Taking anti-depressants and drinking - Al-Anon Family Group

ilovedogs · ~*Service Worker*~

Taking anti-depressants and drinking

Bettina · ~*Service Worker*~

Ilovedogs,

Im not a medical Dr., but drinking with meds are not a good thing.

My X's Dr., gave him Prozac and the Dr. knew my X was an alcoholic, the Dr. said"you promise not to drink"
(yeah right), within a few days, my X was drinking and taking Prozac and falling all over the place. He was never a pill taker, but he told me "he liked the high".

He fell down the stairs, almost choked to death in his sleep, I had to call the Paramedics. It was a nitemare.

I found the Prozac and threw it down the toilet, I couldnt deal with two substances, drinking was enough.

Paxil is for depresssion, not sure it helps passive agressive people, is their a med for that? I think being drunk is worse.

You should check with the Dr., after all you have to deal and live with it.

My best to you, Bettina

Pushka · ~*Service Worker*~

Hugs ILD,

I agree with Bettina .. there are warnings ALL OVER the bottles about drinking and mixing meds. It can cause someone to go into a coma and never come out of it. Paxil is what my A was on and he had more "blackouts" during that time and it even escalated his drinking.

I hope that his doctor is aware of the fact he's dealing with an alcoholic and personally I find it suspect that any dr who is aware of someone's drinking issue would not say something maybe it's wishful thinking on your A's part nothing was said. Again I'm not a dr I know what we went through and just like Bettina said it was frightening.

I truly hope and pray that your AH's experience is different than what mine went through.

Hugs P :)

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

Aloha B...there all mind and mood altering chemicals and he is taking anti-depressants while drinking a liquid depressant. Alcohol is a depressant. Still you're powerless his condition is about his management and consequences. This isn't your responsibility.

He can read labels and google or any other search for the experience and awareness of the professionals and he wants to drink...wants to...if the world was going to end today he would want to drink thru it and maybe even more than just a beer or two.

I've worked with alot of alcoholic and addicts and use to listen to their logic all the time usually I would respond HUH? How did you arrive at that conclusion? to which many of them use to respond to me...what's a conclusion?

Alcoholism is a disease of the mind body,spirit,emotions; mind first cause that is the first place the booze goes to. This is HP time.

If you're not hitting the face to face Al-Anon meetings in your area I hope you go for the support very soon. (((((hugs))))) smile

Doozy · Senior Member

Hi ilovedogs :)

From what I've seen, these types of medication often take several weeks before they're in full effect. 1.5 weeks seems pretty quick. I would also be concerned about mixing these medications with alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and is generally not a good substance to mix with antidepressants or sleep aids - increased risk of overdose among other things.

I'm sorry I don't remember, is your husband in a recovery program or other counseling for his depression and anxiety? Are you attending face-to-face meetings and working the Alanon program? I do think that would be helpful for you with this kind of issue. It's good that he seems to be feeling better, but it sounds like he's playing a dangerous game that is not likely to lead to a real healthy recovery without additional help. It must also be very hard on you and I do think Alanon can help balance the loving concern and healthy detachment needed here.

Best wishes,

~Doozy

ilovedogs · ~*Service Worker*~

As most of you know, my dh is not in a program of any kind nor does he consider himself an alcoholic or ex-alcoholic. He quit drinking for 15 years, just because. He says it was a lifestyle choice and had nothing to do with addiction. So, I doubt that he even mentioned alcohol to his psychologist or his psychiatrist. He just says that no one mentioned it so it must not be a problem, right?

And, yes, Doozy, he does feel better already. The meds kicked in within a few days, and even I was amazed. It was truly noticeable even though they did tell him that it would take a few weeks to kick in. I have continued to warn him that alcohol is a depressant and that it shouldn't be mixed with an AD, but he wants to have a beer or 2 every so often and he's going to do it, no matter what I say.

