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Alcohol Mirtazapine and Alcohol

anyyokes

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
24
So i've been on mirtazapine 15mg daily for about 5 months now, it works great but every time i go drinking i get tired after a couple of hours and have to go home. If i stop taking it the night before drinking will this help? Or maybe take d-amp or something similar to combat the drowsiness? It's having a big impact on my social life, I haven't drank properly in about 8 months now
 
taking d-amp would nullify the effect from mirtazapine but if you are going to do this it makes more sense to just skip a mirtazapine dose wouldn't it?
 
It's having a big impact on my social life, I haven't drank properly in about 8 months now

But is it a bad impact? I mean you are taking an antidepressant for a reason, so drinking alcohol in amounts that make you more than a little drunk may not be the best thing since binge drinking can cause depression and obviously is unhealthy.

It sounds like not being able to get drunk is a bad thing. You could just avoid the alcohol and not get tired, couldn't you?

Just my opinion but I think this is a good aspect. Learning to have fun without drugs/alcohol is great and the way you describe it, the medication doesn't allow you to drink and have fun in social settings when you just could not drink at all (or just one/two beers) in recognition of your medication.

May I ask why you are taking the Mirtazapine?
 
I'm prescribed the mirtazapine off label for anxiety. I find it impossible to enjoy going to a pub/club without drinking alcohol, and I have found ways to enjoy myself apart from drinking but seeing as I live in Ireland that is what every one of my friends does for fun, most nights of the week. All I want is to be able to go out and have a few beers and enjoy myself without becoming heavily sedated and having to go home. I tried not to take my dose last night but i find it impossible to sleep without it so I caved
 
I'm not talking about regular drinking either just a couple of times a month where i actually CAN do it so my social life doesn't dissolve completely... Maybe if I took DPH or something similar the night before instead of Mirtazapine so i could still sleep but without next day sedation, or some kind of stimulant on the night (I have access to Vyvanse but I don't know how enjoyable that would be with alcohol)
 
Perhaps the mirtazepine is providing the effects you used to rely on alcohol for? If you're already at ease and free from anxiety, alcohol isn't going to do much other than make you tired.
 
I never relied on alcohol I'm just asking for advice on how to drink very infrequently as before
 
I don't know if skipping a dose would work because that kind of medication builds up in your system that's why it takes a few weeks before it's effective.
 
OK, so like others have said, abstaining from alcohol is a plus in many ways, but I understand that it might be the only way that you're used to socializing with people, so this is a negative consequence. Regarding mirtazapine (Remeron), I have some experience with it in varying doses and I must say it has some pretty noticeable side effects. While on it, my appetite was voracious. I gained 30 pounds in 2 months; no exaggeration. Also, it's caused me to nod out so severely, that family and friends were "positive" that I was back on heroin.

I eventually found the side-effects of mirtazapine to be unmanageable so I quit taking it. In the end, antidepressants can be helpful, but if the negatives are outweighing the positives, then maybe it's time to re-evaluate your situation.

However, if you're not willing to stop taking it, then skipping a dose would probably be a good solution to your problem. Compared to other antidepressants, I always found mirtazapine's effects to be rather accute. I wouldn't recommend using amphetamines to counteract the mirtazapine. The more substances you combine, the more likely you are to experience unwanted side-effects. Especially so with alcohol.
 
Thanks for the reply. I haven't gained any weight and I find the drowsiness very manageable as long as I don't take it too late, so I would only be giving it up to be able to drink alcohol again which would be madness, so I'll try skipping a dose the next time. The only problem is if I skip a dose I find it impossible to sleep. Any tips for how to sleep better on nights I do skip? I've tried cannabis to no avail, and benzos/z-drugs are a big no for me
 
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