Posted by Pharmacist on February 16, 2007, at 19:13:32
In reply to Re: Drinking Alcohol on Lexapro - WHY NOT ?, posted by nicky847 on February 7, 2007, at 11:38:44
> > I think that a lot of people probably combine alcohol with SSRIs without problem.
> >
> > Sure you could say that alcohol is a depressant, but that makes no sense because benzo's are depressants, and benzos are prescribed in conjunction with SSRI's all the time.
> >
> > Sure, if you get piss drunk all the time, you're probably going to compromise your recovery, but I think that "don't drink" while on meds is a bit of a blanket statement.
> >
> >
> > LinakdgeActually, Linakdge has had the most accurate post in this thread. There are absolutely no pharmacologic studies that demonstrate danger in mixing alcohol with SSRIs. This group is desperately in need of some pharmacology facts:
1. Some SSRIs (especially Paxil and Luvox) can be sedating, due to antagonistic action on histamine receptors. It is the same way Benadryl makes people drowsy. Alcohol works on GABA receptors and can also make you tired...so combining them can cause an additive sedating effect.
2. Benzos are in fact not good to mix with alcohol because they use the same GABA receptors (BZD subunit) and can lead to a synergistic sedation instead of just additive in the case of some SSRIs.
2. Red wine is the one exception for danger, but only with MAOI antidepressants because red wine contains tyramine, a precursor to monoamines. Therefore you can get too much of an increase in norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin that may lead to a hypertensive crisis.
3. There is comorbidity with substance abuse and depression, which is why it is generally a good idea to avoid mixing them. However, if social drinking would elevate your mood and give you enjoyment without any bad feelings the next day...by all means have some alcohol.*Sidenote: The reason people used to be told mixing antibiotics and alcohol was dangerous was because when GIs were being treated for STDs in the 60s doctors told them not to drink. They did not tell them the real reason, which was so they would not get drunk and engage in promiscuous sex to infect more people during the course of their antibiotic treatment. *Flagyl is one antibiotic that should not be mixed with alcohol though.
***Bottom Line: Please question your local pharmacist or other health professionals because you need to be actively involved in your own treatment.
poster:Pharmacist
thread:727844
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070213/msgs/733378.html