Depression, Medication and Alcohol

LegacyUser

A very good friend of mine is on Lexapro at the moment which I understand, it was great she finally sought help for everything.

The thing is, she seems to be drinking a lot. It says on the Lexapro site you should not drink while on it, but apparently her doc told her a few drinks are ok while on the drug. She does the weekend binge drinking thing by the way, and she might have a glass of wine with dinner during the week.

What are other people's experiences with Lexapro and alcohol? Have you drank while on it? Was it a good idea? Should I try to get her to talk to the Doc about the drug and alcohol? I have no experience with anti-d's at all, so I don't know what to do.

Mods I am not looking for medical advice, just advice in general!

Xiney

I'm on Lexapro and I find that I can't drink as much as I'm usually able to. I get drunk quicker.

She really should talk to her doctor about it though. You should encourage her to do that.


This thread can be about ways for you to encourage her to see her GP... no medical advice please. (Personal experiences of mixing Lexapro w/Alcohol are allowed within reason)

sunflower27

The drugs wont work if she is drinking to excess. There is no point taking them if she is going to binge drink.

Kevo

sunflower27 wrote: »

The drugs wont work if she is drinking to excess. There is no point taking them if she is going to binge drink.

That is not true. ADs may have more side effects when taken with alcohol but their long term effectiveness remains the same. At least that was my experience. I suppose it is different for each individual.

sunflower27

Kevo wrote: »

That is not true. ADs may have more side effects when taken with alcohol but their long term effectiveness remains the same. At least that was my experience. I suppose it is different for each individual.

I was on them years ago and was told that any more than 10 units a week would affect effectiveness. If the OP#sfriend is binge drinking I'd be very surprised if the meds are working at all.

sam34

Kevo wrote: »

That is not true. ADs may have more side effects when taken with alcohol but their long term effectiveness remains the same. At least that was my experience. I suppose it is different for each individual.

alcohol is a depressant.
it is a major reason why people dont respond fully to anti-depressants.
people who drink on anti-depressants are really shooting themselves in teh foot.

kumate_champ07

sam34 wrote: »

alcohol is a depressant.
it is a major reason why people dont respond fully to anti-depressants.
people who drink on anti-depressants are really shooting themselves in teh foot.

not really, a good night out where you can let loose can lift your spirits up.
I call it 'brain cell spring cleaning'

sam34

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

not really, a good night out where you can let loose can lift your spirits up.
I call it 'brain cell spring cleaning'

it may "lift the spirits" temporarily, but the fact remains that alcohol is a depressant.

it's something i always advise patients about. they really are not helping themselves if they continue to drink on anti-depressants

im not saying they should be tee-totallers, but they should keep their alcohol intake to a minimum, to give themselves teh best shot at recovery.

sunflower27

sam34 wrote: »

it may "lift the spirits" temporarily, but the fact remains that alcohol is a depressant.

it's something i always advise patients about. they really are not helping themselves if they continue to drink on anti-depressants

im not saying they should be tee-totallers, but they should keep their alcohol intake to a minimum, to give themselves teh best shot at recovery.

Exactly, it's common sense.

I'd question why someone is bothering to take anti-depressants if they are going to go out binge drinking.

Surely the decision to take ADs is a serious one, so why do anything that could hamper their effects?

Many people feel an alcohol come-down after a heavy night out drinking. I'd imagine those on ADs would be in the same boat.

sam34

sunflower27 wrote: »

Exactly, it's common sense.

I'd question why someone is bothering to take anti-depressants if they are going to go out binge drinking.

Surely the decision to take ADs is a serious one, so why do anything that could hamper their effects?

Many people feel an alcohol come-down after a heavy night out drinking. I'd imagine those on ADs would be in the same boat.

also, it's not only the short trem side effects pof alcohol that are detremental, but the longer term ones too.

taking anti-depressants while continuing to drink is counter productive.

tbh

Be aware, thread is in LTI now.. If this is your first time here, please read the charter before posting.

