Wellbutrin and alcohol (Page 2)

Basically I've been reading about alcohol all day (at work! lovely). First about moonshine, then about alcohol and depression, then about alcohol and my specific anti-depressant which is Wellbutrin (generic, 300mg xl).

What I'm learning is that all the strange things I've felt in the past few months may be because of drinking while on this drug, especially when the doc upped my dose from 150 to 300mg!

Vacillating between no tolerance/crazy tolerance and crazy sex drive/no sex drive. Feeling manic while drunk, blacking out even more, etc. And the hangovers. INSANE depression, blurry thoughts, almost migraine level headaches and just general lack of motivation and foggyness that don't seem to go away. I actually told my husband I was suicidal on his birthday during a binge (don't remember this and apologized for what I thought was exaggeration when he asked about it the next day), but this sounds like it is common too!

I would classify myself as a heavy social drinker, mostly on weekends. The extreme stuff above were from particularly heavy weekends, like this past Thu-Sun which included beer, wine, moonshine and tequila pretty much the whole time.

Everything I do socially seems to involve drinking (usually by my own design!). Pretty sure this is a bad thing, but damn it, I don't want to stop. BUT I can't even focus on anything at work, and just want to go home sick and fall into bed crying. Also pretty sure I should talk to my counselor and/or my psychiatrist, but that also freaks me out. Sigh

I had this same problem, but I have found a solution. I have found that if I drink one serving of Vitamin Water Zero during the night when I am also drinking alcoholic beverages, I never wake up the next day with that horrible headache. I imagine that this is probably because alcohol and wellbutrin both mess with the body's electrolyte balance and replacing those electrolytes alleviates the problem. Hence, I'd be willing to bet good money that Pediatlyte, Gatorade, or any other electrolyte-containing drink will also do the trick.

The hangover symptoms I experienced after drinking on wellbutrin were almost all symptoms of dehydration: headache, muscle cramps, dry skin, peeling lips, etc. I tried drinking glass after glass of water both during and after alcohol consumption but without additional electrolytes I would just pee it all out and still be dehydrated.

I am posting this because the point of taking antidepressant meds for most people is to be able to function and fit in with others. For most of us, it is meant to be a treatment for depression, not for alcohol abuse. Having 2 drinks with coworkers and then going to bed is not alcohol abuse, and for many people it may be necessary if they want to avoid any stigma that may be associated with being a person who never has even one drink. Not telling people how to avoid the dehydration associated with drinking on wellbutrin does not help them. People who want treatment for alcohol abuse can ask for it and there is no need to trick them.

WOW! You sound just like me. When I drink it is social and on the days I have off with my boyfriend. We will usually drink only beer and wine, but I try to stop drinking when I feel like I am getting a buzz.

I will still feel really weird though, almost like I am dehydrated and I get the headaches too. So, I stopped taking the Wellbutrin 300mg. I am also on Lexapro 20mg so I feel that as long as I have something in my system helping me refrain from my depression, I'm pretty much okay. I really only started taking wellbutrin because I told my doctor I thought I was fat and I also couldn't stay awake during the day time because of my night job which is from 12 am to 8 am 2 nights a week. I just put my two weeks in and I am starting a normal full time job where I can work day hours and be normal again. We'll see how it goes. But, as for the drinking while on wellbutrin, I wouldn't do it. You have more of a chance of having a seizure, so this is where the headaches are coming from.

I see that your post was over six months ago, hence you may have by now come to your own conclusion as everyone's brain chemistry and acceptance of drugs is different. However, my anecdote is that I for a short while, six months to a year, was taking Wellbutrin where at one point I was taking the max dose of 450 mg/day. Nonetheless, that drug did not handle well for me and worst of all, I continued to drink continuously throughout the medication. In retrospect, it was alcohol that was making me depressed/anxious and XL was simply the 'crutch'. Wellbutrin drove me towards a manic state where I lost many friends and behaved like a person. The hangovers caused by Wellbutrin were crippling and my head felt like a fried egg. I recommend getting off the drug as fast as you can, since the longer you're on it, the harder it is to quit, but just like quitting anything you take it one step at a time and slowly your body will adjust to not need it. Slow down the booze and you will find you don't need a synthetic supplement. I suggest trying very small doses of high grade marijuana to help motivate you and mitigate your depression.

Wellbutrin + alcohol = death. It killed my mom. Don't drink on Wellbutrin.

I am on a heavier dosage level then 150... i take welbutrin xl 300mg. I've notice when i drink, it doesn't feel like the alcohol is hitting me for approximately the first 8 beers or so... (although my tolerance is naturally a little higher then the average person). In the beginning i feel as if my body loosens up, and i can talk, but the alcohol does not cloud my judgement or my sight for that matter. If i do continue drinking, suddenly it seems as if all the alcohol i consumed hits me at once. It feels as if i go from being sober to being smashed like a lightswitch. But it has never made me too drunk as if i was gunna be sick or something.

