Posted by lil' jimi on June 19, 2003, at 22:31:16
In reply to Re: alcohol versus lexapro » lil' jimi, posted by oldhand on June 12, 2003, at 12:16:18
hi oldhand (and everybody!) !
it's been over a week since we had this exchange ... ... i regret it has been this long for me to respond ... ... .... there's a lot going on ... ...
... .... had to go to omaha last friday, for instance ...
> > hey there, Oldhand!
> > miss having you check in with us here ..... glad to hear you're hanging in there!
> >
> > a while back i replied to DC:
> > > > ... you know, Someone, not blkvettes, but somebody, a long time ago, posted about this and i got confused and thought it was Wayne (blkvettes) .... i only remember that they felt one of the effects of Lexapro for them was their desire/interest/need for alcohol had decreased and they gave up drinking as a result ....
> > > >
> > > > because alcohol is a major depressant, i understand that we, as anti-depressant users are advised to curtail our alcohol consumption ..... anyway.
> >
> > to which you were kind enough to reply with:
> > > Hi all! I am one of those people who no longer have the desire to drink alcohol since starting Lexapro. I have been taking it since November, 10 mg and I really have lost the desire to drink. Oh, it occurs to me that I want beer but then it passes very quickly. I was seriously abusing alcohol for a long time, probably self medicating. Now I barely miss it and have lost 40 pounds!!!
> > > I began with a new shrink yesterday and she increased my Lex from 10 to 20mg at my request. I have felt pretty good on the Lex at 10mg but not as well as I would like to. I am living with the elderly parents at age 53 after going on disability and letting my house go. It is quite a change for an independent like me. But I am very thankful not to have that NEED for alcohol anymore.
> > >
> >
> > and now i continue my response to your reply here:
> > even though i have not had an alcohol problem, i find it validating that it is possible that neurotransmitter dysfunction(s) that may lead to "self-medicating" with alcohol (which may well lead to alcohol abuse) could be compensated for or alleviated enough for folks to recover from alcohol dependence.
> > ....
> > please, keep us posted and
> > (you know where i get this!)
> > TAKE CARE !!!!!!!
> > ~ jim
> >
> > p.s. congratualtions on your weight loss!.... all of the ED and OCDers should get to hear about this.
> > ~ jthen you replied on the 12th of june:
> LIL Jimi, Thanks much for the encouraging words! I also have a theory that alcohol use/abuse may be the reason that so many of the AD's I've tried, pooped-out. While we are all aware of the depressant effects of alcohol, it was hard to learn that I was just negating the effects of the AD's. For me, something in the Lex seems to have replaced the craving and it (beer) does not even taste good to me anymore. I have had a few in the last six months but it didn't do what I remember it doing for me so why bother (and all those extra calories!) <grin> As a friend of mine said to me "you've probably drunk your share." And I guess I have!!!
> I'll keep you posted about the increase in Lex. Shrink seemed to want to add bi-polar to my dx and maybe some Lithium, but am keeping a mood diary for her. I sure haven't felt "real good" like the mania end of it so I am not ready to accept that yet.
> And to all you newbies........Keep on keepin on, it is worth it when the Lex kicks in for you. With wishes for peace for us all.and so june 19th, i'm replying to yours of a week ago:
you make me wonder whether it might not be common that AD failure could be connected to alcohol use.... .. i'm so far away from alcohol that i'm no judge of how it may be impacting AD users ... ... i find your theory intriguing.and you are welcome for any encouragement from me i may give ... .... pleasure's mine, mam!
you know, my gp gave be a test (multi-choice) for bp in my last office visit a month ago ... ... i failed ... had to get like 7 out of 10 .. ... i got 6 (!) ... ... gp said i might just be a cheerful person instead of bipolar (????) ... she also offered me effexor ... ... i said no thanks and went to 10mg of lex instead ...
so ... how's the new pdoc working out for you? ... i guess you haven't seen him (her?) since the 12th yet .... ... how's 20mg treating you? ... a week too soon to tell? ... .. when will the mood diary decide if you're bp? ... .... and the lithium?
.... and the change in your independence?by the bye, i'm 52 (you are not that much older than me, "old"hand) and i lost my folks last summer about this time ... lex has helped me a lot ... sorting it all out ... ... we're getting there .
hang in there! we're pulling for you!
TAKE CARE !!!!!
~ jim
poster:lil' jimi
thread:109458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/235279.html