alcohol and anti depressants?

Question

I have had anxiety for about 7 years now and I am currently taking Lexapro I have been on Lexapro for about 2 years now, I drink about once every 2 weeks and I have severe anxiety the next day. I worry about anything and everything.. I was just wondering if anyone else has this problem because I always tell people this and they just blow it off because they don't know what I am talking about and they have never experienced it, I am wondering could it be that I am on an anti- depressant? Also, me drinking on 10 mg of Lexapro once every two weeks, would that put me at a higher risk for liver damage?

Answer 1

Alcohol affects antidepressents. It will take a med that is working at 100% and it will bring it down to 50%. The chemicals in alcohol affect the reuptak ihibitors to where they don't work like they should. That's probably what you experienced.

And yes alcohol and meds put you in a higher risk bracket for your liver.

Answer 2

I disagree with the statements that using antidepressants with alcohol will cause liver disease. Looking at the leaflet that comes with my packet of Cipralex (the UK version of escitalopram/Lexapro) it says:
"Cipralex has not been shown to increase the effects of alcohol. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to drink alcohol during treatment with Cipralex"
If this combination caused liver disease they would have been much more forthright about it than that.

But to answer your question, I don't know. I don't have anxiety problems while on the drug. And I took it for anxiety problems in the first place.
It is so often the case that where one drug fails another one will work. So I think you should get back to your doctor and try a different SSRI to see whether that fixes the anxiety.

Of course perhaps you are getting anxiety because you are drinking too LITTLE alcohol.
Try a couple of beers every night for a week and see how you get on. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Answer 3

aaaaah!

hey! I answered one of your last questions!

Alcohol- stops anti depressants working, this is why you feel so bad the next day- the anti depressant has gone out of your system and you are left in withdrawal/your original feelings.

Its a well known fact that anti depressants don't mix AT ALL with alcohol and -though not always- should say so on your leaflet that you get with the medication.

Also, grapefruits have the same effect in knocking out the anti depressant in your system.

There are also other things but they are each to their own antidepressant so you'd need to research or ask the company about this.

also, the two together are really really not good for your liver- like worse than alcohol alone is it mixed with an anti depressant!

Answer 4

Alcohol and anti depressants mixed together is a major risk. Many people die from mixing the two because it can cause a deadly reaction in your brain. Talk to your psychiatrist about the effects of your medication and alcohol. Often drinking alcohol while on anti depressants alters the effect of the medication giving you anxiety tenfold.

Answer 5

The way it works is:

Your depressed so you brain chemistry is a down.

You take anti-depressants which are 'uppers' (they bring your brain chemistry back up).

Alcohol is a 'downer' so it brings your brain chemistry down again.

So you are cancelling out the anti-depressants work.

All I can say is- don't drink.. In addition to bringing you back down it also can damage your body- yes your liver too.

I'm a hypocrite though- I still drink on my medication, I know its almost impossible to avoid drink in our culture, but maybe try and cut down at least.

Answer 6

Of course that will happen you are never suppose to drink when you take any psychiatric meds.