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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by FrequentFryer on November 6, 2005, at 7:33:05
Do you guys reckon large consumptions of alcohole (50-60 STANDARD DRINKS A WEEK) reduceS your anti-D EFFECIENCY?
iM SURE IT MAKES U A BIT DEPRESSED but I dont think it has anything to do with the ant-d's????????????
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on November 6, 2005, at 8:17:57
In reply to Acohole Survey, posted by FrequentFryer on November 6, 2005, at 7:33:05
Probably!
I always find that I'm more depressed when I'm hungover.
M
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 6, 2005, at 9:26:35
In reply to Acohole Survey, posted by FrequentFryer on November 6, 2005, at 7:33:05
> Do you guys reckon large consumptions of alcohole (50-60 STANDARD DRINKS A WEEK) reduceS your anti-D EFFECIENCY?
> iM SURE IT MAKES U A BIT DEPRESSED but I dont think it has anything to do with the ant-d's
>
> ????????????If you are drinking approx. 8 standard drinks per day, your antidepressant has zero activity. Alcohol profoundly upsets neurotransmitter release in the brain. That is why it is intoxicating. Alcohol also changes kidney function, and you just excrete the drug before it can do you any good.
If you hope to resolve your depression (presumably why you are taking an antidepressant), you must first control your alcohol dependency. There are specialized treatment centers, for dual diagnosis individuals. I strongly suggest you find one. You have to treat the substance abuse first. Then, if necessary, you treat what is revealed in the sober individual.
Lar
Posted by Kreedi on November 6, 2005, at 13:57:16
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey » FrequentFryer, posted by Larry Hoover on November 6, 2005, at 9:26:35
>
> If you are drinking approx. 8 standard drinks per day, your antidepressant has zero activity. Alcohol profoundly upsets neurotransmitter release in the brain. That is why it is intoxicating. Alcohol also changes kidney function, and you just excrete the drug before it can do you any good.
>
> If you hope to resolve your depression (presumably why you are taking an antidepressant), you must first control your alcohol dependency. There are specialized treatment centers, for dual diagnosis individuals. I strongly suggest you find one. You have to treat the substance abuse first. Then, if necessary, you treat what is revealed in the sober individual.
>
> Lar
>Is this true or somewhat hyperbolic? I've read that alcohol is a CNS depressant, that ADs can potentiate the effects of alcohol, and that the use of the two together should be avoided or minimized. But I've never come across any literature stating or suggesting that heavy drinking completely wipes out AD efficacy. I'd be grateful for more information/references/stories on the subject.
Thanks,
Kreedi
Posted by RobertDavid on November 6, 2005, at 17:22:21
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey, posted by Kreedi on November 6, 2005, at 13:57:16
My experience is that a hangover is the single worst thing I can do to agrivate depression and anxiety. Alcohol is a depressant. It also interferes with your sleep. In my opinion, you won't feel your best until you stop drinking or at least be able to minimize it. Even a few drinks keeps you from getting into REM sleep.
When I drink I don't stop as anxiety is my primary problem. I self medicated for years. But the problem is always worse afterwards. Tired, anxious and hungover. I don't think there are any good reasons to drink much. Just my take.
That being said, I hope I'll continue to take my own advise as every month or so I just crash and burn. I hope I did that for the last time....
Posted by alohashirt on November 6, 2005, at 18:41:18
In reply to Acohole Survey, posted by FrequentFryer on November 6, 2005, at 7:33:05
> Do you guys reckon large consumptions of alcohole (50-60 STANDARD DRINKS A WEEK) reduceS your anti-D EFFECIENCY?
> iM SURE IT MAKES U A BIT DEPRESSED but I dont think it has anything to do with the ant-d'sAbout ten years ago I wandered into an AA meeting and said "Hey I'm Fred, I'm not an alcoholic, but I figure you guys might give me some tips about how to turn my immoderate drinking into moderate drinking?" They laughed.
AFter the meeting some guy says, "So Fred does drinking cause you problems?"
"No my girlfriend does cause sometimes she won't go to the pub"
"Does the drinking affect your work?"
"Only when I'm hungover"
"Do you ever obsess about drinking"
"I think about drinking every fifteen minutes - no more than the average guy"
"Does drinking ever stop you from doing stuff you want?"
"Only when I'm drunk"
"Does drinking affect your personal relationships?"
"No never. Well I guess once I met this really nice girl but couldn't recognize her the next time we met because I'd been so drunk. And once I came to take my girlfriendto a show and fell in a stupor as soon as it began. Apart from that no never"
. . .
"Do you ever think about taking a break from drinking?"
"I once decided to take a month off but I felt so good after one day off that I figured I didn 't need the whole month"
..
A few weeks later I figured that even though I wasn't an alcoholic maybe a short break would help me - after all aside from them being alcoholics these guys sounded just teh same as me, and teh feelings of hopelessness,a nd fear they described truly resonated . After two months of not drinking I felt clearer headed, smarter, more hopeful than ever before.For me, not drinking was a life-saver. It was weird how as soon as I stopped drinking my debts seemed to disappear and I began saving cash. Less interesting stories of course ...
