Does Ozempic curb alcoholic cravings?

The OP (u/Suitable-Jello) asks on behalf of their 58-year-old father, who has type 2 diabetes and drinks heavily: does semaglutide (Ozempic) reduce the urge to drink alcohol? The comments are clearly divided: several self-identified alcohol-dependent users (u/pineapplewins, u/EagleEyezzzzz, u/mistersofa) report significant reductions in drinking or even years of abstinence after starting the medication, and u/scandalousself says a relative "naturally lost interest in drinking within a month"; but users like u/PhysicalAssistance92 say it was "completely useless, still drinking the same amount." On the factual side, on 2026-10-14 JAMA Psychiatry published two studies simultaneously—a nationally representative survey of 2,009 people (44.2% of ever-drinkers reported reduced drinking within 3 months of starting the medication) and a 48-person randomized placebo-controlled trial (9 weeks, the semaglutide group had lower laboratory alcohol consumption and weekly cravings dropped by about 40%)—both giving positive signals but not conclusive evidence; the drug is not currently FDA-approved for alcohol use disorder (AUD), and the VA's CRAVE phase 3 trial is still ongoing. As a caveat, Reddit anecdotes are mostly uncontrolled self-reports and cannot be equated with efficacy.

Checked ✔ Verified: the hypothesis that GLP-1 reduces alcohol consumption is indeed supported by two studies published in JAMA Psychiatry on 2026-10-14 (see intro for details); however, semaglutide is not yet FDA-approved for AUD, and the VA CRAVE phase 3 trial is ongoing.