Has ADHD medication helped anyone stopped drinking?

[Bazleenus]

So in september of last year, i was diagnosed bipolar type 2, and then in march this year 2019, have been rediagnosed into bipolar type 1.
Now whilst trying 5000 different medications along the way, and treating the depression... Whenever i got slightly low or high, which seems to be a monthly reoccurring thing, cycling back and forth.. But i would always end up drinking to either A, try calm down the mania (didnt help lol) or B forget about the shitty lows bipolar brings (also doesnt help haha). Then april this year, my psychiatrist out of nowhere randomly started asking me questions about how i was in school, etc etc The list goes on and on. But anyway, up till this day at the psychiatrist i was drinking 4-5 times a week almost, as it had become an addiction.
But since the trial of the most common adhd medication in the world, it has literally gone from nearly everyday to literally once a week or less as more of a relaxation thing. Has anyone else experienced this? I used to itch and always want to go buy alcohol just to ignore the bullshit bipolar, but since being medicated for ADHD it has gone done not just a little bit, but MASSIVELY.. I cant put my finger on why it has, or how it has.. But it massively has. Since then, we have discovered I do suffer from both as im not allowed to take ADHD medication when i can feel a "high" coming on as it can send me too "high", and helps my lows a little bit aswell.. where instead of always being in the slumps, it seems to ease the "low" side of bipolar just that little bit. It has also literally almost completely fixed my sleeping pattern, as for years i have only gotten about 4-5 hours sleep a night on a good one, and sometimes would be up for 2 days or almost a week straight.. But now i am in bed at 9-10pm and struggling to climb out of bed at 6-7am as i finally have sleep in my eyes from i literally cant remember the last time.

Can anyone relate? I'd love to hear your stories, or comments.

[Quercus]

Hi Bazleenus,

My psychiatrist prescribed me an ADHD medication for two reasons. One was to manage adult ADHD which my antidepressants were making worse. The other was in an attempt to help manage a binge eating disorder.

Although I haven't seen much of a change in my binge eating, the theory behind why it could work makes sense to me.

Although the antidepressants helped the low moods I also felt foggy and scatterbrained and frustrated. And I turned to food to comfort me as usual. When I began the ADHD meds I was finally able to focus and concentrate.

Do you think perhaps this has something to do with you needing alcohol as much?

It is just a thought. But whatever the reason I am glad for you that the medication is helping you.

Nat

[Sezkeepon]

My thoughts are that you were medicating the ADHD symptoms with alcohol. Now you are properly medicated you are not craving the alcohol. I have ADHD too and I’m fidgety, hyper, unfocused, impulsive and impatient without meds. I couldn’t get things done I needed too and life around me was looking as chaotic as my mind was. I used substances to feel more normal and function better. Then I got diagnosed and put on meds and they worked like a charm. Didn’t need the stuff that was harming me and causing more pronounced symptoms in the long run. Hope this makes sense 🙂

[geoff]

Hello Bazleenus, thanks for coming to the forums and posted an interesting comment.

I can't say as I'm not qualified, however, I agree with Sezkeepon in that you were medicating the ADHD symptoms with alcohol and that can happen for many different situations, as I used it to help me with my depression.

I'd like to know how you get on.

Geoff.

[Bazleenus]

Thankyou all for your replys.
The only logical thing to me also was alcohol was treating my adhd, but to me it was more of a escape? And to me adhd medication kind of... makes me face everything and focus you could say. The drinking has stopped for a good 3 to 4 weeks now, and I literally don't even crave it nor itch or nothing like I used too, really wierd.
The other real positive sides to the medication include not being a "hoon" or rushing to get everywhere anymore, I don't get frustrated with people so easily on the road lol, I'm way more calm, patient, I think before I speak more often than I did before, and probably one of the best things the medication has done, is help the weight gain fight that I was battling with some of the antipsychotics for the bipolar! Completly destroys that uncontrollable appetite, untill it wears of atleast.

[geoff]

Hi Bazleenus, thanks for getting back to us and we would be interested to see what happens.

Geoff.