We’d barely been within the membership an hour earlier than I turned to my husband and mentioned ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to move again to the lodge. I actually do not feel nice.’ He seemed as dissatisfied as I felt.
There we had been, in Ibiza, on a child-free mini-break, seeking to recapture these heady days once we first met, once we’d drink ’til late, and go clubbing ’til daybreak, but it surely all simply appeared hole. That need for hedonism had simply gone. All the issues I used to like made me really feel . . . nothing.
Only after I learn Dr Max’s column final week did I realise what was behind all of it. Ozempic, the weight-loss drug I’d been taking for the earlier 5 months had not solely helped me shed kilos, however had impacted the pleasure I acquired from different issues. Like Dr Pemberton, Ozempic had dramatically affected my relationship with alcohol in addition to meals.
From the second I began taking it final summer season, I just about stopped consuming. And as a forty-something who nonetheless had a little bit of a status as a celebration lady, the affect on my life was big.
The choice to take Ozempic — prescribed to deal with kind 2 diabetes — was not one I took calmly. (A unique model, Wegovy, is now prescribed on the NHS to deal with weight reduction.)
After studying Dr Max Pemberton’s column final week, the author understood that Ozempic had affected her relationship with alcohol
I used to be 42 and had had a child two years earlier than. Despite consuming healthily and maintaining match (I had a private coach, had run a marathon and brought on varied train challenges), the load wasn’t coming off.
At 5ft 3in and greater than 12 stone, I used to be classed as overweight. I did not recognise myself.
I spoke to a few pals who had been taking Ozempic and researched medical papers on it, earlier than submitting my particulars and pictures to a web-based pharmacy which agreed I used to be an appropriate candidate.
Soon after I began taking it final June, it modified my perspective to meals. Not solely does it dampen starvation pangs, however I discovered I did not fancy something like I had. I used to suppose, ‘I actually desire a pizza.’ Or ‘I’d love a Pret sandwich.’ or have a hankering for a baked potato.
But there was none of that. It was a bizarre suppression of my need for meals.
It had the identical impact when it got here to alcohol. I work in digital advertising and do a good quantity of shopper leisure. I like margaritas, espresso martinis, champagne . . . or did.
But after taking Ozempic, nothing tasted proper. It was bitter, or acidic, and after I did drink, I did not get the excitement from booze that I had.
In the outdated days, if I used to be out with a shopper, we would have a number of cocktails then share a few bottles of wine over dinner. If I used to be out with pals, we might have champagne, or margaritas. At weekends, if I used to be going clubbing with my husband and pals, we might have two or three gin and tonics earlier than we left residence and over the night time, it would not be uncommon for me to drink eight or 9 vodka sodas.
But on Ozempic, I simply went off alcohol totally.
Most individuals knew I used to be on a well being kick, even when I hadn’t informed them I used to be on Ozempic, so it wasn’t laborious to elucidate the change in my behaviour. And if anybody puzzled the place I’d discovered the willpower, they did not ask. I nonetheless went out with shoppers and pals, however I’d order one drink and nurse all of it night time with a bottle of glowing water.
Of course dropping the booze undoubtedly helped with the load loss, however I additionally skilled the opposite advantages of being sober. I used to be sleeping higher (when not up for the toddler), and being hangover-free improved my productiveness and I used to be extra ready to deal with toddler tantrums.
While I’m unsure I’d have ditched alcohol with out Ozempic, I could not actually complain about it.
That night time in Ibiza stunned me although. I’d had some sangria earlier that night and I believe the surprising sugar injection hit me laborious. That’s the factor about Ozempic, I do not know whether or not it is physiological or psychological, but it surely makes you wish to make more healthy decisions, stay a more healthy life.
And when you do not, you actually really feel it.
Ozempic — prescribed to deal with kind 2 diabetes — will help individuals shed pounds
The remainder of the journey was the identical. We had tickets to a few of our favorite golf equipment, however my coronary heart wasn’t in it. By 1am, with out booze to maintain me going, I simply wasn’t curious about staying up. Neither did I wish to fall into mattress for the type of motion we might loved pre-baby, both.
Losing weight on Ozempic has made me a lot happier with my physique — after eight months I’m now getting in direction of eight and half stone, my objective weight, so I’m extra comfy wandering round in my underwear, or being bare — but it surely hasn’t fired up our intercourse life.
To be truthful, I’m unsure I can blame my low libido solely on Ozempic. Having a toddler who would not sleep performs havoc on that rating, and my husband would not have a very excessive intercourse drive, so typically it was me who initiated issues.
But just lately he is been the one suggesting an ‘early night time’ and I’ve simply gone together with it. There’s little question Ozempic has modified how I really feel and reply to issues that used to present me pleasure, however I’m beginning to consider it is affecting me within the bed room, too.
If so, I hope I’ll regain my libido after I come off it. Once I attain my goal weight I goal to take care of it with out the jabs.
I really feel like my mind has been reprogrammed on the subject of meals. I am unable to think about going out and ordering a large pizza, or craving one thing candy like I used to. I’m unsure if the identical is true for alcohol, however I do know staying off the booze will assist me keep slim.
Until I began taking Ozempic and stopped consuming, I hadn’t thought of that on an enormous night time out, I knock again 3,000 energy in drinks alone. And morning exercises — and wake-ups — are far nicer whenever you’re not working by a hangover.
I’d prefer to suppose the brand new sober me is right here to remain. But it stays to be seen if Ozempic has briefly tamed the social gathering lady in me, or has banished her for ever.