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It seems the only time I'm happy or relaxed is when I'm eating junk food or drinking alcohol. Can anyone relate? Why do I need these drugs to feel happy in life? Why do I have to be numbed out by a drug to feel happy? My mom (who I live with) watches how much and how often I drink and discourages me from drinking, because she's afraid I'm going to use it as a crutch or as an unhealthy coping mechanism to try to cope with my life and social anxiety. BTW my mom doesn't drink, and my dad barely drinks.

Hi folks, "merry holidays" (lol). So here's my current state of play. There are a lot of variables in play which is something I strive to avoid but then life (and things like not getting divorced or fired) get in the way: I'm tapering off of Wellbutrin XL. It's 6 days since my last 75mg XL dose (before you cry "it doesn't come in 75mg doses!" I was taking 300mg WB XL / 4. Not ideal, but such is life). I'm tapering off of Mirapex. I've been on 0.125mg since the 14th (10 days). I started L-Methylfolate at 10mg (perhaps foolishly - that's a high dose) on the 16th (8 days ago) on the basis that I might have MTHFR mutations. I am shortly getting MTHFR tests done. I started Rexulti 0.5mg 19th (5 days ago). This was reduced to 0.25mg on the 22nd (2 days ago. See below as to why). In summary, a whole shitload of changes all happening in parallel which is exactly what I try to avoid but as I said, shit happens. So here's the real deal. For the last month at least I've been experiencing incapacitating anxiety. The kind that has you in the foetal position in bed, waves of anxiety radiating out from your gut/stomach to each limb. Physical weakness, shaking, incoherence, the works. Naughtily I'd previously ordered Valium online an less-naughtily I've got 0.5mg Ativan off of my PDoc. Neither touches the anxiety. This a.m. I tried 25mg Valium and 1mg Ativan and collectively they helped maybe 10%. I was still completely dysfunctional. The only thing I've found so far that helps substantially is 2+ large whiskies. Within 20 mins of taking them, I feel human, capable, anxiety-free and "alive". Not high or anything - just "human". Without context, that sounds terrible and the easy reply is "you are an alcoholic, go get treatment". But that's BS. Why? because: 15 years ago I went 18 months dry and it didn't help at all. I was more depressed overall from missing out on all the social engagements. (I was like 25). In Feb I went inpatient where they declared my alcohol intake "the problem", made me abstain for 3+ months and guess what? it didn't help my depression at all I don't wake up crazying alcohol I don't want to drink alcohol I've taken many, many other med regimens where this incredible anxiety is not present e.g. SSRI's , TCA's, MAOI's. It seems something particular to either (or both Wellbutrin and Mirapex). As of tonight I'm dropping the Mirapex, even though it's a tiny dose and my PDoc wanted me to remain upon it. Tough shit. As of today I dropped my L-methylfolate intake from 10mg to 2.5mg since I've read that a long-term starvation of L-methylfolate (such as my postulated situation), followed by a "downpour" of l-methylfolate can make you feel even worse. So I'm toning that down. Finally, my questions: why is it that only the alcohol is relieving this incapacitating, incredible 10/10 strength anxiety? (and I have 20+ years of anxiety to know when anxiety is worth a 10/10 rating) am I exhibiting alcoholic tendencies? i.e. am I an alcoholic are my proposed actions (dropping L-methylfolate dose, stopping Mirapex, reducing Rexulti dose) along the right tracks? any other advice? Curled up in bed throughout Christmas, in bed, with 2 young kids is killing me. Concurrently so is the prospect of requiring alcoholic rehab. Some subjective insight would be a golden Christmas present from you to me. Thank you, Pete

Just thought I would share some experience with Trintellix. I started 2-3 months ago on 5mg. mainly for anxiety and depression. I also take a variety of meds to help me sleep. Trintellix can be really nauseating when you start (for at least two weeks) When I moved up from 5mg to 10mg - I became comatose. So, I went back to 5 and it's been great- It' gives a little boost of energy- similar to vyvanse. It helps me not to go home and cry everyday. :-) I seem to eat less- in terms of general snacking. What I have found with this med - is even at this low dose- you metabolize alcohol more quickly. 2 drinks can = drunk. And, if I have a drink and get a little stoned- I'm up vomiting all night. Just putting the warning out there- not drinking is the way to go on this med.... wondering if anyone has had similar experiences...

