Using retatrutide to stop drinking and other substance use

[GreasyBear23]

Bruce Campbell said:

I'm not carrying a huge amount of excess weight that needs to come off, but the alcohol suppression caught me completely off guard once I began — and WOW. Where I used to drink often, these days it's roughly a beer or two each week. For a stretch of a few months, my two roommates and I were putting away a 24 pack every day, and stopping was getting harder since all of us kept egging each other on. Once Reta kicked in, the first two days were like a switch being flipped and the cravings vanished, and truthfully the health gains from that far outweigh what comes from dropping ~30lbs. Now I get to have both benefits at once

Once I reach my goal weight and start experimenting with maintenance dosing, controlling alcohol cravings is going to be one of the things I aim for.

Bruce, my situation is almost identical! It didn't just wipe out the alcohol cravings — it also removed the urge to demolish a tub of ice cream and a bag of chips afterward!

 

[Beachnwaves98]

betterathalo said:

this is the thing that worries me most. after losing the weight, i'm confident i can keep up a healthy lifestyle. what scares me is losing the anxiety suppression that reta provides.

That's really interesting — I never considered it working as an anxiety suppressor, but thinking it over, I believe you could be onto something

I may need to rethink how long I stay on it

 

[Flash-BCR]

Beachnwaves98 said:

That's really interesting — I never considered it working as an anxiety suppressor, but thinking it over, I believe you could be onto something

I may need to rethink how long I stay on it

Just keep taking it indefinitely....that sounds like a simple decision without any drawbacks...

 

[BNLFL]

Beachnwaves98 said:

That's really interesting — I never considered it working as an anxiety suppressor, but thinking it over, I believe you could be onto something

I may need to rethink how long I stay on it

Look at what's below.

Flash-BCR said:

Just keep taking it indefinitely....that sounds like a simple decision without any drawbacks...

That's exactly what I intend to do. This stuff is great.

 

[Beachnwaves98]

Flash-BCR said:

Just keep taking it indefinitely....that sounds like a simple decision without any drawbacks...

What strikes me as the drawback is the effect on the brain's reward centers: not only do cravings for alcohol disappear, or for weed in my own situation, but so do more beneficial wants too — at least that's how it is for me specifically — so I'll have to decide which side matters more.

 

[Flash-BCR]

Beachnwaves98 said:

What strikes me as the drawback is the effect on the brain's reward centers: not only do cravings for alcohol disappear, or for weed in my own situation, but so do more beneficial wants too — at least that's how it is for me specifically — so I'll have to decide which side matters more.

Beachnwaves98 said:

What strikes me as the drawback is the effect on the brain's reward centers: not only do cravings for alcohol disappear, or for weed in my own situation, but so do more beneficial wants too — at least that's how it is for me specifically — so I'll have to decide which side matters more.

I have no idea what you're talking about....If those things are a problem for you, then sure, go ahead and do whatever works for you, and I'll raise a beer to your downfall!......Honestly, the back meds aren't holding me back either...It reminds me of what I said to a coworker yesterday who wanted to be concerned about me, "I've been training for this my whole life"......

 

[BNLFL]

Flash-BCR said:

I have no idea what you're talking about....If those things are a problem for you, then sure, go ahead and do whatever works for you, and I'll raise a beer to your downfall!......Honestly, the back meds aren't holding me back either...It reminds me of what I said to a coworker yesterday who wanted to be concerned about me, "I've been training for this my whole life"......

I'm drinking the beers that those who quit are leaving behind.

 

[endlrls]

DunningKruger said:

From the perspective of a person who has stopped drinking: if a small dose does manage to dull the urges for you, then I could see treating that stretch of time as a short-term aid, something to lean on while you take another look at how you relate to alcohol and other substances. Not the permanent solution — more like a pause that lets you breathe.

When the pull is less loud, it can open up room to dig into the harder stuff: accepting yourself, figuring out what matters to you, and understanding what those substances were doing for you in the first place.

That's a great way to put it. I've been a recovering alcoholic for 11 years, so I made peace with not drinking a long time ago. One drink isn't something I can do — my brain just isn't wired that way. I can try to bargain with it or moderate as much as I want, but the moment I have a single drink, I'll clean out the whole liquor store afterwards.. My guess is a lot of people here aren't like that.. or if they are, then alcohol suppression is definitely a bonus that comes with the GLP!

