Unexpected side effect from popular weight loss drugs studied for help with addiction treatment
CBSN
As drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic have become popular weight loss tools, some doctors and patients are also seeing a surprising side effect: diminished cravings for alcohol.
Megan Johnston started taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in several brands of weight loss drugs, last year to try to lose weight. The 38-year-old Arlington, Virginia, real estate agent said she gained 30 pounds during the pandemic, and was drinking more too.
"At my check-up last year I remember telling my doctor I was drinking upwards of 15 drinks a week," Johnston told CBS News.
DENVER — Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don't. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth.