Can you drink on SSRI?
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Anonymous
| Answers from people who are on an SSRI please |
Anonymous
| I could have like one or else I’d black out and puke. That was in my 20s and I drank a lot more back then. Not sure what it would be like now that I only have 5 drinks a week. It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t gone back on an SSRI. |
Anonymous
| I can, but it varies by person and drug. I advise starting slow (with beer or wine vs mixed drinks) and take stock of how you feel. The amount you usually drink may hit you harder than expected. For me I don't notice a difference. |
Anonymous
| I was able to drink small amounts when I was taking an SSRI. When I talked to my doctor about it she said it was fine in small amounts, but mainly because alcohol is a depressant, so it won’t help the SSRI, and could counter it. |
Anonymous
Interesting. I’m on Paxil. I had 3 glasses of wine the other night, with food, over the course of the evening, and I don’t remember the tail end of the evening. Scary. I don’t recall this happening before. |
Anonymous
| I have been on them for over 20 years and drink all the time. No idea what other PPs are talking about. The only reason you shouldn't drink on them is because is counters the effectiveness of the drug. |
Anonymous
| Not recommended. If you need an SSRI you shouldn't be drinking anyway. |
Anonymous
| Long term taker of sertraline (generic Zoloft) for 10 yrs. I'm not a big drinker, but have never had any issues. For many years I tended to have maybe 1 drink most days and 2 drinks on some days. Starting a few years ago I stopped drinking at all on weekdays and rarely if ever have more than 2 drinks in one day. This much drinking hasn't been an issue at all. I'd look into the medication info though for any warnings about drinking in case there are serious side effects. |
Anonymous
This: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/antidepressants-and-alcohol/faq-20058231 And some people have discovered that if they stop drinking and get control over their alcohol abuse, eventually they don't need the SSRI either. Alcohol is a depressant and SSRIs are anti-depressants. |
Anonymous
Sure, alcohol is a depressant, which is the reason you shouldn't drink if you are taking them. You are reducing the effectiveness of the drug. But I assure you that my depression and anxiety came well before I started drinking and if I stopped, I'd still need to be on meds. |
Anonymous
| I can have like one cocktail. Anything more and I feel immediately hungover, while drinking. Not fin. |
Anonymous
| Yep. |
Anonymous
|
Yes you can.
I can and it won't kill me. But I have no desire to drink because it makes me feel horrible. Not sure how much is perimenopause and how much is the Zoloft. I suspect it is a combo because it's gotten progressively worse from just really annoying hangovers from one drink to just feeling terrible immediately from drinking. |
Anonymous
People are using the term "depressant" without understanding the context and definition. Alcohol is not a mental "depressant." It is a CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM Depressant. People just use the phrase "alcohol is a depressant" as a short form. But, in fact, alcohol depresses the activity of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. That is NOT the same as being a mental health depressant. |
Anonymous
Keep justifying your alcoholism that way, but alcohol isn't an upper, my dude. It's not good for anyone's mental health. |