Jump to content

Drinking on anti psychotics. Who does it? Is is safe?


Recommended Posts

I have and it's NOT safe. 

 

I never had any ill effects, but at one point I was on 3 CNS depressants, had a birthday party, got WASTED for the first time in several years, blacked out, woke up with a fucked up face and felt lucky to fucking be alive. 

 

Being on a benzo and an AAP and drinking very large amounts of alcohol like that was a dumb idea.

 

I never had any issue with 1-2 drinks. But hell if I ever drank that much again considering that it actually is pretty fucking dangerous. 

 

It does cause respiratory depression. A LOT of meds actually cause that on their own. Adding alcohol which also causes respiratory depression isn't a good idea.

 

I would suggest talking to your doctor. I had one p-doc say that 3 drinks were okay, one say that only one drink was acceptable and one said not to drink at all. He didn't ever want to hear that I'd even had one drink.

 

Ask your doc about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a few drinks several times since I went on Zyprexa and nothing bad came of it, but I agree that getting wasted while on these meds probably isn't a good idea. I have a high alcohol tolerance, so 3 drinks didn't hurt any, but the meds can also make you feel the alcohol more than you did unmedicated, so you at least have to be careful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, we are not supposed to drink on AAP's for all the reasons listed so clearly above.

 

I have ONE, not two, but ONE drink or glass of wine or champage on a special occasion - rarely.

Maybe once per month.

My pdoc is ok with this.  But he trusts me.

 

No ill effects.  But I never had more than that and obviously I don't drink when I take a benzo such as Xanax.

Edited by bpladybug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question is the same as title. Who drinks on anti psychotics? Is it safe.

Does it cause respiratory depression ?

 

 

I do it

 

it's not exactly safe

 

I've had   3 separate seizures from mixing  alcohol and anitpsychotics  so take that under advisement

 

⬆ There is your answer. ⬆

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It can also make the AAP less efficient in the long run.

Having one drink at a special occasion isn't that big a deal. I'll do it, just don't drive because it'll increase sedation. But having a lot of drinks, just bad news. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't drink.  I'm not interested in testing to see what would happen if I added alcohol to all the seroquel I take.  Basically, I just don't think drinking on antipsychotics is particularly clever, interesting or cool.  Many good points were made above, especially:

 

 It does cause respiratory depression. A LOT of meds actually cause that on their own. Adding alcohol which also causes respiratory depression isn't a good idea.

 

 

 if you are boozing to self medicate, then that suggests that your alcohol use is masking a need to get better medication and be treated with meds that work.

 

 

I've had   3 separate seizures from mixing  alcohol and anitpsychotics  so take that under advisement

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'm not going to be responsible for saying it's "safe"....and i wouldn't say i "drink" so much as i'll have a drink, but i've not had any problems.

 

i drank more when i was younger, but now i rarely take more than one glass of wine/small sized beverage/a pint.

 

i take ativan as well...so that's my bigger "mixing" concern...and i don't take the third one of the day if i imbibe. i woulnt' drink on clozaril. unsure which antipsychotic you mean...but that one i didn't drink at all..

Edited by mellifluous
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink on AAPs...I don't get pissed, but I'll get tipsy.  I drink on all the meds in my sig, and have been fine drinking on a variety of AAPs, though when I was on Seroquel and...Geodon I think at the same time, I had a side effect where I couldn't swallow. 

 

That said, I try to avoid mixing my Ativan with alcohol...I take it in the mornings, so it's usually not an issue, though last Sunday for the Olympics gold medal men's hockey game, Toronto passed a special law allowing bars to open at 6 am to watch it, so we saw it at our local and I didn't take my Ativan until later in the day. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink, never more than 3 beers.  I don't experience negative effects other than that I can get sleepy.  I definitely wouldn't mix AAP's with benzos, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink, never more than 3 beers.  I don't experience negative effects other than that I can get sleepy.  I definitely wouldn't mix AAP's with benzos, though.

 

do you mean you wouldn't drink whilst taking both atypical antipsychotics and benzodiazepenes? i mean, that makes sense...yeah, i don't take my ativan if i'm having a beverage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I drink on my AAP as well: Seroquel XR 200 mg. I also take the other meds in my sig. I have never noticed a bad reaction from combining alcohol, other than sometimes experiencing the effects of alcohol stronger than I would without medication in my system. But I've never had a medical issue because of it, and I also don't take a high dose of Seroquel.

 

The biggest thing I notice is that if I overdo it, I really pay for it the next day. I'll have high anxiety, low mood, and be irritable. Alcohol prevents your meds from working, so be prepared for rebound symptoms if you do drink heavily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I wouldn't recommend doing it, I have had a bottle of wine + latuda + tramadol to no ill effects. At least not immediately. It's a once a year thing for me, I don't know what it would be like long-term. Keep in mind that I've never had a hangover from alcohol, maybe that makes a difference?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink, beers, vodka, whiskey, but never a lot and I have been drinking for a long time. I certainly understand the risks and there are many risks! I won't drink on ambian, that is a BIG no-no! But AD and AP since I'm usually always on one of them or both I drink. As long as I don't have to drive and even then never a lot. Alcohol is a funny thing. It's ok at small amounts, but cross the line and it can trigger depression, mania, or other ills. As others have mentioned, it will either enhance the effects of meds or reduce the effects. Since for so many of us "balance" is so very important for our mental and physical health. Obviously alcohol will off set that balance..It's certainly best not to drink. But if your as stubborn as me, your prolly gonna do what you want. Just be aware of the risks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I consider myself a moderate drinker--that is, I have one or two drinks a couple days a week. I've been drunk on zyprexa, but I also know that, though the main thing I've experienced is sedation, I'm courting worse. The thing is, I have a pretty good alcohol tolerance, so I'm not using myself as a benchmark for what's normal. I do seem to become more quickly intoxicated on less, so I don't drink as much as I once might have.

 

I also second this, heartily:

 

 

Plus, if you are boozing to self medicate, then that suggests that your alcohol use is masking a need to get better medication and be treated with meds that work. That isn't to say that you may not be able to have a beer occasionally. But if you're ill enough to need an AAP, alcohol isn't going to enhance your health or mental wellbeing.

Edited by Mim
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have drinks at restaurants occasionally.. And I've drank Whiskey once. Horrible, awful tasting stuff. I take Saphris and Epival (a mood stabilizer), and I've never had any problems. But those are the only meds I've ever drank on. I've been on 9 other antipsychotics but I didn't drink on them. But I assume they were safe too. I just didn't ask the pharmacist until I started on Saphris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I started seeing my pdoc I was drinking a bottle of wine on Friday nights. He asked me cut back to half a bottle. I continued this until I left my stressful job . Then all desire for alcohol left between being stable on meds and no job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...