Author Topic: This seems counterintuitive but....  (Read 821 times)

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Bacchus7

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This seems counterintuitive but....
« on: December 14, 2008, 03:33:22 AM »
I am a heavy drinker. I've never been honest with anyone about how much I drink, but it's 15-20 drinks a night, three days a week. Recently I was prescribed generic Wellbutrin: Bupropion. Ever since I've taken it I drink the same amount, but don't black out like I usually do. Most of the anecdotes I've found online relay the opposite, that people tend to black out much quicker and generally become incapacitated at an accelerated rate. I don't really understand this--it seems awesome that I can drink a lot and still remember the whole night, but I fear it might be at a great cost to my health. I hope TVC and drewsy are online for this one.
DTF

TVC15

  • Laugh when you can, it’s cheap medicine -LB
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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2008, 03:53:57 AM »
I don't know all that much about Wellbutrin.  I know it's not an SSRI.  From some quick reading, alcohol intake will increase the speed at which wellbutrin is metabolized, which (likely) would amplify the effect of the wellbutrin.  Wellbutrin is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and I think increasing the speed at which it is metabolized would probably cause unpredictable behavior. It'd basically be mixing a depressant (alcohol), which normally would slow down the effects of dopamine and norepinephrine, with a drug whose purpose is to increase those very effects.

Maybe Smooth can show up to drop some knowledge.  Some notes online seem to indicate that moderate amounts of alcohol are okay, and there are also some indications that altering your intake of alcohol (ie. drinking a lot more than usual, or even CUTTING DOWN on the amount you drink) can also cause unpredictable behavior (since changing intake would alter the metabolism your body is used to, I suppose).

If you're talking to someone that's prescribing you wellbutrin, I'd be honest to him about your alcohol intake.  Again, I really don't know wellbutrin, but it seems that different people have vastly different experiences mixing alcohol with it.  I do have to say that it's the first antidepressant I've read of where they don't flat out say "do not mix with alcohol."
serge

Bacchus7

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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2008, 04:15:16 AM »
Thx for the input!
« Last Edit: December 14, 2008, 11:09:23 AM by Bacchus7 »
DTF

Don Flamenco

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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2008, 01:20:37 PM »
I used to take it and never noticed any harsh side effects from mixing it with alcohol.  Except that the power of alcohol outweighed the drug's cigarette crave-killing effects (it's the same active ingredient as zyban.)  I'm an occasional drinker though, get drunk once every few months, so it wasn't as pertinent for me.  I was more worried about the toll it takes on the liver--pills and alcohol destroy it pretty fast.

drew

  • sy
  • Senior Member
Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2008, 08:25:25 PM »
i saw your edit  :lol

i dunno.  all i know is antidepressants are bad and doctors should be jailed for warcrimes involving them

recursivelyenumerable

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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2008, 10:11:53 PM »
Quote
I've never been honest with anyone about how much I drink, but it's 15-20 drinks a night, three days a week.

!!!! what constitutes a "drink" here?
QED

ch1nchilla

  • Senior Member
Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2008, 10:50:54 PM »
15-20 drinks a night, three days a week.

College.

Brehvolution

  • Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.
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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2008, 11:07:29 PM »
So what does this say for me?

I drink 6-9 beer every night. I have for the past few years.

Something about 8PM that just clicks with me, so I drink. The kids are in bed and I have nothing better to do than play game/internet/watch TV.

I drink much more when playing say Civ:4 than I do playing FO3.

Is it cheaper to drink than to take pills to make you drink less?
©ZH

drew

  • sy
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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2008, 11:13:23 PM »
i drank a 30 pk in one night last week :dizzy

drew

  • sy
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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2008, 11:19:27 PM »
eh

ch1nchilla

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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2008, 07:22:58 PM »
I used to be the same as Bacchus7, but now that I've started to run basically every night, I've found it easier to not drink and to focus on other things. I'd say I probably drink hard about one night per week right now, but I'm sure that'll change when I go home for Christmas break and all there is to do really is party and play videogames. (Bringing home the Wii, 360, AND PS2 wooo woooooo)

Cormacaroni

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Re: This seems counterintuitive but....
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2008, 07:38:09 PM »
What is counterintuitive about a dude calling himself Bacchus being a heavy drinker ???

vjj