Not allowed to drink-suggestions?

[AussieChris]

Try some Damiana tea which is a herbal tea you will get sorta high on it, its legal and an aphrodisiac! Its fun all round and wont give you seizures!

Watch what you get though as some eBay stuff is about as useful as lawn clippings. Buy good organic stuff from a herb shop and use a teaspoon of it. Its a bit of a high not quite as potent as alcohol but fairly harmless and will make you giggle and lightheaded and it wont make you fat like beer!

Kefir and Kombusha goes alright too you will especially get a euphoria feeling off Kefir and you make it at home yourself for next to nothing.

 

[epileric]

Actually I'd avoid Damiana like the plague

Damiana is LIKELY SAFE when taken in amounts commonly found in foods. Damiana is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken in medicinal amounts, but there have been serious side effects. Convulsions and other symptoms similar to rabies or strychnine poisoning have been reported after taking 200 grams of damiana extract.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of damiana during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Diabetes: Damiana might affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use damiana.

Surgery: Since damiana seems to affect blood glucose levels, there is a concern that it might interfere with blood glucose control during and after surgery. Stop using damiana at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-703-DAMIANA.aspx?activeIngredientId=703&activeIngredientName=DAMIANA

I'm not sure about Kombusha but despite being told how safe it was I always had a seizure withing 5 minutes of ingesting it.

 

[Ivanatron]

Why the need to get high?

 

[Cint]

Why the need to get high?

:agree:

 

[Ivanatron]

You can have fun without taking any stimulants as long as you're with the right people! Even if you are at a lame party! I used to smoke pot lots and believed that there is no way to have fun unless I was baked but I was totally wrong. Now I can be silly without taking anything. Sorry, not trying to sound like a lame-o, but we gotta be realistic with our situations and realize that we can still have fun with our friends

 

[kirsten]

If you don't mind the occasional risk of death, Kombucha tea should suite you well. "Kombucha tea may be UNSAFE for most adults. It can cause side effects including stomach problems, yeast infections, allergic reactions, yellow skin (jaundice ), nausea, vomiting, head and neck pain, and death.

Kombucha tea, especially batches made at home where it’s hard to maintain a germ-free environment, can become contaminated with fungus (Aspergillus) and bacteria (including anthrax). In Iran, 20 people got anthrax infections from taking kombucha tea. This tea is particularly unsafe in people with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV/AIDS, who are more likely to get infections. Also, lead poisoning has been reported from kombucha tea that was prepared in a lead-glazed ceramic pot." http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...dientId=538&activeIngredientName=KOMBUCHA TEA

 

[Ivanatron]

it also smells gross (haven't tried it)...and amongst all other possible side effects, eww yeast infections. No thanks!
I find that nothing is more euphoric than when your partner takes you biking and forces you to bike up a steep hill. I swear you start to hallucinate! So.out.of.shape!!

 

[BlueCat]

I have been able to have the random beer or a glass of wine. My husband was pouring (measured with a shot glass) 8 ounces of wine. My neurologist had a cow when I told him that after Tuesday's sz-said he only drinks 2 ounces (not sure if he has e, but it made it sound that way). I had not had one the night before, it was just a general conversation on drinking. I never drink hard liquor. I have learned to love club soda. Yes, I tend to be the designated driver (except for the next 6 months). I also found Ariel white the best non-alcoholic wine, St Pauli and Becks the best N/A beers, and tea is my beverage of choice most of the time. I am on Lamictal & Keppra, and he told me alcohol reduces the effectiveness of the drugs.

 

[tiggy'smom]

Realize too that most people there are drinking to make the situation less awkward. I was an ICU nurse and we had a lot of "codes" and a cardiologist once taught me a lesson when he saw I was scared and hanging back. Take a second, take a deep breath, take in the scene and you will be able to take control of not only yourself in the scene, but the scene itself. It just may work for you, I found that when I did that the residents looked to me to "run the code". Own it!

 

[Cint]

Realize too that most people there are drinking to make the situation less awkward. I was an ICU nurse and we had a lot of "codes" and a cardiologist once taught me a lesson when he saw I was scared and hanging back. Take a second, take a deep breath, take in the scene and you will be able to take control of not only yourself in the scene, but the scene itself. It just may work for you, I found that when I did that the residents looked to me to "run the code". Own it!

Great to have an ICU nurse among us. Teach us more secret codes.

 

[Zolt]

Not sure if i can drink or not with the meds i take. Once in a blue moon, i'll have a beer or two, but that is like when it's the super bowl or something spectacular.

Otherwise i stick to Water and Milk and 1 cup of coffee at 10:30ish am.

iano: op:

 

[AussieChris]

I was suspect about damiana at first and read stuff on the net and I am sure most of it is written by medically unqualified people writing anything to make people go to their website. In the end after reading one reputable website state very little research has been done on what it will do to you with regard to meds or anything but is well documented as an aphrodisiac and hormone balancing thing. I realised some of the websites could be a bit suspect regarding their validity regarding claims and warnings.

Having had it recommended to me by my brother in law who was giving up alcohol I gave it a go not knowing how it would affect meds and got a pleasant surprise. One of my dangerous seizure triggers is being stressed out and Damiana blisses you out and you don't care about anything for a while taking stress away. I haven't had a seizure drinking it in years.

Btw don't eat it in the firm of tablets or powder use one teaspoon of dried leaves in a saucepan of boiling water and boil it and strain it as a herbal tea. Sweeten with agave syrup And if it don't affect your meds you've got a fun option that's not alcohol.

