The latest wave of weight loss drugs, including GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to a range of psychological side effects, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Despite these alarming reports, many patients have also reported a decrease in cravings for food, drugs, alcohol, and even sex.
These medications, initially developed to treat diabetes, are believed to alter dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in our emotional and physical drive for food, feelings of reward, pleasure, motivation, and movement. The alteration of dopamine levels by these drugs could explain the changes in behavior and personality reported by some users.
Dr. Kent Berridge, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan, explained that both addictive substances and food activate the same dopamine signals and reward-learning regions in the brain. He further noted that hunger can amplify cravings for addictive drugs. This suggests that by helping patients feel satiated for longer, these drugs could potentially reduce cravings for substances other than food.
However, the dampening of the dopamine system by these drugs does not completely eliminate desires. Patients have reported that while they don’t lose their appetites, they eat less while on these medications. This could potentially translate to other vices, such as drug and alcohol use.
A decreased libido is also a conceivable side effect of these drugs, according to Dr. Berridge. Suppressing the reward pathway could lead to a reduced sex drive. However, the exact mechanism by which these drugs suppress the dopamine system remains unclear.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received numerous reports of psychiatric disorders linked to these weight loss drugs. The FDA requires that weight management medications that work on the central nervous system, including Saxenda and Wegovy, carry a warning about suicidal thoughts. However, Ozempic, which is FDA-approved only for diabetes treatment, does not carry this warning.
Research has shown that patients who undergo bariatric surgery have an increased risk for suicide and self-harm behaviors following the procedure. Dr. Alexis Conason, a licensed psychologist in NYC, noted that similar triggering experiences can occur with weight loss treatments like Ozempic.
Despite the potential risks, these weight loss drugs have surged in popularity, leading to shortages as they fly off the shelves. However, experts caution that these drugs have not been available long enough to study their long-term effects and may be misused by some as a quick fix for weight loss.