For 61-year-old Cathy Williams, early retirement was a blessing, and a chance to put her feet up and spend time with her new partner.
But it had an unexpected consequence – ever so gradually, her drinking got out of control.
Having spent decades working in hospitality she became used to having a glass of wine after a long day, but with more time on her hands a glass became a bottle and a bottle became two.
‘It is part of the job really, the drinking,’ says mother of two Cathy.
‘I would tell myself it was just a glass or two to relax, but really, I knew it was more than that. My children would say it was too much and we had fallen out over it, but it was definitely getting worse.
‘I had more time on my hands, and I started to drink during the day out of boredom and, if I am honest, I would have two bottles of wine a day.’
Years of heavy drinking were beginning to take their toll when she began to notice night sweats, a constant feeling of being lethargic.
However, the one symptom that bothered her the most was the weight gain.
‘Clothes were getting tighter and tighter, and I realised I had a wardrobe full of outfits I could no longer fit in. I had got to a size 18,’ admits Cathy. ‘After a lot of consideration, I decided to go on weight loss injections.’
It has been nine weeks since starting the jabs. In that time she has lost a stone, and is down to a size 14 – but that hasn’t been the most remarkable benefit.
The NHS cannot currently prescribe GLP-1 drugs to treat addiction. Even when purchased privately, they can only be given to those patients who are classed as severely overweight
‘Within a fortnight of starting on Mounjaro, I just lost all interest in drinking,’ says Cathy.
‘Initially, I would still have a glass or two, but it made me so tipsy, which was never the case before. I just didn’t want to anymore. Today, I don’t drink at all.’
She believes Mounjaro has fundamentally ‘changed’ the way her brain works. ‘I don’t crave foods and treats like I used to, but I also don’t crave a glass of wine anymore.
‘I have tried to stop drinking in the past, but I just couldn’t, despite the effect it was having on me and my family. But this has just felt natural.
‘It has changed my life. I have more energy, more desire to carry on, and I just wish I had this sooner.’
Experts now say that Cathy is right, and weight loss injections really can rewire the brain, with potential to revolutionise addiction care.
This month, a landmark study by Danish researchers revealed just how effective the medication can be for treating alcohol addiction.
In the study of more than 100 people, published in the Lancet, half the patients seeking treatment for their alcohol use disorder were given semaglutide – the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, which works in a similar way to Mounjaro – and the other half given a dummy drug. Researchers found that those taking the fat jab had fewer binge drinking days and fewer cravings for alcohol compared with those taking the placebo.
On average at the start of the trial, participants were drinking the equivalent of five glasses of wine a day. After six months this fell by 70 per cent to just one. Experts believe that in the future this finding could benefit millions of Britons.
They say the injections have the unintended consequence of suppressing the production of dopamine – the feel-good chemical the brain produces in response to pleasurable experiences.
‘Our brains produce dopamine in response to anything that brings us pleasure, whether that’s food, alcohol or cigarettes,’ says Professor Sophie Scott, the director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London.
‘There is an argument that these drugs are suppressing, or changing that reward system, and the release of dopamine. So, in the same way they cut out food noise, and eating certain unhealthy foods becomes less enjoyable, they can also reduce drinking.’
Professor Scott, who is also on the jabs, says: ‘I still sometimes fancy a drink, but I certainly stop sooner’
Professor Scott, who is also on the jabs, says she has noticed this herself: ‘I still sometimes fancy a drink, but I certainly stop sooner, and do not get the same enjoyment from it.’ She adds: ‘These drugs have great potential as a treatment for heavy drinking.
‘There is currently no drug used for treatment and while abstinence or Alcoholics Anonymous groups will work for some, having a pharmaceutical approach can be really beneficial for many.’
The advancement comes as growing number of Britons are drinking excessively.
Nearly a fifth admit to binge- drinking in the past week, defined as consuming more than eight units in a single session.
More than 320,000 people are admitted to hospital each year with alcohol-related conditions, and more than 10,000 die – mostly from liver disease. Deaths linked to alcohol have risen steadily since the pandemic, reaching a record high last year.
The NHS cannot currently prescribe GLP-1 drugs to treat addiction. Even when purchased privately, they can only be given to those patients who are classed as severely overweight.
Dr Maurice O’Farrell, a Dublin- based GP, who prescribed the drugs off-label for alcohol use disorder, says it is about time this changes.
‘I have seen in a number of patients the benefit these drugs can have on treating alcohol use disorder,’ he says. ‘Alcohol consumption at the very least should be added to the list of co-morbidities that are required for prescription of these drugs on the NHS.’
