I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

[iowegian]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

So the Effexor is actually making you drink more? That seems pretty counter productive, since alcohol is a depressant. When my Dr.(not a psychiatrist, just an MD who took a wild guess at what he thought would work) started me at 75 mg, he then increased my dosage up to 150 within 4 weeks! The sexual side affects were intolerable. To put it politely, my willy wouldn't wonka. After about 2 months of this, I quit taking it altogether. Cold Turkey. Bad, Bad Bad idea. In retrospect, I think that during my effexor phase was when my drinking went from too much beer to WAY too much scotch or vodka. Withdrawal (from Effexor) was a month of misery that I wouldn't wish on anyone(well, maybe a few people). As to the weight gain, could be the effexor or the increased alcohol, I don't know. I do know that I wish I had never heard of Effexor. I think Effexor is a class action law suit waiting to happen. The problem with psychoactive meds, hiw reliable are the witnesses, I guess. Who's going to believe the testimony of a bunch of loonies, anyway? Bad stuff, that Effexor.

[IAD]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Hope been thier !

Hope,
I'm on 150 mgs, of zoloft a day. No I'm not crazy.....I actually work in a important job for the Federal Govt. This country is in a lot of trouble. Ha! You can make it!
IAD

[Fresh Hope]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

To all ....so far so not so great

Up down ..up down ..good bad ...good bad :teeter:

I have so many friends I never met How lucky can you get!!!
So sorry to hear about all the bad effexor experiences...there is a class action suit pending it may have gone ahead I?ll do some research.
Still here reading all the posts, thought I would post a few days ago with my great mod success...1 beer per night for 4 days!

Then I had ? bottle wine,
next night the other half and a beer,
next night 2 beer and
last night a whole btl wine.

Being afraid of the seizure /Wellbutrin connection didn?t last very long. But I have re-read all that scary info and the very helpful posts so maybe moderation can stick for longer this week. All my further www research bears out what most have posted , and that is...be very careful with AL and Wellbutrin and find a way to ease off.

I finish on the Zoloft this week...I have been perfectly controlled weaning from that and then it is just Wellbutrin and Lunesta. After I see how that is I will slowly reduce the Lunesta and switch to herbal/MWO supp for sleep aid and then hopefully I will have learned how to sleep aid free. OH and I may throw Topa into it ...what the hell am I doing?

MM thanks.. 20 lbs off while on Wellbutrin good!!! I am reading Rachel Rose?s raw food book, and switching to more raw, but only 20 % a day. Does feel better.

Iowegian... well I am in the process of AL withdrawal but very spotty right now...see the Doc next week and hope to fees up and see about Topamax because clearly I am not eliminating AL by just thinking about it.

NHHHL good advice about the Wellbutrin - 150 mg a day, versus one 300 mg... no medical plan here so I will ask for split if I get to that dose...I actually lost 3 lbs in the 1 beer a night phase( is 4 days a phase? ;-) ) and felt so good in the mornings. Not like right... now 5 glasses of water ...dry toast and advil!! :ranger Really nutty dreams...unbelievable stuff

SouthernBelle I would like to use melatonin but later when I have whittled myself down to 1 drug....Hubby uses it for frequent overseas travel and works for him. Of course he went AL 15+ years ago and sleeps like a bambino

Dv2f... 1500 cal/day put weight on Yaa think??? Well that and maybe giving my liver a break so it can actually function properly . NO SAMe that is for sure

Dex I have heard the AD and AL connection for years, in many different forums, I know it is there and bad for some if not the majority... They, you know THEM, they will tell us this some day, officially and say opps so sorry!

Mags...loving the snow here too!! before Christmas we had perfect packing snow and made 4 snowmen_ with the hubby and grown kids..so much fun... will PM RJ thanks

Long Road...are all your posts this witty? .. will I too be this erudite if I stop drinking, I can only hope...Thanks for the stats, I have my blood tests and will compare I also had a fatty liver ?mild- about 5 years ago, then it went away when I lost 35 lbs ( I have done that 2x now)

Akkina... oh to be off Zop/lunesta and AL and Wellbutrin and Zoloft I know it will happen especially if I keep coming here and actually post in real time instead of procrastinating and doing these marathon novella length posts...TY

Choklyteyes...TY I am trying to take care of myself...maybe I will actually order the supp today?