Hi! So I'll start with history, I guess. I have always liked drinking. It helped with anxiety. The drinking started to get really bad after the loss of two family members within several months. It got unmanageable after taking care of my dad through hospice until the day he passed. That was a couple months after the last family member I lost. The drinking continued through the next year as I had bad depression. In the middle of that year I lost two more family members. The drinking continued. Blacking out often. Hiding bottles from the wife. Taking a couple of shots at lunch until I could get home. At this time I also started having hypersexuality issues. Having a really hard time concentrating on work daydreaming about sex and the reckless encounters I had trying to fulfill the need for sex. No matter how much sex I had I was in need of more within a half hour. On my last visit to the docs to renew my Lexapro 20mg prescription, I let him know that my depression was getting worse so he gave me bupropion xl 300mg. Within a week and a half my craving for sex and drinking went away. I didn't tell the doc about my issues because I was to embarrassed. Can anyone explain why the bupropion helped? Does this mean anything in relation to dopamine and my issues? Does this fall under any illness category? Thank you in advance for your polite and insightful thoughts!

I keep saying that I want to take a break from drinking. I don't drink everyday, but on the weekends, I have about 3-5 drinks (beer/wine usually). I feel like it's not even affecting me like it used to...no buzz, just feel tired and more apathetic the next day...then I overcompensate by drinking 4 coffees and maybe taking extra Ritalin. Not good. Anyhow, I'm curious to hear others experiences and tips about sobriety (either longterm or taking 1-2 month breaks). How do you succeed or reward yourself?? I am trying to meet new people, which is a drag, and all of the meetups are at concerts, bars, party events where a lot of drinking happens, it's summer and I go out and see everyone drinking nice cold beer. If I avoid these meetups, I am even more depressed and isolated. There are no other activities that I enjoy really (like sports, films, etc) I get so incredibly bored trying to be sober at these things and then most people assume that you have a drinking problem (reason for avoiding alcohol)

This was about a month and a half ago. Drunkenly fell face first into a glass door. Major forehead contusion that leaked into both eye sockets leading to double black eyes. I told both my tdoc and pdoc that I'd tripped on the doormat. That was true, but I didn't mention the booze involved. I didn't lose consciousness, but my left eyesight was blurry for a week. Mentioning that to my pdoc, he said I was probably concussed. You'd think that was a wake up call, but no. Even landing my car upside down and being arrested for DUI 10 years ago didn't stop me. I lost my stepdad in October. He was 30 years sober, and very active in AA. I feel like my alcoholism is such a disservice to him. My missing him makes me want to drink. How fucked up is that? anyway...

So I just started Latuda and I am an avid user of alcohol and marijuana (its legal in my state) I currently take geodon, lamictal, and lithium but I just added latuda everything seemed like it was actually working great with Latuda but after I used "weed" and alcohol my brain is in bad shape and slowly getting better It really left my mind foggy and inattentative in the morning because of combining the marijuana and alcohol with it. at first it was going great but mixing those things with it really left my mind not all there moral of the story if you take other bipolar/schizophrenia meds alongside Latuda DO NOT do any marijuana as well it'll ruin your brain over time trust me. Other antipsychotics can cause this effect too i hope this helps those who are struggling with substance abuse alongside any of these meds because they can help you greatly but marijuana will fry with your brain with them overtime mixing them

