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Mental health

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Original poster

Fluoxetine & heavy drinking

7 replies

GreedyGecko · 05/07/2007 12:50

OK, I'm on Fluoxetine, have been for approx 2.5 months. They didn't start working until about a month ago though. I have noticed that recently (in the past 3 weeks) that I am drinking heavily when I go out. Usually when I go out I'll have a couple of bottles, then go on to water, but I haven't been doing this recently. This Sat I went out, and there is so much of the night I just don't remember. This has never happened to me before, and I'll admit that I did drink a lot before LOs.

I'm wondering if there's a link between the ADs & the alcohol as I've been depressed for a while, but haven't felt the need to go out & get totally bladdered. It didn't occur to me that it may be linked until I remembered DP was developing what I thought was a 'problem' while he was on them. He didn't drink a huge amount before, but for the year or so that he was on them he drank a lot, and once he came off of them his drinking went back to normal.

Anyone else have any experience of this?

OP posts:

EllieG · 05/07/2007 16:13

Am on them too - not sure if my alcohol intake has increased because I was drinking in a self-medicating type way before was put on anti-depressants. Have made a conscious effort not to drink so much recently, but have noticed that since being on the tablets when I do drink I don't feel tipsy-drunk,I seem to miss out a stage and go straight to drunk-as-a-skunk-drunk, so consequently at times have drunk more than meant to as have not had as much warning. I am careful though these days about not getting bladdered cos it does affect my mood for a few days if I do and means my med doesn't work as well.
Perhaps the drinking is more about the mood than the medication? That's what I find...

Lolly68 · 05/07/2007 16:44

I have also been on them for about 2 months. I find that I dont really want to drink on them cos the tabs have put me on a happier level. Does that make sense? Also when I had a big night out a few weeks ago I had the worst headache in the world the next day and put that down to the tablets as I never suffer from headaches. What I found strange though was that in the info on prozac it does not say not to drink on them!

lulumama · 05/07/2007 16:47

do you think the drinking has increased due to being depressed, rather than being on ADs, and also, you are feeling the effects more due to being on ADs

alcohol is a depressant, so you are bound to feel worse after drinking

not sure if ADs make you drink more..

Lolly68 · 05/07/2007 16:52

Lulamama - I also dont think ADs make you drink more. That's what I was trying to say. I feel that I dont need to drink anymore cos of ADs.

friendlyedjit · 05/07/2007 16:55

I think that prozac potentiates the effect of alcohol, so a glass of wine feels like three.
GG- wonder if these ads are really working for you, as usually work a little quicker than you describe, and maybe your extra alcohol is connected to this rather than the AD's
Worthwhile maybe seeing Doc again and even discussing an alternative?
Are you going to do any counselling?

friendlyedjit · 05/07/2007 16:56

sorry meant alternative medication.

Original poster

GreedyGecko · 05/07/2007 20:12

Thanks for all your replies. I'll try to answer all the questions.

My GP doubled up the dosage after the 1st month as I'd felt no change, and it was about a fortnight after that when I started to feel better. Now, I feel better mostly, although I do still quite often feel that things are getting on top of me. TBH, I feel that it's physical help that would benefit me rather than more tablets. Does that make sense? I've been on the Homestart waiting list for almost 2 years, and am now, finally, 2nd on the list, so hopefully that help will come soon.

Counselling? No.

I have to agree with what EllieG said that I don't seem to feel the tipsy point anymore, where I suppose before I would have stopped after a couple when I felt my head going, whereas now I don't get that, so just keep going.

Since I've been depressed I haven't really drank a huge amount until recently, but thinking about it, ds2 was bf until 14mths (now 20mths), so its really only the last 6 mths that I've been able to have a drink.

When DP was on them and drinking I used to try and get him to stop because of it being a depressant, and basically I felt that if he was going to be dong that there was going to be no benefit of the ADs. I know I should be taking my own advice!

OP posts:

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