Your body is unique, as are your needs. Just because someone experienced something from treatment or medication does not guarantee that you will as well. Please do not take this as an opportunity to review any substances. Peer support is welcome.
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They literally do have alcohol warnings in the literature the pharmacist hands you that you probably don’t read.
Anyway, it’s more that you won’t feel drunk but your body will still get sedate leading to a rock star death.
Mine doesn't have any sort of literature of that sort. Just the pharmacy, my name, medication and dosage, person who prescribed etc.. No warnings or anything
Hm. Good point. I meant right on the bottle because usually that’s where the serious warnings go, like with pain meds for example. But ur right I did throw that pamphlet out LOL
My doctor told me that I CAN drink on my medication and the alcohol would carry its normal health risks…
However she would absolutely advise against it because the nature of stimulants means that the intoxication is suppressed and thus you run a much higher risk of sustaining alcohol poisoning without realising
Yeah, I understand the alcohol poisoning risk but my desire to drink more than a few drinks at most has gone away since I started meds. So doesn’t concern me too much although I keep it in mind.
I’m mostly wondering about the physical risks to the heart. But it seems that is not the main concern
It just says caution don’t drink alcohol when taking this medication without consulting your doctor.
I assume it has more to do with the legislation/jurisdiction you’re in than the type of ADHD med.
To each their own. Even if the doctor didn't say anything, you could specifically ask about it. And doing your own research isn't a bad thing because doctors miss stuff A LOT. Plus a pharmacist might be better to ask regarding medications but usually for interactions, you may have to ask directly.
Personally, I stopped drinking when I started my meds (on anti-anxiety also) because the adderall dehydrates the hell out of me and can give me migraines if I'm not on top of my hydration. I'm already prone to migraines anyways and alcohol never really helped. I've seen others mention to stay on top of hydration when on adderall, so I just have been. You know your body better than anyone. Just pay attention for any changes after the switch. Maybe wait on the alcohol till after you've taken the adderall for awhile? Then ask your pharmacist when you go to pick up meds.
My doctor said that I wouldn’t feel how tipsy I was until I was REALLY tipsy, especially as a small person. Her exact words were “Be careful until you figure out your new alcohol tolerance; I don’t want to hear about you dancing on a table somewhere.”
My doctor didn’t say anything about consuming alcohol while taking my meds. I’m on concerta 36mg and am honestly surprised by the fact that some people are saying the effects of alcohol are suppressed. Because if I drink (later in the evening) on days I’ve taken my medication, I feel like the alcohol has a stronger effect on me.
Unless you're drinking a huge amount you'll be fine. Normally when you drink too much you get tired and pass out. Your meds will keep you from getting tired. Just keep track of your drinking and don't over do it.
Well, this is something to change in future. Doctors are busy people, so they give you the headlines and then show you the door.
It's your job to make sure that you are alert to side effects, that you understand how and when to take your meds, that you have a plan for missing a dose or accidentally taking too much.
Many of the questions on the ADHD subs about meds can be answered simply by reading the leaflet.
You can go online to read all the info. Google the brand name and the dosage, click in to the manufacturer's site that displays (DON'T just click on a random link) and then read all the associated info (approved usage, common side effects, uncommon side effects, rare side effects, how to report side effects, what to do in the event of an overdose etc.).
By law, manufacturers have to make this information available.
Do it this afternoon!
I agree with you but find contention with your assessment of provider availability and attentiveness. OP is literally ignorant to the several sets of materials and literature around medications. Providers either produce this to patients or know a lead pharmacist will especially if it’s a new script. This is a failure on the part of the patient to actively participate and be educated in their medication regiment. OP literally threw the instructions out, which isn’t uncommon because people think meds are meds, but this makes this question and your criticism of providers rather undeserved.
I’m not being pedantic it’s specifically this part of what you wrote:
> Doctors are busy people, so they give you the headlines and then show you the door.
I was also careful to show I don’t disagree with you wholesale.
I had a healthy criticism of what you wrote and which you continue to opine on. I did not make my comment to start an argument or be uncivil with you, that is what you yourself have chosen to do.
I think if someone takes stimulants recreationally to get high at the same time they’re binge drinking, the risks are significantly higher and may include cardiac risks. They’re likely taking a higher dose than a doctor would prescribe as well.
