Celexa and alcohol

Thanks! If i feel well out of sorts, I'm going to leave. My hubby will be coming with me, at least we'll have a sort of 'date' we had kids 21/2 yrs ago, and still haven't gone out or celebrated our anniversary - 5yrs New years eve.. so I'm taking this opportunity to have fun...I will trust my instincts to leave if need be...

Joined: Dec 14, 2006

Comments: 161

Good for you! Have fun!

Sandifer

Well I had my holiday party with work. It was impressive! I'm glad that I went.. I did have more than 2 glasses of wine however.. and a few smokes.. but alas, it all turned out ok.. i hope.. today is my first day back at work, and we'll see if there are any roomers.. the only thing I can imagine is smoking, believe it or not.. I'm not a smoker.. my hubby hates it.. and got pretty pissed at the fact I did.. noticably.. but I hope it all worked out.. i had tonnes of fun, and held my composure.. that'll do me now till next year :) And no, it didn't help with any hangovers.. I was soooo tired the next day.. maybe cause I slept for only 2hrs..:)
cheers!!

Joined: Dec 14, 2006

Comments: 161

Glad that it worked out for you.
Now, stay clear of the coughing (coffin) nails. Alcohol is one thing, but tobacco....
I used to smoke a (European, 25 cigs) pack a day and it took me going to hell and back to beat that filthy habit and I'm not even sure whether I did.
Mrs. Meerkat hates it when I smoke too and so do the little meerkats so there's an incentive of monumental proportions.
Stay warm and happy.

Celeste

Since i have been on celexa i have craving smokes every day. I quit two years ago. Normal?

Joined: Dec 14, 2006

Comments: 161

Not sure. As stated before, I used to be a heavy smoker, but since I've been on citalopram, I've found it within me to stay clear of the stink-sticks. Still have a craving pang or two on occasion, mind you! Nothing unmanageable though and sometimes when it gets really nasty I chew one of those filthy nicotine-gums. That generally cures me for a while.

Sandifer

Celeste wrote:

Since i have been on celexa i have craving smokes every day. I quit two years ago. Normal?

I used to smoke for a long time, and quit 2yrs ago, and now, I only crave smoking socially... how're you doing? I've been on celexe for 3 weeks now..

Celeste

sandy wrote:

<quoted text>
I used to smoke for a long time, and quit 2yrs ago, and now, I only crave smoking socially... how're you doing? I've been on celexe for 3 weeks now..

I have been on celexa now for about three weeks. I am less angry and i find that i can cope with life alot better. Sometimes i still feel sad and anxious . I am also seeing a therapist, he is helping me cope with unresolved issues. I continue to crave smoking especially when i drink. i have been drinking alot more now too. How are you doing?

Bangalee

Celeste wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been on celexa now for about three weeks. I am less angry and i find that i can cope with life alot better. Sometimes i still feel sad and anxious . I am also seeing a therapist, he is helping me cope with unresolved issues. I continue to crave smoking especially when i drink. i have been drinking alot more now too. How are you doing?

I quit smoking nearly 3 years ago. A few months later I started drinking, but only on weekends. About a year after I quit smoking I had to go back on Celexa after having been off it for 5 years. This past summer Wellbutrin was added. My drinking steadily increased over the past 2 years and now I'm drinking 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 ounces/day. That works out to about 2.5 40-ounce bottles of rum per week!

So while I've beaten the smoking habit, I've only traded one vice for another. Celeste, my advice to you is to either not drink at all or be very vigilant about the amount you drink before you end up out of control as I am.

I wouldn't say I'm an alcoholic; then again I haven't tried going off the booze for more than a few days. I'm definitely a "problem drinker". However the drinking hasn't affected my performance at work, no more sick days than usual and I don't have any ill effects (hangover) the next morning, so it seems as if I've been drinking these past two years without any consequences, but I'm sure if I continue at this rate my health will fail me sooner or later. So be careful!

Celeste

Thank you so much for your advice. I can't stop thinking about drinking or smoking. It's like all my negative thoughts i used to have before celexa has been replaced with thoughts about drinking and smoking. i am concerned about where this might lead me. I have had issues with alcohol and drugs in the past. Hopefully, i can keep all these cravings under control. i don't want to go down that road again. Thanks again Bangalee.

Bangalee wrote:

<quoted text>
I quit smoking nearly 3 years ago. A few months later I started drinking, but only on weekends. About a year after I quit smoking I had to go back on Celexa after having been off it for 5 years. This past summer Wellbutrin was added. My drinking steadily increased over the past 2 years and now I'm drinking 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 ounces/day. That works out to about 2.5 40-ounce bottles of rum per week!
So while I've beaten the smoking habit, I've only traded one vice for another. Celeste, my advice to you is to either not drink at all or be very vigilant about the amount you drink before you end up out of control as I am.
I wouldn't say I'm an alcoholic; then again I haven't tried going off the booze for more than a few days. I'm definitely a "problem drinker". However the drinking hasn't affected my performance at work, no more sick days than usual and I don't have any ill effects (hangover) the next morning, so it seems as if I've been drinking these past two years without any consequences, but I'm sure if I continue at this rate my health will fail me sooner or later. So be careful!

Joined: Dec 14, 2006

Comments: 161

Hey Bangalee, It looks like you and I have more than a bit in common where it concerns drinking and smoking and how 'Lady Celexa' casts her spells on us. The drinking part is very recognizable and I went that route until my doctor showed me my liver-enzymes score. It's all nice and dandy to be able to drink with near impunity in the sense of immediate bodily repercussions like hangovers. If, OTOH, when taking into account what it does to my liver, not to mention the wipeout of my brain-cells of course, I found it prudent to take the more sober approach. Not that I completely abstain, but drawing the line at one or two generous glasses of wine a day with my meal OR (not AND) at a party, keeps things manageable and enjoyable and it also makes it a lot easier to stay away from the coffin-nails.
Since I take celexa for depression and general anxiety, as well as anger-management, I also noticed that alcohol strongly offsets the positive effects of celexa where it concern anger-management.
Not that I always turn into a gnarly ogre, but I notice that I escalate a lot faster and seem to have a lot less capability to catch myself from getting ugly.
Short and good, in my experience, celexa and alcohol do not ideally mix, so be careful, my friend.

