Has anyone had any experiences with this combination? My husband is on Concerta and he drinks pretty heavily. He is trying to cut back which is good. But I notice that when he does drink. He gets more aggressive and angry. When he gets this way he is beligerant and spazzys out. Does the alchol cancel out the concerta? Any help or thoughts on this would be appreciated.
I know what your talking about! When my husband is on concerta and drinks he is just not the same person. Most of the time I am scared just to be around him. He drinks almost everyday and I have told him how he is the next day but I don't think he really see how he changes when he drinks with the concerta. I don't have any answers for you or me. I wish I could talk to the doctor about it....But I can not go to the doctor with my husband. Also I think my husband makes things up in his head, and really starts to believe them. He just freaks me out. I just go along with whatever mostly...just to make it through the night. I am on concerta and have been told by my doc that alchohol should not be consumed and smoking are not allowed. Does the doctor know that they are drinking while on the meds?? I had to get therapy for self medicating with alchohol and be off it before I was started on meds.LC there are symptoms to abusing alcohol that a good MD can see. It takes a heavy toll on the body and mind and simply isn't acceptable - especially when trying to improve ones self as it's defeatist at best.
Abusing alcohol is a good indication that they'll abuse the stimulants as well. You should consider intervention (all of you finding loved ones abusing) as it's a runaway train that will only lead to losing it all in the end.
Taking stimulants while drinking merely makes a very wide-awake drunk. Sometimes people abuse stims while drinking as it allows them to drink longer without passing out which makes it all worse.
Take care - and don't settle for this kind of life. There is a better way out there for sure.
I am not sure what kind of doctor he went to first. He said it was a ADHD specialist, but right after went to another MD to get the pills because the first doctor could not give prescriptions. I thought at least one of the doctors would of wanted to talk to me sometime...but so far nothing and its been six months...and he has still never went back to the first doctor that told him he had ADHD. And my husband said he was to see both of them.We have been married for ten years...and I made him move out, just to keep myself from going crazy. I just feel I am at my end with trying to help. That sucks!!! I have some friends that have been married 13 years, met them through some ADHD seminars and stuff. Anyway they are going through some tough times because he refuses to face up to his issues and drinks a lot. You can offer the olive branch - just can't make people take it!!! Hopefully your husband will get the help he needs - as I learned in therapy - we all make choices (not always good ones).I do not know if my husbands doctor knows if he drinks or not. My husband says he has told him he has a few beers and the doctor is ok with it. But I do know the doctor does not know just how much he really does drink and that he drinks almost everyday!
As far as abusing the stimulants I think thats what my husband was after in the first place when he went to the doctor. But I don't know. I am not him so I don't know if he really needs the meds or not. I can't tell any difference in him since the meds except that he is more aggressive. He says they wear off by the time he gets home??? I don't know.
What type of Dr. prescribed the medication. Glen's message above is right on the mark. A doc that knows anything about ADHD will eventually see an issue with your husband, or they should!! Usually to be diagnosed, but not always, the doctor might talk to family members or friends. I had to hit rock bottom and was doing some really stupid and dangerous stuff before I admitted I had a problem with alchohol. I had to deal with the drinking issue and then was able to concentrate on dealing with my ADHD. Sometimes denial can last most of a persons life.