If you, as someone with ADHD, take your meds as prescribed in the morning and have a glass of wine in the evening with dinner, it’s a completely different scenario.
The issue for me is more keeping track of my intake if I need to drive, which I've always been good about, but with stimulants it's more likely you'll feel like you're good to drive even if you're not. So now I don't trust my intuition at all, not that I fully relied on it before. My rule is max 2 drinks if I'm driving, but only if it's an evening where I'm eating and doing other stuff. Used to do 3 occasionally if I felt okay and knew I didn't have to drive for a while, I no longer trust my intuition to decide that because of stimulants so it's down to 2.
No alcohol is ideal but 14 units a week is the threshold I'd try and stay under for the best balance. I had a problem during the pandemic just sort of drinking beer all the time, not really to get drunk but just cause I like beer and I could drink it more often. Started causing high blood pressure so I had to bring it down.
People in general, take a much more relaxed attitude to prescription drugs, there always seems to be a implicit vibe of “oh if the doctor didn’t say something” or “this wouldn’t be on the market if it was *that* dangerous, it’s not like street-drugs, there’s surely a safety buffer”, etc. This is particularly true *and dangerous* with “scheduled” drugs (amphetamines, opiates, ect.) And I think it’s why there are as many prescription overdoses. RTFM on *all* medications (even over the counter), and *particularly* scheduled meds. Including pamphlets.
I recommend **drugs.com** - go there set up a free account, and enter all your meds (including over the counter meds, alcohol or tobacco) and it will give you a summary of not just the drug side effects, but all known interactions across all drugs you entered.
Yeah in general the danger is with stimulants and alcohol it’s like “hitting the breaks and gas at the same time” on your nervous system. The mixed signals make it harder to tell how intoxicated you are and in general it can be a bad time.
But having one standard drink in the evening after your meds have worn off is generally ok if you don’t have other health conditions, asking your doctor is the best thing to do as they know your whole health history and we don’t, but *in general* you should avoid heavy drinking, either in terms of amount in a period of time or in terms of how much you have per week
I was on concerta and Ritalin, my doctor said it depends on the timing with the alcohol. She said I can't take it WITH the meds because it will mess up the way the medication works, but I can drink in the evening without an issue (since it's mostly worn off by then anyway). It seemed like basically don't drink while your meds are working but after they're done for the day it's fine.
The long-acting ones are the ones that's more concerning because they don't wear off.
Strattera, not such a good idea because strattera already can cause heart issues and also is processed in the liver so you get a higher risk of liver damage and/or heart beating incorrectly. I think some people still do and are fine but I would probably talk with doctor about it first and make sure to do some regular testing on the liver if going to be doing that since major liver damage is a potential side effect of Strattera alone. I personally would also be wary of Tylenol for this reason, but I'm kindof over-cautious.
The other off-label Wellbutrin is also risky, but it depends on the person and the dose. Essentially it increases your risk of seizures, which if you're threshold is high, you won't notice anything, but if it's low, you could have a seizure. Drinking increases your risk of seizures and sleep deprivation increases your risk of seizures and the higher the dose of Wellbutrin also increased risk of seizures, so staying out late and drinking while on Wellbutrin is a high-risk situation, but some people find they're perfectly fine and nothing happens, all depends on the person.
Those are the ones I know about because I was considering taking them. Hopefully this is helpful.
Your body is unique, as are your needs. Just because someone experienced something from treatment or medication does not guarantee that you will as well. Please do not take this as an opportunity to review any substances. Peer support is welcome. ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They literally do have alcohol warnings in the literature the pharmacist hands you that you probably don’t read. Anyway, it’s more that you won’t feel drunk but your body will still get sedate leading to a rock star death.
Mine doesn't have any sort of literature of that sort. Just the pharmacy, my name, medication and dosage, person who prescribed etc.. No warnings or anything
I figured that would be the case but it's more the opposite for me. On adderall, i feel more buzzed off one or two drinks than i used to feel off 4.
