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Thirst-zepatide?
A cheap, already available pill is being billed as the “Ozempic of alcohol” for its ability to reduce appetites for booze, the way GLP-1 drugs curb food cravings.
Naltrexone — which costs about $1.60 a pill when purchased in bulk — decreases the urge for alcohol by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, reducing the dopamine-reward effect that people get from drinking.
Essentially, alcohol no longer has the same satisfying feeling, which helps diminish the desire for it.
Naltrexone has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat alcohol use disorder since 1994 and opiate dependence since 1984.
Nearly 28 million Americans struggle with alcohol use disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 17% of American adults binge drink, with the habit more common among men. Not only does drinking heavily take a toll on boozers’ wallets, but it can also lead to negative health consequences and tragedies.
Research shows that 80% of users who took naltrexone, a prescription-only med, an hour before drinking drastically reduced or eliminated their alcohol intake altogether.
Besides the pill, Oar Health sells naltrexone as a mint under the brand name Clutch. The drug also comes in a once-a-month injection for those who can’t remember to take the medication.
Nausea and headaches are reported side effects of naltrexone, but experts say the nausea subsides as participants get used to the treatment.
This sets naltrexone apart from acamprosate, which is also approved to treat alcohol use disorder, but necessitates monitoring from a health care professional since potential side effects include suicidal thoughts and depression.
And unlike disulfiram — another drug approved to treat alcohol use disorder, which causes unpleasant, life-threatening side effects if taken alongside alcohol — naltrexone doesn’t require strict alcohol abstinence.
For many, naltrexone has been nothing short of a game-changer.
“The first time I took naltrexone, I remember not just wanting to impulsively turn to alcohol. It was gone. There wasn’t even a question of whether or not I needed it,” said military veteran and podcast host Jesse Carrajat.
“For the first time in my life, when things got hard, I wasn’t turning to alcohol.”
His experience is reflected in the comments on his TikTok.
“I had tried so many times to detox on my own, and it did not work. Naltrexone saved me,” said one user.
“Worked instantly for me 4 months alcohol free,” said another.
Meanwhile, a Reddit user who struggled with alcohol since his teen years and gradually saw his dependence affect his quality of life said that his first dose of naltrexone resulted in an immediate reframe of his drinking habits.
“The first time I took it, I still drank, arguably quite a lot, but I didn’t spiral. I didn’t lose control,” he explained. “I left the party at a decent time, 1 AM, because I was tired. I woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly fresh. Not wired, not anxious — just clear. That alone felt like a miracle.”
The following year, the man only took naltrexone before big events and risky situations, but by 2025, he committed to taking the pill every time he drank.
“Now? I barely think about drinking. The Friday craving is gone,” he declared. “The urge to open a bottle alone? Gone. I can have a beer at a bar with friends and stop after one or two. And if I don’t drink, I don’t feel deprived, I just feel normal.”
