alcohol + antidepressants, anyone? Options

[cupcake]

ok so that colorado shooting thread in the news forum got me to thinking...

for the first time in my old ass life I have been on antidepressants. since the summer.

anyway, I am noticing that when I would drink beer...my reaction was different to it than before.

in the past, this negro could drink a 12 pack and feel the effects, but that's it.

since I've been on this stuff...I found when I drank I would start having memory lapses, lapses in judgement, imparied and often delusional thinking.

it's scary as a mother of fuck...and as a result I have stopped drinking. the shit is freaky.

has anyone else on antidepressants ever experienced such a phenom?

[Spectatrix]

I don't have any personal experience with this, no, but alcohol certainly can react with antidepressants. The effect depends on the specific med you're on. Sometimes there's no effect at all, sometimes you just get drunk quicker, and I've read that some reactions can be fatal (don't know what med that's with, though).

If you want to continue drinking occasionally, talk to your doc. He might be able to adjust your dosage or put you on different meds.

[Testm0nkey]

any type of medicine is pretty much going to react negatively with alcohol. anti-depressants work with the neurotransmitters in your brain so does alcohol but in conflicting ways. your psychiatrist should have warned you!

[cupcake]

no one mentioned a frickin thing!

it's some bizzarro shit. one to 3 beers is fine. anything beyond that, it's like I crossed over into the twilight zone and have little to no control over what I may do or say.

defintely disturbing.

[impala454]

what's the name of the stuff? lets check it out on teh intarweb. obviously talk to the doc though too

[johnthedrunk]

i heard that shit will get you fucked up. we used to mash them up and smoke them in high school

[Testm0nkey]

they generally tell people to abstain from alcohol when you are taking them, just fyi

[Spectatrix]

what's the name of the stuff? lets check it out on teh intarweb. obviously talk to the doc though too

ditto on both

[cupcake]

it's plain old prozac.

[Testm0nkey]

Sometimes people are warned to avoid alcohol while taking Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride). This is because alcohol and medicines like Prozac act upon similar chemicals in the brain. The concern is that Prozac will increase the effects of alcohol -- whether this means increasing symptoms of depression or affecting motor skills.

When many healthcare providers are asked whether or not it is okay to drink alcohol while on Prozac, they recommend that people choosing to drink should only drink light to moderate amounts -- and should also wait until they understand the effects that Prozac and other medicines they are taking may have on their body.

[cupcake]

well fucking great!?

I wish to hell they would have told me?

I thought I was going batshit insane.

[Mommy]

That sucks

[cupcake]

well not NOW...I mean I haven't drank in almost a month. but yeah, I was completely out of my fuckin mind a couple times and it was scary as hell.

like putting myself in really dangerous positions where I was likely to get dead. I guess god really does look after children and idiots.

[Oasis]

I assume you're not dumb enough to be drinking while the medicine is still in your system.

How much were you drinking? I went through a similar thing months ago. I was depressed but not on antidepressants. Like a fucking moron, I used alcohol to "cope", and eventually it started fucking with my mind. I'd drink about 3 whisky/cokes and start acting really bizarre. Seeing shit and stuff. I don't know whether it was psychological or some sort of physical reaction from my body since at the time, I was drinking heavily and often. Since I started drinking infrequently I've yet to have it happen again. Then again, I drink for entirely different reasons now, so that probably has something to do with it.

All I know is don't drink to cope with depression. Don't drink to put yourself in a better mood. It's a temporary "solution" to a permanent problem. Actually, it isn't a solution at all, it just fools you in to thinking it is. And that's dangerous as fuck.

Might I ask why you started taking antidepressants? If you aren't comfortable saying, that's fine.

[Spectatrix]

I assume you're not dumb enough to be drinking while the medicine is still in your system.

Antidepressants are typically taken on a daily basis and take several days to mostly leave the system (can take a couple of weeks to be gone entirely).

