Originally Posted by wpainterw

Blackened: I agree with Dee. It makes no sense to take meds and also drink (moderately) or (socially). If the doctor had been told you were doing that he or she would probably not be prescribing the meds since the alcohol would interfere with them and only complicate the situation. I assume that doctors usually go on the understanding (unless they are told otherwise) that (1) the patient wants to stop drinking, and (2) the patient wants help with any withdrawal symptoms. If the patient is still drinking and the meds don't work because of that, then guess what may happen-often the patient uses more alcohol when the withdrawal symptoms get too severe. That sounds like the "slippery slope". The way out seems to be a plan which means a really hard effort to cease drinking and using the pills as prescribed to ease the withdrawal. If the pills don't work and there is no drinking then tell the doctor and it may result in a change of medication or increase of dosage.
This is very familiar to me since I personally did what you were doing for many years and it didn't work. It all got worse. I'm lucky I somehow stopped doing this and have been sober for 28 years. I figure a lot of folks have not been as lucky as I was and that many are dead.

W.