Posted by Larry Hoover on December 30, 2002, at 8:35:34
In reply to !Alcohol's effect on efficacy of antidepressants??, posted by wcfrench on December 29, 2002, at 18:44:39
> Has anyone experienced an increase in feeling depressed after drinking alcohol? I know that sounds very redundant, but I mean more like a lack of response from meds spanning from the next day to possibly several days later...
>
> I didn't have any alcohol for about two months, then I began going out with some friends. I drank 3, 4, 5 beers some nights, 2 or 3 on others, and got drunk a couple of times. Overall I went out and "drank" about 4-5 times over the course of a few weeks. I began to feel the demons come back again, and I am wondering if it is because of the alcohol? I take lithium, zoloft, and wellbutrin. I know that alcohol metabolizes in the liver (and pretty much causes the liver to work very hard) and so therefore could cause medicine to not be metabolized as efficiently, or at all. I'm familiar with this, but does anyone know the span of this effect (IE it could affect it for the next week or so) or if this could happen from only 1-2 drinks? It seems I've slipped a little more and more while decreasing my alcohol intake (because of this) but the last time I drank I had only 2 drinks, not hard liquor, and the next few days I feel very depressed... and what confuses me is that the very next day is not even when it seems to hit the hardest. Is this the alcohol? Any help greatly appreciated.
>
> Happy holidays all.
> Take care,
> CharlieCharlie, you have been drinking at a level which could easily totally negate any benefit arising from your antidepressant. Alcohol affects so many different biochemical pathways that it really is a broad-spectrum stressor. And, if you drink again before your body can rebound from the last episode, the stresses are additive. It's like trying to run a second race before you've got your breath back from running the first one. And, if you go on to a third race, and a fourth.....
I strongly urge you to stop drinking at all. Go out, but drink virgin Ceasars or something. Get the social, but leave the booze out of the picture. You don't have to explain anything to your friends. Just say you like remaining sober.
You've probably depleted your body's B-vitamins substantially, and lost significant amounts of some minerals in your urine during these drinking episodes. Double up on a good B-complex for a few days, and take a good multi-vitamin as well.
All the best in the New Year,
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:133712
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021230/msgs/133779.html