questions.

 

[stickfigure]

I guess let's try disproving the addiction theory by anecdotes first.

Has anyone here reached their weight goal and disconnected use of incretin mimetics, while still having inexpensive access to them and no negative health issues impacting this decision?

If we cannot disprove it, we can't really eliminate the possibility.

 

[Glp1judd]

This belies a misunderstanding of how these peptides and drugs work.

They work on the same reward center of the brain not by providing a reward, but by inhibiting it. It’s the reward is what causes addiction. The inhibition of the reward prevents/treats addiction. The less reward you get for eating/doing drugs/gambling/etc., the less you’ll do that thing.

Perhaps much of addiction - whether food or alcohol - is a primal attempt to mitigate and medicate some sort of sugar/insulin dysfunction we didn’t even know existed.

A disfunction that these drugs are starting to illuminate - and will change the way we look at everything. From nutrition to addiction to gut health, to neuroscience to disease far beyond obesity.

That’s not far fetched.

 

[hexagonal]

I guess let's try disproving the addiction theory by anecdotes first.

Has anyone here reached their weight goal and disconnected use of incretin mimetics, while still having inexpensive access to them and no negative health issues impacting this decision?

If we cannot disprove it, we can't really eliminate the possibility.

Current evidence suggests that these drugs offer benefits such as being cardio-protective even without weight loss. If this is the case, based on our current understanding of unwanted side-effects, stopping them is a negative health impact, even if at goal weight.

Anyway, you mentioned the AAS world in an earlier reply - the overwhelming majority of adult AAS users that I have encountered in recent years have not claimed any sort of health benefit from their AAS usage, outside of perhaps noting that large amounts of muscle are very protective against diabetes due to muscles utilizing a large amount of glucose, but otherwise they make no bones about the fact that there are a wide variety of other detrimental health impacts. They just believe the quality of life/self-image boost/etc. is worth the trade off to longevity and increase in risk of premature death.

But, they also are going on and off GLP-1s without issue. They have become quite popular for use during cuts, with people stopping them during bulks without issue.

 

[normal]

If my worst addiction at this point is to something that doesn't get me fucked up but actually added a good 15 years to the end of my life by helping me lose 86 lbs in only 6-7 month of use then fuck it baby I'm addicted as hell shoot me up lmaoooo

But really though. When I started, my wife was already in great shape/ healthy, but we definitely ate trash all the time and werent very active after work and shit with 4 kids. I was fat af and tired lmao just being real.
I told her I wanted to go all in, gym, diet, lifestyle flip immediately and asked if she'd be down to do it with me. She said hell yeah because shes a ride or die woman like that and now we're addicted to the gym, if we miss more than a day or two a week we're bummed. We're crunchy as fuck now. Eating organic whole foods, eat out maybe once a month now, complete 180 with our diets and were addicted and fucking loving it. If this is the worst addiction I'm facing at 35, fuckkkkk yeahhhhhh shoot me up baby lmaooooo

Oh also, this cured my sleep apena in the first month of 2.5mg. Completely gone. Fucking magic. One night my wife thought I was dead in my sleep because I wasn't making noise and she freaked the fuck out and shook me and I was like wtf lmao who's dead and she's like I thought you. So I mean, for that one thing alone, I'm a lifer already.

But yeah, definitely secured my bag to ensure I could stay on a maintenance dose for good. Most of us are definitely addicted. I'll 100% admit it. Look at the reddit people dropping $15k on 1500mg all day long. There's a never ending supply of them posting their "hauls" and every single time, I'm like yep that's addiction. Head to the comments and everyone's celebrating and cheering it in. But I mean, again, if that's the worst thing? Hell yeah. I'm definitely addicted, but i have a feeling I'm not gonna wake up in a year or two like fuckkkk COCAINE is ruining my life I gotta cut this shit lmao

I've actually almost made a version of this thread a couple of times because I've definitely put some thought into it

 

[penewbie]

Addiction is much more than just being dependent on a substance. Otherwise, as in the mad max world, we are all addicted to water.

DSM-5’s 11 Criteria for Addiction​

According to DSM-5, a substance use disorder (SUD) involves patterns of symptoms caused by using a substance that an individual continues taking despite its negative effects. Based on decades of research, DSM-5 points out 11 criteria that can arise from substance misuse. These criteria fall under four basic categories — impaired control, physical dependence, social problems and risky use:

1. Using more of a substance than intended or using it for longer than you’re meant to.
2. Trying to cut down or stop using the substance but being unable to.
3. Experiencing intense cravings or urges to use the substance.
4. Needing more of the substance to get the desired effect — also called tolerance.
5. Developing withdrawal symptoms when not using the substance.
6. Spending more time getting and using drugs and recovering from substance use.
7. Neglecting responsibilities at home, work or school because of substance use.
8. Continuing to use even when it causes relationship problems.
9. Giving up important or desirable social and recreational activities due to substance use.
10. Using substances in risky settings that put you in danger.
11. Continuing to use despite the substance causing problems to your physical and mental health.

*It is important to note that people can experience tolerance and withdrawal in the context of taking prescription drugs to treat a medical or mental health condition. This does not necessarily mean that they have a substance use disorder, however.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

This is sparked by a conversation in a different thread.

