Wellbutrin and alcohol (Page 3)

I have a pretty high tolerance to alcohol. I am an insomniac and have used it for years to sleep with and have taken numerous medications with up to 9 12OZ standard % beers including 100MG Welbutrin 2xa day and not the time release kind.
I must say that for me, my craving for alcohol has lessened because the drug makes me drunker much faster.
I would certainly never drive after more than 2 beers with it, but I have walked home from a bar hop after 8 beers without staggering while on it, but I never start drinking unless 2 hours have passed since taking the pill because the biggest surge of the med happens within that period. I smoke about 5 hits of Pot as well with the combination with no ill effects.
When I am at home, I now crave about 3 16OZ beers, while previous to taking Welbutrin, I craved 4 or 5 depending on how much I had eaten.
Your Dr. will of course tell you not to use them together because he or she would be at risk legally if something should happen to you.
I have never felt ill on the combination, but I think I might on a higher dose or with hard beverages so be careful!

Be Careful!!
I have been on Wellbutrin for about 2 months. I'm in nursing school and usually binge drink every Saturday night.This past weekend I was at a bar having fun with friends and had drank approx. 5 vodka/cranberry. I remember being intoxicated but not out of control. Next thing I know I'm waking up the next morning in my bed wondering how I got there. Apparently I had blacked out. I drove my friends home across town in this condition and don't remember it one bit! I stopped at the Wendy's drive- through...don't remember that either. Very scary and I am totally freaked out. I honestly don't know how I'm alive. I don't know how my car isn't totaled and how I didn't kill my friends in the process...let alone get a DUI. My friends, also intoxicated, said I was driving HORRIBLY. They also said they begged me to stay the night at their house but I yelled at them and insisted on leaving...again I don't remember ANY of this.

Can these exaggerated affects of alcohol come on suddenly after taking Wellbutrin for 3+ years? What if the pharmacy changes to a generic version? Anyone had problems with that?

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a couple of months after an accident left me mangled. I drink a little here and there with no issues. Then I had a heavy drinking night with friends.
Total blackout, and I feel 10X worse then when I started. 4 days later I am slowly coming out of the funk.
Wellbutrin has been good for me so far, but a night of heavy drinking has taken me backwards in my progress. Not to mention my friends never called me back the next day. I have no idea what happened.

Hey there. I just started taking 150 mg for Seasonal Affective Disorder (also on Prozac for depression) and came to this thread. I hardly drink at all, but was interested. It seems that as long as you take it slow and pay attention to your body you should be fine. From what I've read, bingeing kept the blood alcohol low until it reached the tipping point and all came at once. So all it did was delay the "normal" effect of bingeing to begin with. Take a drink, let it sit, see how you feel, maybe take another. Cheers

P.S. Generally if you want the full effects of whatever program you have set-up for yourself, you shouldn't be drinking. But hey, it's your life/body, do what you feel is right for it ; )

I have just started my full dose of bupropion xl 300 mg. Last friday night, i had about 4 beers over a 3 hour period and the next day i felt horrible depression/anxiety. that was still when i was taking 150mg. By saturday night after work i felt fine again, but a whole days work on sunday after 4 hours of sllep practically rendered me useless the following monday... i slept all day and was only awake about 7 or 8 hours. Tuesday i felt a little better as i started feeling more energetic, and today now wednesday, i feel much better and feel like the 300mg of bupropion xl is kicking in. (All this while i'm comming off of effexor xr, my last one wil be in another 2 days). So i'm going to wait anotther few days until after I'm done with the effexor, oh yea and 1 mg of klonopin a day also. No wonder why i been feelin that way the past few days ughhhh,

My experience with taking Wellbutrin and drinking alcohol is amazing. This said, I also take Lamictal as a mood stabilizer, and it may contribute to the results I'm seeing, although I don't have any facts to back that up as yet.

I've been classified as an alcoholic all of my adult life. I had to stop drinking the first time at the age of 21. I am also diagnosed with atypical bipolar which means I have Depression and Anxiety, so I'm the sort of alcoholic who started drinking in attempts to self-medicate mood issues.