I hope that helps someone but like anything exercise caution and start with only a little. It makes an pleasant cold drink too.

 

[Penny]

"Not allowed to drink"

Actually nobody can allow or disallow you to drink. Its what you WANT to do that decides that. Do you want to be good to your body and especially your brain which is already damaged? Its your decision but there are consequinces to all decisions we make.

 

[epileric]

I was suspect about damiana at first and read stuff on the net and I am sure most of it is written by medically unqualified people writing anything to make people go to their website. In the end after reading one reputable website state very little research has been done on what it will do to you with regard to meds or anything but is well documented as an aphrodisiac and hormone balancing thing. I realised some of the websites could be a bit suspect regarding their validity regarding claims and warnings.

I'd be curious what you consider a "reputable website". It doesn't make sense to me that you'd write off numerous websites as "medically unqualified people" but use the one site that says little research has been done to believe it as being unharmful. You also have to realize that if there is minimal research that still is pretty chancy to trust something is not harmful no matter how much anecdotal info there is.

I tend towards the medical sites asa they usually cite scientific research as WebMD has.

 

[AussieChris]

I tend towards the medical sites asa they usually cite scientific research as WebMD has.

lol there is no such thing as Lamictal/Damiana, kefir epilepsy interaction studies I could find just a bunch of keywords on a sites that vaguely allude to all kinds of things. I won't believe anything on the net outside forums unless I find 3 reputable sources using referenced scientific evidence that's referenced to a decent study that all concur. I especially don't trust websites covered in advertisements for always being accurate.

Back in the old days pre internet we used to give things a go and hope..I guess I am old school that way.

 

[epileric]

lol there is no such thing as Lamictal/Damiana, kefir epilepsy interaction studies I could find just a bunch of keywords on a sites that vaguely allude to all kinds of things. I won't believe anything on the net outside forums unless I find 3 reputable sources using referenced scientific evidence that's referenced to a decent study that all concur. I especially don't trust websites covered in advertisements for always being accurate.

Back in the old days pre internet we used to give things a go and hope..I guess I am old school that way.

Here are the studies cited on WebMD:

Alcaraz-Melendez L, Delgado-Rodriguez J, Real-Cosio S. Analysis of essential oils from wild and micropropagated plants of damiana (Turnera diffusa). Fitoterapia 2004;75:696-701.

Arletti R, Benelli A, Cavazzuti E, et al. Stimulating property of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata extracts on the sexual-behavior of male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1999;143:15-9.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid= 786bafc6f6343634fbf79fcdca7061e1&rgn=div5&view= text&node=21:3.0.1.1.13&idno=21

Zhao J, Pawar RS, Ali Z, Khan IA. Phytochemical investigation of Turnera diffusa. J Nat Prod 2007;70:289-92.

And here are a few more:

Kumar, S., Madaan, R., & Sharma, A. (2009), "Evaluation of Aphrodisiac Activity of Turnera aphrodisiaca", International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research 1: 1–4

Arletti, R., Benelli, A., Cavazzuti, E., Scarpetta, G., & Bertolini, A. (September 1998), "Stimulating property of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata extracts on the sexual behavior of male rats", Psychopharmacology 143: 15–19, PMID 10227074

Zhao, J., Dasmahapatra, A.K., Khan, S.I., & Khan, I.A. (December 2008), "Anti-aromatase activity of the constituents from damiana (Turnera diffusa)", Journal of Ethnopharmacology 120: 387–393, doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.016, PMID 18948180

"Pharmacological evaluation of Bioactive Principle of Turnera aphrodisiaca", Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2008, doi:10.4103/0250-474X.49095, PMC 3040867

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnera_diffusa

There really shouldn't be any studies on this herb re. its effects on epilepsy unless it is shown to safe, which hasn't happened yet.

 

[AussieChris]

Which one of those above studies you read outlines the interaction of Lamictal and damiana? It might save me going through them all if you could narrow them down for me.

 

[epileric]

Are you saying that a supplement that has been shown to cause convulsions in people who don't take Lamictal or have epilepsy might be safe on someone who does take lamicatal for their epilepsy???

I hope you're not implying that because such a redundant study doesn't exist that Miranda should still try it despite it being so dangerous?

 

[MAB]

I only drank one time since finding out in October that I have been having partial seizures. It was with a contractor from work. I had 4 drinks and got a little tipsy. I told him I really wasn't supposed to drink but he kept fixing the drinks and I kept drinking them. The next time he wanted me to drink with him I finally told him I couldn't risk having more seizures because if they changed to anything other than partials I would loose my license. I believe people think since they can't notice my seizures that they either aren't serious or aren't real.

 

[AussieChris]

I only drank one time since finding out in October that I have been having partial seizures. It was with a contractor from work. I had 4 drinks and got a little tipsy. I told him I really wasn't supposed to drink but he kept fixing the drinks and I kept drinking them. The next time he wanted me to drink with him I finally told him I couldn't risk having more seizures because if they changed to anything other than partials I would loose my license. I believe people think since they can't notice my seizures that they either aren't serious or aren't real.

It sure isn't worth the risk. Can you drink anything like at home normally without having them? My doc Ok'd a glass of win occasionally.

I cant drive anymore anyway and am at low risk of seizures so its not uncommon for me to have a couple of glasses of wine with no adverse reaction except a migraine if its cheap and nasty wine.

4 drinks would playing with fire for me. I guess your lucky if nothing happened and in a way blessed if you can at least have a couple if you desire too and haven't got that taken away from you too.

If something bad happened to me every time I had some I would never have it.