Anyone have alcohol interfere with their meds?

[WantToHeal]

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2005. I was on Lexapro until early this year, when it stopped being effective for me. Then a brief stint on Zoloft, which really kicked my anxiety up through the roof (no drinking during this time period).

I started on Cymbalta in late June, and gradually felt my symptoms lift. Then I stupidly started drinking again, a few beers here and there, culminating in a big binge and return of my anxiety around Labor Day.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, so I'm not asking for medical advice. But has anyone had a relapse in drinking negatively affect their psych meds? And if so, how did you bring yourself back into stability?

[least]

i've been on antidepresants for years, and they help, but not when I'm drinking, cause alcohol IS a depressant and negates the helpful effects of the anti-d's. Using alcohol also brings on rebound anxiety. When the depressant effects of alcohol are gone, you get more anxious/nervous/jumpy than ever before.

My meds help me a lot, but not if I'm drinking. I'm sober now cause I'd rather feel better than worse.

Welcome to SR!

[WantToHeal]

Thanks, least. I hope I can get back on track with this med, and not have to switch again. Cymbalta is my third med since April.

[least]

Just don't drink and your meds will be able to work properly. I know that for a fact, it sure does for me.

[ANEWAUGUST]

I started on Lexapro..and it worked so well, that at 5 1/2 years sober, I thought, I could moderate my drinking.

Well...that didn't work at all, and the meds lost their effectivenss.

I am sober, once more, and the meds are working as prescribed. I won't drink again....

[lifeafter]

Please be very careful with cymbalta or with any other ssri or snri. I had a horrific experience with it. I encourage you to research these powerful medications extensively. I posted a little bit about my troubles with it in another thread, but can't link to it here.

Good luck and God bless!

[Bamboozle]

Hello, la. Just read your post.

I'm on an SSRI right now and sober. I do not have a desire to drink. I do not have cravings. If not for my meds I'd be having suicidal thoughts all of the time. My meds keep me alive.

Everyone resonds to meds differently. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

Hello, WantToHeal. My doctor wouldn't prescribe any meds for me until I quit drinking. I've been sober the entire time I've been on these meds...almost 6 months.

Hope your appointment goes well. Keep us posted.

[Zencat]

Originally Posted by least

i've been on antidepresants for years, and they help, but not when I'm drinking, cause alcohol IS a depressant and negates the helpful effects of the anti-d's. Using alcohol also brings on rebound anxiety. When the depressant effects of alcohol are gone, you get more anxious/nervous/jumpy than ever before.

My meds help me a lot, but not if I'm drinking. I'm sober now cause I'd rather feel better than worse.

That sums it up pretty well for me too.

[Ellie323]

Beware that anti-depressant drugs can interact with alcohol in such a way as to intensify the effect of the alcohol. So, one glass of wine for example is like having three.

[jamdls]

When I was drinking I was on Effexor, at times Zyprexa, and then Ambien--I was always told not to drink while taking them...but of course I did...I wound up making a serious suicide attempt-spent a week in the hosital with a failing liver. DO NOT mix alcohol and medication period.

[WantToHeal]

Thanks for sharing, Judy. If my own anxiety over drinking while on Cymbalta didn't serve as enough of a wake-up call, your story certainly does. In the end, all I did was kill the effectiveness of the meds and bring my anxiety back with a vengeance.

I went to see the doctor today, and was switched to Pristiq starting tomorrow. Later on, I went to the hospital laboratory to get a blood draw for a liver function test.

So now I feel better about: 1) Not causing any further damage to my liver by drinking, and 2) Coming off a med that works the liver hard in its own right.

[ClayTheScribe]

Originally Posted by WantToHeal

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2005. I was on Lexapro until early this year, when it stopped being effective for me. Then a brief stint on Zoloft, which really kicked my anxiety up through the roof (no drinking during this time period).

I started on Cymbalta in late June, and gradually felt my symptoms lift. Then I stupidly started drinking again, a few beers here and there, culminating in a big binge and return of my anxiety around Labor Day.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, so I'm not asking for medical advice. But has anyone had a relapse in drinking negatively affect their psych meds? And if so, how did you bring yourself back into stability?

WantToHeal,

I stopped drinking because after a stubborn 3 years of drinking while taking psych meds, I couldn't handle it anymore. I'm on Effexor, Lithium, Geodon, Wellbutrin and Trazedone--definitely over-medicated--but none of those mix well with alcohol. When you drink, the alcohol basically takes over some of the neurotransmitter receptors your medication needs to work, thus the depression and anxiety the next day. And after 26 days of sobreity, I relapsed, with terrible results.

To bring yourself back to stability you have to stop drinking. For some that means using their own willpower to keep them off of it, for others it means going to AA, LifeRing, SMARTRecovery, using Rational Recovery or some other recovery method, or just coming here and posting/helping everyday. You have to find out what works for you. The best thing keeping me from alcohol is reminding myself what I feel like the next day after drinking and how I'm wasting my parents' money taking medications whose benefits I'm not getting 'cause I'm abusing alcohol. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons and I'll wager you find more cons to drinking on meds.

Good luck

[geekorunique]

I was on meds for anxiety and depression for 7 years and drank on and off during that time. Mostly on lol. The meds wont even work when you're drinking. Anytime you drink you're undoing the work that the pills will be doing for you.

Only way for them to do any good is for you to stay sober. It's not easy but you would have support if you went to AA. It's worth it - alcohol is a depressant and if you have alcohol issues like I do - you're an alcoholic - and it will kill you or make you go insane....there's really no middle road

God Bless and sending you lots of strength xxx

[WantToHeal]

Thanks, Clay and geekorunique. Seven days into what I hope and pray is a lifelong journey toward stability and wholeness. It would be nice to see my way clear to a time where I don't need meds to cope. But first, I need to learn how to cope without medicating myself.

[ClayTheScribe]

Originally Posted by WantToHeal

It would be nice to see my way clear to a time where I don't need meds to cope.

I dream of that day too though it seems so far away.

[rondfw777]

Zoloft is not for anxiety and I have anxiety. My doc prescribed it to me and said it would help me sleep and help with anxiety. One 50 mg dose and I was in the E.R. Ears are still ringing with increased anxiety. And never read any of the side affects before taking a med. It never made sense to me that your trying to help one thing in your life,but 50 other bad things might happen to you!

Take care,

Ron

[XStacyReneeX]

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[Carol Star]

My addiction therapist had me use Valerian, an herb to get through the rough patch of a divorce. I am an addict/alcoholic in recovery. She is totally against me taking any drugs. She has me on 5HDP from a healthfood store(seratonin) to get my brain chemistry straight. Recovering "a"'s need B vitamins too. I need sunlight,and exercise and need to eat right too. And I need SR. It was a couple of rough years but I am now back on the beam .I know some people need prescribed drugs. For me, I am scared of them. For me it may be changing seats on the Titanic.

[KellySad]

I have read, also, about Vitamin B's for recovering A's.