# Wellbutrin and Alcohol



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I am sure this has to have been discussed before but being new to meds, I have no idea about this. I just picked up my Wellbutrin and it says I cannot drink alcohol??? :eek WTF????

How risky is it to drink moderately while taking Wellbutrin???


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Drinking alcohol on wellbutrin lowers the seizure threshold and disables the anti-depressant effects for about a day. I got lots of meds that say dont drink and take this med that med and I still drink occasionally. Only med I try to stay away from alcohol at the same time is my hydromorph contin as that will make ODing more probable.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Thanks Noca. After I posted that I googled it. I read about the seizure thing. And I read that it increases the effects of alcohol. The consensus of what I read seemed to be that mild to moderate drinking is acceptable. 

I have to wonder what others who are taking WB have experienced when drinking??


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Penny said:


> Thanks Noca. After I posted that I googled it. I read about the seizure thing. And I read that it increases the effects of alcohol. The consensus of what I read seemed to be that mild to moderate drinking is acceptable.
> 
> I have to wonder what others who are taking WB have experienced when drinking??


I experienced nothing while drinking on Wellbutrin so, those are just the POSSIBLE interactions and side effects.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Yeah...there is no history of seizure in my medical history or anyone in my family on either side. So I am really not too worried about that.

I am just somewhat dismayed to find out that out.

And now I have been reading about it and I see all these other side effects, insomnia, increased sweating, blah, blah, blah....I am not all the excited to start taking these pills. 

I wanted something that would help but everything has a boatload of side effects, possible yes...maybe I will have them, maybe I wont....but I did have a few with celexa.

:fall Not sure if I am really doing the right thing.

And frankly, I really like my beer and wine, though I usually only drink on days off. It wouldnt hurt me to only have a glass or two of wine or 1 or 2 beers at ALL times I guess. Had I known that it came with the No Booze Warning, I wouldnt have even filled this prescription.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

i drank normally on WB. Every drug warns against drinking though


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

Penny said:


> Yeah...there is no history of seizure in my medical history or anyone in my family on either side. So I am really not too worried about that.


the seizure thing is overblown and at current recommended dosage, isnt much different than other drugs including SSRIs.



Penny said:


> And now I have been reading about it and I see all these other side effects, insomnia, increased sweating, blah, blah, blah....I am not all the excited to start taking these pills.


WB is actually more of a "stimulant" than what is commonly thought of being an "anti-depressant". Its side effects profile will be similar to other stimulants...weight loss, insomnia, possible increase in anxiety but Id say thats a nice trade. WB doesnt seem to work for eveyone and some actually hate it but to me, it was one hell of a happy pill-- just didnt do crap for anxiety.



Penny said:


> I wanted something that would help but everything has a boatload of side effects, possible yes...maybe I will have them, maybe I wont....but I did have a few with celexa.


WB by fas as less shlt side effects than any SSRI



Penny said:


> :fall Not sure if I am really doing the right thing.


cant really say there *is* a right thing with current drugs on the market although there are drugs clearly better than others.



Penny said:


> And frankly, I really like my beer and wine, though I usually only drink on days off. It wouldnt hurt me to only have a glass or two of wine or 1 or 2 beers at ALL times I guess. Had I known that it came with the No Booze Warning, I wouldnt have even filled this prescription.


You arent supposed to drink on SSRIs either so its not like thats a big deal. I dont recommend getting shlt hammered drunk the first week of treatment but you'll be fine in moderation.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Penny said:


> Yeah...there is no history of seizure in my medical history or anyone in my family on either side. So I am really not too worried about that.
> 
> I am just somewhat dismayed to find out that out.
> 
> ...


To give you insight on medication side effects, from all my meds I take I have NO negative side effects when using them correctly except ocassional constipation from opiates which i am countering with more fiber in my diet.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

There was no warning on the Celexa I took but then again I had that filled at a different pharmacy. I knew you werent supposed to drink in excess but I didnt know there was a warning... :eek 

Its not that I want to drink every day; as I said I generally drink only on my "weekends" but I just want the option open.

I am worried about the "sweating" side effects because I work in a hospital and wear a lab coat (and those damned things DO NOT breathe at all) and I already can have the back of my head sweating in some of those patients rooms....the patients tend to be cold, since they are just laying there, where as I am running all over the hospital and feel quite warm. The thought of sweating more because of this drug has me concerned... :um Maybe I will just pitch the lab coat.... 

The weight loss thing would be great!!! I could definitely stand to lose a few.


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## mserychic (Oct 2, 2004)

All my meds have said don't mix with alcohol and I've only ever had problems with one. The rest just made me drunk faster. Was a long, long time ago I was on Wellbutrin but I don't remember having any issues with drinking.

I got 2 side effects from it.. made me cut way back on smoking without realizing it and turned me into a raging, fight picking idiot. I couldn't stay on it long.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

Penny said:


> The weight loss thing would be great!!! I could definitely stand to lose a few.


like any side effects -welcome or not- generally fade over time. Once you become acclimated to your dose, you may gain the weight back.

As for sweating, never had a problem with that.


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## aat556 (Jul 12, 2013)

Hey all. I'm definitely not an expert on meds, but I personally have been on my fair share dealing with social anxiety and panic disorder for a long time now. I currently do not take meds for my social anxiety because I have found that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective for ME long term. Side effects do NOT agree with me. Every person is different. My husband, on the other hand, takes Wellbutrin for clinical depression. And I would like to throw this out there that I do not recommend taking this med if you are a regular drinker. He gets to the extreme down side of depression if he gets a few beers in him. I mean to the point of exaggerating everything I say to make me sound like I am complaining about him or that I think he is a bad person. He will put himself in the doghouse and I wouldn't have even said or done anything. He just thinks that I think that lowly of him. It is so sad and pitiful because I know he suffers from depression but I also know that he would not be saying/doing any of these things if he had just stuck to 3 beers. It is really stressful on our relationship because we both enjoy a night out on the town but I know that after a few, the night ends up with me feeling like a bad person and him feeling even worse. If you like to drink, please do NOT take Wellbutrin. Just wanted to vent this to other people who might be on the fence about taking a med that restricts alcohol consumption.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

I'm getting drunk on wellbutrin right now
He prob needs to let some stuff out
NE drugs effect emotions 
I remember reading up on it because after starting Reboxetin I would get emo on all kinds of stuff


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## radergan (Jun 11, 2013)

Wellbutrin and alcohol was really weird for me. It came with the mental affects of being drunk without the physical ones.

If you're in a social scenario, monitor how much you drink really closely and make sure to gauge how you feel mentally every half hour or so before having another drink.


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