Wellbutrin and Alcohol

[AaronADHD]

Hey everyone I started wellbutrin about 1.5 weeks ago and I am slowly starting to feel it working I think. Unfortuantely one of the issues that I think I am going to have with this medication is the fact that I am in college and as I am sure most of you know in college people drink. I have read about lowered seizure threshold while n wellbutrin and drinkin. Does anyone have any experience with this. I dont drink that often, usually I will have a beer or 2 with my friends some nights, and maybe once every 2-3 weeks I will go to a party and drink a little heavier. I know I can cut back, but I am still in college, and cutting out all activites that I do with my friends because I am taking meds is probably gonna be out of the question. Thanks for the help. Just for the record I have done reasearch on this drug and its interactions with alcohol, but didnt find all the answers Im looking for.

Aaron

[happymonkey]

when I was taking wellbutrin, I think there was a warning on the label not to drink, risk of dizziness, etc. and I have also read about increased seizure risk with the combination (I can't think of sources, now, though, just web research). I'd be careful with it (I did end up drinking occasionally and moderately (1 or 2 drinks) on it without ill effect, but the warning is out there. )

[Sc@tterBr@in_UK]

Personally I hardly fancy alcohol any more on Wellbutrin, and a small drink lasts ages, so for me it's not a problem.

[AaronADHD]

First hand last night, I had a pretty good amount of drinks with ym friends and definately was feeling it with no side effects at all, so I think if i only drink once in a while on the wellbutrin I should be fine.

Aaron

[Dogg]

I think the seizure issues are more towards the next day. Alcoholics have to worry about seizures if they dont get their alcohol.

So after a night of heavy drinking seizure risks might be significantly higher the next day. I dunno

[Sc@tterBr@in_UK]

Originally Posted by Dogg

I think the seizure issues are more towards the next day. Alcoholics have to worry about seizures if they dont get their alcohol.

So after a night of heavy drinking seizure risks might be significantly higher the next day. I dunno

I am not 100% sure, but I believe this is only the case with full-on, heavy alcoholics. Alcohol also temporarily lowers the seizure threshold, AFAIK.

[kira]

I have been taking Welbutrin for 2 years now. I drink a couple a times a week since I have been taking Welbutrin and I have never had a seizure. Not saying it is O.K. everyone is different and just because I have been fine it doesn't mean eveyone would be. Just my personal experience with it.

Cara

[Imbizzy2]

Hey Aaron, I'm in the same boat as you!!! I'm in college as well and like to go out drinking with my friends. So far I haven't had any problems, I mean I've only been taking it for a few days. But I have drank a significant amount on Wellbutrin and have felt fine. I know there is a risk of seizures though, so I probably should be more careful. I dont know?

[boardtabitz]

I was told by my medical person that it was more of a risk at higher doses of wellbutrin. I always just skipped my dose rather than risk it though.

Isn't alcohol a drepressant?

[speedo]

Alcohol lowers your seizure threshold. Wellbutrin lowers your seizure threshold too.
The combination of the two cna be risky in terms of seizure risk.

Another property of wellbutrin is the fact that it blunts the effect of alcohol slightly.
It also blunts the effects of cocaines and opiates.... so don't take wellbutrin on the days you plan to go to the dentist.

Buy this I mean, you don't get much of a buzz from alcohol on wellbutrin.

With that in mind, you can run a risk of drinking a lot more than you might otherwise do, and end up far too intoxicated when the wellbutrin starts to wear off a little.

I think the correct answer to this is moderation.

ME

Originally Posted by AaronADHD

Hey everyone I started wellbutrin about 1.5 weeks ago and I am slowly starting to feel it working I think. Unfortuantely one of the issues that I think I am going to have with this medication is the fact that I am in college and as I am sure most of you know in college people drink. I have read about lowered seizure threshold while n wellbutrin and drinkin. Does anyone have any experience with this. I dont drink that often, usually I will have a beer or 2 with my friends some nights, and maybe once every 2-3 weeks I will go to a party and drink a little heavier. I know I can cut back, but I am still in college, and cutting out all activites that I do with my friends because I am taking meds is probably gonna be out of the question. Thanks for the help. Just for the record I have done reasearch on this drug and its interactions with alcohol, but didnt find all the answers Im looking for.

Aaron

[boardtabitz]

That is very interesting and makes a lot of sense. I used to love going out when I was on prozac cause it was so cheap. One drink and I was good a buzzed.

I don't quite understand the dentist thing though.

[kj78]

wellbutrin made me want alcohol even less than i normally do. i gradually worked up by having 1 or 2 drinks the first time i drank. then i had a few more the next time. everything seemed ok so i indulged heavily last weekend at my friend's bachelor party without any problems.

[rogerj1]

I think the biggest concern is the affect on your liver. Both alchohol and wellbutrin give your liver a workout.

[Mozi]

Good info about dentist visit days - I hadn't considered that Lidocaine would be affected but it makes perfect sense.

[DynamiteBritany]

I did a search for seizures and found this thread (which is great). Today, I gained a nice bit of insight, involving welbutrin and drinking and seizures. I started welbutrin 3 weeks ago and I do my fair share of drinking. I'm also a college student and I bartend at a popular club in Atlanta. Late this morning my mom and I travelled to get our hair done. Its a pretty loong storry to what i was there for. Therefore I will just say that my head was leaned back into a sink, where they shampoo and all, for maybe an hour 1/2. I wasn't uncomfortable, and loved the people that were working with my hair. Next thing I know.... I'm sitting on the floor, confused and angry that this guy kept asking me questions like ''whats your name" "where are you" "what year is it?"... I got them all wrong. I proceeded to tell the paramedic "why are you talking to me? get the hell away from me? *******." .... i was only told this by that paramedic.
I ended up having a pretty nasty seizure. I was seizuring for probaly 4 1/2-5 minutes, which is a LOT. I busted my lip and had to get stitches, came verry close to knocking my front left tooth out... thank god that It's going to be ok.

I was at the hospital for 8 or 9 hours... so much fun I'm going to see a neurolegist *sp!* I will ask him all about the effects of welbutrin and drinking. I'm geting an MRI and something else that i can't remember... so i willl make sure to post on here tomorrow afternoon with some info.
Sorry for writing 4 pages... !

<3 brittany