![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
i wanted to get the real deal about drinkin while you are on welbutrin. I know you aren't supposed to, but what does that mean, you shouldn't have ANY drinks or you shouldn't have a lot. Does the alcohol hinder the welburtin from working...putting aside the risk of seizures, what does mixing alchol really do? can i have a glass or two of wine once in a while?
your feedback is MUCH appreciated.
Posted by dr. justin on November 1, 2002, at 17:21:24
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
> i wanted to get the real deal about drinkin while you are on welbutrin. I know you aren't supposed to, but what does that mean, you shouldn't have ANY drinks or you shouldn't have a lot. Does the alcohol hinder the welburtin from working...putting aside the risk of seizures, what does mixing alchol really do? can i have a glass or two of wine once in a while?
>
> your feedback is MUCH appreciated.First off, I'm not a medical doctor; this is just my own anecdotal advice. I've been taking Wellbutrin for almost 5 years now. During that time, I've had the occasion to have a drink, to have a few drinks, and to get outright drunk. I can't say I've had any side effects with the Wellbutrin, but that is probably due to one BIG factor: I don’t make drinking a habit. This is because I’ve found my meds, including Wellbutrin, to be less effective the next day. A hangover plus anxiety/depression really sucks. So, over time, I grew to drink less and less often. Basically, I think if you drink a lot and often, you’re going to have problems. If you drink infrequently and moderately (as I do), then I don’t thing Wellbutrin and alcohol are a problem. At least, they aren’t for me. Hope that helps.
~ Justin
Posted by snowden on November 3, 2002, at 19:03:37
In reply to Re: welbutrin and alcohol » sharons, posted by dr. justin on November 1, 2002, at 17:21:24
Although I am no longer on Wellbutrin, I felt I could add my own two cents...
I consider myself to be a pretty heavy drinker, and continued to do so while on Wellbutrin. I never experienced any problems, but I think the main concern is regarding seizures. It all depends upon the person...
Posted by homewood on November 4, 2002, at 11:39:27
In reply to Re: welbutrin and alcohol, posted by snowden on November 3, 2002, at 19:03:37
I've had 2 experiences with alcohol and wellbutrin...
i went to a friend's house one night in July for pizza and beer. i had 2 coors light and 1 glass of merlot. she then put on some music to dance. that much i remember. the rest of the evening i have absolutely no recollection of. i was told by a good friend (whom i trust) that she took me home after i proceeded to remove nearly all my clothes (she stopped me before i got my shorts off)...
the second time was in september. a friend tried to call me on monday morning when i didn't show up for work. when i didn't answer her repeated calls, she became worried and came over to my apartment. my car was there, but i didn't answer the door. she then tracked down the apt manager whol let her in. i was still asleep (it was almost noon). i had absolutely no recollections of the previous evening, although i know i went somewhere because my car was moved. i also discovered my glasses underneath my desk at work. unless i was abducted by spacve aliens i have no idea how these things happened.
my point to all this rambling is BEWARE of alcohol while on these meds. these 2 blackout events have scared the S__T out of me, that's for sure!!
Be well...
Posted by DAO on November 4, 2002, at 18:24:25
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
I thought I would offer my 2 cents. I take Wellbutrin, Clonopin, and Zoloft. I very rarely drink, but what I have noticed is that if I do (and the 2-3 times I have has been in the evening) I have a lot of trouble sleeping. Not sure which drug the alcohol is reacting with, but that is the result.
Pre-meds, if I drank anything (even one beer) I would just go to sleep (or is that pass out?) and sleep very soundly until the next morning.
Posted by Simcha on November 4, 2002, at 19:11:38
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
My current pdoc has convinced me to stop drinking alcohol altogether. I'm on Wellbutrin too, as well as Celexa and Klonopin. Since I suffer from depression and alcohol is a depressant then it's just logical not to ingest the stuff. Also I believe that my Kidneys and Liver are working hard enough eliminating the medications that treat my depression. I doubt there is a need to tax them anymore than necessary. I do like an occasional glass of wine and I know that I can live without it. These days I settle with grape juice. It's not the same yet I think it's healthier for me.
