cymbalta and alcohol

I have been on cymbalta for about 5 months now. At first it was great I loved it, I felt better and had no more fatigue, but just recently I have discovered that I have been sleepwalking! It's so bad that it's to the point were I have urinated in inappropriate places. At first I thought it was because I drank alcohol while taking the cymbalta but even if I don't drink I still sleepwalk. I have NEVER done that in my life.

I have been on Cymbalta for a month now. I don't drink often but the other night I did and I went from being sober to having no recollection of what I did in thirty minutes. I was told about the conversations I had and my drunken behavior the next day. I don't remember anything. Kinda scary if you ask me. Luckily I was with family so I was safe. I did consume alot but I don't even remember feeling drunk. The only good thing was that I didn't have even the slightest hangover the next day.

Really? Are you people listening to yourselves? Getting drunk enough to break your leg and saying i like ale and one way to fight depresion is to do things you like? saying things like, i can stare at one spot all day and be happy? Askng if it will kill your liver, but if it does at least you will die happy?

Ar you peope considering your family at all? Do you know how they must suffer to see someone they love so messed up and different after a ew drinks? If you suffer fromdepession, i will not say that it is wrong to take someype ofmedication that will improve your quality of lif, butdo nottr to stop fixing the problem using other methods. We were not meant to be taking pills for our moods or emotions to be in control. Try hard and be determined to find an alternative. For yourself and fo those who love you. Anti-depressants are meant to break a connection in your brain that causes the emotion or mood of feeling dpressed. The poblem is that connection is not just for depression, but for other reactive emotions and feelings as well. Those reactiv feeling are meant to help you make decisions on what subconciously matters to you, like your kids or other love ones. Do not make it thenswer to how you will live for the rest of your life.

And as for the formula of "i am depressed, so i drink to make me feel better" you mybe started drinkin because you were sad, but quicker than you can imagine, it turns into your sad because you are drinking. a fine line that can easily be blurred, specially if you already do not have th capability to handle the initial depression wihtout drugs. Think bout it as logically as you can. Alchohol is a depressant. And you are rinkng it to fix your depression? do not try to over complicate it, its really as simple logic as that, trying to fix depression with more depression.

If you get used to taking a pill to make your self feel better, and then you associate alchohol to feeling better. yu will proboblytake both dily and mak it an addiction. You say its conrolled and you test out how much you can drink. But what type of controll s doing somethng you know is harmful, or has a good chance of being harmful, until you find aformula to be functional while you harm you put yourself in Danger.

I have not suffered from depression, or alcoholism myelf. But i have suffered when othe people have had the problem. It sounds like on this forum tee is mostly sick people talking to othr sick people, blind leading the blind. Talk to someone who dosnt judge you, but hels you see the light and the simple truth for what it is. Alchohol is more dangerous than most recratinal drugs, or even smoking if you look up stats. Wh would you talk about mixing it with an antidepressant daily or frequently that will make it x amount of times worst so casually?

To the "psychiatric nurse for 20 years". I have been an accountant for 20 years and I know that Cymbalta is not included in the SSRI family of depression meds. It is an SNRI, an Seritonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor. How are we supposed to take your advice seriously?

Actually yes. It started a week ago. I have been on it for a year and 4-5 months ago I started drinking again. I progressively drank more and more until I spent Friday and Saturday drinking all day. Well The last two weeks after drinking I have felt horribly depressed for the entire week, completely unstable. I am done with alcohol now and am just hoping I normal out and feel better soon. It has been 3 days and I am feeling a little better.

I too consider myself a regular drinker as I work in and around bars for a living - it's a way of life. (I do not drive when I have ONE beer). About 6 months ago I was prescribed Cymbalta for chronic knee pain. The pain is GONE, but there is a potentially DEADLY side effect. BLACKOUTS with the stronger alcohol consumption!

While beer seems to NOT effect me any differently, shots and or stronger drinks cause some MAJOR time loss - as in out of nowhere almost like a seizure.

I'm not trying to tell anyone it's ok to drink beer and take Cymbalta, but rather PLEASE do not drink shots or mixed drinks!!!!! I love my Absolute and cranberry, but I'm done with it and any shots/mixed drinks - THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL MIXED WITH CYMBALTA IS GREATLY ENHANCED. It scared the hell out of me! I had NEVER experienced blacking out before (I'm 48) and have had THREE blackouts after socially drinking mixed drinks in the past 2 months!!

FWIW, my liver tests have all been normal as recently as 4 months ago, so it simply HAS to be the stronger concentration of alcohol in the vodka mixing with the Cymbalta causing sleep walking, blackouts, damaging things around the house, COOKING and leaving the stove on, etc...

I'm begging anyone that is taking Cymbalta to NOT mix stronger alcoholic drinks - you WILL balck out, yet still be on your feet and trying to function! How long before it happens while you are driving home or something terrible happens?

I love Cymbalta, but it does NOT mix with higher content alcohol at all....

yes! i drank last night the usual amount however, i woke up very depressed and sad and could not go back to sleep. I just upped my dose to 60 mg instead of 30. I have had a severe headache and dizziness that has lasted me till about 4 oclock in the afternoon. thats why i'm here to see if i am the only one. I realize i dont want this to happen again so am going to have to curb my alcohol use.;.

Nurse is not at risk for losing his/her license, nice try smart ass.

I was a occasional. Drinker before. Cymbalta. I almost lost everything because I started craving alcohol everyday. I would get drunk everyday for about six months. Wouldn't remember things I would do. Got aggressive. Quot mu job. Almost got a divorce. Lost friendships because I couldn't control myself. Way out of control. Quit cymbalta and don't even want to drink now. Be careful it nearly destroyed me.

hey--you will prob be OK. Curious as to how many milligrams you are taking. I'm on 30 mg a day and I drink a little more than you. Oddly, I was at a wedding yesterday and drank a lot more than I normally do and I had some strange pains in my lower back. I would suggest maybe getting a liver panel done to see if everything looks ok.

I think I'm having that same situation--the cravings. thanks for the heads up.

My doctor told me it could stop your heart to drink with cymbalta so I don't drink at all. Was he wrong?

Agree with your reply here, but I'd leave out the abuse

Unfortunately I have historically consumed too much alcohol and suffered from depression - no I dont drink to get drunk or have hangovers
I have been on Cymbalta for a month & just increased upto 60mg last week

I had decreased my alcohol intake so far while on Cymbalta - but while on a 'Boys Fishing Weekend' just past, I had a few more drinks than I had recently being having I found the effects hit me very quick and harder than I was used to.
Then last night I had about 4-5 glasses of wine while cooking dinner & during the meal to then very abruptly being affected and needing to go to bed - usually I could easily drink a bottle & a half of red wine before feeling any affects (Am not bragging about it)
So from my experience thus far, I can confirm the going from being fine to almost desperate in about 30 minutes

Lesson learn. hopefully this will now help me control my alcohol intake as well

I agree with the last quote--"if you don't understand why people drink alcohol to feel better with depression" you should bother to comment--you don't understand the issue---I'm a successful 70 yr old business owner who rides fast motorcycles & has the "land speed records" to prove it.