 

[mrharlequim]

endlrls said:

That's a great way to put it. I've been a recovering alcoholic for 11 years, so I made peace with not drinking a long time ago. One drink isn't something I can do — my brain just isn't wired that way. I can try to bargain with it or moderate as much as I want, but the moment I have a single drink, I'll clean out the whole liquor store afterwards.. My guess is a lot of people here aren't like that.. or if they are, then alcohol suppression is definitely a bonus that comes with the GLP!

I'm the same way... it's as though the moment one goes down, something dark gets unleashed, and the next thing you know you're waking up the following morning disgusted with yourself, piecing together things you have no recollection of — including having consumed far more alcohol than you realized, and then eating way more than you remember in order to counter the booze.

Anyway. I used to be in good shape, but a few years back I began drinking too much beer. Weekends at first, then now and then on workdays, and after a divorce plus a pretty stressful work situation, somehow here I am — even drinking in the mornings now (since I work remotely as a freelancer).

Food was never really something I struggled to control, but alcohol has clearly spiraled.

On 1mg/week of Reta I've felt a slight reduction in the urge, but the moment I crack the first can, it hasn't kept me from going through the other 11 or more (and if your advice is "simply don't open the first one," then we haven't been through the same thing).

Since people say Tirz suppresses desire more strongly, I've put in an order for some, and I'll probably run both Tirz and Reta together: Tirz on Tuesdays, Reta on Fridays.

Naltrexone is an option I could take, but I'm unsure about the side effects, given that it touches so many other areas too. And where I live, if anyone found out, it would make my life considerably more miserable than it already is.

So I'm really grateful for this forum and I hope these peptides help me in my fight (I know the effort has to come from me) against this and help me get back on track.

Thank you all!

 

[Slogger]

BNLFL said:

I'm drinking the beers that those who quit are leaving behind.

Plus, I’ve more or less got the former wine drinkers handled —

 

[Browneyes26]

bamagirl26 said:

Having seen firsthand how much damage alcohol can do across so many relationships in my life, I want to say how wonderful it is that Reta (and Tirz) is making such a difference for so many of you, changing your lives in ways that truly matter.

Honestly and sincerely, it fills me with joy that this is helping so many of you reach sobriety. It truly brings me close to tears knowing these drugs can help SO many people. Keep it up - I'm wishing every one of you the greatest possible success in something this hard.

Keep up the GREAT work. You're worth it

This post from @bamagirl26 really resonates with me!

Alcohol has left a deep mark on my life through several relationships. It got to the point that I quit drinking myself 10 years ago.

I watched up close what excessive drinking did to the people around me, and the toll it took on their families was often nearly as severe. Seeing all of that made me wonder why I would keep drinking at all, and it turned me off completely.

It's wild how alcohol can transform some people entirely, and I never noticed it until I made the choice to stop. For some, 1 drink is too many and 1,000 are not enough.

There's a reason they call it "spirits."

 

[Redz]

Reta has my full appreciation, down to every detail. I had already stopped drinking before I began, yet Reta definitely makes staying off it simpler. These days my goal is to be as healthy as I can be. Junk food does not even tempt me anymore. Even though I am already ripped, I intend to remain on Reta for life.

 

[reta-stacker]

DunningKruger said:

From the perspective of a person who has stopped drinking: if a small dose does manage to dull the urges for you, then I could see treating that stretch of time as a short-term aid, something to lean on while you take another look at how you relate to alcohol and other substances. Not the permanent solution — more like a pause that lets you breathe.

When the pull is less loud, it can open up room to dig into the harder stuff: accepting yourself, figuring out what matters to you, and understanding what those substances were doing for you in the first place.

That's a considered reply.

 

[reta-stacker]

This thread turned out to be a genuinely fascinating read. Plenty of sharp observations, personal accounts and small revelations in it. My thanks to everyone who spoke so openly.

In my case, losing interest in alcohol came as a surprise side effect of Reta. I wouldn't claim drinking was disrupting my life, but beer had become a daily habit. Even when it was just one bottle or can of an interesting microbrewery product at 7,8, 9 or 10% alcohol, it formed an obligatory piece of my evening routine. Since I live in Quebec, where inventive microbreweries are everywhere, buying the stuff felt as tempting as we all find ordering peptides: there is always a new one to try. I could not picture myself simply walking past the aisle-long coolers in the grocery store stocked with hundreds of different local brews. I was fond of rich, dark, sweet and creamy brews (erotic-sounding, I realize) to savour while watching some streaming show on Netflix or Prime. So the abrupt loss of interest in high-octane beer was a real but welcome surprise. That evening hour of relaxation is still part of my day, but I have switched to 0% alcohol products, and I have been surprised at how the quality and diversity of these beers keeps improving.