Prindl... hmmmmm well why not? Wellbutrin and AL could be the same as Effexor and AL just haven?t heard that much about that.

Not sure...Please PM me and I will tell you all I know about Effexor withdrawal if you want you can call me or I can call you I have a good LD tel plan..it is SO TRICKY and takes a long time and I know all the tricks, at least what worked for me and people on another board that has since shut down.

IAD thanks yeah I will make it... but not today, but I have hope...Fresh Hope (pun- groan now :H ) thanks to all of you.

[me145]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

i thought it made my drinking a little worse, but not much... my drinkings always been bad.

[memarcie]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

I also quit Effexor cold turkey, wasn't really planning on it, but I had just finished taking my meds for Hepatitis treatment and forgot to continue taking the Effexor until 3 days without it and I started going through withdrawls. I figured after not taking it for 3 days I would just suck it up and deal with the withdrawl vs start taking it again. It was a rough week or so.

[greeneyes]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

oddly, the side effects of antidepressants mimic the very same ones you had when you beganthem. Many are short term. Take them, get counseling to shore it up and get off. 2 years is a long time. I'm not an MD. just been there.

[Fresh Hope]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

booze terms in my writing...cold turkey, juicing, spirits, wrecked

day 3 AF, stopped zoloft yesterday (and for those reading this for the first time, never stop any AD cold turkey! always taper, I did over 6 weeks) still on 150 wellbutrin and lunesta to sleep. Still did not order supps, book etc. but I will now and come back and post.

Started juicing ...ha-ha :H not that ...with veg and fruit in a machine...tastes ok... kinda fussy, especially the clean up, but takes up time I might spend thinking about AL.

I have much willpower but not quite enough ...think I need topa but will start on supps and see how it goes.

Wrecked my shoulder... to much exercise so now I have to stop for a few days...hate to stop because I know it works my brain and keeps spirits up.

(Lots of booze terms in my writing, never noticed that before .... cold turkey, juicing, spirits, wrecked)

Beautiful blizzard here and I have no where to go so I?m lovin it! Gonna play with my dog and roll in the snow

stay well all...I think about you guys all the time and send my love... :h
FH

[Roberta Jewell]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Anti-depressants and drinking

The paradox you describe regarding anti-depressants and increased craving may be explained by new research which has identified a genetic vulnerability in subgroups of alcoholics who respond differently to SSRI medications like Prozac, Celexa, Paxil and Zoloft. There's evidence that early onset alcoholics--those who begin drinking before age 25--may not experience reduced alcohol cravings and, in fact, may suffer from increased cravings when treated with those particular meds. Similar studies indicate that alcoholics with a later onset drinking pattern may show decreased craving with SSRI treatment. Still other clinical trials suggest that a decrease in depression may lead to reduced alcohol consumption overall, so treatment with SSRIs should always be considered.

We're following this work with great interest because it may result in much more effective pharmacological options. For instance, in clinical trials, the drug ondandsetron (Zofran, an anti-nausea medication) was shown to significantly reduce craving in early onset drinkers. And it is even more effective for that same subgroup when combined with naltrexone.

Something to keep in mind when you meet with the doc and it may explain why some of you on SSRIs noted an increase in craving while on them. Note that Wellubtrin is not included in this group; it is a dopamine reuptake blocking compound, not a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor like the others.

RJ

[Flip]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Shit RJ, you almost sound like you know something - you are giving women a very bad reputation!

Glad you're back!

[bjor88ste]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Hello all,

:new: I am amazed at your stories about the Wellbutrin, Effexor etc. I hope you are all doing good. I have not taken meds in my life till last year, but it seems the doctors I have seen really want you on this stuff.
Just returned from the doctor. I have the Topa, been hesitant to start due to its potential side effects (though excited about the program), so I wanted his input, as my start day is this Sunday.

