on wellbutrin XL and want to drink..

Hello. I started taking Wellbutrin about 11 days ago. I've noticed a difference. I have more energy and not as sad. However, I like drinking about two or three times a month. And when I do drink, I usually have 4 or 5 drinks. I read that drinking while on Wellbutrin XL can lead to seizures. I went out for dinner a few nights ago with a friend and just drank 1 beer because I was scared. Is drinking 4 or 5 drinks a few times a month going to cause seizures? I'm just wondering for any of you who have taken Wellbutrin before. Thank you!

Hi Confused,

I have to agree with Shy.  You should not drink while taking anti depressants.  Not only could you have seizures, but, you are taking anti depressants to fight depression and alcohol causes depression.  So you are defeating the cause of the anti deressant. 

Also alcohol causes people to lose their inhabitions.  You have been struggling with that also.  So in my opinion you would be defeating two causes if you drink.

But also as Shy says, contact your doctor and get his/her opinion.  Though I am sure that they will most likely advise against it.

I hope that you can understand our concern for you, you have come a long way since you first come on the forum and we don't want to see you destroy that with alcohol.

Luv and hugs, Karen

Hi Confused,

It sounds like you just want to go out and get drunk.  Since, having 4 or 5 drinks is a lot in one sitting.  I've been on Wellbutrin before and made sure to talk with my doctor about whether or not I could drink on it.  She told me it was fine to have a glass of wine with dinner, but to make sure I was with a group of friends that I knew and trusted so I could find out how it would effect me before I drank.  I was specifically told not to have more than one drink a night. 

Perhaps, you might find it useful to think about why you want to drink.  For me at least, when I wanted to drink to get drunk, I knew enough that I shouldn't.  Since, the main reason I wanted to was to avoid dealing with something that was stressing me out.  Fortunately, I've found other ways to effectively deal with stress without resorting to drinking copious amounts of alcohol.

Best of luck!