In the United States alone, an estimated 17.3 million adults have had at least one major depressive episode. Individuals diagnosed with clinical depression should be extremely cautious when it comes to using substances such as alcohol. According to Kennedy, for those taking antidepressants, https://sober-house.org/ combining them with alcohol can reduce their efficacy. Each of these treatment types should offer thoughtful and effective dual diagnosis care and medication-assisted treatment, in order to provide those suffering from co-occurring disorders with the quality treatment they deserve.
- But there are lots of reasons to stay away from alcohol when you take antidepressants like Lexapro, which is the brand name of a drug called escitalopram.
- Don’t stop taking an antidepressant or other medication just so that you can drink.
- “Therapeutic interventions designed to address both issues often include a focus on addressing emotional pain or trauma, as well as developing and practicing healthy coping behaviors,” says Kennedy.
- Neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressants include serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or norepinephrine.
- S.S.R.I. medications — which include citalopram (Celexa), sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) — are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants.
Significant imbalances between these chemicals can cause or contribute to mood disorders like depression. The medications included in this classification primarily interact with the neurotransmitters in the brain. These small structures on the outside of braincells send chemicals back and forth as a kind of communication.
Register for an enhanced, personalized experience.
Also, alcohol and antidepressants can each cause drowsiness, reduced alertness, and uncoordinated movements. When a person has both in their system, these effects increase, which may lead to accidents and injuries. Consuming alcohol while taking antidepressants can lead to very high serotonin levels.
Long-Term Effects Of Mixing Alcohol And Antidepressants
Because of this competition, the body’s levels of both the antidepressant and alcohol can be higher than with either alone. With a higher level of each in the system, potential side effects of both may be exacerbated. These can range from sedation and dizziness to falls and even fatal overdose. The alcohol interacts with the antidepressants to stop them from working as well as they should. The depressive effect of alcohol layered on top can lead to potentially deadly consequences. They’re separated from the other groups because they don’t quite function exactly the way the others do.
An increase in depression and anxiety.
If a person does decide to drink while taking Zoloft, they should do so with caution, and stop consuming alcohol if any adverse effects develop. Alcohol use disorders may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the combination of symptoms you’re experiencing, but drinking problems can exist regardless of a clinical diagnosis. Alcohol abuse and dependence are both considered an alcohol use disorder, with studies finding that alcohol dependence is more closely tied to the persistence of depressive disorders. It’s also worth noting that alcohol is considered a depressant, and should be used with extreme caution—especially by those with mood disorders like depression. Using alcohol by itself can exacerbate the naturally occurring symptoms of depression and lead to unintended harm.
Tricyclic/Tetracyclic Antidepressants, or TCAs, work to block reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. They also end up blocking several other chemicals from being reabsorbed, which causes several side effects when compared to the other types of antidepressants. Alcohol also increases the inhibitory effects of GABA, a neurotransmitter implicated in decreasing energy and calming the nervous system. Similar to anti-anxiety prescription drugs like Valium and Xanax, which increase GABA levels to produce sedation, alcohol works to cause slurring speech, loss of coordination, drowsiness, and other signs of intoxication. Two beers or one mixed drink is enough to alter brain levels of serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters involved in mood, motivation, and inhibition. A lesser neurotransmitter called glutamate is responsible for increasing brain activity levels.
These contributors included both experts external to NIAAA as well as NIAAA staff. But before you drink any alcohol, you should take Lexapro long enough to know how it affects you and which side effects you have with it. Try to drink slowly and eat while you drink to tamp down alcohol’s possible effects. Some liquid medications, such as cough syrups or NyQuil, may also contain alcohol. Log in or create an account for a personalized experience based on your selected interests.
Some SSRIs also increase norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in mood and cognition. People are prescribed serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) when SSRIs do not provide enough relief from depression and anxiety. SSRIs increase serotonin levels in the brain by blocking the reuptake (reabsorption) of serotonin by brain cell receptors. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that controls mood, motivation sleep, appetite, and libido. People with depression and anxiety have lower than normal levels of serotonin in their brain. SSRIs effectively raise serotonin to improve mood and relieve depression.
Treatment providers can connect you with programs that provide the tools to help you get and stay sober. Reach out to a treatment provider for free today for immediate assistance. A person should let their doctor know about any drugs or supplements that they take before starting Zoloft treatment. Both drugs brains and behavior the science of addiction Zoloft and alcohol are central nervous system depressants, meaning that they slow or suppress brain activity. This can be dangerous, and in severe cases, it can cause slowed breathing, coma, and death. If you’re at low risk of alcohol misuse and want to have a drink once in a while, it might be OK.
How to Stop Drinking Alcohol
You should avoid activities that requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the antidepressant affects you. Whether you’re experiencing depression or not, it’s essential to evaluate your drinking habits and consider why you drink, when you drink, and how you feel when you drink. Depending on your intoxication level, you may experience decreased inhibition, loss of judgment, confusion, and mood swings, among others. After drinking consistently over a long period of time, it no longer has the same effect.
Although the immediate effects of alcohol tend to be pleasurable and relaxing, the eventual pharmacological action of alcohol is to depress neural activity in the brain. This may seem surprising given the association between alcohol and its initial effects of disinhibition, “buzz,” and fun. The depressant effect is not readily apparent at first, which can make it difficult to see the full impact alcohol has on mood.
We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. This article is written by Dr. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin and Mayo Clinic Staff. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at
Bir yanıt yazın