I'm a better person when I'm drunk. I know this isn't a good way to think but it's probably true. The reason is that I can't stand myself when I'm sober, and in order to be able to offer anything to another person you need to believe that you have something to offer. One of the main reasons for hating myself is the depression and the life it's made me lead. Self harm scars and the countless times I've thought about killing myself. It's always been a part of me but it's a part that I don't want to accept. But shutting out a part of yourself makes you feel like you aren't a real person, and you can't just shut out the bad, it's all or nothing and if you shut yourself off from misery then you also shut yourself off from happiness. Self acceptance and self compassion have always sounded like good ideas. Here's a story. When I was very young I started cutting myself and my parents eventually found out. Not the best response from them. Didn't stop cutting but learnt that I'm a freak and no-one will understand or love me for being this way. If your parents won't offer you kindness and compassion then why would anyone else? Oh poor little me. But it set a pattern. It's wrong to feel like this and no-one will love you if you do. I'm older now and I realise how shit my parents were, but I can't say that I've got over this feeling. Release the drunken Kraken! When me and the monster are drunk enough we can get along and I can feel like a complete human being for a while. I'm sure that many people have had much more traumatic lives than me, but there's so much that I don't want to remember.

Hi everyone, I had a bout where I drank everyday for a month. Super stupid I know. Now that I have been clean for over a month, I still find that I crave the occasional drink. How long did it take for others to stop craving alcohol? I started drinking last year, so am relatively "new" but can still put away 4 drinks a night without getting drunk. Any anecdotes would be helpful. Thanks, Poem

Who else has to drink before social functions? I drink pretty much now for everything social such as parties even to hangout with a buddy or two...just about everything. Alcohol is my crutch now and I like to mix it with Kpin when I have it. Anybody else do this?

I have abused alcohol since I was 15, and things got completely out of control starting in 2002. At my peak consumption, I was downing over 40 drinks a day. That was late 2013/early 2014. I have tried desperately to stop, or at least cut back, but I've always ended up spiraling out of control again. I somehow managed 74 days dry once, but mostly it was a week or less, and then I was back to drinking morning, noon, and night again, day in and day out. A few months back, I read an article about a doctor who treated his patients with naltrexone. But instead of taking it every day, his patients just take it when they drink. He says to take it an hour before, and that he had a 72% success rate, which meant 72% of his patients stayed below ten drinks a week. Some people even stopped drinking entirely. I thought that sounded pretty impressive, so I asked my pdoc for a prescription for it at my last appointment. So far it has worked splendidly. I've managed to keep my consumption to two to four drinks at a time. And without trying, which is the real kicker. Before, trying to curb my drinking meant quite a bit of suffering and somehow summoning enormous willpower. Now, it's just no big deal. So lately when I feel the urge to drink, I'll go ahead and pop a pill and have a few drinks. And instead of buying massive quantities of alcohol at a time, I can just buy a bottle of wine or a six pack, and still have some left over. It somehow helps with the frequency of my drinking, too, even though I don't take it every day. I'm also happy that it's not an all-or-nothing affair, which means I can drink socially if I want to. Anyway, I thought I'd share my experience. It's still early on (I've only had the Rx for three weeks), but it seems to deliver as promised. It's just so nice not to be controlled by the sauce for once. I'll report back if anything changes, but I'm pretty sure I've found the solution I've been searching for. I hope others who are struggling with alcohol can be helped by this.

First off, I know that drinking alcohol & taking psych medications is not good or recommended (like "flushing meds down the toilet"). Some meds have very strong warnings against. I'd like now to limit to 1 only which is tough. Anyone have suggestion on how to enforce myself to do this - like a string on my finger or something?) I had 2 1/2 glasses of nice wine with dinner (Valentine's Day date). I just started taking Abilify 2 weeks ago & I've been on Lamictal for 6 months. I do not drink frequently or excessively (up to 2-3 watery beers or glasses of white wine per week). I always drink plenty of water, but my tolerance has immediately been cut in half!! I don't think I can drink more than 1 glass at all now, without a hangover: severe dizziness, headache, dehydration for hours the next day. Is this more of a common side effect from Abilify or Lamictal? I know Lamictal makes me more dehydrated. I have been on all the SSRIs/SNRI's in the past, and those did not have ill effects with alcohol. I know I should not drink alcohol at all, but I am human and would like to have a drink socially with friends or my partner sometimes.

