Posted by francesco on February 19, 2004, at 13:02:08
In reply to NOW ALCOHOL, TOO? on Effexor????, posted by anxiety66me on February 18, 2004, at 21:58:49
> I have never really been much of a drinker. I used to make fun of folks who had to have a coctail every night. Since starting the drug I have craved alcohol every day. What the @$*%&? This is totally not me. Hey, it's better than illegal drugs, but dang! Anyone else got this going on?
Yes. Every time I'm on meds I drink much more than I usually do. And I mean ... much more. I experienced this on Anafranil, Prozac, Celexa and Paxil (all serotoninergic meds as you can see).
I have made researches on this issue because I couldn't believe it was just in my head. I found that Ann Blake Tracy, the writer of "Prozac, Panacea or Pandora", adfirms that many SSRI users have 'craving for alcohol' as a 'side-effect' of the med. You can easily find this info on the web. I have also talked about this to my previous psychiatrist but he laughed about it. Of course.Anyway, I know it's real, at least for me, and that I'm not alone. Anyway, I don't know what to do about it, I'm off meds now, but one of the one hundred reasons I'm scared to come back to meds is this alcohol thing. Last time I take Imipramine, for just three days at the ridicolous dosage of 10mg, it happened again. One evening I had something like 5 or 6 cocktails in a pub and they were not cheap and I'm not rich. I just couldn't stop. I had been several years on Anafranil and every damned evening I went out I *had* to drink (and I'm not talking about a glass or wine or two). Some time I stayed at home on purpose to avoid drinking !
I think a psychiatrist could say that antidepressant make me drink, because they make me nervous and that this happens because I'm bipolar II. Can be. But I'm not SO sure about it.
I just don't drink that much when I'm not on meds, and more important thing, I don't *crave* for alcohol. Thing like these scare me. You've helped me to remember, when I'm off meds I tend to forget the things that happen me when I am on them. Keep on sharing, you're not alone.
poster:francesco
thread:315028
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040218/msgs/315663.html