I had a drinking problem before I ever went on meds, but after I went on Effexor, a SNRI, my drinking rapidly escalated. I later learned when I looked at a detailed list of side effects that developing alcoholism was a rare but possible side effect. Would my drinking have spiraled out of control, without it? Possibly. At this time, I'm more interested in managing the fallout and trying to stay sober, rather than trying to assign blame.

As for your Dr. being unwilling to prescribe Naltrexone, I'm not really surprised. Most GP's are woefully untrained when it comes to addiction. I've even run into reluctance from my psychiatrist to prescribe it, since it wasn't a med he was familiar with. I know many people who have had good success with Naltrexone or other anti-craving meds.

Will you have to give up drinking forever? Can't answer that. For me I know that I can't safely drink I almost died in my last relapse. I do think your idea of taking a few months off from drinking is a good idea, and then see if you can safely follow the low risk drinking guidelines. If you can great. If you can't then abstinance may be the safest route for you to go. And believe me, not drinking is not the end of the world. You can have plenty of fun without alcohol.

splitimage