Guest Bernard Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Hi, I am pretty new here, and new to these feelings. I have a question about Effexor-XR. I have been on it for about 6 months and in that time my doc has advised that I do not touch alcohol. Have any of you dealt with alcohol and Effexor-XR? Can I have a little bit? My Doc is being pretty hardcore mean about it and to be quite truthful, cold turkey on red wine has been one of the most upsetting parts of this treatment. I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyflower Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I agree with your doc. I was on Effexor XR for about 2 years and it made alcohol a very unpredictable experience. It's very easy to get really drunk on one or two drinks. For me, it also had the nasty ability to make me feel hyper and exhausted at the same time. That wasn't fun. Topped off with migraine-quality hangovers and residual depression the next day, I finally gave up drinking for the most part. I'd order one drink and keep nursing it along for hours by adding ice and letting it melt. By that time it was more about enjoying being around friends than drinking. Greeny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallulah Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 well...as a general rule its not a 'good' idea to drink while taking any psych meds. when i spoke to my doc about having a few drinks every now and then while taking effexor XR, he was fine with it as long as i didnt overdo it. a lot of doctors have very different opinions on having drinks while taking medications. and when i DID have a few, i was fine. i actually couldnt get drunk while i was taking it! although...you WILL find that some people on the boards have had a completely different reaction. tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trg247 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I am not suppose to touch alcohol but I do, I don't listen very well. The thing is I tested it with beer. I had one bottle of beer and waited and nothing happenned. The next night had two and noticed the effect was coming on a lot stronger compared to when I was not on any meds. I guess the big thing is know your limits and take it slowly. Oh I have not tried three yet. take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYPaintLady Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I agree with your doc. I was on Effexor XR for about 2 years and it made alcohol a very unpredictable experience. It's very easy to get really drunk on one or two drinks. For me, it also had the nasty ability to make me feel hyper and exhausted at the same time. That wasn't fun. Topped off with migraine-quality hangovers and residual depression the next day, I finally gave up drinking for the most part. I'd order one drink and keep nursing it along for hours by adding ice and letting it melt. By that time it was more about enjoying being around friends than drinking. Greeny My experience was similar to Greeny's. I was on effex xr 225 or 300mg for five plus years. I did drink while taking effex and it didn't seemed to hit me as quickly as it does when I'm not taking effex and it also seemed as if I lost my buzz way quicker than I used to. One reason the docs don't like for thier patients to drink while on meds is because alcohol is a depressant and if you're taking ad's, the alcohol counteracts their purpose. Plus, it can be dangerous to you to drink while taking phychiatric drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Good Lord, no. I've been on Effexor XR for more than two years now (currently 300mg), as the only thing that dents my Double Depression. A while back I decided that a person couldn't be a Kentucky Colonel and not at least pretend to drink bourbon, so I took it up for sippin', diluted with ginger ale. One shot drunk over the course of an hour gets me sick at my stomach. And, as NYPaintLady points out, taking an antidepressant and a depressant (alcohol) together makes about as much sense as taking a shower in a rubber suit. Plus, the alcohol could mobilize the medication in your system in unexpected ways, none of them pleasant. I stand with your pdoc on this one. Cerberus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonder Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I think there are some antidepressants that are okay to drink on, as long as you're careful, even if the label on your pill bottle advises against it. I also think that for most people, Effexor XR is NOT one of those. You may have already read the stuff about Effexor on Crazy Meds, but if you haven't, you should. From what I've read, it makes some people really crave alcohol. For some people, it makes them able to drink a ridiculous amount without getting drunk, but they still want to drink more. For other people, it really intensifies the effects of alcohol, and you get really drunk a lot faster. My own experience with Effexor XR and alcohol doesn't relate to your situation at all, but I'll mention it briefly anyway. Suffice it to say that I had a very bad experience related to drinking while taking Effexor XR, which really intensified the effects of alcohol for me and I wound up in a psychiatric hospital for a few days. But this doesn't really relate to your situation, since I'm bipolar and an idiot psychiatrist prescribed me Effexor XR and nothing else. I had rapid cycling and/or mixed state stuff going on for a few weeks, and then I got drunk and that worked out poorly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Against all good advice I drank wine (x 3 glasses of Shiraz) this weekend, while on my Effexor XR. It was great! I was happy and giggly, I danced and I felt wonderful. But those feelings wore off pretty quickly and I slumped into a terrible depression. Alcohol + Effexor = bad idea. Lesson learnt. (For a while...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Daniel Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I drinked more than 15 beer with effexor and smoking pot as well, i think for some reason that i was not that drunk or affected, I played big brain academy with friends and hit a super score (450pts), it was anormal. However i was feeling very down the days after, more depressed. Conclusion dont do this, leave that to professionals and rock stars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aphax311 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 For what its worth (not to revive a necro post), I haven't had truly negative experiences with Effexor XR and alcohol. I do take a small dose (75mg), but really the only additional problems I have is that I have a worse hangover than I did without it, and typically get a bit more drunk more quickly (i.e., will feel drunk after 4 beers instead of 6-7). However, I have never felt anxious during these times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjimjam Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I found I got drunk quicker on Effexor-XR. That was the only interaction I noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouilee Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 I take effexorER 75mg. On Effexor for 7 yrs (before that, Paxil 40mg 10 yrs):. stepped up to EffexorER 150mg for 3 yrs; stepped back down to 75mg 6mos ago (made the transition stepdown w/sublingual B12 vits, just a few days minimal side-effects). Began discussing too much drinking w/therapist some yrs back (while on effexor): she reminded e: a good rule of thumb is-- whatever antidepressant you are on-- the effect of alcohol will be double what you had been accustomed to. So 1 glass wine = 2, 1 beer = 2. This pretty much squares w/ my experience on effexor, similar to 2 posters above. I am drunk on 4 beers (instead of 6 or 7); I will pass out after a bottle of wine plus a little; hard liquor similar but much worse hangover. i did not, however, have this issue on Paxil-- that is, it was different. When on Paxil I was not particularly tempted to drink. If I did, I indeed experienced the 1 drink = 2 drinks effect. I eventually realized that Paxil just deadened me: I didn't FEEL depressed, but I acted like a depressive. Effexor has restored me more-or-less to normal [pre-depression] energy/ emotional levels-- but that means I will be tempted to drink like I always did pre-depression (a couple of drinks after work)-- which puts me out of the kind of control I had in my 20's & 30's). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cclrsup17 Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 I've found, at least for me that the energy drinks don't make me jittery, or anything of the sort, however I have found that the crash feels 10 times worse than before I started taking AD's. I'm on effexor XR 75mg. I've decided to stray away from energy drinks for the fear of simply falling asleep at the wrong time like while sitting in traffic for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blahblah Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) Old thread! I'll add my 2 cents since this seems to be an ongoing popular topic... I'm only on 75mg Effexor (mind you I do not drink hard liquor, or shots anymore). I've observed that when I'm on antidepressants (or any other crazymeds for that matter) the initial, semi-euphoric "buzz" effect is completely gone. Man do I miss that warm, fuzzy feeling. So essentially, I don't really feel any pleasure from alcohol anymore, I only feel more tired and then the next day, my hangover is multiplied! I still drink a beer or glass of wine with dinner here & there, but beyond that, there is simply no psychological reward. I just get a bigger hangover migraine/fatigue and as a result, more depressed. How fun. Edited December 7, 2017 by Blahblah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianOCD Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Wasn't fun for me either. Alcohol and ADs don't mix for me. Usually just made me extremely tired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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