Alcohol and SSRI's (antidepressants: Prozac, specifically)

nescientist

So... i just came back from an awards ceremony for a ski race, which just so happened to have an open bar, and i am fucking gone. Gone. I had four drinks. Last summer i can clearly recall parties in which i had as many as eight (probably more potent) drinks, and was fine.

I'm not much of a drinker. basically, parties last summer and this evening are my sole experiences with alcohol. But the only difference i can immediately come to between those past parties and tonight is that I'm currently (have been for several months) taking Fluoxetine, generic for Prozac, an antidepressant in the SSRI family.

I of course googled this before posting (even though i'm drucking funk, lol) and the articles were frustratingly vague, suggesting that SSRI's may cause additional drowsiness when combined with alcohol, but studies have suggested that SSRI's don't actually increase the effect of alcohol. That isn't my experience. I'm wobbling, i'm talking at length about my plans for the future with my father (trust me, that's abnormal) and if i got within ten feet of an automobile i'd be as well as guilty of murder. I seem to be able to spell, but don't be confused by that.

So what are some personal experiences / links to definitive (not ass-coveringly vague) articles on the interaction between alcohol and seratonin suppressant little white capsules?

EDIT: this was aimed at H&A, bah.

Big Dookie

I don't know much about SSRIs, but I did find this, taken from this site:

Drinking alcohol when taking an SSRI is not a good idea for several reasons. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and since the SSRI's can cause sedation, the combination can be dangerous if driving or operating heavy equipment. Many people report that when taking an SSRI, even if they do not feel sedated, alcohol effects them more strongly than usual, and one drink may feel like two to four. In addition, alcohol can depress mood. I would argue that it makes little sense to be taking both a depressant and an antidepressant, particularly if you are having problems being depressed.

So basically, though it probably doesn't affect many people, it can have some kind of an effect. And it sounds like it is having an effect on you. I'd hold off on the alcohol for a while until you can discuss it with your doctor, as they will probably be fairly knowledgeable on the subject.

Atlus Parker

Yeah once my friend started on antidepressants I was able to outdrink him. There is definitely an enhanced effect from alcohol but it definitely isn't worth the possible side effects.

Malkor

Yeah, I would strongly suggest not drinking too much while you're on the medication. The medication is in your body for a specific purpose, and the alcohol screws that up.

Ain't No Sunshine

The reason why you've only found vague information is because that's all we have. Studies have compared the physiological effects of ethanol and fluoxetine and come up with relatively little. They act at different sites in the body (GABA-a neurotransmitter receptor and serotonin reuptake protein, respectively), and ought to be metabolized (broken down) at different sites (microsomal endosome system and CYP450-2D6, respectively, although both are in liver) so in theory these two drugs should 'pass in the night' and have no interaction. However, I've seen some patients in the ER who became surprisingly inebriated with few drinks and blamed it on their depression meds.

What's going on? I'm not sure (and couldn't be, over the internet). You may have lost some physical tolerance between now and last summer, or you may have just suffered a loss of psychological tolerance from drinking in a new environment, or the drinks may have been higher proof than you thought. Or, it could be the drugs. Or, it could be anything else. Same solution in any case - drink less and more carefully until you know your new limits.

Sarcastro

Big Dookie wrote: »

I don't know much about SSRIs, but I did find this, taken from this site:

Drinking alcohol when taking an SSRI is not a good idea for several reasons. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and since the SSRI's can cause sedation, the combination can be dangerous if driving or operating heavy equipment. Many people report that when taking an SSRI, even if they do not feel sedated, alcohol effects them more strongly than usual, and one drink may feel like two to four. In addition, alcohol can depress mood. I would argue that it makes little sense to be taking both a depressant and an antidepressant, particularly if you are having problems being depressed.

So basically, though it probably doesn't affect many people, it can have some kind of an effect. And it sounds like it is having an effect on you. I'd hold off on the alcohol for a while until you can discuss it with your doctor, as they will probably be fairly knowledgeable on the subject.

Hunh. I never thought about it in those terms, but this info is right. If you mix uppers and downers you create a high unlike either of them.

I also have heard tales of the easy drunk on happy meds.

Feral

Prozac isn't an "upper" in the typical sense. By counteracting depression, it can increase energy and alertness... but at the chemical level it acts more like a "downer" (specifically, it has calcium-channel blocking properties similar to some anticonvulsants) which is why it can cause drowsiness especially in combination with alcohol.

Raif Severance

As a general rule of thumb, it's really never a good idea to drink alcohol with any kind of medication. Now you're taking an anti-depressant for I'm assuming depression, and then drinking a depressant. This is definitely not a good idea... I'd actually say this is an extremely bad idea. One of the things that alcohol affects (it has many different effects in the body) is the transmission of serotonin. So you're taking an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) which prevents serotonin from being reabsorbed by the terminal in a neuron. This keeps more serotonin in the synapse between the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neurons which causes more activation on the post-synaptic receptor sites. Alcohol is preventing serotonin from being transmitted, so you can see how these drugs are competing against each other.

Most if not all doctors will tell you not to consume alcohol with any medication your taking unless their name is Dr. Nick (HELLO EVERYBODY!).