Wegovy and Alcohol
If you’ve done your research, you’ve probably heard of Wegovy and its popular weight loss potential. However, you’ve also probably seen that Wegovy comes with significant question marks about its safety and effectiveness because it is so new.
One of those key questions is whether you can drink alcohol on Wegovy. Even if you just enjoy an occasional drink, it’s important to understand how alcohol can interact with weight loss medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and more.
From the extra calories that alcohol adds to your daily diet to the potential exacerbated Wegovy side effects with alcohol, there are several things you should consider in your weight loss journey. This guide outlines everything you should know before mixing Wegovy and alcohol.
An Overview of Wegovy
Wegovy is a weight loss medication that reduces your appetite so you are likely to eat fewer calories and burn fat. Wegovy works because of its active ingredient, semaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist—this means that it mimics a hormone in the body called GLP-1.
By mimicking this hormone, Wegovy slows stomach emptying, increases feelings of fullness, and reduces your appetite so that you consume fewer calories. With a lower calorie intake, your body will be more likely to burn fat for energy so that you lose weight.
Wegovy was only recently introduced as a weight loss medication, receiving FDA approval in 2021. With this being the case, there is still a lot more research to be done surrounding how Wegovy interacts with the body, other medications, and alcohol.
Alcohol Consumption Guidelines
General guidelines around alcohol consumption with weight loss medication vary depending on the medication and its active ingredients. The two key considerations regarding your alcohol intake during a weight loss journey are your calorie intake and the potential side effects that can occur from mixing the two.
Alcohol can be high in calories, as one glass of wine can have up to 158 calories on average, while a pint of beer can contain around 222 calories. Given these numbers, your daily calorie count can skyrocket within just a few drinks, leading to unwanted weight gain or barriers to your weight loss progress. Therefore, it may be helpful to limit alcohol consumption if you do choose to drink alcohol on your weight loss medication regimen.
Because Wegovy is such a new medication, there is still plenty more research necessary regarding whether alcohol may interact with semaglutide medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and others safely. Given the lack of information about how alcohol and semaglutide medications interact, and whether it is safe, many medical professionals recommend steering clear of drinking alcohol with weight loss medications entirely. Ultimately, though, the decision should be made depending on the individual and their unique health circumstances.
Possible Side Effects of Mixing Alcohol and Wegovy
Consuming alcohol and taking Wegovy each have their own potential side effects. If you combine the two together, they may have even more possible effects. The following are some of the risks of mixing both.
1. Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are some of the most common side effects listed on Wegovy’s website. Because the medication also affects your appetite, the disruption to your eating habits could also lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.
Alcohol can also take its toll on the digestive system, as alcohol causes your stomach to produce more acid, which can cause nausea. Combining the two may be tough on your stomach and only exacerbate the negative side effects.
2. Dehydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes your cells to expel more water and leads to more frequent urination—this results in cellular dehydration. Inner cellular hydration is an essential part of weight loss, ensuring that your cells are hydrated and able to convert fat into energy. If your metabolic health is compromised by a lower water intake, it may unnecessarily limit your weight loss progress.
Some of Wegovy’s side effects, like vomiting and diarrhea, can also lead to dehydration. Due to the potential effects of both, you might be sacrificing progress in your weight loss journey or even compromising your health and wellness by stripping your body of the hydration it needs to function.
3. Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a condition where your blood sugar is lower than normal. A low blood sugar can lead to symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. One of the risks of weight loss medications is that because they reduce your appetite, they may cause you to undereat and result in lower blood sugar.
Meanwhile, drinking alcohol can also have effects on your blood sugar. When your liver is processing alcohol, it stops releasing glucose, which can cause your blood sugar levels to drop quickly. Drinking alcohol while taking Wegovy can potentially drop your blood sugar to uncomfortable or even unsafe levels.
4. Impaired Judgment
Drinking alcohol can affect your decision-making, which isn’t helpful if you’re trying to be more mindful of your eating habits. A night out involving alcohol can quickly turn to craving and eating greasy, fatty foods that increase your calorie intake and, overall, are not beneficial for weight loss. Although we all have occasional slip-ups in any weight loss journey, making drinking a consistent habit can affect your progress in the long-term.
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Individual Factors To Consider
Before drinking while taking weight loss medications, or drinking during any weight loss effort, there are several factors you should consider. Alcohol can affect everyone differently, so you should always consult your healthcare provider before drinking alcohol while taking any weight loss medication.
Because of the many question marks surrounding mixing alcohol and weight loss medications, you should consider the following factors:
- Health conditions – Your unique individual health conditions, such as diabetes and liver issues, may affect how alcohol interacts with your body and lead to additional side effects or health concerns.
- Medications and interactions – If you take medications for any health conditions currently, then you should be careful to read the medication label and talk to your doctor about whether there may be any adverse side effects of combining alcohol, Wegovy, and other medications.
- Tolerance levels – Everyone has different tolerance levels for alcohol, depending on factors like their body weight and how often they drink alcohol already.
Everybody is different and may have varying risk levels for taking a medication like Wegovy while drinking alcohol. Again, your healthcare provider will be the best resource for helping you guide your decision making and your health choices.
Recommendations for Safe Alcohol Consumption
Weight loss should never come at the expense of your health. The potential risks of consuming alcohol while taking a weight loss medication mean that you should take careful precautions even if your doctor gives you the go-ahead to have an occasional drink.
If you plan to drink alcohol during your weight loss medication regimen, keep the following in mind:
- Moderation – Moderation is key to drinking alcohol safely, and it may help minimize excessive side effects while taking a medication like Wegovy, as well as limit roadblocks to your weight loss progress.
- Staying hydrated – Alcohol is dehydrating for your body’s cells, so you should do your best to be mindful of your water intake and drink extra water any time you drink alcohol.
- Monitoring blood sugar – Some alcoholic drinks can have lots of sugar, so if you have a medical condition like diabetes, it’s important to closely monitor your blood sugar levels, either at home or through regular check-ups.
- Having consistent conversations – Be sure to share your experience with your doctor and maintain regular check-ins throughout your medication regimen so you can catch any minor concerns before they may become more serious.
Mindfulness is the key to any weight loss journey. If you plan on drinking alcohol during your weight loss efforts, you should consider all the above factors and make sure you pay close attention to how your body responds so you can maintain a strong grip on your overall health and wellness. The close supervision of a medical professional or nutritionist can also go a long way toward understanding how the medication and alcohol interact with your body together.
Consider a Flexible Weight Loss Program
The research surrounding potential Wegovy side effects with alcohol is still limited, but currently, many doctors recommend against drinking alcohol while taking a weight loss medication like Wegovy. Mixing Wegovy and alcohol can pose risks like limiting your progress and potentially exacerbating your side effects—at re:vitalize, we offer a medication-free, alternative approach to weight loss.
Our programs help you avoid the potential side effects of weight loss medications by allowing you to lose weight on your terms, prioritizing the nutrients that are optimal for your weight loss and wellness through holistic weight loss programs. Each of our programs is developed for the individual, using our BioScan™ technology to highlight key micro and macronutrients that will be helpful for your body. Plus, when you focus on losing weight by eating nutrient-rich whole foods, you can enjoy more peace of mind with the occasional drink.
Our Flexible Weight Loss programs and Weight Loss and Metabolic Reset programs are designed to make weight loss attainable for any lifestyle.
Schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with our team at re:vitalize today to learn more about our programs and how they can help you achieve weight loss success once and for all.
