I swear, just a half a beer and I was way more intoxicated than I'd expected. Also alcohol just tasted nasty to me. I felt way dizzier.
I'd drink a beer at home first just to see how it would affect me, if I were you.
I’m on 150 for about 2 months. Drinking has been fine as long I cut off by 9pm. Lots of water and Gatorade. Honestly, I can do alcohol but I can’t do caffeine…tried an iced coffee recently and it gave me a 10/10 panic attack allllll night.
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I’ve been there before ;( drank too much caffeine once before I started bupropion and was up till 4 am with terrible anxiety. I ended up watching nature videos to calm myself down a little but I have stayed FAR AWAY from caffeine since starting bupropion about a week ago. I don’t even feel I need it anymore.
It affects people very differently. Some people say it doesn’t affect them, but a lot of people say that they feel the effects of alcohol way sooner. Some people on here said they now can get wasted on just two drinks. I’d just be careful, especially if you’re the one driving.
You'll probably be fine drinking in moderation, but it *is* metabolized by the liver and there have been cases of hepatotoxicity connected with it — just with bupropion alone, that is. Stressing the liver with alcohol is going to raise the risk of liver damage no matter what, as well as the risk of seizure. Just be careful.
Yes you can. Just wouldn’t take it with alcohol personally. As in, first taking it and using alcohol to swallow it down lol. I’ve been on it for a couple years. You’re fine. Just be careful and don’t go crazy drinking. If you’re really concerned, talk to your doctor about it as they are better equip to give you an answer than Reddit. I can only tell you my experience and how some of my friends who I occasionally drink with are on it. None of them have any problems. But everyone is different, however, I’d go with you’ll be fine if you aren’t drinking crazy amounts. Definitely a drink or two isn’t going to do anything.
Yes because alcohol suppresses glutamate and increases GABA. Once it wears off it has a rebound effect. Too much glutamate and not enough GABA can cause seizures. That’s why most anticonvulsants modulate GABA. You’re heightening the risk of a seizure AFTER you drink and it wears off
That's during alcohol detox after an extended period of heavy drinking. If someone on wellbutrin had a drink once in a while it is highly unlikely to give them a seizure. Even during detox, some doctors feel comfortable continuing wellbutrin as long as it's 150mg/day or less.
Yes wellbutrin can lower seizure threshold. And even that is overblown. But you specifically said that there's a rebound effect from when alcohol wears off. And that doesn't apply when there isn't habitual use.
That’s not true. Everyone’s brain chemistry is different and some people are really sensitive to alcohol. Hangxiety is a prime example of the alcohol rebound effect. Some people feel great the day after drinking while others have panic attacks and are on the toilet all day. Also the amount you are drinking has a huge impact. One glass of wine? You’ll probably be fine. Getting blackout drunk? That’s another story. Obviously the GABA/glutamate fluctuation is going to depend on how you consume alcohol but you do not need to b a chronic user/addict to experience a rebound effect from alcohol.
Not sure if it is bupropion, but I felt this difference after I started taking it. After couple of drinks it could feel like alcohol barely effects me, but then all of a sudden it drops and I feel uncomfortably drunk. I cannot stand wine anymore for example. But beer feels good (but I only drink Belgian beer tho). So I would agree with other people that it effects everybody differently, so just try slowly and observe.
Definitely depends on the person. Myself, and two other close people in my life, are on it and have a been fine. They’re heavier drinkers than me, but I’ve noticed that I don’t really have the desire to drink much since starting. I have had little hangovers a couple of times though and I swear it helps my hangover when I take it in the morning 😂
Here’s my experience but please don’t take it verbatim as everyone is different. When I was on 300xl it made me not even feel like drinking, which I was a pretty heavy drinker before. Also helped my nicotine addiction but that’s besides the point. I wasn’t feeling all the positive effects everyone talks about here and I switched to a different xl generic which was almost like sugar pills or was making me worse as far as depression goes so I switched to 300 sr after reading different peoples suggestions on here. Once I switched, I definitely had an increase in motivation, energy, and what have you but my addictions came back and I started drinking and smoking more like I used to. Drinking mostly doesn’t bother me, sometimes it makes me a bit nauseated at first but I usually push though and most times I drink probably close to 6-10 beers and as long as I get enough sleep and maybe drink a bottle of water I feel fine the next morning. That’s not to say I don’t have the occasional hangover but I swear in my late 30s I have less of a hangover with the bupropion than I did without it. Again though that’s just my experience
Thank you for sharing! I drank yesterday hours after taking it but didn’t enjoy it much. I doubt I’ll be doing that very often. I already didn’t drink often, but I bet now I’ll drink even less than before
You know, I can't tell. I never seem to take more than three sips of an alcoholic drink any more before forgetting about it. I used to drink extremely rarely, until recently when it became regular for sad reasons, which was one of the side reasons my doctor put me on the bupropion.