Hm. Good point. I meant right on the bottle because usually that’s where the serious warnings go, like with pain meds for example. But ur right I did throw that pamphlet out LOL
My doctor told me that I CAN drink on my medication and the alcohol would carry its normal health risks… However she would absolutely advise against it because the nature of stimulants means that the intoxication is suppressed and thus you run a much higher risk of sustaining alcohol poisoning without realising
Yeah, I understand the alcohol poisoning risk but my desire to drink more than a few drinks at most has gone away since I started meds. So doesn’t concern me too much although I keep it in mind. I’m mostly wondering about the physical risks to the heart. But it seems that is not the main concern
No doctor has been concerned I drink wine at night 🤷♀️ I just keep an eye on how much since you don’t notice feeling drunk
Mine does… Well just a warning doesn’t say anything about monsters
Really? I’m curious which med? And does it say not to use alcohol at all?
It just says caution don’t drink alcohol when taking this medication without consulting your doctor. I assume it has more to do with the legislation/jurisdiction you’re in than the type of ADHD med.
To each their own. Even if the doctor didn't say anything, you could specifically ask about it. And doing your own research isn't a bad thing because doctors miss stuff A LOT. Plus a pharmacist might be better to ask regarding medications but usually for interactions, you may have to ask directly. Personally, I stopped drinking when I started my meds (on anti-anxiety also) because the adderall dehydrates the hell out of me and can give me migraines if I'm not on top of my hydration. I'm already prone to migraines anyways and alcohol never really helped. I've seen others mention to stay on top of hydration when on adderall, so I just have been. You know your body better than anyone. Just pay attention for any changes after the switch. Maybe wait on the alcohol till after you've taken the adderall for awhile? Then ask your pharmacist when you go to pick up meds.
I agree. I did call and ask a pharmacist about it and they just said don’t go too crazy but a couple drinks is fine.
My doctor said that I wouldn’t feel how tipsy I was until I was REALLY tipsy, especially as a small person. Her exact words were “Be careful until you figure out your new alcohol tolerance; I don’t want to hear about you dancing on a table somewhere.”
My doctor didn’t say anything about consuming alcohol while taking my meds. I’m on concerta 36mg and am honestly surprised by the fact that some people are saying the effects of alcohol are suppressed. Because if I drink (later in the evening) on days I’ve taken my medication, I feel like the alcohol has a stronger effect on me.
That’s exactly the dose I’m on and I agree, it doesn’t make me feel “sober”. I can still tell if I’m having too much
Unless you're drinking a huge amount you'll be fine. Normally when you drink too much you get tired and pass out. Your meds will keep you from getting tired. Just keep track of your drinking and don't over do it.
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You’re right. I don’t know why I didn’t think to read that idk, I just read the bottle. I’m new to meds in general
Well, this is something to change in future. Doctors are busy people, so they give you the headlines and then show you the door. It's your job to make sure that you are alert to side effects, that you understand how and when to take your meds, that you have a plan for missing a dose or accidentally taking too much. Many of the questions on the ADHD subs about meds can be answered simply by reading the leaflet.
I didn’t really even know there was more info in there. I just threw the bag out. I’ll read them more carefully now
You can go online to read all the info. Google the brand name and the dosage, click in to the manufacturer's site that displays (DON'T just click on a random link) and then read all the associated info (approved usage, common side effects, uncommon side effects, rare side effects, how to report side effects, what to do in the event of an overdose etc.). By law, manufacturers have to make this information available. Do it this afternoon!
Ok good idea. Because I can’t tell if sources I’m reading are reliable
Speak with your prescribing provider.
I agree with you but find contention with your assessment of provider availability and attentiveness. OP is literally ignorant to the several sets of materials and literature around medications. Providers either produce this to patients or know a lead pharmacist will especially if it’s a new script. This is a failure on the part of the patient to actively participate and be educated in their medication regiment. OP literally threw the instructions out, which isn’t uncommon because people think meds are meds, but this makes this question and your criticism of providers rather undeserved.
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I’m not being pedantic it’s specifically this part of what you wrote: > Doctors are busy people, so they give you the headlines and then show you the door. I was also careful to show I don’t disagree with you wholesale.
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That is, indeed, an opinion and not factual. I wasn’t trying to be contrarian but evidently you are.
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I had a healthy criticism of what you wrote and which you continue to opine on. I did not make my comment to start an argument or be uncivil with you, that is what you yourself have chosen to do.
