Ritalin and alcohol?? | ADHD Information
The main problem I've found is that ritalin partly suppresses the *physiological* effects of alcohol (though your judgment still mostly goes down the toilet). The problem is, of course, that ritalin takes effect and wears off a LOT faster than alcohol does. So... let's suppose you take one last ritalin, then go out and drink 6-8 beers over the span of those 2 or 3 hours. Right around the time you're starting to feel *really* drunk and decide it might be a good idea to stop, the ritalin falls off, and you can go from "drunk" to "within an inch of death from alcohol poisoning" over the span of 30-90 minutes. It's not fun.
Of course, it's even MORE dangerous if you're at a party where you can sneak into a room somewhere and doze off, because THEN the ritalin will wear off while you're already asleep (and probably away from your friends who might otherwise recognize that you're in serious trouble and get help).
Don't drink on any of these ADD meds unless you have a lot of self control and are 100% sure you can limit yourself to a couple of social drinks before dinner. The meds can cause very unexpected reactions to the alchohol. If you have been drinking for several years, you probably have a pretty good idea of what 3 beers will do to, what 6 beers will do, what 3 shots of whiskey will do, etc.
With some of the meds, you can end up in a very bad situation.
My "drug dealer" (aka psychiatrist) LOL tells me that he doesn't prescibe what he calls "Psyco-stimulants" ritilin, adderall, dexedrine etc. to people who drink or have a history of drug abuse. This logic makes no sense to me as when the diagnosis of ADD is confirmed it would be no surprise at all to hear about drug or alcohol abuse in the past. Those street drugs will still be available anyway, and the fact that someone who does use is persuing a treatment approach rather than just using is a "clue". Well my doctor doesn't have one! (a clue that is) 
He is actually BS-ing me because he doesn't deal with ADD related issues at all and I really don't think he knows much about it.
He did say that mixing ritilin with alcohol could cause seizures but I don't believe it. Actually, he prescribed me Wellbutrin which I have read in the patient info should not be mixed with booze, but then you read "If you are a heavy drinker Do not abruptly stop drinking alcohol while taking this medication".
Kind of confusing Huh?
I get drunk wayyy faster than i used to.
The effects are way more intense with a shorter amount.
My "drug dealer" (aka psychiatrist) tells me that mixing alcohol and ritalin can cause a stroke, but so far it's only saved me money because i drink less.
I don't like it at all.
I have a dart league every wednesday that i attend, and that includes drinking so i don't take my second adderall dose on those days.
And no, I can't have fun playing darts without drinking.
The News Folks on TV have been saying it is dangerous to drink alcohol with those energy drinks because for some reason they make your brain think you are not as intoxicated as you really are and they can cause serious effects or
even death. Please check on this further before you drink with medication AND
the energy drinks. Good Luck to you.
Hello,
I always liked those breezertype energydrinks with alcohol but I haven't had any since I have been put on Ritalin.
What is different from drinking alcohol before you were on Ritalin??
I guess everyone has a different perspective. In my drinking days, I did not even consider 4-5 drinks as "drinking".
I doubt that 2-3 drinks will hurt many people even on Ritalin. My concern was for those people who often REALLY drink.
Someone may be used to drinking a half bottle of vodka in front of the TV (getting totally loaded), and then going to sleep. But if they are on Rotalin they may drink a half bottle of vodka (getting totally loaded) and then decide to go out nightclubbing. That is a recipe for disaster.
Or they may feel wide awake and decide to start in on the rest of the vodka.well i'm going to start ritalin and i didn't know that it was so serious to drink alcohol with ritalin. I won't be drinking anyway. I don't think i will have to drink if i'm ok on ritalin neway. i drank a strong cup of coffee once and then a vodka and it made my head feel numb. I though there was something seriously up with me. I was panicking. May caffeine and alcohl would have the same raction as ritalin.I'm on Adderall and the only thing that happen if I drink with it is my alcohol tolerance is a lot lower. Before meds it would take me 4-5 drinks to get drunk with meds it takes only 1-2. I only drink a few times a year but have never had a problem.Those are some very scary posts. I do not drink at all but I went to Applebees and had a Summer Splash breeze (dont know what was in it) and I just sipped it very very slow and ate a good meal with it. I did not feel anything but a little sleepy. I went to a play and sat for two hours and that was the end of it butI do not think I like the odds of drinking with Adderal or Wellbutrin.LOL Chazz if someone is drinking half or a whole bottle of Vodka a night they have way more problems then worrying about mixing alcohol and Ritalin. Hell even if they didn't take ritalin at all, drinking that much every night will eventually wind up killing them.
Well Alcohol is a sedative and Ritalin is a stimulant = one confused brain!!!!!
I wouldnt mix the two! Says MUM!
First off, why would you want to do Ritalin and drink? It's retarded. So, either you're not stating your question correctly or it's worse then I can imagine. Are you asking if it's OK to do some Ritalin and then go drinking? What would be the point of that? Both things effect your Central Nervous System, how they effect you is beside the point, it's a waste, It's like eating a huge piece of cake with a Diet Coke. If on the other hand you are asking; "If I use Ritalin during the day and want to unwind at night with a few beers is that OK." My answer is yes. In fact I find it a great way to calm myself after a day's meds (but you can only have 2-3 beers max for a man) While you are unwinding it's a good time to take your supplements.Yeah, that level of drinking used to be pretty normal for me. But I was younger then. I am 46 years old now (although my liver is 97).
So when people ask if it is okay "to drink", I am never sure what they mean. I agree that 2-3 beers wil probably not bother most people. But a lot of folks who drink as much as I used to don't even realize they are heavy drinkers. So sometimes they when they talk about starting a medication they want to know if they need to stop their "normal social drinking". Which for some people may actually be enough booze on a daily basis to embalm an adult water buffalo.
But yes, if you are drinking as much as I used to, that can create its very own attenion deficit.
I'm not really getting this post. Are you people saying its bad to take ritalin and alcohol together? Or is it bad to be on a stimulant and go out partying and drinking on the weekend? Is it just ritalin there is a problem with? Or something else.
I take strattera, and go out partying with my friends about once a week. I havent noticed much difference being on the medication and drinking as opposed to not being on it and drinking. There was ONE time I felt my face get real hot, like my blood pressure was going up. That was just one time though.
very weird. Never drank beer with it again. The thing was that when I was
on Ritalin, I felt more in control and more with it in social situation. With
alcohol, I would lose control. Opposite things that I wanted to happen. I
just didn't do it, not because of the mixture but because I didn't want to
do it. Things seemed clearer on Ritalin than on Ritalin and alcohol.so, i took my ritalin an hour ago and i stumbled upon this thread while sipping a newcastle......
surely there would be a big warning label or something if it was dangerous to mix the two, i hope. but when i say "drinking" i mean 3-4 drinks max, if i'm at a party--otherwise like one beer, i hope that's all right, but i guess i'll ask my doctor about it...