Acoustic

im on effexor xl 75mg one a day now for anxiety , and my doctor said its ok to drink on them as long as im not having alot

i drink 1 night a week and have 6 or 7 pints thats it and i feel good the next day , al be it the usuall day after drinking hangover etc

ugliest

Yeh, not really a good idea to mix psychotropic drugs with alcohol. They can sometimes either make the drug less effective and/or make you get drunk faster. I sometimes have a bit of a problem with the binge drinking (student life seems to dictate this sometimes), but as of late I've really cut back. I find my mood is generally far more level overall now. A glass or two of wine during the week is pretty okay, but on a night out now, I try to limit myself to about 3/4 drinks.

It could be she's drinking a lot because she feels she still needs it, or it could be just a bad residual habit from before she was on the meds. Either way, drinking a lot is probably going to make the meds less effective. Depending on her personality, she may not take kindly to you taking the drink out of her hand, you obviously care for a lot, so you want to help. Maybe encourage her to slow down a bit. Going tea-total is a fairly daunting thing, esp in Ireland, I get the vibe she may be on the younger side of things too, and there is a lot of pressure to drink on young wans. If I were in your position, I'd try to encourage her to pace herself. In my experience, over time, you end up drinking a lot less if you do things this way.

Change is hard, and sometimes if you do give up something cold turkey, down the way there's a chance you might lapse back to drinking/taking as much as you used to. Gradually cutting back, imo is a way to alter your behavior more permanently.

You seem to care about her a lot, let her know that, good luck!

Ray007

hi
I am on many antidepressants for the last 2 years(unfortunately). I stopped drinking for a couple of months and it was fantastic, back to my normal level of being myself a few years ago. Everything was going well until I decided to start drinking again. I have to admit that I am not a big drinker, but I think I started drinking more often that I used to before. To cut a long story short, I think that drink & prescription drugs together are not meant to be hand in hand. After a while I started again with my usual depression and the doctor had to increase the medication.

Was that because I started drinking? Was it because I really am more depressed than I realise? I am not sure, not an expert, but I am stopping drinking now again for a few months and see what happens. I can get back to this threat if it is open.

And I have to say, it is hard to go out for dinner and have just 7up, but I really need to recover. Also bear in mind depression is normally a very long term illness and the sooner you tackle it properly, the better.

Gook Luck

madliz

very well said ray007 - i personally don't drink a lot anyway so don't see what effect drinking alcohol has on the antidepressant that i'm on. but i know i shouldn't be really drinking at all as i try to follow the guidelines for each medication.

as you said aswell, we don't really know how depressed we are because the medication does help us if taken properly. but excessive drinking is not wise.

kumate_champ07

did I have one of my posts deleted from here?


anyway, what about people that have to stay on meds for the rest of their life, are they not alowed get drunk every now and again?

I enjoy getting drunk occasionally, being relaxed and having drunken fun. you can still have fun sober but its different when youre drunk, not better or worse. thats why its so popular and we have so many pubs in this country. why should I have to give it up? people say its bad because it will make you feel depressed, but ask anyone how they feel after a heavy night, its called a hangover. as long as you recover from that and dont drink all the time and not become an alcoholic you should be able to drink and medicate.

the medication in the long term is gonna damage your body anyway. a lot of us are guinea pigs, and im not a big pharma conspiracy person but alot of the psysch meds arent fully understood, they work on some people but not on others, they dont know why. 'chemical imbalances' but al thatl the doctors will mention is serotonin, they dont even know whats going on up there. anti psychotics switch off part of the brain. brain cells dont grow back once they arent being used.

you stop bench pressing, your chest muscles shrink, you can start back again a year or 2 later and they'll grow again, but it doesnt work like that with the brain 'muscle'

fun is the best medication for depression, exercise can be fun, and so can going out on the lash

seanybiker

Im on seroxat and xanax for the last I dunno how long. Still drinking like a nutter sometimes. they dont really work when drinking, well they do but not as much.

ronbyrne2005

moderate social drinking on SSRIs is relatively harmless. Sam34 please post some studies if theres any proof to the contrary. If you like a few drinks and find it helps you socialise then the act of socialising can give you a feel good boost too. Ethanol is out of your system very quick and to cause significant mood disturbance you would need to be drinking very heavily or very regularly. Drinking several drinks once a week wont cause signifigant long term mood change to those on ssris. Exercising a few times a week would counter any negative effects anyway. The above statment is for those who are stabalised on an SSRI , not those just starting out or those who are mentally unwell despite taking ssri.