This post has been edited by Spectatrix: Dec 11 2007, 01:51 PM

[pebkac]

http://depression.emedtv.com/prozac/alcohol-and-prozac.html

[Oasis]

Antidepressants are typically taken on a daily basis and take several days to mostly leave the system (can take a couple of weeks to be gone entirely).

Really? I stand corrected then. Most every time released pill I've seen leaves your system by the evening. Then again, I guess depression is a 24 hour a day type thing though

[Spectatrix]

Yeah. Obviously it various by drug, but the "half life" of Prozac is 2-3 days. Not sure if it's by design or not, but it's good in that you don't spiral down into depression if you forget a pill or two. You might get a slight dip in mood, but nothing too major (in most cases).

That having been said, there are other meds that can dump antidepressants from your system pretty quick. Corticosteroids can do that with Zoloft, probably with Prozac as well (both are SSRIs).

[cupcake]

I assume you're not dumb enough to be drinking while the medicine is still in your system.

How much were you drinking? I went through a similar thing months ago. I was depressed but not on antidepressants. Like a fucking moron, I used alcohol to "cope", and eventually it started fucking with my mind. I'd drink about 3 whisky/cokes and start acting really bizarre. Seeing shit and stuff. I don't know whether it was psychological or some sort of physical reaction from my body since at the time, I was drinking heavily and often. Since I started drinking infrequently I've yet to have it happen again. Then again, I drink for entirely different reasons now, so that probably has something to do with it.

All I know is don't drink to cope with depression. Don't drink to put yourself in a better mood. It's a temporary "solution" to a permanent problem. Actually, it isn't a solution at all, it just fools you in to thinking it is. And that's dangerous as fuck.

Might I ask why you started taking antidepressants? If you aren't comfortable saying, that's fine.

that shit stays in your system for a long time. since no one ever warned me I continued to drink as normal (like a 6pack or whatever). once I started seeing how fucked up I was getting, not drunk...but whacko in the head...I stopped drinking.

why was I prescribed antidepressants? um...because I was diagnosed as depressed.

[Oasis]

why was I prescribed antidepressants? um...because I was diagnosed as depressed.

Really now? I never would have guessed.

I'm asking what happened in the first place to make you depressed? Family issues? Money problems? Your fantasy football team is in last place?

I'm asking to offer constructive criticism and advice, not to throw you under the bus with my personal beliefs with depression

[cupcake]

I don't think I need any but thank you. I'll just say I have untended demons from the past.

I'm getting advice from 4 professional sources.

[Psykopath]

Really now? I never would have guessed.

I'm asking what happened in the first place to make you depressed? Family issues? Money problems? Your fantasy football team is in last place?

I'm asking to offer constructive criticism and advice, not to throw you under the bus with my personal beliefs with depression

Of all the people on here, Jon has the most reasons to be depressed given what he's been through in the past.
I don't even know why you'd have to ask him, Will....

[Oasis]

Of all the people on here, Jon has the most reasons to be depressed given what he's been through in the past.
I don't even know why you'd have to ask him, Will....

Yeah, I know he's been in the Marines and has probably seen some fucked up shit. He's alluded to as much in the past

But I've never been in the military so I really have no idea how much it actually affects people. My friend Travis who was in the Marines does not discuss it. My uncle who was in Nam wouldn't talk about it and clammed up when I even mentioned war. I know it affects people, but without ever actually having been in a war I'll never truly know.

Hence why I asked.

[cupcake]

it's no sweat.

[cupcake]

back on topic...I have drank for so long as a crutch...sobriety itself is kinda like a drug.

I mean it's like I'm taking some rad clarity drug...

[Divergent Realit...]

back on topic...I have drank for so long as a crutch...sobriety itself is kinda like a drug.

I mean it's like I'm taking some rad clarity drug...

isnt it cool?

[cupcake]

yeah. I'm digging it.

[Oasis]

If it is war related, I'll put a positive spin on it.

