[sushi]

someone told me that antidepressants and alcohol are not a good mixture does anone know why. i do not drink much but occacianally i like to have a couple of drinks with friends and family.

i know that liquor and medications is not a good idea. but i want to know whats the interactions between the antidepressant and the alcohol?

thanks.

 

[LoopyLoo]

Hi Sushi,

Alcohol is a depressant so it can have the effect of counteracting anti-depressant medication. Especially if someone has extreme depression with suicidal tendencies. The effects of alcohol can also be increased by anti-depressants.

I take 40mg of Citalopram daily and have had a couple of glasses of wine on occasions but long term it would defeat the purpose of the medication.

HTH,

Pam xxx

 

[Clare.T]

Hello Sushi

I think "best advice" is not to drink and with certain sorts of anti depressants it is positively advised against. I think you are on the same one as me and I did check it out when I started taking it because I do like a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner. It is an SSRI and the warnings are with that sort aren't major.

Apart from the adding to depression risk mentioned by Pam, there is the question of increasing sleepiness and general dopiness. I'm not doing anything much in the evening and wouldn't be drinking and driving anyway, nor do I operate any 'heavy machinery' :hehe: On the other hand I had a gin and tonic at lunch the other day in celebration of a summery day and ended up having a 3 hour afternoon nap! I had also taken my AD rather late in the morning so maybe that was why I was so zonked.

I only had a sip or two at first just in case I had a bad reaction. I am certainly sleeping much better than I was.

I also know that I am not alcohol dependent.

All the best and just be sensible
Clare

PS talking about operating machinery it has just crossed my mind that maybe this is why I am making so many typos these days

 

[sushi]

thank you Pam and Clare.

 

[tbunny1]

Lumping all anti depressant medication into one ball of wax does not very acuratley describe all side effects that alcohol can have when consumed with them.

I know from personal experience the SSRI Zoloft can not be taken with alcohol, and usually comes with a warning on the prescription to that effect (not that I paid one bit of attention to that :wink2.

My experience sent me into a very bizarre fit of rage, and I threw all the dinnerware off the 2nd floor deck outside. When they say don't drink on the stuff, they mean it!

I am now on another type of antidepressant that does not have any listed interactions with alcohol.

Best not to mess with too many of those pesky neurotransmitter in my head!

 

[sushi]

wow tbunny, i cant believe you had a reaction like that

thank you very much for letting me know about your experience.

i like to have a couple of drinks with my family once in a while.

i asked this question because my friend warned me about

the consecuences.

 

[cjmclaughlin]

Have you asked your prescribing doc about it? I'm on meds and I asked my doctor and he told me that a drink here or there was fine with the meds that I was on but that he "frowned" upon it as it can be a depressant. My rheumy has said only 2 drinks/month now that I am on MTX, though.

 

[sushi]

i havent asked my doctor about it but i will. thanks cjmclaughlin