kumate_champ07

ye I should have added if you just started the meds or are already going thru a rough time its not a good idea to drink more than 1 or 2. I never drink when Im down anyway, I like whiskey its my drink but I never turn to it like they do in the movies

lukesmom

Hi Alcohol is a depressant, therefore it dampens the central nervous system and basically undo's all the good work the medication is doing. It is pointless to drink excessively. I have been on citalopram which is a sister drug of lexapro, both SSRI's. I am on it since january, its my second time on it. I came off it and was off it 2 months and I went out and binged drank waaaaay too much and got a hangover that never went away! So after 2 weeks I was put back on the citalopram and am still on it! I dont touch a drop of drink now, I drink non alcoholic becks. Its not worth it for me. I know I could have 4 and that is my max but I just couldnt be bothered risking it!:eek:

meant to add you are mixing chemicals with chemicals you are allready taking and its a dangerous game.

smiley girl

hi, I'm on lexapro amongst other meds. My doctor told me that alcohol was a depressant and while a 'good night out' was good in itself, its the following few days when the down side happens. She said I might aswell not take the meds if i was going to drink cos I was cancelling out the good effects of the meds.
This is just my MY doc told ME. And its true,for me, after drinking I find MY mood dipping and anxiety levels raising.

But really, binge drinking is not really good for anyone, is it?

LegacyUser

your friend needs to have a serious think about what she wants. lexapro and alcohol do not mix, i've suffered the consequences. you are a good friend to care so much so continue to stand by her and suggest that she open up to her doc about exactly how much she is drinking. good luck

chem

HI all,

lukesmom

Hi, you ok?

JackReacher1980

Hi all, I've been on anti-depressants many times over the years - cipramil the first twice, with the only side effect being tiredness. The third time the doc started me on Lexapro, which caused incredible weight gain - almost a stone and a half, for a 5 ' 2" woman. Anyway, I have now tried Effexor, which I found excellent, although had to adjust the dosage up. I have always drank alcohol at weekends on antidepressants, and only in the first few weeks on meds did I ever have any side effects. However, I had a very heavy drinking session on Saturday, and had a two day hangover. I now feel like my medication is not working. My GP tells me I'm on the highest dosage of effexor (150mg), and referral to a psychiatrist will not take place til after Xmas. I dont know what to do here, should I stick it out? Is it all just the effects of a very heavy binge?

madliz

cut out alcohol altogether and see how you go with that. never recommended to drink alcohol while taking any antidepressants.

JackReacher1980

I've already decided to do that, but I'm wondering, if the doctor cant p my dosage of medication, what do I do? I'm off work sick, as I cant concentrate, crying etc. Wondering have the meds stopped working, or did I just feck them up with so much alcohol

tbh

JackReacher1980 wrote: »

I've already decided to do that, but I'm wondering, if the doctor cant p my dosage of medication, what do I do? I'm off work sick, as I cant concentrate, crying etc. Wondering have the meds stopped working, or did I just feck them up with so much alcohol

did you tell the doctor you'd been on a session?

JackReacher1980

I did. I'm not sure I emphasised quite how much alcohol it was - I'm not sure I could even guess at that. To be honest, I rang the doc today, and she just told me to put up with it, or sign myself into a psychiatric ward. Not very helpful. Mornings are the worst, and if I knew it was the alcohol, and that it would settle down after a while, then I would be fine. I just know I couldnt carry on like this long term

lukesmom

It is the alcohol - I have been where you are many times! Its not nice I know but you just got to go with the flow and let it pass and it will. You dont need a psych ward. You are feeling low and anxious. The alcohol more or less dampens the effect of the effexor and it will take a week or so to build back up again to theraputic levels. Just grin and bear it and promise yourself that you will never binge drink again. It is not okay for people on meds. I have given it up for a while due to the meds but I know my limit is 4. P.S positive thinking really speeds up this process of the meds working again . This is just a temporary blip I have had so many of them

tbh

guys, please don't give advice on meds dosages etc.