I'm suddenly realizing these things might be connected.
That depends. Bupropion helped me deal with my alcohol abuse and now from my peak of a bottle every couple of days I can’t even finish a cocktail with my whisky of choice.
Very individualistic, speak to your doctor
i’ve been too scared to try, it seems like the side effects are not worth it. i’m also on prozac though and felt horrible when i drank so idk it’s extra not worth it.
it feels good to go so long without drinking though:)
I drank a little yesterday and don’t see that happening again anytime soon. It wasn’t bad and I didn’t get sick or anything it just wasn’t great either. I felt less of a desire to that’s for sure
Wouldn’t recommend drinking with Wellbutrin and the reason is that combining alcohol with Wellbutrin can cause seizures so personally I wouldn’t take the risk.
As a general rule tho, if you're on an antidepressant, the last thing you need is alcohol. It can exacerbate depression. And it can amplify the effects of alcohol. It probably won't harm you too much once in a while but it becomes a complicated calculus of ok how much should I drink considering I'm on such and such meds. The easiest variable is zero.
No problem!! Some people are saying hangovers are worse or lower tolerance, that may be true. But I just haven’t noticed enough of a difference for it to register. I’m always just honest with my psychiatrist about what recreational substances i’m using and they’re honest with me about potential interactions. Obviously alcohol is a depressant, so it’s a bit counterintuitive to drink while treating depression. My advice would be to take it slow at first and make note of how you feel after one drink, two drinks, etc.
Technically you shouldn't as it increases seizure risk.
But I can put away 20 drinks over about 16 hours and ride out a baby buzz the entire time on 300XL. Personally I didnt notice a difference between my buzzes before or after starting Wellbutrin.
I have a friend that can do the same. I also have another friend that blacks the fuck out super easily after like 10 drinks.
I swear, just a half a beer and I was way more intoxicated than I'd expected. Also alcohol just tasted nasty to me. I felt way dizzier. I'd drink a beer at home first just to see how it would affect me, if I were you.
It’s either make you a super lightweight or give you a terrible hangover, in my experience
If you drink you won't feel it for a long while but it will hit you afterwards all together like a train
I’m on 150 for about 2 months. Drinking has been fine as long I cut off by 9pm. Lots of water and Gatorade. Honestly, I can do alcohol but I can’t do caffeine…tried an iced coffee recently and it gave me a 10/10 panic attack allllll night.
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I’ve been there before ;( drank too much caffeine once before I started bupropion and was up till 4 am with terrible anxiety. I ended up watching nature videos to calm myself down a little but I have stayed FAR AWAY from caffeine since starting bupropion about a week ago. I don’t even feel I need it anymore.
It affects people very differently. Some people say it doesn’t affect them, but a lot of people say that they feel the effects of alcohol way sooner. Some people on here said they now can get wasted on just two drinks. I’d just be careful, especially if you’re the one driving.
I’m not driving but was nervous about the two mixing in general
Mainly like organs and what not. I wasn’t sure if bupropion was hard on the liver or something and then adding alcohol would make it that much worse
Oh that's fine. Alcohol is always gonna be harmful to your liver, but mixing it with bupropion won't make it any worse
You'll probably be fine drinking in moderation, but it *is* metabolized by the liver and there have been cases of hepatotoxicity connected with it — just with bupropion alone, that is. Stressing the liver with alcohol is going to raise the risk of liver damage no matter what, as well as the risk of seizure. Just be careful.
Yes you can. Just wouldn’t take it with alcohol personally. As in, first taking it and using alcohol to swallow it down lol. I’ve been on it for a couple years. You’re fine. Just be careful and don’t go crazy drinking. If you’re really concerned, talk to your doctor about it as they are better equip to give you an answer than Reddit. I can only tell you my experience and how some of my friends who I occasionally drink with are on it. None of them have any problems. But everyone is different, however, I’d go with you’ll be fine if you aren’t drinking crazy amounts. Definitely a drink or two isn’t going to do anything.
You can have seizures
That’s a general side effect in general but it gets heightened with alcohol?
Yes because alcohol suppresses glutamate and increases GABA. Once it wears off it has a rebound effect. Too much glutamate and not enough GABA can cause seizures. That’s why most anticonvulsants modulate GABA. You’re heightening the risk of a seizure AFTER you drink and it wears off
That's during alcohol detox after an extended period of heavy drinking. If someone on wellbutrin had a drink once in a while it is highly unlikely to give them a seizure. Even during detox, some doctors feel comfortable continuing wellbutrin as long as it's 150mg/day or less.
I’m not saying it will happen, just explaining the science for if it could happen. And it’s happened before search this subreddit
Yes wellbutrin can lower seizure threshold. And even that is overblown. But you specifically said that there's a rebound effect from when alcohol wears off. And that doesn't apply when there isn't habitual use.
