Hi, I'm Flor Lictman, and you're listening to Science Friday.

GLP-1s, OZempec, Wagovi, Zepbound, you know what I'm talking about, are prescribed for weight

loss, diabetes, blood sugar management. But as more people take them, patients are reporting

an off-label use. We got a call from one of our listeners, Brian, from Wisconsin.

About a year ago, he decided to get on a GLP1 to manage his diabetes.

But he thought, you know, if I'm doing this, maybe I try to go all the way and fully reset to a healthier lifestyle.

And I just decided to change everything at that point in my life.

So that included cutting out alcohol, which I've had a long, complicated relationship with

over the years.

Typical rural Wisconsin-type drinking since I was 12, you know, beers here and there

with buddies all throughout high school. I suffered from a lot of depression, anxiety, and you're

in Wisconsin, and you're in a college town, and the drinking culture is huge.

So it was pretty easy to self-medicate.

In the years since, Brian tried not to drink so much, but it was hard to get alcohol off his mind.

You still plan everything around when you're going to be able to drink.

Are you going to have enough to drink?

Are you going to have to stop at this place first before you go home?

You know, all the little things you do that you don't realize.

And I thought if I was going to try to do something positive for my health

around the time when I was diagnosed with diabetes,

then why not just quit drinking also?

And it was strange because really the cravings for drinking seemed to really vanish.

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