But then again, before i was on medication I never really got a hangover... if your going to drink on it i suggest you take it slow.

Hope this helps

I agree with this completely. All of the alcohol all of a sudden hits me and I am a drunken lunatic. And it is a different kind of drunk. I am not stumbling, nauseous, or slurring. Just my thoughts are drunk, if that makes sense.

It is very odd, and I just have to make sure to drink very very slowly if at all.

First of all, jcc5640, you need to make some changes in your life, it sounds like you're headed for real trouble. I know depression is tough to deal with. Perhaps find a hobby, make new friends (without boos), join a club, take a vacation, etc. I think the effects of alcohol and wellbutrin in your case seem severe. You really need to slow down (not stop), just don't over do it. My wife has been on bupropion XL for years and I have seen some strange behaviour involved with drinking. Depression runs in her family, we lost our daughter at age 15 due to her undiagnosed depression. I don't see a brighter day for us, just hanging in there til the end. Please talk to your pshyc person if this behaviour continues. Good Luck.

I just started wellbutrin 4 days ago, I asked the dr and she said only 1 drink. Im a social drinker and I had 4-5 drinks and couldn't even get a buzz. When I was on cymbalta and drank 1 drink I was a totally different person. So I say it depends on the person and in moderation.

I used to take prozac and when i had a headache i took a 500mg aspirin and i felt so high. My doctor told me to take baby aspirin while on prozac. I couldnt do anything while on that drug because it's boost up a high feeling. i couldnt even drink wine with 5% alcohol.

I think on the medication fact sheet is states that you shouldnt drink. i really think it is dangerous to do so.

I can't find you my "beer belly" heavy drinker...I too like to drink vodka three nights a week until Im totally drunk...I blackout on most of them...this is a recent thing...Ive been on wellbutrin for about 4 years at low levels like 100-150...just recently went up to 350-400...Life has been hell I can tell you that...I have had psychotic episodes, heard voices for two days, got physically aggressive and punched my boyfreind when he was trying to clean me up on a bad drunk, Ive also thought more about suicde more than ever..I know the incease with the drinking is what is happening because my drinking hasnt changed over the past year...I am asking my Dr. to take me back down maybe right off...I am also taking benzo's for anxiety and panic...which is off the map too since the increase along with tremors and heart palps..I am afraid to quit totally drinking too because it says not to go from heavy drinking to nothing for fear of seizures...maybe an excuse to have a drink i don't know..But the "crazies" started at about 300mgs...I pretty much think im nuts at this point...The benzos are the only lifesafer I have because they totally take away the tremors and instantly relieve the anxiety...I didnt mind the 10 pound weight loss but it was fast and people noticed I looked "ill." Thanks for your honesty...I know now I need to be more truthful with my doctor...I havnt told him how much I drink and these side effects werent a consideration for me until they happened...I just hope I didnt wreck my relationship..thanks for sharing..

I have been taking wellbutrin for months. I love the effects, I feel like getting out of bed now an have more energy. It is also the one depression med that doesn't decrease your sex drive as well as does not keep you from having an orgasm (most anxiety, depression meds can do this) and does not make you gain weight. I used to drink alot.. socially mostly but sometimes at night. Now that I am on wellbutrin I can say that the recovery time is much more difficult after a night of drinking. Wellbutrin is to stop depression, alcohol is a depressant... contradiction. I still have occassional drinks but the crazy social drinking is not worth the long, hard recovery. It not just hangover recovery, but you feel ore anxious and just worse about things and yourself, It doesn't help. If he is drinking to relax and fall asleep that is a problem. He should ask his doctor for a sleep aid or a relaxant instead of medicating with alcohol. It's not a good cycle. I come from a long line of alcoholics and I have watched so many different ways to go through this with and without meds and alcohol. Wellbutrin gives you energy, and can even cause jittery or excited feelings... if you need to come down from this at night just tell your doctor. You'll feel better in the long run! Good luck : )

I started taking Wellbutrin 150mg twice a day. The doctor said I could have a few drinks but don''t overdue it. I did not tell her that I drink all the time and felt I could not stop. After two days of the drug I drank 3 glasses of wine and got a headache. However that was nothing compared to the next day. I had a huge hangover and felt more depressed than I did before the medicine. I could not get out of bed for a whole day. I have not had a drink since and wellbutrin controlled my craving for it. If you drink on this medicine please do so with caution. The temporary buzz is not worth the next day''s hell.

i just started wellbutrin and i am a drinker but i havent drank for almost three months.im on wellbutrin because i am always depressed and i need it for cravings of alcohol.

