r/science • u/Wagamaga • Feb 12 '25

Neuroscience The first clinical trial of its kind has found that semaglutide, distributed under the brand name Wegovy, cut the amount of alcohol people drank by about 40% and dramatically reduced people’s desire to drink

https://today.usc.edu/popular-weight-loss-diabetes-drug-shows-promise-in-reducing-cravings-for-alcohol/
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u/kitanokikori Feb 12 '25

I honestly think a significant part of alcohol cravings for a lot of people are actually just food cravings. Alcohol is a lot of calories and sugar, and when you start unconsciously associating "I'm hungry" => "Have a beer", these two start to mush together.

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u/WillCode4Cats Feb 12 '25

For me, I have noticed when I start craving alcohol (I only drink beer), that is a strong sign that I am quite dehydrated. For some reason, my brain has mapped beer to hydration. If I quinch my thirst with something else, then the desire disappears.

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u/thewolf9 Feb 13 '25

You’re not an alcoholic though.

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u/WillCode4Cats Feb 13 '25

No, but I love the sin juice too much nonetheless.

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u/ferns0 Feb 13 '25

For me it sort of feels like the same craving to some degree. My brain feels like it doesn’t have enough serotonin/dopamine and food/alcohol feel like the only things that break through that wall in a way that nothing else can. If I cut sugar I feel like I need to drink, and vice versa.