Itsjustme715

Hey everyone, I asked on a different board, but thought I would throw this question out to you all too. My husbands blood alcohol level was .268, the test was done at the hospital. When I saw him 2 hours later he did not seem drunk at all. Can anxiety/antidepressant meds give a incorrect reading. Just wondering?

Astro

I can't really answer that question from a medical standpoint, I'm not a doctor!

But I noticed you said he did not seem drunk at all.

From my experience when I was actively drinking, just the intensity of a situation sometimes "sobered" me up. I'm sure I wasn't physically sober, but I was probably behaving a little more normally. Two hours would be plenty of time for me to feel a lot less inebriated.

TTOSBT

Sounds like your husband has a pretty high tolerance, but that is not unheard of.
Was the test blood or breath?
I was told by an officer that the breathalyzer might read wrong (not crazy wrong, just off a little) depending on medications but that the blood test will give the correct reading no matter what was in my system. That is what the police told me the night of my DUI. I don't know that it is true or not..

Itsjustme715

Thanks both of you for your responses. I suppose that situation would sober a person up, that makes sense. It was a blood test that he took, he figured it bought him a little more time.

TTOSBT

Yup, it probably bought him more time but if I were you, I would assume it was accurate. So now what are you going to do?

Tazman53

Non-alcoholics are fall down drunk with a BAC of .268, many alcoholics appear perfectly sober with that BAC and even higher. I know several people who had a BAC of .40 and were still walking and talking, non-alcoholics usually pass out at .30!

I am not a doctor so this is merely a semi-educated opinion, but if they checked his BAC through a blood test then no. Anxiety/antidepressant meds AMPLIFY the effects of alcohol in most cases so he was probably more blitzed then what he would have been without them.

Itsjustme715

I will nudge him to make some real changes. What are my options? If I talk about it to often it annoys him, but if I say nothing he falls back into old habits but tells me he is doing fine, when I know better. We will see......................

Itsjustme715

I've been wondering if maybe some of you who are dealing with alcoholism could give me some reasons why it would be a good idea for my husband to make some changes in his life. I think it would be more meaningful if it came from someone that was or is struggling with the same issues. What did you want to hear from your spouse (gf, bf, etc.) and what did you not want to hear from them. I will read these to him when I have his ear. Thanks again.

Astro

Just a suggestion, if you want to hear from some really good people who deal with alcoholism you might want to post your questions in the Friends & Family Of Alcoholics forum http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ly-alcoholics/

My experience as an alcoholic was that I didn't want to hear anything from anyone when it came to my drinking. I wasn't about to quit until I'd hit my bottom. When that day finally came, I made the decision to stop drinking. My spouse and children had tried for years with zero success.

Tazman53

I am with Astro, when I was drinking the best thing my wife and family could do was to not say a darn thing about my drinking, all it did was pi$$ me off.

Now there was one thing my wife did tell me and when she did tell me I knew she was not bluffing!!! She told me "The kids and I are moving out at the end of the month, we love you, but I will not let them watch their father drink himself to death."

How did I know she was not bluffing? Her first husband was an alcoholic and she left him when she told him she was for the same reason.

zoomer

I do not know about any medical stuff,but I use to drink and take medication. I was still just as crazy drinking on medication then I was without medication and drinking. The medication does not have a chance to work if your still drinking and thats a fact. When I realized that I was a danger to myself taking medication and drinking, that is when I gave up and stopped drinking. I did quit taking medication so I could drink,but I'd end up in hosptials because of my condition. People can and have ODed on drinking and medication, it's nothing to fool around with. My ex husband put me in the hospital without my consent. It's no fun being in the hospital and not being able to leave on your own free will. Maybe that is something your husband and you should take a look at instead of if the medication made his alcohol level go up. What ever the case, it sounds like he is a ticking time bomb with drinking and taking medication. I know I was and how unfair it was to the people who loved me. I had to grow up and stop having people worry about me and taking responcibility for me.