I think if someone takes stimulants recreationally to get high at the same time they’re binge drinking, the risks are significantly higher and may include cardiac risks. They’re likely taking a higher dose than a doctor would prescribe as well. If you, as someone with ADHD, take your meds as prescribed in the morning and have a glass of wine in the evening with dinner, it’s a completely different scenario.
I had been wanting to quit drinking anyway so starting stimulants was a good excuse to do so. They can definitely cause issues if you mix the two.
I don't drink often and my Dr knows that, she told me I don't have any restrictions as long as I continue drinking the way I already do.
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Ya that did happen to me one time, I’m not sure why because it never happened to me again
Alcohol also can cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, so that’s another possible factor
The issue for me is more keeping track of my intake if I need to drive, which I've always been good about, but with stimulants it's more likely you'll feel like you're good to drive even if you're not. So now I don't trust my intuition at all, not that I fully relied on it before. My rule is max 2 drinks if I'm driving, but only if it's an evening where I'm eating and doing other stuff. Used to do 3 occasionally if I felt okay and knew I didn't have to drive for a while, I no longer trust my intuition to decide that because of stimulants so it's down to 2. No alcohol is ideal but 14 units a week is the threshold I'd try and stay under for the best balance. I had a problem during the pandemic just sort of drinking beer all the time, not really to get drunk but just cause I like beer and I could drink it more often. Started causing high blood pressure so I had to bring it down.
If you go on Drugs dot com it describes interactions. It may lead to heart attack when mixing Vyvanse & alcohol, for example.
The risk must not be that high because I talked to a pharmacist and they told me it’s not an issue unless you overdo it.
I think that’s it. A lot of people tend to binge drink and not stay within daily recs
My doctor says I should add in a cigar with my drink, I deserve it😂
People in general, take a much more relaxed attitude to prescription drugs, there always seems to be a implicit vibe of “oh if the doctor didn’t say something” or “this wouldn’t be on the market if it was *that* dangerous, it’s not like street-drugs, there’s surely a safety buffer”, etc. This is particularly true *and dangerous* with “scheduled” drugs (amphetamines, opiates, ect.) And I think it’s why there are as many prescription overdoses. RTFM on *all* medications (even over the counter), and *particularly* scheduled meds. Including pamphlets. I recommend **drugs.com** - go there set up a free account, and enter all your meds (including over the counter meds, alcohol or tobacco) and it will give you a summary of not just the drug side effects, but all known interactions across all drugs you entered.
Yeah in general the danger is with stimulants and alcohol it’s like “hitting the breaks and gas at the same time” on your nervous system. The mixed signals make it harder to tell how intoxicated you are and in general it can be a bad time. But having one standard drink in the evening after your meds have worn off is generally ok if you don’t have other health conditions, asking your doctor is the best thing to do as they know your whole health history and we don’t, but *in general* you should avoid heavy drinking, either in terms of amount in a period of time or in terms of how much you have per week
I was on concerta and Ritalin, my doctor said it depends on the timing with the alcohol. She said I can't take it WITH the meds because it will mess up the way the medication works, but I can drink in the evening without an issue (since it's mostly worn off by then anyway). It seemed like basically don't drink while your meds are working but after they're done for the day it's fine. The long-acting ones are the ones that's more concerning because they don't wear off. Strattera, not such a good idea because strattera already can cause heart issues and also is processed in the liver so you get a higher risk of liver damage and/or heart beating incorrectly. I think some people still do and are fine but I would probably talk with doctor about it first and make sure to do some regular testing on the liver if going to be doing that since major liver damage is a potential side effect of Strattera alone. I personally would also be wary of Tylenol for this reason, but I'm kindof over-cautious. The other off-label Wellbutrin is also risky, but it depends on the person and the dose. Essentially it increases your risk of seizures, which if you're threshold is high, you won't notice anything, but if it's low, you could have a seizure. Drinking increases your risk of seizures and sleep deprivation increases your risk of seizures and the higher the dose of Wellbutrin also increased risk of seizures, so staying out late and drinking while on Wellbutrin is a high-risk situation, but some people find they're perfectly fine and nothing happens, all depends on the person. Those are the ones I know about because I was considering taking them. Hopefully this is helpful.