antidepressants and alcohol

[pm66]

Hi all. It's good to find this bus. I have to stop drinking, partly as I am on Mirtrazine (SNRI) - 4th week . Drank last night (as usual), so so want not to tonight. I am coming off Escitalopram (3rd day). I get to 5pm and all the reasons for not drinking fade away and I buy a bottle. Gave up for 2 years (one day at a time) but started again about 18 months ago. Good to be here. Does anyone else have experience of Mirtrazine and alcohol?

My son, who is on mirtrazine goes out a buys a bottle or goes to the pub every evening. I will have to ask him.

The combination will make you very sleepy but probably no worse than that. You might need to be careful if driving the next morning.

The real issue (as I'm sure you know) is that the antidepressants have pretty much no chance of working whilst you carry on drinking.

It is a vicious circle: drink cos you're depressed, get more depressed, drink more, feel ashamed, get more depressed, drink more.

The good news is that if you've kicked it before you can do it again. Do you have some RL support as that is key? Would you consider AA or similar?

Do you mean mirtazipine? If so you should be very careful as it is a sedating anti depressant, and as you know alcohol is a depressant too. There is no benefit on being on this drug if you continue to drink as your body will not cope with both. I am a qualified mental health practitioner so please trust me with this. You really need to see your gp or psychiatrist ASAP to get further support and help.

charlottesmum is right. And you need to be honest with your health professionals. Best wishes, hope you find some rl support also.

Hi charlottesmum5, thank you for this. I am on day 2 of no alcohol, week 5 of mirtazipine and day 2 of stopping escitalopram. I am back to AA. I am also really dizzy and in bed, despite a slow reduction programme of escip. Hopefully this will pass. What do you mean about 'your body will not cope with both?
thanks or all the replies

Pm66 the dizziness could either be the effects of coming off escitalopram or day 2 of no alcohol, probably a combination. If you drink heavily whilst taking anti depressants the sedative effect is increased and also your liver has to work extra hard to get rid of the toxins therefore the effectiveness of the antidepressant is reduced. You really should be talking to your gp or the cmht if you are under their care. Also maybe post in mental health to get some cyber support. Best wishes.

Blimey! I have just started mirtazipine, and I felt like I had been hit by a truck for the first 48hrs.
I was specifically told 'no alcohol'. I know there is also a small danger of liver problems, so the alcohol certainly won't help in that department.