[travelingpanda]

i have just been switched from lamictal to topamax, and before that i was on celexa, and before that buspar.

i am turning 21 in september, and the past year ive watched all my friends turn 21, and also watch them leave me at home on the weekends so they can go to bars. i really want to have a good 21st birthday, im not saying i want to get blackout drunk and vomit everywhere, but yeah, i do want to go out and drink because you only turn 21 once.

i guess i am just wondering how to handle this situation, because i dont want to have a problem with my meds. obviously i understand you shouldnt mix alcohol with medication. i am not here for a lecture, i just want some people's perspectives on how to go about this.

i dont want to miss out, its my last year of college, and i dont want to look back and realize i didnt have as much fun as i could have. and please dont give me the "you can have fun without alcohol." i know i can. ive been doing that for a long time now. i want to be able to go out, have some drinks, be responsible, and have some fun, in a safe way.

so i guess bottom line, how will alcohol affect me with this medication, or your experiences with another, or how to somehow deal with this. i am currently on 50 mg of topamax.

thank you in advance, i really appreciate it, as i really want to have something that isnt defined by my psychiatric disorder... because so much of my life is.

drinking on meds can have some weird effects from my experience....

antipsychotics increase the chances of having blackouts....

and some meds can make a person have dramatic mood swings when combined with alchohol

but ive drank on my meds many times and nothing bad happened , just had a fun time drinking

other times not so good

but i haven't drank in a while im sober now

goodluck !

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by travelingpanda

i have just been switched from lamictal to topamax, and before that i was on celexa, and before that buspar.

i am turning 21 in september, and the past year ive watched all my friends turn 21, and also watch them leave me at home on the weekends so they can go to bars. i really want to have a good 21st birthday, im not saying i want to get blackout drunk and vomit everywhere, but yeah, i do want to go out and drink because you only turn 21 once.

i guess i am just wondering how to handle this situation, because i dont want to have a problem with my meds. obviously i understand you shouldnt mix alcohol with medication. i am not here for a lecture, i just want some people's perspectives on how to go about this.

i dont want to miss out, its my last year of college, and i dont want to look back and realize i didnt have as much fun as i could have. and please dont give me the "you can have fun without alcohol." i know i can. ive been doing that for a long time now. i want to be able to go out, have some drinks, be responsible, and have some fun, in a safe way.

so i guess bottom line, how will alcohol affect me with this medication, or your experiences with another, or how to somehow deal with this. i am currently on 50 mg of topamax.

thank you in advance, i really appreciate it, as i really want to have something that isnt defined by my psychiatric disorder... because so much of my life is.

What are you on it for? Epilepsy, Migraines or something else? Is that the only medication, that you are taking? Is it daily or as needed?

Bottom Line: Socialization and enjoying these years in your life, are important!! I get what you mean, about not wanting to drink yourself into a stupor or anything like that, at the same time, going out with friends is important. Have you asked your pdoc, what are the limits to alcohol? Would 1 or 2 drinks, be safe to have?

It will be your last year of college, and these memories and bonding experiences matter, too!!

[travelingpanda]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

What are you on it for? Epilepsy, Migraines or something else? Is that the only medication, that you are taking? Is it daily or as needed?

Bottom Line: Socialization and enjoying these years in your life, are important!! I get what you mean, about not wanting to drink yourself into a stupor or anything like that, at the same time, going out with friends is important. Have you asked your pdoc, what are the limits to alcohol? Would 1 or 2 drinks, be safe to have?

It will be your last year of college, and these memories and bonding experiences matter, too!!

its for mood swings (borderline personality not solidified yet) i am also on adderall for idiopathic hypersomnia.

i feel weird about talking to my pdoc about alcohol- is that normal?

[Odee]

Absolutely talk to your Pdoc.

I'd say drink one and keep it at that for a couple hours before going for a second drink. DO NOT be tempting to grab drink after drink. If this is your first time drinking you will have no awareness as to how much alcohol it takes to get drunk. Alcohol also takes time before you really feel its effect, so just because you had a drink half an hour ago and feel normal doesn't mean it's time for drink two. Give it an hour. It is WAYY to easy to simply drink things, especially if it is sweet. But you cannot drink alcohol like you would sit around soda.

Thing is, I see it alright trying and trying VERY conservatively, but in a party situation it is going to be alllllll too easy to over drink.

