Sertraline and alcohol

[Seashanti]

I’ve been on 50mg sertraline for 4 months now and wondered if anyone has any experiences of having a few drinks whilst on this medication? I contacted my GP who sent a standard text saying that alcohol should be avoided, which I know and I definitely feel so much better on this medication but really miss having the odd glass of wine.

I work in pharmacy and like with most medication, drinking to excess is certainly not advised but the odd glass of wine won't hurt. You've been on them long enough, so fully in your system. As long as you don't have any other side effects from the meds that could be exacerbated through alcohol, I'd say it was ok x

I was on Sertraline 150mg daily for a couple of years and drank in moderation regularly (2-3 units at least a couple of times per week). I also got twatted on more than one occasion (half a bottle of vodka or maybe slightly more) and didn't come to any harm, although maybe I was just lucky.

My GP did know about the drinking in moderation (I didn't mention the heavier nights though) and never warned me to stop the tablets or stop drinking, so i always assumed it wasn't dangerous.

Has no effect whatsoever. Always drank loads on it

Could you maybe ask your local pharmacist? They're usually better able to advise on medications than GPs anyway.

The official line is drink in moderation but it doesn’t interact

I take 50mg of Sertraline daily and was told I could have a few moderate drinks within my daily unit allowance.

I did that and ended up blackout drunk dancing down the street and falling asleep in my friend's car mid conversation

I haven't drank since, Heineken 0.0 is wonderful stuff! Pharmacist told me that there's no way to determine how you will react as SSRI's do something in your brain and mixing in alcohol depends on tolerance etc. There is a science behind it I'm sure

Sertraline messed with my tolerance levels and made me loopy when I drank. (blackouts/risky behaviour etc) I didn’t have the same experiences with other SSRIs.

I took it slowly at first but I had been very unwell and was scared of anything that might tip me in the wrong direction again. Once I did try a bit of alcohol i noticed no impact from normal. I since went on a few 'sessions' and always regret a big hangover as it makes me feel low which scares the crap out of me now but I think I always felt low after a big night out and now I'm just more aware of it and where it can go. Basically, if you fancy a drink, have one!!

Oh and for the record, I now regularly have 2 glasses of wine and enjoy them. (I'm on 100mg)

I have been taking them for the last 7 months but I had the same concerns, I have drank with them and haven't had any problems, however obviously everyone can react differently, if you miss the odd glass of wine start with a small one every now and again and see how you feel.

I've been on 100mg for years, I regularly (once a week or so, not every day!) drink two double G&Ts and half a bottle of wine with no ill effects.

Thanks everyone. I’ll try with a small glass this weekend and see how I go xx

The problem is that alcohol can stop the medication from working.

When I drink my meds don't work, my depression gets worse and I end up drinking more to cope.

When I'm off the booze it makes such a difference, my meds work and I feel like a different person.

@Touty I think it's not that it stops it working, it's that alcohol depletes seritonin in the body meaning you have an even lower starting point for the medication to do its job.

[quote Imcatmum]@Touty I think it's not that it stops it working, it's that alcohol depletes seritonin in the body meaning you have an even lower starting point for the medication to do its job.[/quote]
My psychiatrist told me that drinking with antidepressants can lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of the medication.

I’ve been on Zoloft for quite a while now, and honestly I don’t really drink much, but on occasion I’ll have a glass of wine and haven’t had any issues with it. Of course, everyone reacts differently, so it’s always good to be cautious, but in my case it’s been fine in moderation.

By the way, lately I’ve been ordering my Zoloft from this online pharmacy: 🔗healway.co.uk/zoloft-sertraline. I actually found it through a friend’s recommendation, and I’ve been really impressed with their fast delivery and the quality of the medication. Definitely a reliable option if that’s helpful for anyone! 😘