I had done my research (even had the book and print outs for him, as somehow I knew he would not be familiar with neither the program nor the promises of Topa in "MWO"). I wanted something for anti anxiety as well. Needless to say, and armed with my print outs he had not read, he did not recommend doing the Topa (nor the program). He wanted to prescribe Paxil or Effexor (thanks to my vanity and the potential for weight gain, I declined). After reading your stories, I am so glad I did!! He would not prescribe any other anti anxiety med.

Guess I to try the Calms Forte (in triple dosis, perhaps).
Good luck everybody!

[nancy]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Hi!

What a great thread. I particularly found RJ's post to be very interesting.
I don't recall anti-depressants increasing my cravings at all and I suppose I would be an early onset type.

It seems to make sense that if you reduce depression, you would also reduce the need to drink, but that theory seems contradicted by the experience of so many people who post on this website (on anti-depressants and still drinking).

If you don't want to talk to your doctor about welbutrin and alcohol, can you talk to a local pharmacist? I mean in terms of weaning off while on the medication? with so many other drugs available, I don't see why you would take wellbutrin while struggling with an alcohol problem, given the risks.

Have you read much about how alcohol affects sleep patterns?It really ruins sleep i guess.

Also, I wonder if you have looked into 'sleep hygeine'-- lifestyle things you can do to help you sleep (e.g. don't drink 8 cups of coffee a day, reserve your bed for sleeping, dietary tips etc!!!)

[time2change]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

very interesting. I was always a social drinker at least up until 7 years ago when I was put on Celexa for my depression. I was separating form mu husband and always insisted that once I started taking Celexa I became and alcoholic. Of course, one could argue that it was the separation that caused the increase in drinking. However, I beleive i was depressed for a long time before the medication and was able to drink socially and never over did it or had to drink daily. That all happenedd after the AD was prescribed. I trule beleive that was the beginning of my problem with alcohol.

[Fresh Hope]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

HI Time2,
That is my story exactly. Even when all my college friends were drinking heavily I could take or leave it. And certainly never wanted to get drunk because I would vomit and or get a hangover...plus it was expensive for me in those days ;-)

I know I was depressed long before, years, I was on ADs and during all of that time I never cared much about drinking. I still only drink wine and beer and would still go AF rather than drink spirits because I never developed a taste for it. Do you take topa or anything to help moderate?

nancy,
There was another board that has since shut down that I was a member of for 2 years and it?s focus was to help people wean safely from drugs, particularly ADs, and the theme of ADs making alcohol use accelerate was rampant, with person after person, basically saying they never had the desire to drink much until after they were on ADs. I have heard this for 5+ years now.

My sleep hygiene is great except for the AL. maybe 2 cups of coffee in the morning. Lots of water and fresh food, and heavy exercise 3xweek...but the booze wrecks my sleep and I know from my AF days what a difference there is. I am still thinking about Topa but am afraid to tell my Doc, but the Wellbutrin/AL combo does scare me and I have moderated quite a bit.

RJs post was very educational; however, I am a late onset drinker so...? We need more studies. I won?t be surprised when? they? eventually tell us about the connection of AD and AL use.

Good luck all let?s keep this thread going.... I think it will be very interesting to see how many people chime in with their AD/AL connection. I have nothing but a ?gut ? feel but I know there is a connection for me.

FH

[bjor88ste]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

Long Road,
Thanks for your input and congrats! Just curious, what is TMG and did you go AF, if you don't mind me asking. I need to do something, and wondering if I go the Moderation route as opposed to AF. Thanks!
S

[Prindi]

I truly believe there is an connection to Antidepression use and increased drinking

time2,
I was also prescribed an AD 8 years ago for mood swings connected with menopause, with no previous alcohol problem, suddenly, for the past 7 years, drink every night. I was put on Wellbutrin, which, as RJ points out, is different from the SSRI's. I still find it interesting that Wellbutrin helps 'reuptake dopamine". Isn't dopamine part of our problem, and the topamax helps eliminate the excess?