If you take an SSRI, do you also drink?

[Anonymous]

I've been on Zoloft (and a pretty high dose) about as long as I've been of legal drinking age. Yes, I drink while taking it. Am I not supposed to? No prescriber or MD has ever said so to me.

[Anonymous]

I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

[Anonymous]

I did not. My doctor said the occasional drink probably wouldn’t hurt, but I didn’t find it worth the risk.

[Anonymous]

I do/have for the past 20 years. At times a bit too much.

As I get older though, drinking just makes me so incredibly tired the next day so I've cut back a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

Precisely. Alcohol surely doesn't help with depression or anxiety (it's a depressant) so drinking while on a low lose basically counteracts anything that the med is doing, but you will not die if you drink while on SSRI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been on Zoloft (and a pretty high dose) about as long as I've been of legal drinking age. Yes, I drink while taking it. Am I not supposed to? No prescriber or MD has ever said so to me.

Read the drug info that comes with the prescription.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

And now we get medical advice from a poster whose "close friend" is "the head of a major ER." Even though this person is the "head of a major ER" they apparently told OP that alcohol and SSRIs "do not interact"? Really?

Because this is from the Zoloft label (which is the first and only SSRI label I bothered to check): Do not drink alcohol while you take Zoloft. (Emphasis in the original.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

And now we get medical advice from a poster whose "close friend" is "the head of a major ER." Even though this person is the "head of a major ER" they apparently told OP that alcohol and SSRIs "do not interact"? Really?

Because this is from the Zoloft label (which is the first and only SSRI label I bothered to check): Do not drink alcohol while you take Zoloft. (Emphasis in the original.)

Because it could make you more symptomatic.

[Anonymous]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/well/mind/drinking-alcohol-ssri-antidepressants.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

And now we get medical advice from a poster whose "close friend" is "the head of a major ER." Even though this person is the "head of a major ER" they apparently told OP that alcohol and SSRIs "do not interact"? Really?

Because this is from the Zoloft label (which is the first and only SSRI label I bothered to check): Do not drink alcohol while you take Zoloft. (Emphasis in the original.)

See the NYt story linked.

[Anonymous]

Rarely, but when I do I notice it causes an increase in my depression and anxiety. I do not notice any drug type interactions though.

[Anonymous]

Of course they do because they are a hot mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a 40 y/o really healthy guy, young kids, who died in his sleep. autopsy came back as a drug interaction between ssri and alcohol. Rare, on the back of the box label though so you’re supposed to know the risks. Super tragic.

A close friend, the head of a major ER, told me that they do not interact. And she sees people with all kinds of cross-interactions and ODs all the time. MAOIs and alcohol interact. Benzos and alcohol interact.

Unless your friend took a deliberate OD of the SSRI and alcohol, or had an underlying issue, that was not the primary cause of death. You can OD on either substance, but the interaction alone - when each substance is ingested in normal amounts - won't do it.

And now we get medical advice from a poster whose "close friend" is "the head of a major ER." Even though this person is the "head of a major ER" they apparently told OP that alcohol and SSRIs "do not interact"? Really?

Because this is from the Zoloft label (which is the first and only SSRI label I bothered to check): Do not drink alcohol while you take Zoloft. (Emphasis in the original.)

It's not going to kill you dumb ass. It's just not going to work as well. Please educate yourself before fear mongering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course they do because they are a hot mess.

You're such a nice person. Feel better now?