Sertraline and Alcohol

[brw55]

Hi all,

I’m hoping someone has some previous experiences to share as the internet is very unhelpful! I’m on 50mg Sertraline and have just started it for anxiety. I have no idea what the rules on alcohol are. Some forums are saying drinking is fine and will have no effect, others saying avoid at all costs. I’m going on a date tomorrow and want to have some wine for confidence but will I be asleep at the table?! x

Sertraline and alcohol should not be mixed, and alcohol is a massive trigger for anxiety anyway. I would avoid alcohol entirely if I were you.

My personal experience is it seems to go to my head a lot quicker, I've actually had a couple of complete black outs from not much so I would advise to take it very very steady especially in any kind of unfamiliar setting

Thanks both for your responses! I rang my doctor who said “it’s fine just in moderation” - going to try a little at a friends house and see how I get on before going out anywhere!

I take sertraline and drink alcohol....I've found no ill effects, its just like normal.

My DS takes 50mg and drinks quite heavily at the weekend, must to my horror! I wouldn't say he behaves much differently than before AD really. Maybe gets drunk abit quicker, but he never gets a hangover!😏
I would say 1 glass of wine will be fine. Good luck with your date.

My understanding is sertraline doesn't interact with alcohol but as PPs have said alcohol interacts massively with anxiety! Hard to hear but cutting out alcohol and caffeine are really helpful for managing anxiety.

I weirdly don’t actually fancy alcohol at all (normally I’m the one reaching for the wine!) I wonder if that is a cause of this? I did feel a bit tired but then I also haven’t slept properly in weeks so that could be it!

@Bettybonce @funnyoldonion do you have any other side effects? I have been putting off going on them because of the alcohol thing (shallow I know!) and also worried about weight gain and sex drive but wondering if I’ve been worrying unnecessarily!

@brw55 the first few weeks were weird...I felt worse rather than better, had a vile taste in my mouth and did a strange jaw clenching thing. Also lost my appetite. 6 months in I'm pretty much normal, possibly lower sex drive but it was never high anyway. Appetite is back to normal. When i took mirtazapine I stacked on the weight and it made me really sleepy but this is very different thankfully. I do feel a bit odd if I miss a dose, try really hard to remember to take it at the same time everyday with my morning coffee. Overall I feel it is helping...I feel much more stable and normal on it.

I was on 200mg and drank alcohol was fine.

I’m on other things that say avoid alcohol, but I don’t. I think you just have to be mindful that it might affect you differently, so be cautious.