Retatrutide's effect on alcohol cravings?

[chmuse]

Thank you. Has the effect been consistent over time? Or did you notice less or more after several weeks on it?

Volume wise it was immediately down like 95%. I just didn't feel like drinking as much. By 2 months in I managed to be sober a solid two weeks, before I ended up drinking emotionally. I'd say I'm still down 90% from the amount I was drinking before sema- if I go out, I have a shot or two or just don't feel like drinking at all. I'm still capable of getting shitty drunk if something gets me all up in my feels, but I pay the price the next day and it puts me off trying again for a while.

Context: my first shot was Oct 1

 

[bbrewer]

Wine and beer have lots of calories.. A low calorie drink like a Whisky diet didn't impede my weight loss. Not encouraging drinking, but if you must, go for hard alcohol mixed with diet pop.

I go for vodka and diet sports drinks. Seems to keep my electrolytes more balanced especially doing keto and glp1.

 

[hotdog!]

Wine and beer have lots of calories.. A low calorie drink like a Whisky diet didn't impede my weight loss. Not encouraging drinking, but if you must, go for hard alcohol mixed with diet pop.

Yes, I, like most obese people, know all about the calories.

I have preferences for certain reasons that have to do with attempts at self-moderation. I tend to guzzle when I drink, so if I'm guzzling liquor I will end up way, way more drunk far quicker than I intend. In fact, if I drink liquor drinks I will end up passed-out drunk and probably close to alcohol poisoning with the world's most debilitating hangover the next day. The volume and feeling of fullness from beer and wine is a safety that slows me down.

 

[bbrewer]

Yes, I, like most obese people, know all about the calories.

I have preferences for certain reasons that have to do with attempts at self-moderation. I tend to guzzle when I drink, so if I'm guzzling liquor I will end up way, way more drunk far quicker than I intend. In fact, if I drink liquor drinks I will end up passed-out drunk and probably close to alcohol poisoning with the world's most debilitating hangover the next day. The volume and feeling of fullness from beer and wine is a safety that slows me down.

I have the exact same issue, years of beer drinking gives me a certain rhythm. It is not suitable for wine or stronger mixed drinks. I mix vodka and diet sports drinks down to about 4.5%. Unsweet tea with diet lemonade is also good. I get full and slow down.

 

[janedoe]

I have to take yearly ASAM courses, and noticed The National ASAM Conference, in April, is having a lecture on on Sema/GPL1's effects on alcohol use. Unfortunately employer is not paying for attendance. Knowing this is going to be discussed, w/ what is considered the agency that is the standard for Addictive Medicine, this will no doubt lead this to being used at some point for addiction if the anecdotal evidence continues, as well as the studies. The addiction crisis is a hot topic, especially the last 25 years and generates a ton of money from the feds for States and County funds for addiction. This definitely will contribute to CMS standards for payment of GPL1 for addition, eventually.

 

[chmuse]

I have to take yearly ASAM courses, and noticed The National ASAM Conference, in April, is having a lecture on on Sema/GPL1's effects on alcohol use. Unfortunately employer is not paying for attendance. Knowing this is going to be discussed, w/ what is considered the agency that is the standard for Addictive Medicine, this will no doubt lead this to being used at some point for addiction if the anecdotal evidence continues, as well as the studies. The addiction crisis is a hot topic, especially the last 25 years and generates a ton of money from the feds for States and County funds for addiction. This definitely will contribute to CMS standards for payment of GPL1 for addition, eventually.

My psych says I'm not the only one on sema for that reason, and that it works well for most of her patients. It will be interesting to see how many people start claiming to be alcoholics to get it because insurance won't cover medicinal weight loss, but will cover addiction treatment. A lot of insurance companies moved this year to remove medicines from coverage, but left surgeries like gastric bypass.

 

[janedoe]

My psych says I'm not the only one on sema for that reason, and that it works well for most of her patients. It will be interesting to see how many people start claiming to be alcoholics to get it because insurance won't cover medicinal weight loss, but will cover addiction treatment. A lot of insurance companies moved this year to remove medicines from coverage, but left surgeries like gastric bypass.

I concur. I have to argue with my PCP for labs more than once a year, w/ employer health Insurance. Ironically, if I was an addict, I would have any care I wanted, and even some that I didn't inquire about. Addiction is big business, but there is no money in people getting well, so if it happens, it will be slow going for sure for addiction medicinal use, but certainly quicker than the medical weightloss need.

 

[chmuse]

I concur. I have to argue with my PCP for labs more than once a year, w/ employer health Insurance. Ironically, if I was an addict, I would have any care I wanted, and even some that I didn't inquire about. Addiction is big business, but there is no money in people getting well, so if it happens, it will be slow going for sure for addiction medicinal use, but certainly quicker than the medical weightloss need.

I figure it'll be like the weight loss. Covered until it gets too expensive and then removed from coverage as soon as they can.

 

[jimbothigpen]

The potential effects on both alcohol and cigarette cravings are what tipped the scale for me when deciding whether or not to join this GLP1 circus with my wife. I'm only 16 days into it, 2mg reta + 2mg tirz every 5 days, so this is definitely not something coming from a seasoned veteran, so take it with a grain or two of salt.

For me, all the "noise" is still there: I still think about food constantly -- as I have for years. I'll start planning out tomorrow's dinner in my head while at work (from home, lucky me) -- what time should I put the pork belly in the smoker? should I mix the bao bun dough tonight and let it ferment in the fridge, or just do a quick rise tomorrow afternoon? would the purple or the green cabbage look better with the pickled radish? And the call of the bottle is always right behind that -- should I grab a six pack of that nice Irish stout from Brewery 1, or a growler of the Marzen from Brewery 2? And cigarettes -- those little bastards frame every waking moment. I go to bed thinking about how many I have left, when I'll need to walk up to the corner store for another pack. They literally punctuate every other task I perform throughout the day, like a pleasant little comma between all of the miserable chores we have to complete. All that's still there.

Now, I have found it much easier to just shrug and decide NOT to eat a stack of Oreos whenever the thought enters my head. And I have a much easier time choosing NOT to go grab a pint as a reward for making it through four idiotic work meetings in a day. Still waiting for the same with cigarettes...

For me, so far, then, the real change has been in my capacity to just move on without giving in to every food & alcohol related thought. And I really don't have any way to measure how much of this is down to the medication, or just me doing things differently.

 

[BillGoldberg]

I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you asked, but have you considered going to an AA meeting? I’m in recovery, haven’t drank in over a decade, haven’t been to a meeting in a long time, but in the early days of getting sober it was super helpful if just as free group therapy with people who you could relate with. I still use the coping skills and approach in all kinds of life problems.

Good luck getting this sorted out. White knuckling it can be tough. Eventually if you don’t drink for long enough you don’t think about it anymore, or at least that’s how it went for me.

This is basically my story. I was about to bring up AA myself. My life has only gotten better because I stopped drinking amongst other things