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Last updated on Sep 05, 2024.
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While there are no hard-and-fast rules about drinking alcohol while using Wegovy, combining the two could impact how well the injections work. Getting a clearer picture of how alcohol interacts with your weight loss treatment and the side effects it can cause means you’ll be making informed choices when it comes to having a drink.
With a clearer picture of how alcohol and Wegovy mix, you’ll know what to expect from the occasional indulgence, and whether or not doing so will hinder your weight loss goals.
How does Wegovy work?
Wegovy is an injectable weight loss medication that mimics GLP-1, a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. It’s a proven treatment for weight loss, but like all weight loss medications, it works best when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. This will also extend to what you drink — if you regularly consume alcohol, which often contains lots of calories, you’ll need to review where this fits into your weight loss plan and whether it affects your treatment with Wegovy.
What are the risks of drinking alcohol while taking Wegovy?
Wegovy’s prescribing information doesn’t specifically warn against alcohol use, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely risk-free.
Both alcohol and Wegovy can cause side effects like nausea, dizziness, and vomiting, meaning that drinking may intensify these symptoms. Hangovers affect people differently, but they can cause fatigue, cognitive impairment, and mood swings.
Feeling jittery and unwell due to the effects of alcohol has the potential to impact your weight loss plan. While a few alcoholic drinks now and then won’t undo all your hard work, having them frequently could negate the effects of both Wegovy and your own efforts if doing so causes you to lose the motivation to lose weight.
Another risk is alcohol’s impact on blood sugar levels. Drinks like beer and cocktails are often high in sugar, which can cause a spike in blood glucose followed by a sharp drop as your body processes the alcohol. Because semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) also lowers blood sugar, drinking alcohol may increase the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially for people with diabetes.
While low blood sugar might seem beneficial for weight loss, it can actually lead to overeating as your body craves quick energy. This can be especially problematic if the foods you reach for are high in sugar, fat, and salt.
How do alcohol and Wegovy interact?
Even if you’re not taking Wegovy, cutting back on alcohol can help with weight loss. This is because alcohol affects weight loss in several ways. Along with its impact on blood sugar and mood, alcohol can make you feel hungry and prevent your body from burning fat at the normal rate.
People taking Wegovy may react differently to alcohol. Some might find that drinking doesn’t make their side effects worse, while others may feel significantly more nauseous or dizzy.
If you feel like alcohol doesn’t interact with your medication, it might be tempting to view alcohol in the same way you would other types of foods, such as snacks and junk food — as long as you don’t overdo the amount you have and factor in the calories, they can still be part of your diet. In other words, providing you maintain the required deficit (eating fewer calories than you burn) then some ‘empty’ calories can be factored into what you eat. There might be some truth to this — but this might be overlooking the secondary effects alcohol can have.
Alcohol is a relaxant, and is well known to reduce inhibition. With less self control, it might be easier to drink more than you initially intended to, and therefore consume more calories than you planned to. You could also be more prone to make unhealthy food choices while you’re under the influence. Studies on mice have shown that alcohol can turn on their ‘starvation mode’, increasing appetite and hunger. If you’ve already had excessive empty calories, overeating on top of them can add even more to your daily total.
Managing your alcohol consumption on Wegovy
Some people using Wegovy have reported a reduced desire for alcohol, though this varies from person to person. There’s no guarantee the medication will curb cravings, so it may take trial and error to see how it affects you.
If you’ve started using Wegovy, you should always speak to a medical professional before you consume any alcohol. This is especially important if you’re taking other medications to manage a specific health condition, as alcohol can sometimes reduce the effectiveness of certain drugs.
In general, limiting alcohol is recommended for weight loss, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid it completely. Finding the right balance will depend on your individual response to both Wegovy and alcohol.
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Novo Nordisk (2022).
HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION.
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“Alcohol and Weight Gain.” Vic.gov.au .2012.
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Wilding, John P. H., et al.
“Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity.” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 384, no. 11, 10 Feb. 2021, pp. 989–1002.
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Verster, Joris C., et al.
“The Alcohol Hangover Research Group: Ten Years of Progress in Research on the Causes, Consequences, and Treatment of the Alcohol Hangover.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 9, no. 11, 16 Nov. 2020, p. 3670.
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Cains, Sarah, et al.
“Agrp Neuron Activity Is Required for Alcohol-Induced Overeating.” Nature Communications, vol. 8, no. 1, 10 Jan. 2017.
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National Library of Medicine.
“News: Ozempic Seems to Curb Cravings For... (NPR News) - behind the Headlines - NLM.” NCBI, 28 Aug. 2023.
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