I know that drinking while on meds is an issue, but I would like to separate that from this thread and just ask a question regarding addiction. I only recently started drinking. I usually have just one "light" drink, but have had days were I went up to three. I drink once a week to once every other week at a local pub. I drink alone. I am afraid that keeping alcohol in the house will make me want to drink more frequently. The thing is I like alcohol because I like the way it tastes. I do not get a big rush from it. I do however, have days when I crave a drink. Badly. Is this a bad sign, especially since I haven't been drinking very long?

So I'm on 5mg of Saphris (lets hope I don't go on more, fingers crossed!) and every once in a while I like to have an occasionally drink. I'm of age here in the US. Now what I'm wondering is; has anyone else drank alcohol while on this specific drug? Have you experienced any adverse effects/reactions? I'm not necessarily talking about large quantities of alcohol. The most I'll have is one beer or a glass of wine, since that's healthy. Am I still asking for trouble?? Much appreciated!

I've had bipolar 2 my whole life but rarely had it diagnosed properly, leading to a revolving door of medications that would work initially for my depression but not for more a few weeks. I had decent luck getting off meds without side effects, and most of the side effects were livable... except the brain fog on antipsychotics. I've only been on true bipolar meds twice before lithium, and both times the side effects left me feel less than functional. In the gap between treatments, a long gap without insurance, I developed a drinking problem and got my first taste of how much chemical withdrawal can suck. I eventually got the drinking under control, although I still drink more than I should during periods I decide to drink. During a dry period when I was feeling particularly low, I managed to convince my doctor to let me try lithium. He's a med student in his final year, so he didn't know much about the drug and prescribed 900mg to start with another 300 to be added after a week. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I felt great that first week, so great I didn't increase my dose until the following week, when I was supposed to check in with him. Throughout the first two weeks, I drank a little at first, and then pretty steadily once I realized how well my body was tolerating the lithium. Had one night I overdid it and slowed down again for a few days. On the doctor's advice, I lowered the dose again to 900mg spread throughout the day. If I did well enough like that, he even wanted me to try a dose of 600mg, but I started feeling a bit off in the third week and went up again. Some of the issues I was having with motivation by then, I'm sure it was the drinking to blame. It was so easy to fall back on old habits when I kept waking up anxious and needing something to bring me down. My doctor was always hesitant to prescribe benzos for anxiety, so having a few shots of whiskey to get back to normal was an old standby, if not a particularly healthy one. Then somewhere during that week, the lithium started working against me. I felt shaky, weak, with trouble focusing at times. When I got scared and skipped several doses, I felt even worse, like I was hit with some weird flu. I realized I was going to keep feeling worse if I didn't take at least some lithium(and taper off alcohol, just to eliminate the extra stress on my body). I'm down to 600mg, one pill in the morning and one with dinner, but I'm worried these side effects aren't going away. It's been only a few days on the lower dose, and I've been drinking water like crazy. I don't know if it's worth waiting a few more days to go down to one pill and then none, or whether it needs time for my body to readjust. It's just so frustrating. I felt normal at first, and even the nausea and anxiety went away, then the tremors crept in and the weakness, and now I have that and the nausea/anxiety back. I was just about ready to give up on medication altogether before trying lithium. I had a pretty good thing going with daily exercise and other goals, and then the soul-crushing depressive cycle finally came back around, and I felt like I needed to do something. If I'm going to keep feeling like this, I don't know how I'm ever going to be functional again. Or if I'm just missing another medication that will balance me out more reliably than timed release whiskey, like a low dose of Xanax or Ativan. I don't know what to do, and I thank any of you more experienced people with advice to give.

