Alcohol and antidepressants?

[CupOfTee]

Hey guys, first time actually posting here but I've been following the feed for a while. I'm well versed in the whole "suffering from depression" thing but only recently starting to experience the "help seeking" part. I've been on antidepressants the past three months or so, for the first time in my life. I started with Paxil, but the side effects were really intense so, I switched to Zoloft a bit over a month ago. I've gotta say, the Zoloft has been a godsend. I am feeling so much better, Disassociating far less, and the past week or so have actually been HAPPY more often than not. Imagine that.

Anyway, being new to antidepressants, I've only got the official word regarding side effects/ interactions to go off of. I know that the general consensus is not to mix them with alcohol, but damn It'd be nice to have a beer every once in a while.

So I'm asking you fine people and hoping that some of you may have more experience with this than me.

Have you drank on antidepressants? If so, did you encounter any problems with doing so? And if you did, what kind of problems?

I know this is probably a rookie question but... Well, I'm a bit of a rookie, lol.

Any experience with the real life results of this would be very greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[foxglove_pnw]

Hi CupOfTee

Welcome !

I take Lexapro and I have asked that question to my Psychiatrist and he said it is ok . Of course it doesn’t mean you can drink all night , I think he was talking about an occasional drink .

I haven’t drank in almost 2 years because I started to have panic attacks with alcohol!

The best person to ask is your doctor ! He knows your medical history and if you are taking any other medication.

I am glad you took the courage to post

Hope to see you around here 😉

[CupOfTee in reply to foxglove_pnw]

Thank you Foxglove❤

I appreciate the response. I'll ask my doctor for confirmation but that's good to hear. I don't wanna get silly with it or anything but, being able to go have a beer with the couple friends I do have would be a welcome relief, lol.

[melbrown]

😊 I'm sure this is a question a lot of doctors get, at least from their honest patients. It's funny because I was at the doctor's this past Thursday & mentioned I was going on vacation in a few weeks... she asked where... I hesitated a second & said Kentucky Bourbon Trail... she was like fun. Anyways, back to your question... alcohol is likely to hit you a bit harder on your meds... so take it easy ... plenty of water & food. Definitely no driving. I don't drink too often & extra careful when I do. I also do not take my night meds when I drink... they are my "just in case" meds.

[CupOfTee in reply to melbrown]

Thanks melbrown, I'm definitely gonna keep that in mind! I've been debating whether or not to Just drink a beer and see what happens, lol. But I'm actually kind of afraid at this point😂

Helps to hear that others have done the leg work!

[Hidden]

I advise caution. I've drank on them and found that hangover feelings are ten times worse. I've drank heavily on them, blacked out a few times (as in was alive and talking...don't remember my actions), and have thrown up to the point where I was concerned. A drink or two (as in a standard serving of beer/mixed drink/wine) is usually deemed as fine, but as for truly having a "good time", it's not going to clear with any doctor or pharmacist. I drank moderately on them and was okay, but I would wake up like you would think I had drank myself stupid the night before....splitting headaches, yuck. I quit in November 2017 save for non-alcoholic beer because I was tired of playing games with medication and drinks. Drinking a depressant and expecting an antidepressant to work is counter intuitive. If you're taking benzos, you'll need to be extra careful because it's just more gas on the fire. If you can sign on to some non-alcoholic wine/beer, you can drink all night long without issue. With the regular good stuff, I would try a drink or two, see how you feel, and hydrate in between.

Like others have said, your doctor has your answer. Most of the time, it'll be 1-2 drinks at the standard 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz spirits. Since all of these medications come with warnings on the bottle about avoiding alcohol, no pharmacist or doctor will clear more than a couple of drinks. Like Foxglove had, I tended to wake up with worsened anxiety after a "binge" type night. Skipping a dose for a night really won't help as, if you've been taking it regularly, it's still in your system since the half-life time will still be running. It's a great question and I totally understand asking it. It's one of the hardest parts of dedicating one's self to the medicinal treatment. I used to just not take my SSRI so I could drink...and then I had admit that's a problem based on that thought. Another thing to consider is taking both an antidepressant and drinking alcohol is rough on your liver as the liver usually metabolizes both substances.

So, my experiences when drinking heavy on meds, not good. Black outs, throwing up, being angry towards others, and feeling awful and more anxious the following day. Drinking in the moderate to above average range....I survived and the hangovers were the worst part. I was always a bit scared as to whether what was too much so the above didn't happen. Drinking one or two....I just started thinking what the point of it was. I drank for feeling (the buzz) and I wasn't getting there. Non-alcoholic beer/wine...I love that I can toss back as many as I want and never really worry. It takes eight of my beers to make one regular beer. I don't feel the buzz, but the taste and feeling like I'm apart of something rather than an outcast makes up for it. Plus...I've looked around and have found many far tastier options for N/A beers other than O'Douls. There's a Well Being Brewery which makes N/A beers in stouts, golden, and IPA fashions. They taste amazing, actually hydrate, and give the benefits found from occasional moderate drinking. A beer or three (I'd really top off at that, opinion only, not medical advice) here and there is probably safe....if you're a well versed drinker. It might amplify some side effects, so just be sure to keep an eye.

Sorry for the long post, but I've absolutely been where you have. I definitely don't want you to end up like I did. Best of luck and hope this helped. Take care and drink responsibly (lol)!

[CupOfTee in reply to Hidden]

Awesome, thank you so much for taking the time to share all that. It's really appreciated. With all of you guys' comments in mind, I definitely think I'll start with just a beer or two. I will check with my doctor beforehand though.

Thanks again❤

[fauxartist]

being in recovery I can honestly tell you that if your an alcoholic....it's a '0' percent on the alcohol. Even the near beer and wine that's supposed to be non-alcoholic still has alcohol in it......it's a personal choice really....no judgement from me....but I went back out from sobriety starting drinking both the non-alcoholic beer and wine. Everyone is different and I wouldn't mix SSRI's with alcohol even if I didn't have an issue, but that would be only my decision,......you will make your own.

[kittenkisses91]

I’ve always been fine having a glass of wine or two or a beer.

Kind of funny story, I was really nervous about giving a speech at my sisters wedding cause I have social anxiety and I mentioned it to my psychiatrist and he basically told me to just have a couple of drinks to help me relax before the speech! He just told me not to go overboard since I take klonopin and I always thought drinking while on it was a big no-no. But it really just intensifies the effect of the alcohol. Anyway... the speech went great! And now I know I have my doctors permission to have a drink every once in a while!

[Hidden]

I am not sure. My spouse takes generic Cymbalta and drinks, no side effects. Probably best to ask doctor, they know you are a real person. Reality is people drink.