Antidepressants & Alcohol: Why can’t they be taken together?
Why is it bad to mix alcohol and antidepressants? What happens? If I take antidepressants, does this mean I can never have an alcoholic drink?
Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., answers:
If you are taking antidepressants, you should talk to your doctor before drinking alcohol. The drug you are taking and your current emotional and physical state should be considered in deciding if you can safely drink alcohol while taking your medication. But generally, mixing antidepressants and alcohol is discouraged.
A few things could happen if you mix antidepressants and alcohol. First, your medication may become ineffective in treating your depression. Alcohol acts a depressant, so by drinking it, you could counteract effects of your medication and lessen their benefit.
The side effects from your medication could also worsen. Some antidepressants cause drowsiness, and so does alcohol. Mixing the two could make you sleepy, which is dangerous in situations where you need to be alert, such as driving, or at work. Studies have proved that even social drinking may impair your ability to react quickly and remain alert while driving, even hours after consuming a single alcoholic drink.
Finally, if you are taking an antidepressant that is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), mixing it with alcohol can be very dangerous. The combination can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure, leading to a stroke. Your doctor may tell you to avoid both alcohol and certain types of foods which may also interact with your medicine, such as cheeses and certain meats, if you are on an MAOI.
Antidepressants are not the only medications that could dangerously interact with alcohol. Whenever you are prescribed a new medication, talk to your doctor about consuming alcoholic.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants-and-alcohol/AN01653
Filed under: alcohol, social drinking | Tagged: anti-depressants
Excellent article! I myself was an alcoholic (now sober for more than eight years), and did not actually take anti-depressants until after I stopped drinking. But then, my mental illness didn’t really show itself until I stopped drinking–talk about an unpleasant surprise!
Thank you for commenting.
Pls can some1 help me. Iv been with my bg for 3 months and i thought i cud handle his depression but now its ruining our relationship. he’s family and friends drink so he’s influenced to drink. hes on anti depressants and when we alone its fine becuz we dont drink that much 2gether. hes surrounded by everyone who drinks and when he gets drunk he gets eveb more depressed and just wants to run away and be alone. Its the life style hes living. wakes up, drinks to get rid of his problems, the problems come back and drinks again. wat do i do? iv begged him a million times, to cut down ATLEAST but he dont have the willpower because of the people that surrounds him. Hes gonna lose me,
Heartsore
Natalie, thank you for your comment, however, the only advice I can give is to see a pdoc on this.
I am not a therapist, only a survivor of mental illness. Although I have done extensive research on mental illness, which includes depression, bipolar etc. for myself and for this blog, I am hardly an expert and I leave that up to the professionals, such as therapists and medical doctors.
Sorry, really wish I could be of more help with your situation.
can mixing alcohol and antidepressants lead to uncharacteristic aggressiveness. I have been taking lustral for six months and rarely drink but on three occassions have found that when i have over done it i become incredibly aggressive verbally. This never happened prior to taking this medication. I have now stopped taking alcohol however i need to find some sort of explanation for my behaviour
That’s an interesting question and one that you would have pose to your pdoc.