People whose lives have been ruined by alcoholism or drinking problems are hailing what they call the “Ozempic drinking pill.”
Costing just £2 to £3 a pill, the medication, called naltrexone, helps disrupt chemical signals in the brain that lead to addiction.
This has given rise to its nickname “Ozempic to drink”, as the active ingredient in the fat-busting vaccine, semaglutide, also sold as Wegovy, also works by altering brain chemistry and helping to redefine your relationship with food. .
Forums and social media websites like TikTok are flooded with people who have taken naltrexone and share their success stories of how it has redefined their relationship with alcohol.
One of them is Katie Lain, who now helps other people with drinking problems use medication to improve their health through her Thrive Alcohol Recovery program.
However, Lain insists that it’s not as simple as taking the pill and having your alcohol cravings go away.
Instead, he advocates a treatment regimen called The Sinclair Method.
This specifically uses naltrexone to reduce alcohol consumption over time, which involves taking the medication about an hour before drinking.
By doing this, the brain “unlearns” the link between alcohol and the production of feel-good chemicals that cause addiction in the first place.
Lain compared the process to a weight loss regimen and said it took between 9 months to a year to see the full effects, but cited studies showing it was successful in four out of five patients.
Before trying naltrexone, Lain said she had had a drinking problem for a decade that had often left her feeling ashamed, hopeless and full of regret.
He said what started as social drinking turned into daily heavy drinking and “risky behavior.”
However, in a TikTok video she detailed the difference it had made for her and her relationship with alcohol.
“I enjoyed drinking more with the medication naltrexone because it was giving me back control over alcohol and I could trust myself again,” she said.
“I could say, ‘I was going out for two drinks,’ and I would limit myself to two drinks, whereas before the Sinclair Method and naltrexone I would almost always overindulge, binge drink, and pass out.”
Other people with long-standing problems with alcohol have reported similar success stories.
On Reddit, a user named ‘JimmyLongnWider’ described himself as ‘a guy who drank 4 or 5 beers a day for decades’ before trying the drug.
“I started naltrexone less than a week ago and immediately lost almost all interest in beer,” he wrote.
Costing just £2 to £3 a pill, the medication, called naltrexone, helps disrupt chemical signals in the brain that lead to addiction. stock image
“I drink a large beer and probably only feel what non-drinkers feel: lightheaded, a little dizzy, but no emotion.”
‘Now it comes down to figuring out how to fill the time you used to spend drinking or just vegging after drinking. It really is a wonder drug.
Another user, named ‘Just_Tachie’, described a similar experience.
‘I used to pass out from alcohol once or twice a week. It was destructive, violent, unpredictable and I am so embarrassed to say I would stop driving.
‘Since I have been taking naltrexone since May, I fainted once at the beginning of treatment.
‘I still drink, but now I know when to stop. I am always aware and never destructive or violent.
‘I have control. Naltrexone changed the situation and now the cards are in my hands.’
And he added: ‘My daughters feel safe with me and now they tell me that they love me much more. My husband does not suffer from my drunken violence and chaos.
While naltrexone is being hailed as a wonder drug for recovering alcoholics and problem drinkers, like any medication, it can have side effects.
The most serious are feelings of depression and even suicidal thoughts, as well as hallucinations. However, they are rare and only occur in about one in every 100 patients taking the drug.
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units per week – that’s 14 single drinks of spirit or six pints of beer or one and a half bottles of wine.
The most commonly reported side effects, one in 10 people, are problems such as headaches, nausea and reduced libido.
Another key factor when taking naltrexone is that it does not stop any of the intoxicating effects of alcohol on the body.
This means that people can still become intoxicated while taking it, which means they should still be careful to avoid behaviors such as driving under the influence.
Experts also say that people who are considering taking naltrexone also explore why they drink in the first place as part of their recovery.
While effective, if people were to use alcohol as a crutch for stress or a mental health problem, the drug will not directly solve the problem and will need to be addressed in other ways.
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
A screening tool widely used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Testing). Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the 10-question test is considered the gold standard to help determine if someone has alcohol abuse problems.
The test has been reproduced here with permission from the WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and write down the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the range of reasonable alcohol consumption and are at low risk for alcohol-related problems.
Over 8: Indicates harmful or dangerous consumption.
8-15: Medium risk level. Drinking at your current level puts you at risk of developing problems with your health and your life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting back (see tips below).
16-19: Increased risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting back on your own may be difficult at this level as you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your GP and/or a counsellor.
20 and over: Possible dependency. Your alcohol consumption is already causing you problems and it is very possible that you are dependent. You should definitely consider stopping drinking gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help to determine the level of your dependence and the safest way to quit alcohol.
Severe dependence may require medically assisted withdrawal or detoxification in a hospital or specialized clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occurring in the first 48 hours requiring specialized treatment.
Data backed by the NHS shows that almost 17,000 prescriptions for naltrexone for use in substance dependence were issued last year, at a cost of around £2.15 per dose.
Alcoholism is one of the biggest sources of preventable disease in Western societies, and in England alone alcohol-related harm costs the National Health Service around £3.5 billion a year.
Regular alcohol consumption has been linked to several cancers, liver failure, blood pressure, and some mental health conditions such as depression.
The Office for National Statistics reported that there were just over 10,000 alcohol-related deaths in the UK in 2022.
In the United States, excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of preventable death in adults, causing 95,000 deaths, or one in 10 deaths among adults.
NHS recommendations advise that men and women drink no more than 14 units per week on a regular basis.