what is a safe amount of alcohol to drink with these?

[plunderbunny]

hey all, new member here.
small backstory: about two years ago I unintentionally OD'd on lexapro, causing serotonin syndrome. after that I was off lexapro for awhile and was put on ativan and klonopin.

these days I am back on lexapro (20mg/1x day) as well as klonopin (.5mg/2x day). when I was initially going through all of these drug changes I was told to avoid alcohol at all costs.

long story short, I want to start drinking again, but I haven't had a sip of anything alcoholic in two years, so I have no tolerance. I don't have any intentions of getting super wasted, but I do miss being able to have a drink or two, even if it's not hard liquor.

does anyone with similar drug intake have advice? I'm just worried about the not breathing/passing out/et al stuff.

 

[T. Calderone]

If your doctor advised you not to drink with these medications, then don't because there is a risk in combining CNS depressants. Also, alcohol can interact negatively with Lexapro. You're doing so well with not drinking for two years. That's great! Why do you want to start again?

 

[Nod Alot]

^^^+1

I've tried drinking on benzos several times with terrible consequences. It makes you ridiculously sloppy-drunk without realizing it, so then you think it's ok to drink more and wind up blacking out. The very last time I tried the combo was in 2009 with klonopin and jaegermeister and all I remember was smoking a cig after the drink, then I woke up in the hospital choking on a tube in my throat. Not worth it.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I will echo what others have said here. The reasoning behind this is really two-fold, if you'll follow me for a second. First, drinking Alcohol while on Benzodiazepines is a recipe for potential disaster at almost any dose. The synergy between different Central Nervous System depressants is no joke. I can easily handle 2mg Alprazolam, for instance. I can also handle 80mg Methadone and still be together. Now, if I take, say, 30mg Methadone and 1mg-2mg Alprazolam or equivalent, I will be in an utter blackout stupor.

The point I always try to get across is that the true, primary danger, in my opinion with Benzodiazepines is the potential for one to do horrible, life-altering things while they are in a blackout. The example I always use is driving a car. Benzodiazepines are notorious for making users "feel" less intoxicated than they are and appear to be. You might decide to go get smokes and in the process, murder somebody.

I'm not trying to scare you, but this shit is real. Alcohol and Benzodiazepines fuck with your decision making process in a terrible way. The situation could just as easily end with you falling asleep on the couch. The point is that when you take a drug that you know can cause you to completely lose control, by definition, you are 100% legally liable for whatever you do.

The second part of this is that Alcohol is not a good drug to be using if you're trying to conquer anxiety/depression. Alcohol messes with your body in so many ways that it's hard to even decide which aspects are the worst. Sleep, nutrition, hepatic health, rebound anxiety etc. In the end, you will be making it much harder to effectively treat your condition if you're drinking Alcohol in tandem with your medications. For the record, you're kind of displaying that this is not "social" drinking behavior because you're already set to defy your Doctor just to have a drink. People without an Alcohol problem would generally stop drinking if their Doctor told them to, at least in the short term.

I really advise against it if you're trying to get your life together. Alcohol is only going to slow down your progress and that's not what I, you or any of us want. Feel free to message any of us is you're looking for support! Welcome to Bluelight!

 

[plunderbunny]

Thanks for all the help guys! I just want to clarify/add on a few things:
-When I was told not to drink any alcohol, that was when I was on ativan, klonopin AND lexapro.
-My primary purpose for wanting to drink again is social reasons, not to get drunk. I'm perfectly content with just having a glass of wine with dinner, for example. I was never a big drinker in the past (I've actually never even blacked out from alcohol) but I do enjoy the taste of many alcoholic beverages. I also have some weddings coming up and would love that have a glass on champagne, for example.
-I'm not looking to use alcohol to cope with any mental health concerns - I'm too worried about becoming dependent on it, to be honest

 

[BurritoJimmy]

It's a really bad idea for social situations because like others have said the combo can make you act sloppy and you will probably be less social. The ativan beer combo was like that for me at small amts of each. I was at a sporting event stumbling around showing my crack to everyone just from a coors light amd my 0.5 mg ativan i was taking at the time.

 

[lucifersam666]

I do agree with the gentlemen above, it's a safe bet. i have always had minor issues when i take benzos and drink; while in the moment i am great but the next day when i wake up i am thinking "oh shit what did i do this time"

If drinking is something you really think is that important to do (to socialize), maybe cut your doses of down by 50-60% ?