Last summer I decided I'd like to have a beer. Having been in and out of A.A. for years, and knowing that such a choice could be devastating from an A.A. perspective, I knew to be careful. But I'd seen Wellbutrin and possibly also Lamictal take away nicotine cravings, and I had a theory it might do the same for alcohol. I hadn't looked anything up online about my suspicion, it was just an intuitive feeling.

So I had that beer. I drank it slowly. I finished it. And I was satisfied. I truly didn't want another. Off and on over the past almost year, I've bought wine or beer here and there, each time only having a small amount and wanting none beyond that. Most often, glasses of wine or beer would sit on my desk unfinished at the end of the night. I'd look at them and think, wow, that drink has been sitting there for an hour and I forgot all about it. Other times I'd open the refrigerator and see wine or beer and ask myself if I wanted any, and the answer would be no. I'd reach for a soda instead.

During last fall and winter I completely lost interest in even having alcohol in the house. I just didn't want it. As spring approached I thought it would be nice to have some again. And just like last summer and fall, my experience with alcohol is baffling and wonderful. Most nights I don't even think about it. If I do decide to have some, I'll have a few sips and then hours later realize the tasty beverage still sits awaiting consumption.

One night recently when my 12 year-old son was with his father for the weekend, I decided to have enough wine to get a comfortable buzz. Yet unlike previous times of indulging past the minimum line, I didn't get depressed. I didn't get impulsive and do something stupid I'd regret later. At the height of the buzz, I sat outside looking at the stars, and said to myself, "I'm kinda drunk. This is nice."

Now that had never and could never have happened to me before this time. Getting drunk was dangerous for me, I knew it consciously, I knew it deep down, I knew I couldn't trust myself to be responsible or sane when drinking. But this time it felt nice, sweet, and I had no compulsion to drink beyond that point. Before I went to sleep, I could feel the drunkenness fading away and sobriety returning, but even that didn't fill me with the desire to return to that perfect moment of bliss. Instead, I let myself get sleepy and I went to bed.

Alcoholics Anonymous will tell people my experience is impossible. They will say once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. But brain science has come a long way since the days of Bill W., as have psychiatric and craving-reducing medications. I am living proof that medication can change the way an alcoholic brain drinks.

I also happen to be someone for whom growth and evolution along spiritual and emotional lines is important. So I try to experience everything in life on a deep, open, honest level. So I practice gratitude and am very to be experiencing this transformation. In other words, I don't take advantage of it. I don't keep raising the bar to see how much or how often I can drink. I look at alcohol now as a nice treat, but I also remember and can never forget that in a heartbeat it can become a poisonous foe.

I'm fairly sure that if I stopped taking Effexor, Lamictal, Wellbutrin (and occasionally Buspar), that I would be quite capable of drinking alcoholically again. I realize that my brain chemistry in relation to alcohol hasn't been permanently modified. My normalcy regarding alcohol is completely contingent upon my taking these prescribed medications.

But how incredible is this, I mean, so many people die by drinking themselves to death, or by driving drunk and killing others in the process. And I've been given a reprieve from that. Not the kind of reprieve that says I can't ever touch alcohol again. The kind of reprieve that says I can, safely and enjoyably, have a drink or two now and then.

Of course, any out there who share my past experience with alcohol should discuss this with their therapist, psychiatrist, or other doctor. Maybe my neurochemistry is wacky and this is a fluke. But I strongly suspect it isn't.

I only ask that you private message me instead of posting questions on my Wall, because I do have two parents, as well as my son's father, who likely will forever remain convinced that I can never drink responsibly. It's such a shame that I have to hide this truth from them. But I know they just won't open their minds and listen.

Thanks for reading,
hillary

I've been on wellbutrin for over 5 years now, currently 300mgXL. I still drink occasionally, but when I was a teenager and on 200mgSR, I had problems with alcoholism, getting drunk 3 times a week. This was definitely a bad move, but back then I didn't pay attention to warning labels at all; however, I was lucky to never have a seizure. Some people are more prone to seizures on Wellbutrin though, and should really stay away from alcohol. Moreover, I've never had a liver function test to see what damage this has done to my liver. All in all, the combination supposedly increases your chance of having a seizure, which could be devastating in the wrong situation. If that doesn't happen, it's unlikely to kill you, but you'll still want to think about and research whether there are long-term effects to your liver.