I recently was prescribed Wellbutrin XL at 150mg daily. Before this, I was a big drinker (everyday, always drinking to the point of a heavy buzz) Then a severe depression hit me suddenly about a month ago. Point being, I tried to continue with my regular drinking habits, and noticed that the next day I would be HEAVILY depressed again. Ive only been on WB 2 weeks, and not that Im feeling completely normal yet, but I was really feeling better. I notice the only time I feel horrible depression is the day after drinking on WB. However I did ask my Pharm about it and he said it was okay to have a glass of wine but to not take it at the same time I would be drinking. So my personal opinion , I wouldnt recommend it, its not worth the major depressive episode that follows the next day.

I've been using wellbutrin for about 1 year now, and it has helped me alot when it comes to coping with life in general. Lately I have been drinking very often - socially. I cannot say I have noticed that I get more drunk, neither getting more hung over. Actually I thing I got worse hangovers before I started with the pills.. Anyway - I think I might getting a bit manic while I'm drunk. I don't get blackouts, but I feel that I have less judgement. Taken som bad calls: like cheating. My sexdrive has increased, but not towards my husband.. It's sad. I'm thinking of leaving him, but I'm worried that my feelings (or lack of them) are a result of me drinking so much/being manic. I've been insecure about my marriage for a couple of years, so my behavior when I'm drunk doesn't necesserely mean that it's the combination of wellbutrin/alcohol.

I would not recomment smoking pot to calm down, like someone suggests. Not at all. It f*** up your brain. I speak from experience. Actualle reasearch says that marijuhana is no 2 on the list, after amfetamin, of drugs that trigs your brain towards being depressive.

As for myself I don't know what to do about the whole combination of tablets/alcohol-thing. Guess I'm gonna continue drinking socially, but I need to cut down. 2 times a week is too much, I do have a job and other responsibilities. It's hard though, cause it's so much fun!!

Number two on the list behind amphetamines? Where in the world did you hear that? I would imagine that marijuana is less likely to cause depression than alcohol, at least based off of personal experience.

i have been taking wellbutrin for almost a year. my friends and i own a theatre that serves alcohol. needless to say i drink often.

since i have begun taking wellbutrin i black out constantly. i will black out after having 5 beers. it makes me feel terrible and out of control. i never end up doing anything bad, usually my friends just tell me i pretended to be a dinosaur or something.

i take 100mg twice daily. and while drinking doesn't seem to affect my mood it does definitely get me extremely drunk very easily. and though it's been a year, i am still not able to get the hang of drinking with my friends. they will drink 6-10 drinks over the course of an 8 hour night. but i can't. i will definitely black out if i drink that much.

if you can control yourself, then 2 drinks is fine. i can still enjoy wine with dinner, or even just a quiet night of social drinking. but if i want to drink to get drunk, it is pretty much guaranteed i will black out.

I started taking wellbutrin about 3 weeks ago. Last night I went to a very nice party, actually a fund raiser, anyway after just one glass of wine I was basically drunk. At this point I threw caution to the wind and became completely wasted. I'm sooooo embarrassed that now I'm totally depressed. I feel like a total lunatic. So be careful.

i started re-taking wellbutrin sr (100mg) this past monday (so i've been on it for 3 days now)...i've had 2 seizures while taking wellbutrin xl at a much higher dosage, but the story with those two occasions: 1st time i hadn't eaten for 2 days due to adhd meds and 2nd time i hadn't taken the medication for 2-3 weeks straight and then the first day i took my prescribed high dosage (aka i didn't do it gradually...), i had a seizure.
it's been a few years, we discovered with an EEG test that i don't have epilepsy or anything...so it has to be the circumstances.

so this time, my doctor agreed to start wellbutrin SR at a low dosage, because my depression has hit its limit with suicidal tendencies, etc...the reason why we're doing wellbutrin again is because (1) i have tried every single antidepressant out there (including maois and tricyclics) and they didn't work (2) wellbutrin is the only medication that makes me feel anything close to happiness.
my dilemma is this: i just turned 21 and will be a senior in college in just a few days. i've worked my ass off for the past 3 years and have a very easy schedule (on purpose), because my parents wanted me to relax and party. here's my question:

Despite my unique seizure history, will taking only 100 mg of wellbutrin SR really matter all that much when it comes to drinking liquor? Will I have a seizure if I drink too much?

I'm at a fork in the road...I've been planning my senior year full of partying, etc. as a reward for my hard work for the past 3 years. On the other hand, Wellbutrin is my only chance at fully fighting my depression. I'm torn simply because I know that if I do not party I will not be as happy as I would like, and I'm not sure if it's worth taking wellbutrin if it means the happiness that my social life will bring is gonna go to waste...

I am about to start taking Wellbutrin, 75mg per day, to couteract the fatigue I feel from Celexa.

I am very worried about what I've read about seizures! I like to drink socially, but never to get drunk. Am I going to have to cut out alcohol altogether?

In response to one of the messages above - Alcohol DOES hit you harder when you're on an SSRI. I have been on Celexa for 2 years. I did drink a little too much one night and completely blacked out. I remember nothing. I believe that's due to the Celexa.