JackReacher1980

Thanks, I'm feeling a bit better this morning, and mornings are always the worst. I only drink once every couple of weeks, but will have to seriously reconsider it if it makes me feel this low.

lukesmom

tbh wrote: »

guys, please don't give advice on meds dosages etc.

Sorry I wasnt telling or advising the poster what dose she should take. I just simply stated the maximum dose that GP's prescribe for Effexor

lukesmom

JackReacher1980 wrote: »

Thanks, I'm feeling a bit better this morning, and mornings are always the worst. I only drink once every couple of weeks, but will have to seriously reconsider it if it makes me feel this low.

Mornings are definately the worst in my case also when I have gone on a binge. I havent gone on one in 3 months and I have been fine ever since. Its just not worth it for me

confusedgirl

I've been on variety of SSRI anti-depression medication over the yrs. I dont care what anyone else says-alcohol and anti depressants are bad mix and just end up cancelling each other out in my experience. I would also veto caffeine, chocolate, sugary and junk food-these are stimulants which will cause your blood sugar to sky rocket and down fall down again. If you cut them out, your moods will level off a bit. Alcohol is the big one to watch but I would also keep close tabs on diet and exercise too

tbh

lukesmom wrote: »

Sorry I wasnt telling or advising the poster what dose she should take. I just simply stated the maximum dose that GP's prescribe for Effexor

I know - your intentions were clear, and I've no problem with them. But the theoretical maximum dose may not be suitable for the OP, so we play safe by just not mentioning it at all.

JackReacher1980

Thanks to everyone. Just been doc, and she reckons that its all caused by the alcohol, particularly the sheer amount of it. Feeling a bit better, back to work Monday.

sam34

lukesmom wrote: »

Sorry I wasnt telling or advising the poster what dose she should take. I just simply stated the maximum dose that GP's prescribe for Effexor

your reply was inaccurate,in any event
but for a variety of reasons, it's best not to discuss dosages here.

JackReacher1980

I think I have learned my lesson anyway, to be a proper social drinker, not a binger, like most of my friends! This past week actually felt like I did when I first went on the medication, and I was so upset, because the meds had previously been so successful for me - after putting on over a stone and a half in a year and a half, I've now lost a stone of that in nearly two months - with no change whatsoever, except for the change in meds.
Anyway, moral of the story - I think I need to keep drinking to a minimum from now on! Almost feeling back to normal now!

kumate_champ07

I remember a couple years ago when I would binge drink every saturday and stay over with friends the same night, the next day I wouldnt have a hangover and being in the presence of friends prob stopped me from feeling down and thinking about things

I think anyone is gonna feel down if their taking/not taking meds and went on a bit of a bender. It does pass after 4+ days when you go overboard, just dont get too hammered, thats my opinion.

you cant expect someone to give up alcohol completely if drinking is something they enjoy. enjoyment is the best medication, finding a balance is key.

JackReacher1980

Ah, I did go completely overboard, was still sick for 2/3 days afterwards. Thought it was just a hangover, then the depression/ anxiety really kicked in. Hasnt fully lifted - just feel exhausted (probably because my appetite is way down), and its hard for me to have much get up and go. I'm hoping this does pass, and have started taking Vitamin B complex, which is supposed to help, so fingers crossed.
I definately wont be drinking much like that again, its just so not worth it

madliz

glad to see you are a bit better. taking some vitamins won't do you any harm. certainly limiting your alcohol will benefit you aswell.

G-Money

I'm not on any depression medicine or anything but I found this thread interesting. I went out drinking myself the weekend before last and it had been a while since I was out. I had a pint and between 6 and 8 Jack Daniels with coke. The next day I had a hangover which lasted into the Monday. However what I've really started to notice is how down the drink can make me feel. Like I came home on the Saturday night, thinking all sorts of negative s**t about myself.

I got up on the Sunday, felt like crap because I was hungover but felt really down and depressed for about 2 or 3 days afterwards. I've only started noticing this recently so I can only imagine it would cancel out the effectiveness of depression medication.

