Misc Psych meds and alochol

[nicktimesthree]

Hello,
I have been on psych meds for about 8 years now. I am diagnosed with schizophreniform disoder but I would diagnose myself with Purely Obsessional OCD with Psychotic features. Regardless of my diagnosis I am on a medication cock-tail that really seems to work. My daily does is: Clozapine, 400 MG; Fluxotine, 20 MG; Clonazepam, 1 MG. Those are the generics for Clozaril; Prozac; Klonopin. I am also a heavy drinker. I binge at least three times a week and drink almost every day. My pdoc is opposed to my drinking at all, but I don't seem to be able to kick it. I don't like AA, but maybe I should get over myself and look for help? I just wonder how destructive my drinking really is. Am I really fucking up my body?

 

[suessmayr]

Even if you're not fucking up you're body there's a good chance you're fucking up your mind. If you suffered from depression it would make alot of sense to try and cut down. Probably even OCD is not helped by alcohol. My psychiatrist knows I drink 1-2 beers nightly and he doesn't seem to mind. So I think that it's ok in moderation with most meds. But binging three times weekly is bound to affect your meds or your condition.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Short answer: Yes, you really are doing your body damage by a) drinking every day, and b) binge drinking 3 times a week.

Long answer:
The NHMRC (an Australian government health department) has prescribed the safe drinking levels of healthy adults to be:
1) No more than 2 standard drinks on any day
2) No more than 4 standard drinks in any one drinking session

Those guidelines are surprisingly low quantities of alcohol. But there is significant research that shows drinking more than those amounts increases your risk of alcohol-related illness/disease or injury.

For you personally nicktimesthree, coupled with the medications you're on, drinking alcohol is even more risky than for someone who isn't on any psych meds. Chronic alcohol use is potentially making your psychiatric conditions even worse (even though you might not be able to really tell at this stage), and using alcohol and benzodiazapines (e.g. clonazepam) can be dangerous. Also, clozapine is contraindicated for people with liver damage, which of course chronic alcohol use can cause liver damage. You might want to get your liver function tested as soon as you can just to be sure that your liver is okay. Personally I agree with your pdoc in that you probably shouldn't be drinking at all, however being an alcoholic myself I know that is much easier said than done

I honestly think you should consider cutting down your drinking though. Aim to have at least 4 days per week of NO drinking at all, and during your binge sessions try to cut down the total amount that you drink then. Like I said, I KNOW it's hard because I'm in the same situation. But it is really important for your health (both physical and psychological) that you try to reduce your alcohol intake.

I know you said you don't really like AA, but there are heaps of other options for getting help with your drinking. If you are comfortable discussing this with your pdoc why not ask them for a referral to a drug/alcohol counsellor, or see if they have any other suggestions.

Lastly, do you have a close friend or a family member that you can talk to about this? The more support you have and the more you talk about this with someone you trust, the better chance you have of successfully cutting down your drinking. Good luck