It didn't cure ADHD but Focalin XR is doing a good job with the distraction part of that. I wouldn't return in a million years. Just my experience, not suggesting you'd have a similar one.Fred.
Posted by Phillipa on November 6, 2005, at 20:44:06
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey » FrequentFryer, posted by Larry Hoover on November 6, 2005, at 9:26:35
Lar, I'm sure you're correct. But that explains why paxil didn't bother me. Drank 6 beers nightly and felt great with .5xanax with me pdoc's approval. When I stopped the beer that's when I started feeling so badly. And AD's don't work for me. Main diagnosis was always anxiety. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on November 6, 2005, at 20:46:35
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey, posted by RobertDavid on November 6, 2005, at 17:22:21
Have to add I was never hungover and slept like a baby waking feeling refreshed. And was working at the time and functioning very highly. It was only after stopping the alchhol that my world came crashing down. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Greif on November 6, 2005, at 23:26:05
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey, posted by Phillipa on November 6, 2005, at 20:46:35
I quit drinking 10 years ago. Prior to that alchoho; was an addiction. Switched to Zanax and Antibuse...drink and get very ill (can kill you). The craving for alchohol diminishes. slowly. I was up to 4mg day of Xanax and decided to do rapid taper and would drink wine at nite to calm me down...Once off zanax and antibuse booze became a problem so I checked into Hazelden and havent had a drink since. They are very anti benzo so I stayed off meds for years. I am now on Klonopin and it is much better for me. I dont have those 5 hr cravings for Zanax and actually dont even feel the Klonopin peaks. It has greatly improved my quality of life. Alchohol is not even a consideration for me for a happy life. I was very dissapointed taht the Lyrica was not effective(I had terrible side effects and could not function. A clinical setting might have been better but I dont have the time. So a life of trying everything I can look back and realize how dificult it was. Booze is an insideous drug and should not be taken lightly if you are looking for mental health.
Posted by Larry Hoover on November 7, 2005, at 7:51:58
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey, posted by Kreedi on November 6, 2005, at 13:57:16
> Is this true or somewhat hyperbolic?
Somewhat hyperbolic, but IMHO an appropriate expression in this instance.
> I've read that alcohol is a CNS depressant, that ADs can potentiate the effects of alcohol, and that the use of the two together should be avoided or minimized. But I've never come across any literature stating or suggesting that heavy drinking completely wipes out AD efficacy.
I have, and it's generally in the form of an opinion, not a clinical study.
In the clinical studies I've read, those who made the greatest efforts to reduce their drinking were able to obtain the greatest likelihood of response to a concurrent antidepressant. The heaviest drinkers were the hardest to help. The way the stats from a study are presented, you really learn about the average effect of the intervention. Those who run the study see the exceptional cases for what they are. I've spoken to people who run dual diagnosis treatment centres (I'm an addictions counsellor who never practised. Hell, I'm a dual diagnosis subject.), and steady heavy drinkers who also take an antidepressant tend to find no benefit from the antidepressant.
> I'd be grateful for more information/references/stories on the subject.
>
> Thanks,
> KreediI don't have any current references at hand. Sorry. Googling "dual diagnosis" alcohol antidepressant should get some hits. The quotes around the dual diagnosis are to have it treated as a phrase.
Lar
Posted by FrequentFryer on November 7, 2005, at 9:07:18
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey, posted by Kreedi on November 6, 2005, at 13:57:16
Thanks larry Ill try & keep it to 20 standard drink a week.
although Ive had heaps of anti'ds work while drinking heaps...
Maybe drinking kind of causes poop out. thats what happens ro me all the time.
Posted by cablegirl on November 7, 2005, at 12:12:48
In reply to Re: Acohole Survey » FrequentFryer, posted by Larry Hoover on November 6, 2005, at 9:26:35
> > Do you guys reckon large consumptions of alcohole (50-60 STANDARD DRINKS A WEEK) reduceS your anti-D EFFECIENCY?
> > iM SURE IT MAKES U A BIT DEPRESSED but I dont think it has anything to do with the ant-d's
> >
> > ????????????
>
> If you are drinking approx. 8 standard drinks per day, your antidepressant has zero activity. Alcohol profoundly upsets neurotransmitter release in the brain. That is why it is intoxicating. Alcohol also changes kidney function, and you just excrete the drug before it can do you any good.
>
> If you hope to resolve your depression (presumably why you are taking an antidepressant), you must first control your alcohol dependency. There are specialized treatment centers, for dual diagnosis individuals. I strongly suggest you find one. You have to treat the substance abuse first. Then, if necessary, you treat what is revealed in the sober individual.
>
> Lar
>Will drinking 2-3 glasses of wine on the weekends cause my Effexor not to work? I've read that you should "limit alcohol" with it and I have also read that you should "avoid alcohol".....which is it???
Thanks,
Cablegirl
This is the end of the thread.
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