Are We Becoming Addicted to Incretin Mimetics?

Are we witnessing a new wave of dependency right under our noses with drugs like semaglutide, retatrutide and tirzepatide? Are patients—facing what could be a lifetime treatment—exhibiting drug-seeking behaviors reminiscent of more notorious addictive substances? Are people combing through online forums and discord servers, searching for the cheapest GLP-1 supply, disregarding safety concerns and turning to sketchy, non-FDA-approved no -for-human-use sources?

Is Big Pharma, whether intentionally or not, creating a generation of patients dependent on these drugs, just like when opioids were heralded as miracle treatments but ultimately led to tragic addiction crises? Sure, incretin mimetics might not carry the same level of health risks as opioids, but does the pattern of reliance and desperation look eerily similar?

Do we see parallels in the marketing strategy, painted as “for the greater good,” only to have people scrambling for a lifetime prescription, pinned to the allure of weight loss or glucose control? Could it be that the quest to feel better or lose a few extra pounds is driving some users to risk buying untested products from underground markets, like the urge to feel better forces drug addicts to ignore the risks?

And if so, where does the responsibility lie?

What do you think? Is it time for a deeper conversation about possible long-term dependence on incretin mimetics?


Anticipating the frequently expected answer, "I am not addicted" is something all addicts say. Unless you are seriously prepared to stop using GLP-1s cold turkey and for good, you are addicted, for one reason or another. Let's have a serious conversation here.

I’m not addicted to the meds. I’m fixated on securing supply because we’re in an environment of scarcity, which might present as addictive drug seeking. If the US medical system wasn’t a circus I would just buy my meds and move on with my day.

 

[chmuse]

I’m not addicted to the meds. I’m fixated on securing supply because we’re in an environment of scarcity, which might present as addictive drug seeking. If the US medical system wasn’t a circus I would just buy my meds and move on with my day.

It's also disingenuous to say you 'don't need it' once you reach goal weight- most studies show you need to stay on it, though on a smaller dose, to maintain.

I'd think it also depends on your reasons for taking it. I'd like to lose weight, yes. But if I keep drinking, I'll be dead in a few years. Is it addiction if it's treating a health issue? I'd argue you don't get so overweight you need a glp-1 without some sort of health issues, be it physical or mental.

 

[Vicki]

I think there is a difference with insulin. They stop using insulin they die.
We stop using incretin mimetics we don't die. At least not immediately.

Can't some of us die of the co-morbidities associated with obesity? Just because it might kill some people slower doesn't mean it doesn't happen

 

[GimmeABreak]

Can't some of us die of the co-morbidities associated with obesity? Just because it might kill some people slower doesn't mean it doesn't happen

That was going to be my response but I realized that there is nothing we are going say to change the opinion of the OP so why bother.

 

[AndyPanda]

This is sparked by a conversation in a different thread.

Are We Becoming Addicted to Incretin Mimetics?

Are we witnessing a new wave of dependency right under our noses with drugs like semaglutide, retatrutide and tirzepatide? Are patients—facing what could be a lifetime treatment—exhibiting drug-seeking behaviors reminiscent of more notorious addictive substances? Are people combing through online forums and discord servers, searching for the cheapest GLP-1 supply, disregarding safety concerns and turning to sketchy, non-FDA-approved no -for-human-use sources?

Is Big Pharma, whether intentionally or not, creating a generation of patients dependent on these drugs, just like when opioids were heralded as miracle treatments but ultimately led to tragic addiction crises? Sure, incretin mimetics might not carry the same level of health risks as opioids, but does the pattern of reliance and desperation look eerily similar?

Do we see parallels in the marketing strategy, painted as “for the greater good,” only to have people scrambling for a lifetime prescription, pinned to the allure of weight loss or glucose control? Could it be that the quest to feel better or lose a few extra pounds is driving some users to risk buying untested products from underground markets, like the urge to feel better forces drug addicts to ignore the risks?

And if so, where does the responsibility lie?

What do you think? Is it time for a deeper conversation about possible long-term dependence on incretin mimetics?


Anticipating the frequently expected answer, "I am not addicted" is something all addicts say. Unless you are seriously prepared to stop using GLP-1s cold turkey and for good, you are addicted, for one reason or another. Let's have a serious conversation here.

I know this is crude, but I don’t see any scenario where people would be willing to do the things for GLP-1s that they do for opioids, meth, crack, etc. You don’t get the DTs when you don’t have your Ozempic either. Addiction is a strong word, especially if you have ever known someone who truly suffered from it.

 

[Superfluous]

I got myself addicted to exercise/resistance training before I took a GLP1 - I felt so much better in life weighing 30lbs less while having gained strength and muscle. The GLP1 (started in August) was simply a tool to help me reach my leaning up goals faster. I'm likely to stop using them when I need to go on a bulk (in maybe 10-15lbs time). Unless new studies come out showing long term health damage then I'm likely to keep these drugs in my armory forever, but I'll only take them if they are helping to achieve a goal.

 

[Lullabytreehugger]

I think there is a difference with insulin. They stop using insulin they die.
We stop using incretin mimetics we don't die. At least not immediately.