Trigger warning just in case so i'm 33 and I've always wondered in the back of my mind if alcohol is a problem I know I abuse alcohol but when does it come to a point where you seek help alcohol has been in my life for a very long time we have video tape of me at around age 2 saying my abc's and getting sips off my parents beer I have always taken sips of my parents beer as a child small guzzles - I liked the taste my parents took me out for my 19th birthday and told all the bartenders it was my 21st and got me really drunk to teach me what it felt like when I was 21 I would drink a ton -- which I think is normal in college then I went through a trauma and the next summer I was drinking every day and while at work and skipping classes to chug vodka and powerade I came home from college and stopped that no problem I would then only drink mostly on the weekends or whenever my parents were drinking I know no limit with alcohol -- sometimes I have one or two and stop sometimes I drink until I cannot drink anymore in my 30s the alcohol use really picked up for a while I was going to the bar every night and spending every penny I had to drink - then eventually I started (shamefully) stealing from my parents business to fund my alcohol I ended up having 3 seizures from mixing my meds with alcohol I cut way back on drinking going weeks or months with just a few drinks fast forward to now I find myself slipping back into old patterns when i'mm lonely of drinking until I can't drink anymore - 2 weeks ago I drank 18 lite beers then a couple nights later I drank 15 I don't know if I want to give up alcohol as I feel it is the only thing that I have in common and makes me comfortable around my family I don't know if I even have a problem I've never gotten a hangover am I just blowing this out of proportion or do I need help and if I do need help what do you suggest

I've been reading a lot on this board about the new Fetzima. I was put on it four weeks ago by my GP when my Cymbalta just didn't seem to get the job done anymore. I've been on antidepressants off and on since 1996 but wasn't diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ADD until four years ago. Up until then I had been on every drug you can imagine for depression. Cymbalta changed/saved my life, but my insurance company began to only supply me with generic, and I could tell immediately that it just wasn't the same. I started getting brain zaps, and that would usually only happen if I missed a dose. So my GP suggested Fetzima. The first couple of weeks I had the zaps and was a bit fuzzy in the brain, but all in all the transition was a smooth one. I felt decent and was just glad to be taking a non-generic for a change. Then last Friday night happened. 12/19/14 went to holiday party and proceeded to poison myself with shots of liquor. By 10 p.m. I had fallen down twice, blacked out (although I was awake) and could not stop throwing up. (Not typical behavior when I drink!) Husband drove me home. I did not take my Fetzima that night because I knew I would throw it back up. Threw up all the next day until around 3 when I could finally keep some soup down. That's when I took my Friday dosage of Fetzima. Had to stay in bed because I was so physically ill. Slept a majority of the time, took Fetz at normal time Saturday night. Sunday was still ill, brain not functioning correctly, irrational thoughts, completely depressed, slept most of the day and night. Took Fetz on time Sunday night. Monday was hoping to feel better but depression was worse. Fought with husband who doesn't understand what's going on, threw a fit and threw crap around the house, scared the cats, announced that I hate Christmas and I hate my birthday (on Xmas day), I don't want people at my house on Christmas, I don't give a crap about the stupid gifts and everything can be thrown in the trash for all I care. Threatened to leave my husband to be alone at our lake house, he wouldn't let me leave because (mostly) he thought I would hurt myself there or on the way up have a wreck on purpose. I scared him and scared myself that I was being so irrational. I told him of suicide plans that I had made back in the 90s, that it's always there in the back of my mind. He asked if I needed to go to the hospital but I eventually calmed down and showered for the first time in two days and brushed my teeth for the first time in three. I took two Klonopin and slept most of the rest of the day. I felt insane. I now feel incredible guilt for my behavior which compounds this helpless feeling. I want to feel better so today I'll be leaving the house for the first time since Friday. But I'm still here crying, guilty... Everything was fine until the alcohol Friday night. I haven't eaten hardly anything, trying to stay hydrated with water but I'm hardly peeing and can't remember the last time I pooped. I don't know if I'm not eating because I'm not hungry or if I'm just trying to hurt myself? I've lost 10 pounds since November... not on purpose, just burning more calories than I eat. I'm a runner but haven't been able to since last week because the weather is so bad and I really don't know right now if I could run if I tried. Am I doing this to myself - am I in control of my actions, or did all that alcohol and Fetzima really affect my brain so significantly? My family has been through a lot these past two months; my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cancer and had to have her kidney removed and three tumors in the artery from the kidney to the heart, the same week I started taking Fetzima. I have been strong for her and my family but everything seems to be crashing down now. I had been fine until Friday night. This is supposed to be a wonderful time of the year but I just want the holidays over so I can get back into a routine. I am a teacher and I hold my shit together and I'm a professional but these last 4 days have been the worst of my life. I have presents to wrap and I don't even care if they get wrapped at all. I have got to have a better day today.... certainly my brain cannot still be mucked up from the alcohol 4 days ago??? Has anyone else had this experience... getting REALLY drunk on Fetzima (I weigh 107 and had probably 10 or more Fireball shots) and then being bed-ridden for four days??? I'm desperate for advice... I don't talk to my friends about this because I'm embarrassed, and my husband has never suffered from mental illness, so while he tries to make things better, (yesterday he told me I needed to snap out of it - I snapped alright), he only makes things worse. And that compounds my guilt also. When am I going to feel better? Can alcohol + Fetzima basically make someone go insane???