You've been through more shit than 99% of people out there. You've seen worse, you've experienced worse, and gotten through worse than any of your peers. Think about that the next time you're facing writing a ten page report or giving a presentation at work or getting up the guts to go talk to a pretty girl at a bar (I know you're married; pretend you're not for one second). Most things people think are really adverse and important, are, in the grand scheme of things, pretty fucking trivial.

Speaking personally, overcoming being basically a drunk was hard as shit. The only positive thing about being a raging fucking alcoholic was that it was the only way I could overcome it. You can't fix a problem if you've never truly experienced the problem. The only thing keeping me from not drinking at all is that everyone and their mom fucking drinks. I try to avoid the people who drink just to get fucked up and be happy though. Those are the people who annoy the living shit out of me when they're liquored up because they allow alcohol to completely determine their mood.

But yeah, sobriety is a cool drug. Gives me more self confidence and self determination than a one liter bottle of whisky ever did. And it's rad to be in complete control of your emotions.

[FORSAKENR320]

back on topic...I have drank for so long as a crutch...sobriety itself is kinda like a drug.

I mean it's like I'm taking some rad clarity drug...

so... you're telling us you are high on life?

[FORSAKENR320]

If it is war related, I'll put a positive spin on it.

You've been through more shit than 99% of people out there. You've seen worse, you've experienced worse, and gotten through worse than any of your peers. Think about that the next time you're facing writing a ten page report or giving a presentation at work or getting up the guts to go talk to a pretty girl at a bar (I know you're married; pretend you're not for one second). Most things people think are really adverse and important, are, in the grand scheme of things, pretty fucking trivial.

Speaking personally, overcoming being basically a drunk was hard as shit. The only positive thing about being a raging fucking alcoholic was that it was the only way I could overcome it. You can't fix a problem if you've never truly experienced the problem. The only thing keeping me from not drinking at all is that everyone and their mom fucking drinks. I try to avoid the people who drink just to get fucked up and be happy though. Those are the people who annoy the living shit out of me when they're liquored up because they allow alcohol to completely determine their mood.

But yeah, sobriety is a cool drug. Gives me more self confidence and self determination than a one liter bottle of whisky ever did. And it's rad to be in complete control of your emotions.

you should play D&D to counter your addiction... well... then again, most of us can get pretty smashed when we play.... thanks zach...

[cupcake]

so... you're telling us you are high on life?

uhhhh...that sounds pretty turbogay.

let's just say reality is a nice change.

[Psykopath]

you should play D&D to counter your addiction... well... then again, most of us can get pretty smashed when we play.... thanks zach...

Seeing a drunk Glen is funny.

[FORSAKENR320]

i usually dislike drinking in the firt place. i don't like how it makes me feel. and i get paranoid when i can't control my body as well as i normally could.

[cupcake]

I liked the way I felt after a few beers like a year ago.

not so much with the prozac...I feel like Malkovich and someone is puppeteering me.

[Oasis]

you should play D&D to counter your addiction... well... then again, most of us can get pretty smashed when we play.... thanks zach...

Try Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions

I'm like 30 hours in to that shit.

I've rediscovered the coolness that is video games.

[FORSAKENR320]

Try Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions

I'm like 30 hours in to that shit.

I've rediscovered the coolness that is video games.

i don't like my imagination to be leashed down via video games

actually, i haven't played a good game in awhile... rainbow 6 las vegas was the last one i got into pretty good

[Mommy]

I think it's stupid that people on here are trying to solve Cupcake's psychological problems. None of us on here have a fucking PhD. He asked for drug info and side effects. Plus, I don't know what the case with Cupcake is, but most doctors prescribe meds for overall depression. Sometimes people have chemical imbalances that need to be corrected. It's not circumstances (war, relationships, etc.) that cause it.

[impala454]

uhhhh...that sounds pretty turbogay.

let's just say reality is a nice change.

"turbogay" - excellent word