I stop using it and I go from being a prediabetic into a full blown diabetic. Im taking it to prevent this from happening. Including healthy eating and exercise as well. If I need to be on these drugs for life then so be it. Better than becoming a diabetic.

 

[Doxyisfoxy]

I don't know if it's addiction in the typical sense, but I do think there is something going on that can be discussed. I've mentioned this a few times, but I feel like I've replaced binge eating with shopping for these substances. I've also just taken another max dose zep bound shot multiple days early, because the temptations of christmas and new years food was getting to me, so maybe I am displaying some typical addiction behavior by making excuses to behave like this. I'll be curious to see how I handle all of this once I hit my goal weight, because my initial plan was to slowly cut my usage down and then stop, but I can see that idea slowly changing as that time closes in.

I agree that peptides and peptide research has kind of become its own obsession. Though I look at it more like it filled a void that food addiction left and not a new addiction altogether.

My husband is almost 10 years sober from alcohol. In that time, especially in the beginning, one of the unexpected things that needs to be dealt with is: what do you do with all the free time? Drinking used to take up a significant portion of his time and when he stopped he had all this unfilled time on his hands. I think that is what happened to me and food. I used to spend so much time thinking about what I’m going to eat, when, how much time until I can allow myself to have lunch, there are cookies in the cabinet, don’t eat them, ok so I ate one, how do I adjust my calories for the rest of the day to account for it, is it dinner yet, what are we having, what about after dinner. I was preoccupied ALL the time. So if we’re going to talk about addiction, 100% I was addicted to food. And now with the medication, I have all this free time on my hands to think about… getting more medication. I am constantly scrolling through this forum just to fill my time. I’m hoping that fades and I can just ride off into the sunset, living my mundane life, taking my shots once a week indefinitely, but in a boring way.

 

[CallieKat]

I would say it’s not a true addiction that is akin to alcohol or illicit drugs.

How many drugs do you want to stop for special occasions like vacations or holidays? I know I take a 1-2 week break on purpose for some occasions.

If you are at goal and not diabetic you can certainly stop on purpose and be happy about it.

Not sure it’s so easy to do that with classic addicting substances.

 

[scarywood75]

Addiction might be a big word here, invested would be more accurate.

To me it's no different than anything I've discovered a passion for in my life, it's something new that I find very interesting and like all my past passions it's gonna get boring at some point, or less interesting.

 

[Dee X]

Addiction might be a big word here, invested would be more accurate.

To me it's no different than anything I've discovered a passion for in my life, it's something new that I find very interesting and like all my past passions it's gonna get boring at some point, or less interesting.

If we do use the word addicted though, sure as hell beats being addicted to food and being depressed.

 

[scarywood75]

If we do use the word addicted though, sure as hell beats being addicted to food and being depressed.

💯

 

[mostlydamp]

I think sometimes peptide enthusiasts seem like addicts to me because they behave a lot like poly substance abusers as we called them in the ED. And this type of forum attracts a lot of these type of people who are very "into" sourcing, obtaining, and researching these things. So there seem like tons of people who are almost obsessed with glp1s and other peptides, and will take whatever they can get their hands on regardless of the risk of cancer, injecting micro plastics, etc. There is a lot of high risk behavior which is why I tend not to get on here anymore.

What we don't see on here, on Peppy's, or other forums are the thousands upon thousands of people who use these drugs normally. These people and those in the studies would be foaming at the mouth asking their doctors for more if this was an addiction but that's just not happening. If they stop, they probably get fat again though. It could be dependency but nothing points toward addiction other than the behavior of groups that I noted above.

 

[AndyPanda]

I think sometimes peptide enthusiasts seem like addicts to me because they behave a lot like poly substance abusers as we called them in the ED. And this type of forum attracts a lot of these type of people who are very "into" sourcing, obtaining, and researching these things. So there seem like tons of people who are almost obsessed with glp1s and other peptides, and will take whatever they can get their hands on regardless of the risk of cancer, injecting micro plastics, etc. There is a lot of high risk behavior which is why I tend not to get on here anymore.

What we don't see on here, on Peppy's, or other forums are the thousands upon thousands of people who use these drugs normally. These people and those in the studies would be foaming at the mouth asking their doctors for more if this was an addiction but that's just not happening. If they stop, they probably get fat again though. It could be dependency but nothing points toward addiction other than the behavior of groups that I noted above.

Many of the true addicts I have encountered were given a prescription by a physician or other “qualified” professional and lost control. Or, they started out with something harmful and illicit that people minimize, like marijuana and the gates open.

There is a difference between an addict and someone who displays traits of an addictive personality. What I generally observe on here is people trying to improve their health. The GLPs give them faith in peptides, and they see the benefits so they want to try others.

People are being far too judgmental.

 

[clayd]

Anecdotally I caught myself thinking this week I'm going to be sad when I get to maintenance and have to manage living with a more normal appetite again. Not because of weight gain, but because I really seem to enjoy the feeling of appetite suppression and general disinterest in food. I wouldn't say it's approaching addiction but I really do kinda like how this stuff makes me feel