I think ou should keep it at one or two for the entire night. But if you stay to one drink an hour or less than one drink an hour you should hopefully be able to see any impending bad reactions before they ruin your night. That way you can also have your fun at the bar and say that you drank on your 21st. BUT, don't equate "more booze" with "more fun."

I didn't drink on my 21st and I did not care. Are you really going to care about it even 2 or 3 years from now? When I first praticed drinking it was in the privacy of my home with only my boy friend present. I think that was the best situation.

[gayleggg]

Definitely talk to your doctor. It won't be the first time someone asks that question. My doctor suggested if I was going to drink to skip my meds for the night, but that was for specific med. Also, alcohol can intensify some of the side affects of some drugs such as dizziness, sleepiness, ect. I agree with Odee to take it really slow if you decide to drink. I have drank while taking pysch drugs but only one or two.
Becareful.Gayle

[onionknight]

I would say it really depends on how you yourself react to the drug, to alcohol alone and to the two combined. While others can say what happens to them, it is hard to know for sure what your body will do. I'd second (or third) the advise to take it slow, see how you feel and adjust accordingly.

I don't have any particular experience with psych drugs and drinking, but I take Metformin for insulin resistance, and if I drink on it, I will get very, very dizzy. I'm sure many people take that drug, drink and are fine, but for me, it doesn't go over well.

[The_little_didgee]

Keep hydrated. Drink water in-between drinks and make sure you eat something healthy before going out. This will help lessen the effects.

It is perfectly okay not to get intoxicated and act stupid. Anyway, responsible drinking demonstrates maturity. Be careful and enjoy your birthday.

[Odee]

I just want to reiterate how slowly you ought to drink. I understand that "one drink an hour or two" sounds painfully slow, but even one drink an hour can get you drunk and have an awful hangover after three or four hours.

I'm just worried because first time drinkers extremely under estimate the potency of alcohol! First night I drank I didn't believe I was drunk after two drinks, I went strait to 5 and fell on the floor over the trash can and started digging out all the content to see what I could find.

I did the same thing a couple nights later and cried on the floor when my boyfriend left the house for 10 minutes to get more beer. I thought he was gone forever. (he left for more beer 'cause, y'know, I thought I didn't have enough!!)

[venusss]

I can't remember my first time drinking... but aside from staying hydrated... eat preferably some protein before going out. This is important.

careful with good tasting coctails. they can have lots of alcohol in them.

seriously, take it slowly and carefully if it's your first time drinking. there will be lots of chances to explore that part of life later on

[High Etiquette]

I have had similar problems facing turning 21 and not knowing how i'm going to handle the alcohol I want to consume... My best advice if you have an underlying mental health issue, is to just hang out & drink slow & maybe serve as a DD for the night. I only have 1 or 2 max when I drink due to the weird feelings I get. It sucks but if you drink this way people will understand your situation and there shouldn't be any problems. I have tried hanging out in bars trying to keep up with the crowd on drinks and it's just not possible. The times I've done this I end up getting embarrassed feelings and get afraid that im going to have to talk to someone I know... LOL

Hope this helps and GL!

[healingme4me]

This just sparked a realization, of something I do now, as removed from being 21. And something, I realized there was a group of us, at a function a couple years ago did....

I order a drink, that isn't alcoholic, but has the colorings of an alcoholic drink. I still get to be around those that I like and want to be around, but without drinking.

My favorite, recent experience, was I ordered, at a luncheon, a Seltzer water with Cranberry juice and Lime Juice. Looks like a drink, of course, everyone else was mystified as to how I got to have the tallest glass at the table, however, it looks like a 'drink.'

If I order a Cosmo, I sip it slowly...these drinks, aren't as cheap, as they once used to be. I'm certainly not going to drink a lot of $10 drinks, am I?

Gingerale or 7 up, with some cranberry juice or anything of color can work...if you are limited in drinking ability.

Originally Posted by High Etiquette

I have had similar problems facing turning 21 and not knowing how i'm going to handle the alcohol I want to consume... My best advice if you have an underlying mental health issue, is to just hang out & drink slow & maybe serve as a DD for the night. I only have 1 or 2 max when I drink due to the weird feelings I get. It sucks but if you drink this way people will understand your situation and there shouldn't be any problems. I have tried hanging out in bars trying to keep up with the crowd on drinks and it's just not possible. The times I've done this I end up getting embarrassed feelings and get afraid that im going to have to talk to someone I know... LOL

Hope this helps and GL!