Kristina

Pooler, GA

I am currently taking 40 mg of Celexa, but want to reduce back to 20 mg. Did you experience any ill-effects when you reduced your mg?
Thank you.
Kristina

celexite in Toronto wrote:

Just as a follow
up, I've recently reduced my dosage of Celexa from 40 mg/day to 20 mg/day. I've found that on the lower dosage of Celexa, my drinking has gone down substantially. Not that I had any great "craving" on 40 mg, but now I don't seem to be "in the mood" to drink as much as I used to.
However I am also taking 300 mg/day of Wellbutrin, and rapidly starting or stopping drinking alcohol can cause seizures...so I guess I have to maintain a minimum number of "happy hours" per week LOL!

meaghan

West Milford, NJ

i have been on only 10mg Celexa for about 2 weeks. Tonight is new years and i want to have a good time, but i am nervous about drinking. I am just under 100 lbs if weight has anything to do with it. i don't drink often at all, and when i do i only consume maybe 3 beers or a few shots but i never mix the two. If i pick either one of those routes, does anyone see any problem with getting sick or any other effects?

Bangalee

Kristina wrote:

I am currently taking 40 mg of Celexa, but want to reduce back to 20 mg. Did you experience any ill-effects when you reduced your mg?
Thank you.
Kristina
<quoted text>

Hi Kristina,

I found that on 20 mg/day my depression wasn't being treated as effectively as on 40 mg, so about 2 months ago I started taking 30 mg/day. I feel better than I did on 20, but still not doing as well as I was on 40. Plus I am also taking 300 mg/day of Wellbutrin. I am seeing my doctor in a couple of weeks and I think I'll discuss going back on 40 mg again.

However I am also drinking way too much alcohol so that's probably a BIG part of why the depression hasn't retreated completely. The only thing you can do is try 20 mg/day and see how you do. It might work out for you or you might need 30 mg.

P.S. I used the name "celexite in Toronto" a couple of times but my name since then has been "Bangalee" so we are one and the same person.

Bangalee

Thanks Meerkat, I'm definitely going to discuss this with my doctor when I see him. He knows I've been drinking but I haven't been straight with him about how much I'm drinking - he thinks its only a few ounces a day (but even that's too much). My liver enzymes remain well within the normal range, but all I do these days is go to work, come home and watch TV, drink heavily, and go to sleep. That's no life!

I just know I'll have to cut down the liquor gradually because when you take Wellbutrin, any drastic change in your alcohol intake can bring on seizures. I believe I got into this mess because when I quit smoking, I turned to liquor instead to "take the edge off". I'm also substantially overweight, so I'm afraid that if I take away drinking AND smoking, I'll eat more and gain even more weight! However I've got exercise equipment at home - let's hope cutting down the drinking will make me an "exercisoholic" instead!

Sandifer

Celeste wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been on celexa now for about three weeks. I am less angry and i find that i can cope with life alot better. Sometimes i still feel sad and anxious . I am also seeing a therapist, he is helping me cope with unresolved issues. I continue to crave smoking especially when i drink. i have been drinking alot more now too. How are you doing?

I have now been on Celexa for about a month, and I can tell you that it has been my saviour for rational thinking.. I can look back now, and realize how irrational I've been, and sensative!! OMG I have been drinking and smoking, but can go without.. I'm sure only have been socially since its the holidays.. I think I can go back to my normal not smoking or drinking.. I do like to smoke and drink however.. I can stay away from drinking on a constant basis.. for now, I love my celexa! ;)

Joined: Dec 14, 2006

Comments: 161

sandy wrote:

<quoted text>
I have now been on Celexa for about a month, and I can tell you that it has been my saviour for rational thinking.. I can look back now, and realize how irrational I've been, and sensative!! OMG I have been drinking and smoking, but can go without.. I'm sure only have been socially since its the holidays.. I think I can go back to my normal not smoking or drinking.. I do like to smoke and drink however.. I can stay away from drinking on a constant basis.. for now, I love my celexa! ;)

Hear, Hear!
Good to see you made it thru the holidays in one piece (emotionally speaking). Same here, although I was bit down yesterday since one of my our pet rats died.'Hairy' was nicest, most cudly lump of gentlerat that I (or better, my kids) have ever had. He was getting up there in rat-years anyway and lived with the effects of an early in life suffered stroke, so maybe it's all for the best. He had an othewise good life though.
My kids complain that we can't give him a proper burial, since the tundra is still frozen, so we keep him (frozen solid) in a little box in an old freezer until the weather turns.
Happy New Year! and let's celebrate our sanity (with or without Celexa).

bluebell

I just had three glasses of white wine last night, which really made me tipsy -- two is my limit. I was out with an old friend and enjoying the chat. However, later in the evening (insomnia) and this morning, I have that awful, shattered, hung-over depression that is actually a little scary. For three glasses of wine this is a pretty awful reaction. Be careful - I am going to be, from now on. It's not worth it. Wish I could tell my brain not to be depressed, it's just a chemical problem. But the world seems pretty blue today.

Bandy

Saint John's, Canada

Do you think it's okay to take 40 mg of celexa a day. I am a little nervous. Also, has it taken away anyone's sex drive. Please help me ease my mind about the dosage.

celeste