If a person is schizophrenic with delusions but is drunk the same time as experiencing a delusion can a psychiatrist tell if he or she is being delusional because of the mental illnes the mental illness or the alcohol? If yes or no please, if possible explain why you chose to answer the way you did. Thanks.

Hi guys, I've never been much of a drinker, and have abstained entirely from alcohol for 10 years out of fear that it would make my mental illnesses worse (mainly my depression). Also, I feared potential medication interactions. Well, for the past month I've been drinking with my friends (always in social settings, never alone) and I've been doing the best I've done in a long time. My weekly depressive cycles have stopped, I've been engaging socially way more than I had before, and I just feel a lot better overall. Our "get-togethers" give me something to plan for and look forward to throughout each day. My buddies and I have been drinking every couple nights. It did not make my depression or rapid cycling worse - in fact, it seemed to make both things better. I keep track of my daily moods and my activities for that day, so I can say this with a relatively high degree of objectivity. The other day I had a hangover (my first since I began drinking a month ago) so I was like "Screw this" and stopped drinking again ... within a couple days I went back into a depressive cycle and I've been in bed since. This is a stand-alone issue from my stopping alcohol - my mind simply resumed doing what it had already been doing prior to the drinking. My thinking behind the drinking is this: "I've been playing this medication game for many years, and I'm just as bad as I was before. Screw it, if I can drink some beer and have a nice cigar and have fun hanging out with my friends, not to mention it helping my daily mood, then why not?" Your thoughts? troop

OK. I'm thinking of entering a 30 day residential facility for bipolar and alcoholism. I am currently trying to get out of another mixed episode. My psychiatrist gave me seroquel (btw 50mg knocked me out!) to make me sane for a little while. Once I am stable he wants to get me off lamictal and start Tegretol. Any thoughts on the two meds? Anyway...I want to go to facility to get my bipolar under better control and for my alcohol consumption. SOOOO...in everyone's honest opinion how bad is it to drink every night out of the week, with the exception of taking a random night off only if you had a horrid hangover? It has gotten to the point where I drink at least a bottle of wine a night. On the weekends I could easily polish of two bottles and drink whatever else on top of that. I can quit drinking for 3 days max if I try hard, but typically that's as long as I can go. I don't have DT's or anything. Does this qualify me to go to a dual diagnosis facility? Does anybody have ANY recommendations for a dual diagnosis inpatient facility?? Anywhere is the U.S. is fine. I just feel I really need some help and feel an inpatient facility would be a good option. My mind is kind of in a blur, sorry if none of that made sense. Questions are..... 1) Do I drink too much ? and if so, does it qualify me to go to inpatient rehab (voluntarily) 2) Recommendations for dual diagnosis facilities anywhere in the U.S. 3) Thoughts about Tegretol and the short term use of seroquel. Think that's it! Thank you for reading this. I feel very lost, I feel so sick that I am scared.