Cheers,
Simcha
Posted by JonW on November 4, 2002, at 23:31:56
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
My experience with Wellbutrin and alcohol was that my motor skills, etc. did not seem as impared by the same amount of alcohol before I was on Wellbutrin. The problem was that I didn't realize how drunk I was... Well, I guess I knew I drank a lot but it didn't seem like a lot. For the most part I didn't experience any major problems with drinking.
Anyhow, the advice others have given you about limiting or avoiding alcohol is a good idea. It sucks that you have a mental illness. The unfortunate reality is that alcohol and mental illness don't mix. If you must drink, I wouldn't do it on a regular basis and do it in moderation if possible. Most pdocs I've spoken to say to either avoid alcohol altogether or to have no more than 3 units of alcohol per week. One beer = one shot = one glass of wine = one unit. If you are driven to drink large amounts of alcohol, you should ask yourself if your meds are really working as you are probably self-medicating. A lot of people here, myself included, know all about that. Good luck with everything.
Jon
Posted by nola on November 28, 2002, at 16:47:29
In reply to Re: welbutrin and alcohol, posted by homewood on November 4, 2002, at 11:39:27
i had a few experiences with welbutrin and alcohol. i took welbutrin for adult ADD and it really helped. i was a heavy drinker when i started taking welbutrin. i drank about twice a week and would really get plastered. i never in all my years of heavy drinking had a blackout. once i started taking welbutrin i started having blackouts sometomes after only one drink. one night i had one martini and thats all i remember. i confirmed this with the bartender who is a friend of mine. he made me one drink, i paid my tab and walked out the door. one of my neighbors found me asleep in her car. she didn't know who i was and tried to help but she said i didn't know where i lived. i then called my sister to come pick me up and she lives in another city. since then i have stopped drinking and taking welbutrin.
Posted by smartass on December 24, 2002, at 9:12:22
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
I do not suggest drinking while taking Wellbutrin. I drank at a party and i do not remember a single thing from that night. This Has NEVER happened to me before. I totally humilliated myself, and didn't remember, but there were pictures to prove it. Also, just because you don't have a seizure the first time you drink, or the first few times you drink while taking Wellbutrin, does not mean it still won't happen. You are taking this medication for a reason...why would you go and screw it all up for a drink? ? THINK ABOUT IT.
Posted by Dr. Bob on December 24, 2002, at 11:27:54
In reply to Re: welbutrin and alcohol, posted by smartass on December 24, 2002, at 9:12:22
> I do not suggest drinking while taking Wellbutrin...
Sorry about the inconvenience, but please re-register under a name that's less likely to offend others, thanks.
Bob
PS: Follow-ups regarding posting policies, and complaints about posts, should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration; otherwise, they may be deleted.
Posted by wingedcat on December 26, 2002, at 3:57:19
In reply to welbutrin and alcohol, posted by sharons on November 1, 2002, at 12:30:53
I've drank while on Wellbutrin, and haven't noticed any horrible effects. I don't drink often. I did notice that when I've drank on Wellbutrin I stayed drunk for much longer than normal. The occasional glass of wine or binge party on new years' probably isn't too harmful, you just have to be aware of your body. It doesn't have the extremely dangerous interaction like barbituates and alcohol.
In my experience (2.5 years on Wellbutrin), Caffeine is MUCH worse than drinking. I used to drink tons of tea, take a no-doz to do homework, no problem. Now, half a cup of black tea will make me want to vomit and give me horrible diarrhea without fail. Then when I fall asleep I wake up twitching. The interaction gets worse the longer you've been on it.
I work a graveyard shift job... and there has been times when I *HAVE* to wake up in order to drive home for an hour. I've found that a low dose of ephedrine/ma huang doesn't interact with Wellbutrin as badly as caffeine does. This is just my personal observation, ephedrine can be dangerous. Many "herbal energy" formulas contain caffeine/guarana so you'd have to avoid those.
Ephedrine will also work for a cold when you need to be able to function. Strangely, psuedoephedrine (cold medicine) makes me feel worse (slow/sick/nauseated), I am not sure if that is the interaction with Wellbutrin or not.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.