People whose lives have been wrecked by alcoholism or problem drinking are hailing what they call ‘Ozempic for drinking’ pill.
Costing a mere £2 to £3 a pill the drug, called naltrexone, helps interrupt the chemical signals in the brain that lead to addiction occurring.
This has given rise to its ‘Ozempic for drinking’ moniker as the active ingredient in the fat-busting jab, semaglutide also sold as Wegovy, also works through altering brain chemistry helping re-define their relationship with food.
Forums and social media websites like TikTok are awash with people who have taken naltrexone sharing their success stories about how it has redefined their relationship with alcohol.
One of those is Katie Lain who now helps other people who have a drinking problem use the medication to improve their health via her programme Thrive Alcohol Recovery.
However, Ms Lain insists it’s not as simple as popping the pill and the alcohol cravings going away.
She instead advocates for a treatment regime called The Sinclair Method.
This uses naltrexone in a targeted way to reduce drinking over time, with it involving taking the drug about an hour before drinking.
By doing this, the brain ‘unlearns’ the link between alcohol and producing feel good chemicals that spark addiction in the first place.
Ms Lain compared the process it to a weight-loss regime and said it took about 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 herself Ms Lain said she had a decade long drinking problem that had left her often feeling shameful, hopeless and full of regret.
She said that what started off as social drinking spiralled into daily binge drinking and engaging in ‘risky behaviour’.
However, in a TikTok video she detailed the difference it had made to her and her relationship with alcohol.
‘I enjoyed to drink more on the medication naltrexone because it was giving me my control back over alcohol and I could trust myself again,’ she said.
‘I could say “I was going to go out for two drinks” and I’d stick to two drinks whereas before The Sinclair Method and naltrexone I’d almost always go overboard and binge drink and blackout.’
Other people with longstanding issues with alcohol have reported similar success stories.
On Reddit one user going by the name of ‘JimmyLongnWider’ described themselves as a ‘4-5 beer a day guy 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 a mere £2 to £3 a pill the drug, called naltrexone, helps interrupt the chemical signals in the brain that lead to addiction occurring. Stock image
‘I drink a big beer and only feel probably what non-drinkers feel – light headed, a bit dizzy, but no excitement at all.
‘Now it is just down to figuring out how to fill the time I used to spend drinking or just vegging after drinking. It really is a wondrous drug.’
Another user, going by ‘Just_Tachie’ described a similar experience.
‘I used to black out from alcohol one or twice a week. I was destructive, violent, unpredictable, and I would take off driving I’m very ashamed to say.’
‘Since I’ve been on naltrexone since May I have blacked out once at the start of treatment.
‘I still drink but I just know when to stop now. I am always aware and never destructive or violent.
‘I’m in control. Naltrexone turned the tables and the cards are in my hands now.’
She added: ‘My daughters feel safe with me and tell me they love me so much more now. My husband isn’t suffering from my drunken violence and chaos.’
While naltrexone is being hailed as a wonder drug recovering alcoholics and problem drinkers, like any medication it can come with side effects.
The most serious is feelings of depression and even suicidal thoughts, as well as hallucinations. There are rare however, only occurring in about one in every 100 patients who take the drug.
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units each week — that’s 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine
Far more commonly reported side effects, one in 10 people, are issues like headaches, nausea, and reduced libido.
Another key factor when taking naltrexone is that it doesn’t stop any of the intoxicating effects of alcohol on the body.
This means that people can still get intoxicated while taking it, meaning they should still take care to avoid behaviour like drink driving.
Experts also say people considering going on naltrexone also explore why they are drinking in the first place as part of their recovery.
While effective, if people were using alcohol as a crutch for stress or a mental health issue the drug isn’t going to fix that directly and this will need addressing in other ways.
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
One screening tool used widely by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). Developed in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the 10-question test is considered to be the gold standard in helping to 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 note down the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the sensible drinking range and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.
Over 8: Indicate harmful or hazardous drinking.
8-15: Medium level of risk. Drinking at your current level puts you at risk of developing problems with your health and life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting down (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher 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 dependence. Your drinking is already causing you problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider stopping gradually or at least reduce your drinking. You should seek professional help to ascertain the level of your dependence and the safest way to withdraw from alcohol.
Severe dependence may need medically assisted withdrawal, or detox, in a hospital or a specialist clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the first 48 hours needing specialist treatment.
NHS-backed data shows almost 17,000 scripts for naltrexone for use in substance dependence were issued last year, for the cost of about £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 NHS an estimated £3.5billion per year.
Regular alcohol consumption has been linked to several cancers, liver failure, blood pressure and some mental health conditions like depression.
The Office of National Statistics reported there were just over 10,000 alcohol related deaths in the UK 2022.
In the US, excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of preventable death in adults, causing 95,000 deaths, or one in every 10 deaths among adults.
NHS recommendations advise that men and women should not drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