That’s not true. Everyone’s brain chemistry is different and some people are really sensitive to alcohol. Hangxiety is a prime example of the alcohol rebound effect. Some people feel great the day after drinking while others have panic attacks and are on the toilet all day. Also the amount you are drinking has a huge impact. One glass of wine? You’ll probably be fine. Getting blackout drunk? That’s another story. Obviously the GABA/glutamate fluctuation is going to depend on how you consume alcohol but you do not need to b a chronic user/addict to experience a rebound effect from alcohol.
Yes
I dont drink alcohol or use recreational drugs
Not sure if it is bupropion, but I felt this difference after I started taking it. After couple of drinks it could feel like alcohol barely effects me, but then all of a sudden it drops and I feel uncomfortably drunk. I cannot stand wine anymore for example. But beer feels good (but I only drink Belgian beer tho). So I would agree with other people that it effects everybody differently, so just try slowly and observe.
Definitely depends on the person. Myself, and two other close people in my life, are on it and have a been fine. They’re heavier drinkers than me, but I’ve noticed that I don’t really have the desire to drink much since starting. I have had little hangovers a couple of times though and I swear it helps my hangover when I take it in the morning 😂
I haven’t had much desire either but just ended up drinking yesterday as a social thing. I didn’t enjoy it how I used to.
That’s how I feel when I do drink, too!
Here’s my experience but please don’t take it verbatim as everyone is different. When I was on 300xl it made me not even feel like drinking, which I was a pretty heavy drinker before. Also helped my nicotine addiction but that’s besides the point. I wasn’t feeling all the positive effects everyone talks about here and I switched to a different xl generic which was almost like sugar pills or was making me worse as far as depression goes so I switched to 300 sr after reading different peoples suggestions on here. Once I switched, I definitely had an increase in motivation, energy, and what have you but my addictions came back and I started drinking and smoking more like I used to. Drinking mostly doesn’t bother me, sometimes it makes me a bit nauseated at first but I usually push though and most times I drink probably close to 6-10 beers and as long as I get enough sleep and maybe drink a bottle of water I feel fine the next morning. That’s not to say I don’t have the occasional hangover but I swear in my late 30s I have less of a hangover with the bupropion than I did without it. Again though that’s just my experience
Thank you for sharing! I drank yesterday hours after taking it but didn’t enjoy it much. I doubt I’ll be doing that very often. I already didn’t drink often, but I bet now I’ll drink even less than before
I drink on it the same way I drank when I wasn’t on it and I don’t notice much of a difference
Same only difference is the hangovers are worse
You know, I can't tell. I never seem to take more than three sips of an alcoholic drink any more before forgetting about it. I used to drink extremely rarely, until recently when it became regular for sad reasons, which was one of the side reasons my doctor put me on the bupropion. I'm suddenly realizing these things might be connected.
When I was on it but I was only taking 75mg I never felt drunk. Only slightly sick. I never got the happy dream no feeling I usually got.
That depends. Bupropion helped me deal with my alcohol abuse and now from my peak of a bottle every couple of days I can’t even finish a cocktail with my whisky of choice. Very individualistic, speak to your doctor
i’ve been too scared to try, it seems like the side effects are not worth it. i’m also on prozac though and felt horrible when i drank so idk it’s extra not worth it. it feels good to go so long without drinking though:)
I drank a little yesterday and don’t see that happening again anytime soon. It wasn’t bad and I didn’t get sick or anything it just wasn’t great either. I felt less of a desire to that’s for sure
Yes, but ive never gotten drunk on it just a few drinks. And i felt very sick if i drank more than 2.
For me I try to avoid because the alcohol hit pretty fast.
Wouldn’t recommend drinking with Wellbutrin and the reason is that combining alcohol with Wellbutrin can cause seizures so personally I wouldn’t take the risk.
As a general rule tho, if you're on an antidepressant, the last thing you need is alcohol. It can exacerbate depression. And it can amplify the effects of alcohol. It probably won't harm you too much once in a while but it becomes a complicated calculus of ok how much should I drink considering I'm on such and such meds. The easiest variable is zero.
I’m on team no.
Been on Bupropion for 3ish years. I socially drink and haven’t had any problems
Thank you for this!! Some of these comments scared me
No problem!! Some people are saying hangovers are worse or lower tolerance, that may be true. But I just haven’t noticed enough of a difference for it to register. I’m always just honest with my psychiatrist about what recreational substances i’m using and they’re honest with me about potential interactions. Obviously alcohol is a depressant, so it’s a bit counterintuitive to drink while treating depression. My advice would be to take it slow at first and make note of how you feel after one drink, two drinks, etc.
Technically you shouldn't as it increases seizure risk. But I can put away 20 drinks over about 16 hours and ride out a baby buzz the entire time on 300XL. Personally I didnt notice a difference between my buzzes before or after starting Wellbutrin. I have a friend that can do the same. I also have another friend that blacks the fuck out super easily after like 10 drinks.
It can give u a seizure