Dr told me to drink on ADs

[eco1636]

I was put on anti depressants at 18 (I’d gone in with lack of appetite and fatigue). When he was writing it out - yes it was that long ago - he said “and even though they say you can’t, you can have a drink on these so don’t worry”.
Looking back I kind of wish he hadn’t said that as I continued with my teenage experimental drinking, along with all my mates, and had some awful experiences/made a huge fit of myself countless times.
I’m actually pretty respectful of the medical community and a warning word from him that it won’t mix well could have gone a long way.
Aibu to think he was a bit daft?

Or after one bad experience you could have taken the responsibility and realised it did not work for you to mix them.

I'd imagine he was just going on the warning/advice info that went with them. Did you read the information leaflet in the box and did it state otherwise?

I think he was expecting you to self regulate; once you realised that mixing alcohol and the medication didn't work for you then you could have decided not to. I would have interpreted what he said as meaning that drinking whilst also taking the medication wasn't dangerous.

Your drinking is up to you to take responsibility of.

Yes. YABU.

I definitely struggled to self regulate - being 18 and diagnosed with a mental illness (by a gp, on my first appointment, not a referral in sight).
I agree I was probably ill, but a little more monitoring might have been responsible when doling our mind altering drugs.

I’ve been on ADs for years and haven’t stopped having a drink. Never had issues. The labels on most meds say don’t drink coz guess what , alcohol is bad for you !!! If your drinking is not helping your mental health: stop. It’s your responsibility.

Perhaps he thought you wouldn't take them if he said absolutely no drinking? It happens, especially with teens and young adults who see partying and fitting in as more important than their mental, or physical, health.

The usual problem isn't that they all react badly with alcohol, but that alcohol stops them working.

I was a lot older when I was first prescribed ads and was honest with doctor that I wouldn't take them if they were ones I couldn't drink on. I'm also pretty sure if I was 18 and the doctor said absolutely no drinking I'd have ignored him and drank anyway.

It's more likely that the amount of alcohol created the bad experiences than mixing in the ads.

How old are you now?

I’ve drunk as usual on various ADs. You can drink on most of them.

@eco, If you think he gave out ADs too easily then that’s a different issue. The fact you had a bad experience with alcohol really is yours to manage

I’ve not drunk any booze since I was 30, just sometimes regret being a wild child/mess of the 90s!

YABU. He probably wanted to make sure that you weren't put off taking the ADs. He wasn't advising you to get wasted.

Well it is true, you can have a drink on most antidepressants.

Were you expecting him to lie to you? If he had said you couldn't, would that have had so much power that you would have been teetotal as a teen Or more likely would you have just not taken the meds.

Was it the meds or was it just you hitting out at your position in life?

We probably all regret being daft with booze in our past , but you live and learn. Am just thoroughly confused why your blaming this doctor for your misspent youth 🤣

he was right, you can have a drink on them. Don't blame other people for your own choices and behavior, its not the Gp's job to monitor your drinking.

There are things like valium, which you're not supposed to drink with, but with antidepressants, they don't interact.

You drank and were stupid. It would have been nothing to do with the antidepressants.

I suggest you try to forgive yourself for your own stupidity.

So were you having 1-2 glasses of wine and stumbling around shitfaced? Or downing large amounts of alcohol and then blaming it on the medication mixing with it?

He didn't tell you drink on them. He told you that you could if you wanted. You made the choices. And would you really have not drunk any alcohol ever?

No he didn't.

What did you do that was so awful you are still thinking about it 20 years later OP?

What an odd post

Thingsdogetbetter is spot on. LOADS of people ignore the warnings on the leaflets, loads more don't even read them.

I've drunk on various ADs and had no issues other than acting a twat. Mixing alcohol and benzos, on the other hand, is something to be avoided at all costs.

Alcohol can intensify or weaken the effect of other drugs and vice versa. Some antibiotics don't work if you drink. Pain killers esp opiates can make you vomit or stop breathing in overdose or combination.
Doctors hand them out like smarties but they aren't. Be careful.