Then there is also the judgement issue of doing something stupid while drinking. I find that I have a very unpredicatble tolerance to alcohol. I also find that sometimes the alcohol hits me all at once later in the night, and so sometimes I end up drinking far more than I should because I don't know whats to come. Try not to drink, but if you NEED to, then talk with your doc about it, be in a safe place, and space out your drinks.

Hope this helps

i just started wellbutrin 2 weeks ago after being on cipralex for 2 years
cipralex and alcohol was crazy. i would have 1 shot and it would feel like 5. and the next day i'd remember NOTHING
wellbutrin and alcohol (so far) has been even worse in my opinion.
it felt like a bowling ball of butterflies in my bladder because i was SO anxious. i didnt like it. (and this was casual drinking)
good luck to everyone

I started taking Wellbutrin 75mg per day for the past week with the goal of increasing that to 150mg in a month. My doctor and pharmacist half-heartedly mentioned the effects of alcohol on someone taking Wellbutrin. I didn't really pay attention, but I suppose that was my ADD in the works. Anyway, I decided to have a have a "fun" night out with friends after only taking 2 dosage thinking that it probably wouldn't be that bad. I was very wrong.

I woke up not knowing what had happened at all. I blacked out completely. I don't remember anything. Not one thing from that night. I woke up with a semi-bad headache. But the crazy thing was that I only had 3 drinks. I'm a heavy weight, so that was extremely strange to me. Don't get me wrong, apparently I had a good time with what my friends told me. But I am definitely going to walk with some trepidation the next time I approach alcohol while taking the meds. Good luck with anyone who decides to go nuts and go for kegs...

My 45 year old sister died on May 14, 2011 from accidental "Combined Drug Toxicity" "Usage of ethanol with antidepressant medication". All that was in her system was .07% of alcohol (equal to two beers) and a lot of Wellbutrin. It was not a suicide or overdose. Now have a lot of unanswered questions so we will be following up with our attorney requesting medical records. People, please be careful with this stuff. The grief and aftermath of this has rocked our family like nothing else.

that is a truly tragic story, and i'm so sorry!!!

i know this is dumb and risky, but i do want to ask the community anyway, since i can't seem to find the answer anywhere else...

i am going to vegas for a bachelor party this weekend and as much as i want to, i will try to avoid binge drinking. however, it will be hard to do. to lessen my risk, since wellbutrin has a short halflife, can i or should i simply not take the medication on friday and saturday and then resume sunday?????????? thanks!!

First.. I'm not your average bear and I don't think that anyone should be doing what I am including me.

I've been taking wellbutrin for more than 10 years, I currently take 450mg per day. 300 in the AM and 150 in the PM. I would guess I did 3/4 of a fifth a day of Vodka. I also take a lot of Ativan and Xanax a day. For the most part I'm fine all the time but I really try to keep away from drink and using Ativan/Xanax at the same time. So it was my 40th birthday and I went on a 3 day bender with my friends. I didn't take any of the Ativan or Xanax during this period. The day I went back to work (no drinking on the job) I started to feel a little weird, at this point I'd went to take an Ativan but realized I didn't have any on me. An hour later I had the first seizure of my life. I told my doctor that I don't mix. According to him the seiure was caused by the high dose of wellbutrin combined with Ativan with withdrawal and the massive amount of Vodka that I had been drinking over the previous 3 days.

So no... not a good idea to drink alot and use wellbutrin.

First.. I'm not your average bear and I don't think that anyone should be doing what I am including me.

I've been taking wellbutrin for more than 10 years, I currently take 450mg per day. 300 in the AM and 150 in the PM. I would guess I did 3/4 of a fifth a day of Vodka. I also take a lot of Ativan and Xanax a day. For the most part I'm fine all the time but I really try to keep away from drink and using Ativan/Xanax at the same time. So it was my 40th birthday and I went on a 3 day bender with my friends. I didn't take any of the Ativan or Xanax during this period. The day I went back to work (no drinking on the job) I started to feel a little weird, at this point I'd went to take an Ativan but realized I didn't have any on me. An hour later I had the first seizure of my life. I told my doctor that I don't mix. According to him the seiure was caused by the high dose of wellbutrin combined with Ativan with withdrawal and the massive amount of Vodka that I had been drinking over the previous 3 days.