So, Per doctor's orders, I was taking extra Klonopin yesterday to deal with my anxiety. Needless to say I had about 4mg, which I normally handle without too much trouble. However, I made the mistake of going out to dinner with a friend. I had two beers with dinner and whammo, the next thing I know I'm getting cited for public intoxication and have a court date set for next Thursday (fun!). So, I know it's been said before, but let this be yet another cautionary tale... do not mix your benzos with alcohol.

when you SI regularly, how do you keep from SI'ing while intoxicated or "messed up" (jebus, I hate that term)? we all know alcohol -- or other drugs, whatever they may be -- may cause a person to lose their sense of intelligence, reluctance, balance, and even general awareness. so how do you consume whatever and not self-injure? ...or do you just not? have you stopped "using" because your SI got too terrible while doing so?? (also, if this belongs in the Substance Abuse group, please move it there. it's just for me tonight, it's the that SI is the heavier topic. so for me, it belongs here.)

Hello, I'm new here and I want to inquire about something that I'm sure you've heard about a billion times... well, now a billion and one. I'm on Buproprion and Fluoxetine, which I've drank on and I feel Ok. When I had a higher dose of Fluoxetine I felt like death the next day, but I'm on a lower dose and I feel fine when drinking on it. Some more anxiety the next day is all. I recently started Abilify on top of those meds. I also take a small dose of Propranolol and I have Xanax and Klonopin at my disposal (barely use them, but they are there and I take only a half or a quarter of one to get the effect). We are having a surprise party for my cousin this weekend. My whole family will be there and, of course, I'd like to indulge a bit. Not crazy heavily. But... socially. Maybe sip on a mixed drink and have a few of those over the course of multiple hours. What are the thoughts given my scenario?

Ok, here goes: I've been having severe dizzy spells over the past month or so. One i know to be from a migraine type headache as it was consistent with others that I've had in the past, but it was more severe than usual so I'm including a mention of it here. Today I had a really bad dizzy spell. I had to leave class with the support of a friend because I was so dizzy I couldn't stand or take the stairs properly. Now here's the beef...I've been drinking a lot and way more than normal lately. I haven't been able to drink/get drunk socially for a long time, and I think I've been letting it out too much. I'm also friends with a lot of guys here and culturally binge drinking is a thing with young guys (china, severely strong local hard liquor). I can hold it without getting crazy drunk because I am super hardcore. I also don't have to worry about anyone taking advantage of me cause these guys are like my brothers and they look out for me. Anyway, I've been drinking once a week which is way more than normal. Could this irresponsible behavior be fucking up my meds and making me dizzy? Sometimes it does lead to me taking my meds super late because I will only take them when sober. I'm willing to way cut down because falling over when sober is way shitty. I'm just worried that I might have something more serious going on and I would need to go to the local neurology hospital (sweet to have one in walking distance). If it's just meds it would be a relief. PS: I have no pdoc here because I'm 8000 miles away from home and I have no idea how to find one that can work with my language barrier. I can get around but I can't have a really sophisticated discussion about meds. Anyway, my pdoc back home is totally useless and I'm only seeing her as a stopgap while I wait for someone better to have an opening.

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I will introduce myself in the appropriate place soon. I have a question for those on Abilify and/ or Cymbalta. When you drink, do you have a delayed reaction? I know I should not drink while on meds, but... I have been on different ADs since I was 14, and have been an occasional drinker since age 18 (34 now) and have never had a problem with interaction. Lately I have been having a curious reaction to alcohol, 2-3 days after I drink. I am fine the day after I drink, maybe a bit of a hangover, nothing unusual. The second day I am starting to feel crappy. Third day I'm down and out, as if I'm not on meds at all. After that things get better again. It has been the last year or so I've had this problem. I was started on both of these meds around the same time so I'm not sure which one is causing the interaction. It is so peculiar but so consistent that my husband and I are both convinced the meds are causing the 2-3 day thing. Sorry if this is post sounds weird but I'm on day 3 right now, been crying all day and my head isn't on quite right. I think it is the Abilify causing the interaction, just a hunch. So, anyone else have this issue or is it just me?