JackReacher1980

Makes ya wonder what we are doing to ourselves, eh? Havent been drinking since that night, and have promised myself to cut down a lot, cos I couldnt go through that week of hell again.

JackReacher1980

Just an update on my sistuation. Things are going a bit haywire in my relationship, and its causing me some stress. I think he may have a form of SAD, because his moods definately get worse around this time of year. Anyway, came down with some kind of a cold/ flu on tuesday, and am now back to where I started from, feeling really out of control and down again. Nausea and all sorts of other unpleasant effects. Any advice?

sam34

JackReacher1980 wrote: »

Just an update on my sistuation. Things are going a bit haywire in my relationship, and its causing me some stress. I think he may have a form of SAD, because his moods definately get worse around this time of year. Anyway, came down with some kind of a cold/ flu on tuesday, and am now back to where I started from, feeling really out of control and down again. Nausea and all sorts of other unpleasant effects. Any advice?

you know we dont and cant give medical advice here. speak to your doctor.

Caoimhín

Em, from experience.

If you feel your mood dropping, stay away from booze, exercise and eat well.

Consult your doctor if this does not improve things.

The bottom of a glass never provides an answer.

JackReacher1980

Sorry, I wasnt actually looking for advice, but for people to share their experience. Apologies.

oide10

Sorry for digging up an old thread.

A friend of mine has gone back on anti-depressants except she also takes sleeping pills, medication for anxiety attacks and binge drinks at the weekend and will drink wine with dinner during the week. She told me her doctor said that it was fine (now she probably omitted the part about the binge drinking). It sounds excessive to me! She said that by taking milk thistle she won't be harming her liver. She wants to be out all the time and can be quite reckless when she's out, she is getting drunk faster, maybe due to the medication?

Her friends have tried to talk to her because we are worried, we think the GP was very quick to prescribe so many meds without first suggesting counseling or therapy. All these meds with alcohol thrown in to the mix can't be good for some one surely?

mickman

oide10 wrote: »

Sorry for digging up an old thread.

A friend of mine has gone back on anti-depressants except she also takes sleeping pills, medication for anxiety attacks and binge drinks at the weekend and will drink wine with dinner during the week. She told me her doctor said that it was fine (now she probably omitted the part about the binge drinking). It sounds excessive to me! She said that by taking milk thistle she won't be harming her liver. She wants to be out all the time and can be quite reckless when she's out, she is getting drunk faster, maybe due to the medication?

Her friends have tried to talk to her because we are worried, we think the GP was very quick to prescribe so many meds without first suggesting counseling or therapy. All these meds with alcohol thrown in to the mix can't be good for some one surely?

this is crazy stuff. anti depressants are one thing, but when you throw in anti anxiety meds and in particular sleeping pills and alochol combined she is playing with fire. her liver might be helped by milk thislte but dosent she reliase that its the binge drinking thats prob causing all the problems that she needs the meds for in the first place

she needs to stop drinking!!

lukesmom

Your friend is asking for trouble mixing anti depressants, anxiety pills and sleeping pills with large quantities of alcohol.

1. Milk thistle will not stop her getting liver damage
2. She is playing russian roulette combining these sleeping tablets with alcohol and is lucky to wake up the next morning at all! It is widely known that combining them can cause death.
3. That is only the physical and I cant imagine what it is doing to her mental health. Alcohol is a major depressant and completely dampens the effect of the anti depressant and the anti anxiety pills which can cause a major 'downer' that can last days or even weeks and can often result in the patient upping the dose and self-prescribing larger quantities of meds to restore the original benefits.

If she doesnt stop binge drinking soon I dread to think what could happen to her. Sounds like she needs to speak to a therapist/counsellor as someone with a sound mind would not be taking all these meds with loads of booze. Doctors are far too quick to prescribe pills in my opinion some of them are glorified drug dealers. Im not for one minute knocking these meds being prescribed in the right circumstance and to someone who will take them properly and not risk their lives. I have been on an antidepressant for the past 2 years and I know if I drink too much it brings me right back to the dark place I was before I started the meds. Not worth it. My gp told me to drink a few in moderation and she stressed the 'in moderation' part. Tell her to get help - fast!