The Jillifont reminds me that we keep getting stinkbugs in the kitchen (well, we've gotten 2 in the past 6 weeks). They only freak me out in the sense that, when I nab them with a handful of paper towels, I don't want to squoosh them because of the stink. Otherwise, I think they actually look super-cool. Too bad they're bugs and need to be immediately flushed.

Steph! I have a clueless medication question for you! I am about to add Zithromax to the abx "pulsing" routine (2 doses a day, 3 days a week of Rifampin, Doxycycline, and now Zithromax.) Is it okay for me to have an occasional Adult Beverage? The pharmacist was kind of asscaps about NO ALCOHOL OMG.

The Jillifont reminds me that we keep getting stinkbugs in the kitchen (well, we've gotten 2 in the past 6 weeks). They only freak me out in the sense that, when I nab them with a handful of paper towels, I don't want to squoosh them because of the stink. Otherwise, I think they actually look super-cool. Too bad they're bugs and need to be immediately flushed.

I used to get them in my Philly apartment. They lived in the kitchen fan (opened through an outside wall). For reasons that still defy explanation, Bec decided they were cute and thus they were permitted to stay.

WHYYYY did I read the Jillifont? Whyyyyy? I know better.

Are you kidding me? It was right there on the tin NOT to read it, Jilli. Sweetie, Jillifont does not mean "of interest to Jilli especially."

Sorry. It was really gross.

Oh, I acknowledge that he did good things. It's just that the bad thing he did outweighed it.

Oh, I totally agree in this case.

Is it okay for me to have an occasional Adult Beverage?

Lemme check. I sort of feel like the more you add, the less you should have The Booze, since you're already taxing your liver with metabolizing all those drugs. That's just my out-of-my-ass opinion, not based on anything scientific. I'll go look stuff up and let you know.

Steph, could I ask you to check on Cymbalta too? What's the alcohol story with that one?

I do skip booze on Zithromax but generally when I am taking it, I am trying to fight something big and I don't want to tax my body more. And it's an intense course.

Okay, first Jilli -- rifampin and azithromycin both list precautions w/r/t liver enzymes being altered (by "precautions," I mean "reported at a level barely high enough to be listed as a side effect," NOT "kiss your liver goodbye"). That's my best guess as to why avoiding alcohol is recommended. Plus, multiple drugs *are* putting more of a burden on your body in general, and your liver specifically, even though you need to be taking them and they're doing what they need to do.

My I-am-not-a-doctor "advice" -- skip the alcohol. HOWEVER, my what-would-I-do-if-it-were-me confession -- I would probably have 1 drink, once in a while. I think the best thing to do is ask your doctor's opinion, but make sure you specify what you mean by "occasional" drink -- the answer might vary depending on whether you mean once a week or once every 2 weeks, etc., or depending on where you are in the drug pulse cycle when you have the drink.

Now billytea -- you should be fine drinking with Cymbalta. My experience of taking ADs and drinking is that you should see how one drink affects you before you decide to start chugging kegs of beer (as is your wont) -- when I first started Zoloft, alcohol would make me tipsy really quickly, on just 1 drink. But I built up a tolerance after a while, which I think is normal with ADs. So just keep an eye on it.

Are you kidding me? It was right there on the tin NOT to read it, Jilli. Sweetie, Jillifont does not mean "of interest to Jilli especially."

Seriously! That's negligence on a par with Lou Gehrig getting Lou Gehrig's Disease. He should've avoided that one.

Now billytea -- you should be fine drinking with Cymbalta. My experience of taking ADs and drinking is that you should see how one drink affects you before you decide to start chugging kegs of beer (as is your wont) -- when I first started Zoloft, alcohol would make me tipsy really quickly, on just 1 drink. But I built up a tolerance after a while, which I think is normal with ADs. So just keep an eye on it.

Cool, thanks.