Question about drinking

[kjauron]

I've been on Lamictal for about 9 months now, and I didn't change my drinking habits at all - what I've noticed is that I get drunk faster without realizing it, and the hangovers are terrible. This week I just added lithium. Tonight some friends are going out for drinks and they want me to come along, but I'm not sure about drinking on the lithium. My pdoc didn't say anything about it and I forgot to ask, and I've been finding conflicting info online.

Are there any huge health/safety risks from drinking while on lithium (or a combination of lithium & lamictal)? If so, how much is too much? I'd like to just have a couple beers, but sadly for me it's often difficult to stop at that...

[crazynotstupid]

I could drink a lot on lithium. That's not really, I think, your main concern--the safety issue.

For one thing, lthium is gonna make you want more water and alcohol is gonna dehydrate you. So, bad.

The main problem though is, if you only want a couple beers (which I've never had a problem with anyone having) but it's often difficult for you to stop there...and you keep getting drunk on lamictal and having hangovers...then you're not doing your body or brain any good that way.

Heavy drinking, uncontrolled drinking, whatever, isn't a good thing while on psychopharmaceuticals. It retards their performance and just whacks the hell out of your brain and body. (as you find out from those hangovers) I'd worry less about the safety of drinking on your combo (again, I never had any major issues) and more about not drinking so much.

[SashaSue]

I've had the lithium & lamictal hangover. It was not pleasant. And I didn't really feel like I'd drunk enough to deserve its intensity.

Once I had a hangover on li & lamictal from like a glass and a half of wine.

There were times when I drank more and it was totally fine, but the possibility of unpleasantness has kept me from really fulfilling my drinking potential.