Could Ozempic Really Cure Addiction?

Ozempic, a diabetes drug, has been used by many to help them lose weight. However, some have reported that it also helped them overcome their addictions.

Thomas Pitts, a neurologist, explains that it could be due to the way the drug works on the brain. Ozempic stimulates specific brain receptors to produce a sense of satisfaction.

They make you feel stuffed when you’ve not eaten. Pitts explained that they make you feel as if you have smoked cigarettes when you did not. “You get satisfaction from feeling full without eating,” Pitts said. You also feel satisfied with everything that is reinforced by the rewards center.

Pitts warned that while Ozempic might trick the brain to think it is satisfied, this does not mean the drug will cure addiction. Like other medications, Ozempic may only be effective while the person is taking it. Addiction may return if they stop taking the medication.

Pitts stated that these are excellent bridging treatments and, for some people, could be lifelong therapies.

Pitts warned that addiction is a complex condition with many variables. Ozempic is probably only one part of the treatment puzzle.