Tag: addiction

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Ozempic & Alcohol

Ozempic has been in the news a lot though coverage was waning a bit to my untrained eye.  But now that drug is back with a new trial focusing on the liver.

The new trial is going to ascertain if Ozempic can improve liver health. How that will be determined is by the medicines’ effects on enhanced liver fibrosis, aka scarring, over a 28 week period.

Obviously, that is addiction adjacent and there are other studies about decreased desire for alcohol or nicotine in progress (and probably more planned).  And also obviously, alcohol and nicotine have big weight effects so being able to curb excess would help in weight loss.

This is another bit of a blow to beer though, since it is a high calorie alcohol. But the question is, are the people utilizing the drug in the beer buying camp?   Or will this hit another spirit or wine harder?  And of course, the main two questions are, does Ozempic work not just anecdotally against addiction and if so for how long? 

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Book Review – The Recovering by Leslie Jamison

It may seem a mostly fun world of beer but alcohol has some huge downsides. No matter the reports that claim and counterclaim positive benefits. That is why I am always on the lookout for books about the topic, and I found a new one by Leslie Jamison, The Recovering.

And this book, though hard to read and fathom the depths of suffering caused by addiction, is excellent in showing what it is like to go through. It is carefully written and unflinching in detail.

The story weaves the author’s personal journey to sobriety amidst examination of other writer’s depictions and struggles with alcohol and drugs. You also get a mini-History of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) as well.

You quickly learn that the stories of addiction, while outwardly dis-similar, have many of the same characteristics. Empathy and not stigmatizing those who are caught up in the addiction is key.

Both sides of my family have drinkers and knowing that coupled with a revulsion of that spinning feeling when too much has been drunk has kept me restrained. I have counted ounces and set goals for my beer drinking which I think will serve me well as I grow older. But if I didn’t have that, this book would be a “scared straight” revelation. Drunk me won’t be able to solve problems that sober me is having difficulty with at all.

In the end, get help. Be it AA or medication or therapy. Or ideally, a combination of all three. Jamison has had a turbulent life but her gained wisdom will be of great service.