AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on drugs, both medical and "recreational". Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Principal author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 4th Edition published in November 2003 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Expert: Dr Alan Galbraith Date: 11/2/2006 Subject: Wellbutrin XL and alcohol
Question After years of smoking and many failed attempts, I finally quit smoking several years ago. Then, last year, my mother had a stroke which left her partially paralyzed. I'm her only relative and the effort to care for her put a huge strain on my husband and me and our marriage. Although that situation is improving now, I began smoking again. I've been trying to quit, but I keep picking them up again. As I'm also going through menopause now, the weight gain every time I try to quit is a huge discouragement. Intellectually, I know my lungs are more important, but it's depressing to be unhappy with oneself and expensive to buy a new wardrobe. I told all this to my doctor, and he prescribed Wellbutrin XL. I haven't started taking it yet. I'm a bit concerned about the warnings concerning alcohol. We're not heavy drinkers, but after a year and a half of taking care of my mother and a lot of depression, we're finally finding the time to socialize a bit on the weekends. We don't drink all week, but we do go out on Friday and/or Saturday nights to dinner, often with friends, and have a (one) martini OR a couple of glasses of wine. It's the one thing that seems to be making things bearable again for both of us (we both have really high stress jobs in addition to the stress of the family situation) and I'd hate to give it up this pleasure. (and now the holidays are coming up and we've actually got invitations to parties) So the warnings against drinking when taking Wellbutrin are making me hesitate to start. The thought that all this means I'm an addictive personality who just needs to have something to help just depresses me that much more. I feel like I'm going around in circles here and destined to choose between being healthy and miserable or trying to enjoy myself while I can even if it's going to kill me.
My doctor says that a drink or two on weekends should be okay even when taking Wellbutrin, but everything I'm reading is really frightening me. I can avoid alcohol if I have to, I don't drink at all during the week. But I'm really weighing whether or not I want to take Wellbutrin if it means avoiding it altogether. (and the social interactions that go with it) Is my doctor right, or are all these sites that warn heavily against drinking on Wellbutrin right? I want to help myself, but right now I'm feeling kind of paralyzed myself.
Answer Dear "Sinking"
I completely agree with your doctor and do not agree at all with all the alcohol warnings you are reading about it and Wellbutrin. Unfortunately, the antialcohol lobby is strong in some countries and often persuades the authorities about effects that are not really true. The same is true regarding pregnancy and alcohol, all the obstetricians I know and that is many reckon alcohol in moderation in pregnancy is OK as does much of the literature. In Australia their is no contraindication against alcohol and Wellbutrin (bupropion, aka Zyban. Alcohol, in moderation, is beneficial to one's health in lots of ways and there is no way that I can say anything good about smoking (I am an- ex-smoker - now about 23 years without one). Go and enjoy your Martini or no more than two glasses of wine. Your second last sentence should read ".....warn against heavy drinking..." in my honest opinion. Maybe, I am biased as I have a glass of a 17 year old Australian wine beside me now and would be enjoying it too if I were taking Wellbutrin, I can assure you. However, I will add that in some people the effects of alcohol could be increased but this is extremely unlikely with no more than two standard glasses.
Regards
Dr Alan Galbraith
PS Please change your pen-name to something more positive term like uplifting!! You'll feel better for it.