 

[Troposphere]

This thread has hit home for me. I figure it's time to open up about something I've kept private.

On a typical day I go through 6-8oz of liquor, sometimes a bit more. The craving went away for roughly 4 days on retatrutide, then the old pattern returned.

Looks-wise, I'm in the best shape I've been in for 15 years. Depending on the day, 12% body fat or lower. I sleep fine, feel good, don't get hangovers, and honestly I barely catch a buzz.

In my favorite hobbies, I'm performing at a very high level for someone my age.

All my bloodwork looks great, which surprises me.

Even with all that, something is obviously off. I don't know what I'm hoping to get from posting this, but I'd like to hear what others think.

 

[AngieHolmes]

Troposphere said:

This thread has hit home for me. I figure it's time to open up about something I've kept private.

On a typical day I go through 6-8oz of liquor, sometimes a bit more. The craving went away for roughly 4 days on retatrutide, then the old pattern returned.

Looks-wise, I'm in the best shape I've been in for 15 years. Depending on the day, 12% body fat or lower. I sleep fine, feel good, don't get hangovers, and honestly I barely catch a buzz.

In my favorite hobbies, I'm performing at a very high level for someone my age.

All my bloodwork looks great, which surprises me.

Even with all that, something is obviously off. I don't know what I'm hoping to get from posting this, but I'd like to hear what others think.

Now that you've "told," it might be worth watching how things unfold in your life. In my own experience, opening up about a secret that carries strong emotion has brought about positive changes I didn't expect. My hope is that you'll see something similar.

 

[reta-stacker]

Troposphere said:

This thread has hit home for me. I figure it's time to open up about something I've kept private.

On a typical day I go through 6-8oz of liquor, sometimes a bit more. The craving went away for roughly 4 days on retatrutide, then the old pattern returned.

Looks-wise, I'm in the best shape I've been in for 15 years. Depending on the day, 12% body fat or lower. I sleep fine, feel good, don't get hangovers, and honestly I barely catch a buzz.

In my favorite hobbies, I'm performing at a very high level for someone my age.

All my bloodwork looks great, which surprises me.

Even with all that, something is obviously off. I don't know what I'm hoping to get from posting this, but I'd like to hear what others think.

It's a shame the effect didn't last longer. On the bright side, it seems your body handles alcohol without any obvious harm. If you have a doctor, have you told them how much you drink? Usually that level of regular drinking would be visible in liver markers on a blood test. It showed up in mine, and I was drinking far less than what you describe. My doctor pointed it out and told me to cut back; I didn't listen at the time, but eventually GLPs helped me.

 

[Troposphere]

reta-stacker said:

It's a shame the effect didn't last longer. On the bright side, it seems your body handles alcohol without any obvious harm. If you have a doctor, have you told them how much you drink? Usually that level of regular drinking would be visible in liver markers on a blood test. It showed up in mine, and I was drinking far less than what you describe. My doctor pointed it out and told me to cut back; I didn't listen at the time, but eventually GLPs helped me.

Yes, and it worries him.

reta-stacker said:

It's a shame the effect didn't last longer. On the bright side, it seems your body handles alcohol without any obvious harm. If you have a doctor, have you told them how much you drink? Usually that level of regular drinking would be visible in liver markers on a blood test. It showed up in mine, and I was drinking far less than what you describe. My doctor pointed it out and told me to cut back; I didn't listen at the time, but eventually GLPs helped me.

My latest liver markers came back fine; a quick Google search indicates ALT is mildly raised, which inflammation causes. Colitis has always pushed my inflammation markers up.

I keep asking myself whether moving from Reta over to Tirz could be of some benefit.

 

[Clubber]

I've been a binge drinker for several years now, and my intake has been far too high. Worse still, I drink on my own. It's vodka rather than beer, and once I start I keep going until the bottle is empty.

The alcohol suppression that a lot of people in this thread describe hasn't really happened for me.

I'm only 1 month into Reta and have just raised my dose to 4mg, so perhaps that effect will show up later.

I've now gone 5 days without a drink, because my weight loss was slower than I'd hoped and I figured the alcohol had to be what was holding it back.

Should Reta help me both shed weight and stay away from alcohol, the benefits to my life and to my family's would be enormous.

Fingers crossed