And, Pushka, there are no warnings on the bottles of either of his meds about NOT mixing with alcohol. I had to go the the website for Paxil and read it for myself and the manufacturer doesn't really go into detail except to say that "patients should be warned about drinking alcohol while on paxil." That's it, no actual true warning that might get you to think twice like: "Hey stupid: if you take this medication and drink alcohol you may end up in a coma or in a blackout. Sounds like fun, right?" NOPE: just a one line warning about not drinking while on it. UGH: pharmaceutical companies!

Pushka · ~*Service Worker*~

Ild hugs, I'm very shocked my a was told by 3 different professionals and it was on the bottle too. Like you said he's going to do what he wants. I remember how upset I was and he was told 2x in front of me. My support is with you both and I really hope this helps your husband. Hugs P ;)

Debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

I guess for me it is his business. If he cared he could ask the doc or look it up. He is an adult, we have no control over anyone but us.

I wonder if it is getting under your skin because one might be inviting it there.

Hugs,debilyn

Pushka · ~*Service Worker*~

I'm going to go against the grain on this one, .. it's not a point of being right; it's a point of what is right for me. I just want to say what is right for me is not right for everyone else.

We have young kids 7, 12. My A's actions regarding the drinking and taking script meds is my business, as it's not just about him. For me it's the situation, if it were just him and myself then I'm ok with that, I still personally don't want to find my A dead or in a coma, I'm an adult I had a choice in starting the relationship and continuing it. I deal with the consequences of my own choices.

The idea that our kids were going to walk in and find their dad dead or in a coma, no way, as soon as my A starts doing something that directly affects the emotional mental/health and well being of our kids then his buiness becomes about me being a parent first. As a parent I am first responsible to and for my children and their safety. It's actaully pretty simple, I really don't care if he drinks or not, that's on him. Of course I would prefer he wouldn't however .. ehe .. what can I do? Not much. When he puts his health on the line by doing exactly what the dr's have told him not to, then after the 3rd time he continued to drink, prescription meds, drive and so on. I put him out of the house until he decided what he was going to do about the meds and drinking. The situation took care of itself because that's where the DUI came into play. He is accountable for his choices, doesn't matter that he has a disease, he is still responsbile for his choices.

Again just me and him totally diffferent take on what is or is not my business, and this is what works for me in providing a safe home for our kids. My A is fully aware that if he puts me in a sitaution of choosing the relationship I have with him or damaging the kids .. he has to go. I truly love my husband with all that I am, it's not a matter of I no longer care, if I didn't believe me I would have been gone after the first incident years ago. I would hope he would take the same action if the shoe was on the other foot. If I was the one who was damaging the kids on that level or if he was told directly if I continued a specific behavior I would die or worse linger on endlessly. Our kids had no choice in this situation, they did not ask for any of this all they did was bless us with their presence in our home and whatever dysfunction or addiction is in the house has nothing to do with them. That is on the adults of the home and I like to think we have a pretty open line of communication on that lines. They understand or at least know what's going on to the point of what is age appropriate. Again it's not that dad is a bad guy, dad is reaping the consequences of some bad choices he's made this last year and those are my A's words to the kids.

Once again, while this thought process may not work for everyone or everyone may not agree with it .. it's what I do and it works for me. It's because I choose to look at this from a different angle as having kids in the house.

Hugs P :)

Bettina · ~*Service Worker*~

I dont live with the alcoholic anymore.

All my decisions about how to react to my X who I was living with at the time when he was drinking and taking prozac at the time, were about ME and my protection.
Not all of us have the same experiences with the alcoholic. To say it is not our business is not realistic. If you have a person (husband, etc.) who is falling and dying all over your home , its hard to ignore
the big elephant in the room. The one act of taking that prozac pill made my life unbearable, and it was not doing anything for his mood either. Except making him very high. The other decision of throwing them away, brought my life back to me being able to stand him. IF a man, woman or child is choking in there sleep and is in distress you call the paramedics, alcoholic or not.
A Dr. takes an oath to save dying people, if a Dr. can do that, wouldnt a wife call for help or just sit there and say "this is none of my business".

Every issue that the addict brings to your life is your call and your call alone, you are the one living with your decisions. I am Humane first above all.

-- Edited by Bettina on Tuesday 16th of August 2011 05:37:22 PM

The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.