The side effects of Wellbutrin and alcohol can lead to dangerous consequences. Not only does this worsen underlying depressive symptoms, but it also poses risks to your physical health. In extreme cases, these drug interactions can be life-threatening.
Tampa Bay Recovery Center in Tampa, Florida, can help you overcome both depression and co-occurring alcohol addiction. Our outpatient treatment programs are here to help you find hope and long-lasting recovery.
Mixing Wellbutrin and Alcohol: What Are the Side Effects?
Mixing prescription drugs with alcohol is always dangerous. When drugs and alcohol are mixed, the interactions can lead to adverse side effects. Since both Wellbutrin and alcohol can depress the central nervous system (CNS), mixing both leads to dangerous physical and psychological side effects.
The side effects of Wellbutrin and alcohol include the following:
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Impaired judgment
- Risk of reckless behavior
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Paranoia
- Mood changes
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts
- Risk of seizures
One of the biggest issues with mixing alcohol and Wellbutrin is that it severely impairs your judgment. This can lead to impulsive risk-taking, which can include drinking in large quantities and taking more pills. Consuming both alcohol and Wellbutrin in large amounts can be dangerous and even deadly.
Mixing Depressants: A Life-Threatening Combination
In addition, you increase the risk of depressing (slowing down) critical bodily functions. As mentioned above, both Wellbutrin and alcohol are depressants. So, when you mix the two, the depressant effects are essentially doubled—putting you at risk of slowed breathing and a dangerously low heart rate.
Thus, the more you drink and the more pills you take, you increase your risk of respiratory failure, unconsciousness, and—in extreme cases—death.
Increased Risk of Seizures (Why Does This Happen?)
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), “Buproprion (Wellbutrin) may lower the threshold for seizures, and alcohol may further increase seizure risk.” Why does this happen?
Wellbutrin stimulates a part of your brain called the hypothalamus. In turn, this lowers the threshold for a seizure to occur. Mixing alcohol further disrupts normal brain functioning—increasing the risk of a seizure.
In addition, seizures are a potential withdrawal symptom from both alcohol and Wellbutrin. So, if you suddenly stop consuming both, you could go into withdrawal, which may trigger a seizure.
Reckless Behaviors, Depression, and Suicide
Besides the physical side effects, you increase your risk of reckless behaviors and depressive thinking. Therefore, you could get injured while under the influence due to impaired judgment and loss of coordination.
As far as mental health goes, the combination of alcohol and Wellbutrin can increase depressive thinking, which can lead to suicidality. This is because, if you are taking Wellbutrin, you most likely have depression—and adding alcohol to the mix can worsen your symptoms.
What Is Wellbutrin Used For?
Wellbutrin (the brand name for bupropion) is primarily used as an antidepressant to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is also used to help people quit smoking and to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Wellbutrin works by keeping certain chemicals—norepinephrine and dopamine—available in your brain for a longer amount of time than usual. These chemicals help you focus, improve your mood, and increase feelings of well-being.
Why Do People Mix Wellbutrin With Alcohol?
People mix drugs for different reasons. For one thing, they might not be aware of the dangers. Or, they minimize the risk they are taking (i.e. falsely believing, “I’m only having a few drinks—it’s no big deal).
On the other hand, some people intentionally mix prescription drugs with alcohol. This could be because they already have an underlying alcohol use disorder. Or their prescription isn’t treating their depressive symptoms—so they drink to enhance the effects.
The practice of mixing drugs is called polysubstance abuse. Polysubstance abuse increases your risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD).
What is Polysubstance Abuse?
Drug interactions can be harmful. Even certain prescription drugs can cause dangerous interactions. But when a person knowingly mixes different drugs for their effects, this is called polysubstance abuse.
Since Wellbutrin is a psychiatric medication, you most likely already have an underlying mental health condition. By mixing Wellbutrin and alcohol, you increase the chances of developing an addiction on top of your mental health disorder. This can cause a dual-diagnosis disorder.
What is a Dual-Diagnosis Disorder?
A dual-diagnosis disorder is a co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder. Since the underlying causes of both types of disorders are similar, people with mental health disorders are at an increased risk of addiction and vice versa.
Therefore, if you are using Wellbutrin to treat a mental disorder, like depression, SAD, or ADHD and you are addicted to alcohol, you have a dual-diagnosis disorder.
How Are Depression and Alcohol Addiction Treated?
The best way to treat co-occurring depression and alcohol addiction is dual-diagnosis treatment. During dual-diagnosis treatment, you address both disorders at the same time. This is because both disorders affect one another—and addressing one at a time won’t be as effective as treating both together.
Treating depression and alcohol addiction usually involves the following:
- Drug and Alcohol Detox: During detox, you stop using all addictive substances. This can cause withdrawal symptoms as your body and mind adjust to the change.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): MAT programs help to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders with FDA-approved medications.
- Psychotherapy: Many people with a dual diagnosis benefit from both individual and group therapy. This helps to uncover the underlying causes of both disorders. You also work on relapse triggers and building healthy coping skills.
- Psychiatry: If you are abusing Wellbutrin, you might need to find another antidepressant with a lower potential for abuse. Psychiatric medications help to restore the chemical balances in your brain believed to cause mental disorders like depression.
- Holistic Approaches: Mental illness and addiction don’t just affect your mental well-being. Therefore, it is important to treat the whole person in recovery with holistic approaches. These approaches help improve your emotional, social, and physical wellness—in turn, this enhances your mental health.
Get Help for Your Mental Health and Addiction Today
If you are mixing Wellbutrin and alcohol, the side effects can be dangerous. Many people engaged in this type of polysubstance abuse have a dual-diagnosis disorder of depression and alcoholism. Tampa Bay Recovery Center is here to treat both disorders together for the best outcomes in recovery.
Contact us today to get started in our dual-diagnosis treatment program.
