Featured Image Credit: Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Doctors have made an alarming discovery about what happens when you drink alcohol while taking Ozempic.
This comes after GLP-1 injections have seen a boom in the weight loss industry.
Millions of people are now taking the likes of Ozempic and Mounjaro after they became popular methods to tackle obesity.
Plenty of celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon with the likes of Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Clarkson openly admitting to taking these types of medication.
Advert
However, a new discovery has led some experts to issue a warning over what could happen if you drink alcohol while on the weight loss medication.
According to a report by Futurism, new research has uncovered a finding that GLP-1 drugs appear to ‘physically change the way our bodies process alcohol’.
This comes after a paper was published in the Scientific Reports journal by Virginia Tech researchers.
To the scientists’ surprise, participants in the study found that they felt less drunk overall after drinking while using weight loss drugs.
In the paper, it explained: “With recent recommendations towards reductions in drinks as effective goals for individuals who use alcohol, these findings facilitate the consideration of GLP-1RAs for reducing alcohol use. While this study is small, we provide essential preliminary data (e.g., effect sizes) for the design and development of larger randomized control trials testing the effectiveness of GLP-1RAs on reductions in alcohol use.”
Alex DiFeliceantonio, who is a Virginia Tech neuroscientist who worked on the study, said: “Why would this matter? Faster-acting drugs have a higher abuse potential.
“They have a different impact on the brain. So if GLP-1s slow alcohol entering the bloodstream, they could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less.”
In other news, new research into weight loss injections is now raising concerns that it could be associated with an increased risk of serious conditions.
This includes conditions relating to the eyes and vision loss.
Two studies into the matter were published in JAMA where semaglutide and tirzepatide were closely studied.
These are both included in popular weight loss drugs including Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy.
In one study, it was found that there was a modest risk of developing a rare eye condition, non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAOIN), when taking the medication. NAOIN is known to cause sudden vision loss.
The experts noted that users are also at risk of developing ‘other optic nerve disorders’.
The study authors continued: “These findings suggest that all patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 RAs, regardless of preexisting diabetic retinopathy, should be regularly screened and monitored for potential complications.”
