The food noise came back three weeks after I reduced my dose, well before the weight moved, which tells me something about which effect tracks what.
So the question, as narrowly as I can put it: whether the quiet is the same mechanism as the appetite suppression or a separate one, because they seem to come and go on different schedules.
Tell me what I have not thought of.
RunnerRach said:The food noise came back three weeks after I reduced my dose, well before the weight moved, which tells me something about which effect tracks what.
Alcohol relationship change with food noise: I used to drink cocktails most nights. Since starting GLP-1 therapy, I have zero interest in alcohol. Haven't had a drink in 5 months.
The "food noise" reduction seems to extend to other reward-seeking behaviors, including alcohol. My liver enzymes have improved, my sleep is better, and I've saved roughly $211/month on alcohol. Triple win.
Dr.SportsMedIN said:Alcohol relationship change with food noise: I used to drink cocktails most nights.
Neuroscience perspective on food noise:
GLP-1 receptors are expressed throughout the CNS, with high density in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, area postrema, and — critically — the mesolimbic reward pathway[1].
This is directly relevant to food noise because the central effects of GLP-1 agonists extend far beyond simple appetite suppression. The reduction in "food noise" that patients describe is likely mediated by modulation of dopaminergic signaling in the VTA and nucleus accumbens.
The emerging data on reduced addictive behaviors (alcohol, gambling) further supports this mechanism. food noise should be understood in this broader neurobiological context.
[1] Merchenthaler I, et al. J Comp Neurol. 1999;403(2):261-280.
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Shop Reference StandardsRunnerRach said:The food noise came back three weeks after I reduced my dose, well before the weight moved, which tells me something about which effect tracks what.
This matches mine closely enough to be worth saying so out loud. Posting only so the count is not one.
From the other side of the consultation, briefly.
Central vs peripheral GLP-1R signaling in food noise: elegant studies using brain-penetrant vs peripherally-restricted GLP-1 agonists show that ~80% of the weight loss effect is centrally mediated[1].
The key brain regions: arcuate nucleus (appetite), area postrema (nausea), NTS (satiety), VTA/NAc (reward). Peripheral effects (gastric emptying, insulin secretion) contribute but are secondary for weight loss.
This has implications for next-gen drugs: optimizing brain penetration and CNS receptor occupancy may be more important than systemic exposure.
[1] Secher A, et al. J Clin Invest. 2014;124(10):4473-4488.