So no... not a good idea to drink alot and use wellbutrin.

What's funny is to read people saying "so many people turn to drugs and alcohol rather than taking prescription meds." First of all, medication IS a drug, its just a legal one that you have a reassuring excuse to take (my doc gave it to me!). Second of all if a few beers at night help relax someone and effectively remove the stress from their shoulders, and they go on to lead incredibly successful lives without destroying them by continually drinking more, i'd say thats a fine example of self-medication no different than taking a daily dose of pills to achieve the same effect.

Alcohol and drugs effect everybody so incredibly different depending on the person. Please perform a closed study with very close friends or family to know how your drugs taken with alcohol effects you in a safe environment.

I have been on Wellbutrin xl for about a month and I am a social drinker (2 drinks on Friday and Saturday). I have noticed that EVERY Monday and Tuesday I feel aweful~ horrible anxiety and depression~ then Wednesday and Thursday I finally feel better. So, I have come to the realization that I can't drink AT ALL on this medication. It really sucks, but I would rather enjoy my days of sobriety than my couple hours of buzz on the weekends. I am sure my liver thanks me anyway. Good luck to all

I have been freaking out all day because of what happened last night. I have drank hard alcohol most of my life and have never EVER done what I did last night. I have been searching for answers and thought about my bupropion xl, googled it, which lead me here. I have been taking it for about 2 months for mild depression. I am so relieved there are others sharing their experiences. I seriously thought I was just me and I was falling apart. From all the reading I have done about drinking while on antidepressants, I am thankful to be alive today. I want to share my story as well, so maybe I can help someone.

Apparently, for me Alcohol does hit me way harder while taking this medication. In fact, it hits me like a brick. Since I started taking it I have not had more than 3 mixed drinks in a 24 hour period. Last night we went to New Orleans. I took my pill on the way because I had forgotten to take it that morning. I had 2 drinks, then a shot, then a daiquiri, then a shot and normally I would be able to keep this up for 3 or 4 more hours. I was perfectly fine and then all at once I was so drunk I could barely breathe. This time I blacked out, woke up at a seperate table than my wife and friends, blacked out and woke up on a bench on the riverwalk (only 4 feet from the mighty Mississippi River), blacked out and woke up to call my ride, blacked out and woke up this morning in my bed with no idea how I got there. I apparently was so mean I made one of our friends cry, thought they left me alone in the resturant, my wife found me and I told her we were getting divorced, I left them in the French Quarter.

I felt like I had the worst hangover ever today. I was seeing flashing lights and dizzy as hell. I couldn't get out of the bed for about 14 hours. I was so depressed last night while I was drinking ,I am actually surprised I didn't kill myself, on purpose or accidentally. I spent most of the day trying to figure out how I got so drunk like I did, what happened last night, how to apoligize to everybody and how to save my marriage. I have had the worst 36 hours of my whole f**king life. So please.... Do not drink while taking this medicine. I will not be drinking anymore.... period.

This may be a worse combo than Muslims & Christians in a room with a comedian who only knows crusade jokes. Wellbutrin caused me to have bursts of rage, and that is without a second substance present.

I am a 19 year old college student and have been drinking for about 4 1/2 years. I am currently taking one 150mg of bupropion a day to cope with mild depression. I have been taking it for about 4 weeks. Prior to taking this pill I have never blacked out nor wet the bed. Last friday and saturday I really binged for the first time since starting the medication. I remember looking at the clock at 11:30 pm, then I woke up in my bed covered in piss. It was a bit comical at first, for I didn't really make the connection. But once I read a bit more about the effects of bupropion and alcohol I see why this happened. There is no doubt in my mind that taking this drug will severely increase the effects of alcohol. It really scares me how out of control I was. over 4 hours of my life that I have not even a slight recollection of.