To drink alcohol whilst on antidepressants?

[greatbigbushybeard]

Well just that really! I haven’t & I do miss it. Perhaps i’m being too strict & overthinking it. Just wondering what others do. I was always a social drinker before but quite a lightweight! I miss my weekend drink!

I do.
I'm on citalopram, 10mg.
I drink when I want.

Was on seroxat, I could have a drink with no ill effect.

I'm on 40mg fluoxetine and enjoy a large glass of wine on a Friday and Saturday night.

If it's an SSRI it's fine. Take it easy at first in case you're unlucky and can't tolerate them together, but this is usually fine. If it's a slightly sedating one like Mirtazapine be more cautious, but it's still a well trodden path.

Regular heavy use of alcohol can make ADs ineffective but that's not what you seem to be asking

It's never done anything bad to me when I've done it. Id say go for it!

Which one are you on? Some ADs can massively amplify the effect of alcohol on your body, and some - like duoloxetine - have been known to induce alcoholic tendencies.

Just back from A&E with ds. Chest pains. He has recently started on ad's. Dr said moderate drinking is fine. The pains were from an energy drink!
He has been advised to stop. So irl alcohol is safer than an energy drink.

I think I may depend which ones you are on.
I was on citalopram and was able to drink occasionally/socially with no problems.
I changed to venlafaxine and when I drank I was fine but the next day I would have a hangover regardless of how much or little I drank. I would also be anxious and have palpitations. It just wasn't worth it.
It might be an idea to have a few in the house at first to see your reaction. And see how comfortable you feel.

I've been on various AD's on and off over the years and don't recall having any physical issues with drinking. But, alcohol is a depressant so can make you feel worse if you are already suffering from depression.

I'm on sertraline and will occasionally have the odd few g&t's with no effects. However the one time I did drink a fair bit on a night out whilst taking fluoxetine I ended up unconscious and had a massive seizure. Lost all bladder control and vomited all over myself. I'm not epileptic either!

I drink on citalopram 30mg, however it’s taken around a year of medication to be able to tolerate it. If I drink too much I get hallucinations and severe panic attacks so it’s a balancing act, but generally I can now have a good few drinks without problems

Fluoxetine 20mg and no problems drinking up to 3/4 units of an evening. Haven't tried any more and no plans to.

Ds takes Sertraline. OK with alcohol as advised by a gp.

I was o fluoxetine and asked the doctor if I could drink she said it was up to me.

I used to have a little on fluoxetine but now have given up drinking for my mental health as it is a depressant. It made me feel worse especially after, and think it is not a great combination to be honest.

You need to talk to your doctor, because it depends a lot on what medication and what dose you're on.

Clomiperamine 25mg. Drink alcohol with no problems.

The only issue I had was a bad nose bleed after a very heavy night of drinking. But 50mg of Sertraline and a couple of glasses has never been an issue.

Alcohol is a depressant. You'll feel much better if you stop drinking entirely, however the odd one shouldn't be a problem

I find I have to take mine by 9am, any later and if I have a glass of wine, I feel extremely drunk on half a glass. But I'm fine if taken early am.

When I took citalopram I would get the worst hangovers even if I didn’t drink much. I’m on fluoxetine now and haven’t found the same problem

I gave up alcohol as soon as I got my anxiety attacks.
I've been on escitalopram for nine weeks, plus beta blockers for anxiety,which means I shouldn't drink.
If I can get off the beta blockers, I will probably try a glass of wine again because the escitalopram says you can drink moderately.
My daughter drank quite a lot of wine when she was on Citalopram for 8 months.
It won't harm you if you don't have too much.

I’m on both venlafaxine and mirtazipine and I drink often, in fact trying to cut down a bit! I’ve not noticed any side effects from drinking on anti depressants.

It depends what you are taking and the dose. They can affect how fast you absorb the alcohol, and some AD's also present a risk to your liver. So you should do some research about the one you are taking and never drink heavily.

Eek really Pahlaver? I am on Duloxetine- typical eh! Can you shed more light on your comment? I had a cider Saturday & a half on Sunday & can’t say I feel worse. Been up & down & anxiety showing up each day but then that’s what it does! So not sure if it’s affected it or not. I do tend to fixate on antidepressants & I am not happy being on them but then I tried to come off them & got very low. I still question now maybe I didn’t tough it out for long enough...