i know the packet says "alcohol
may cause drowsiness" but i had a beer today and i feel fine.. i used to take desvenlafaxine for 2yrs(ssnri) and i drank every weekend and nothing bad happened.. surely one or two is ok here and there?? i cant imagine my life without having a beer or a wine out at dinner or on my anneversary/at a wedding etc.. just wondering what your thoughts are? (no nasty comments plz!)
Ok to have a couple beers while on lexapro?
Question posted by brittvarcoe on 13 March 2016
Last updated on 14 April 2018
6 Answers
Maribel5
15 Oct 2017
I've been on lexapro for a couple months, before mixing it with alcohol, I asked my Doctor who I work with and other NP, PA's, if it was ok to drink alcohol with the medication. They all said yes it is ok to drink occasionally/socially. So I have for special occasion / parties etc. and I have not had any SE. Just my experience/ sharing.
25yr/female
Thanks.
Valentine99
9 Oct 2017
Hi! I just want to add my story on here because I once were one of those who googled their fingers sore trying to find a YES/NO answer to this question.
I have been taking Escitalopram for 7-8 months now and havent been drinking at all. Since I'm 21 you can just believe how much stuff i was missing out on... Im taking them for depression, social anxiety, PTSD and hypochondria etc. Anyway, last weekend i decided to try it out myself and see what happens. I drank 3 beers and got drunk, so much faster than whats normal for me, but thats probably because havent drink for such a long time. Anyway, I had like a total of 5 beers and a glass of wine and I was totally fine through the entire evening, didnt feel sick or weird at any point, just euphoric because I finally got to drink lol.
The only thing i want to warn u about is the aftermath, i feel like the alcohol emtied my serotonin storage and leaved me feeling empty and depressed again, it has only been 2 days so im hoping that it will get back to normal soon.
I just wanna let everyone know that I was FINE drinking, didnt have a blackout, didnt get smashed or get sick, so go ahead and drink if u feel like it.
Inactive
9 Oct 2017
Amen...
WildcatVet
9 Oct 2017
So you blew your therapeutic blood levels and will feel crappy for days... no biggie.
Terrible advice to give on a public forum..what if an impressionable idiot follows your advice and crashes and burns... oh, yeah, not your problem.
Valentine99
9 Oct 2017
It is everyone's own resposability to take care of their own body, I started out with drinking 1 beer extremely slowly to see if i was fine or not and I was, so I kept on drinking.
So yeah, not my problem. Im just typing whatever I wanted to hear when i started taking them. Missed out on so many fun events with friends because i didnt want to sit there and not being able to drink. I'm just saying noone should be scared to try if they feel its worth the aftermath.
WildcatVet
9 Oct 2017
*Anyway, I had like a total of 5 beers and a glass of wine and I was totally fine through the entire evening, didnt feel sick or weird at any point, just euphoric because I finally got to drink lol.*
Yes, it's a laughing matter... for you anyway.
Valentine99
9 Oct 2017
What is your point? Let people drink if they want too? The threadstarter wanted to know if he/she will be fine and asked for other ppls experiances and here I am telling mine. Why do you have to act up? I dont get it.
WildcatVet
9 Oct 2017
Because I work in an emergency room and my husband works in a psychiatric hospital...
You didn't tell anyone it's okay to have a few drinks... you said binge drinking is fine... whether you're on medications or not.
That's my point.
Valentine99
9 Oct 2017
No I didnt? Maybe you should ask him to have yourself checked for dyslexia because I wrote that I WAS FINE, not that IT IS FINE. Dear god...
And how the hell is 5 beers and a glass of wine binge drinking?
WildcatVet
9 Oct 2017
You must be a college student! Dyslexia is a developmental not a psychiatric disorder.
You were fine, but hundreds of people are not fine after mixing drugs and alcohol. Why do you think they put the warnings on the bottles?
WildcatVet
9 Oct 2017
""Binge drinking is the practice of consuming large quantities of alcohol in a single session, usually defined as five or more drinks at one time for a man, or four or more drinks at one time for a woman.
About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.""
Valentine99
9 Oct 2017
Oh my god. You are so incompetent. Read escitalopram interactions notes on the box, it specifically says there is no known interaction with alcohol but caution should be taken. If you really worked at a hospital you would know this. Just log our and leave this thread because you have no facts to give. Delete your account.
Inactive
9 Oct 2017
Hi Valentine: Original question, as you referred to:
~~~ ""Ok to have a couple beers while on lexapro?
Asked
13 Mar 2016 by brittvarcoe"" ~~~
Valentine, you answered the original question with your own personal experience. I agree with you that your comment was appropriate here. You merely shared your personal experience. Thank you for sharing. I also shared mine here previously, and was berated for my comments on my own experience! You gave both the good and bad that happened to you in this instance, in an honest answer.
Tdillon197938
21 Oct 2017
Wildcatvet doesn't work in an emergency room. She's a veterinarian. Hence the screen name. It even states that in her profile. Maybe she does. But an emergency room for animals. And she doesn't mention what her husband does at the psychiatric hospital.. He could be a janitor for all we know.. not that it matters because SHE doesn't work at a psychiatric hospital. So she has no clue what she's talking about.
wannabbetter
13 March 2016
I had booze w/Lexapro, celexa, and Zoloft with no problems. Not an every day thing, However, I tried Paxil and Prozac & with more than one drink I would feel bad. I would be scared to drink on Wellbutrin because of the seizure risk. When I am really depressed I'm actually too depressed to drink. Do you find Lexapro better than Pristiq for you?
brittvarcoe
13 March 2016
Hello :) I am also on seroquel which I forgot to mention, only 25mg I take it at 8-9pm, I make sure If I have a beer I wait an hr after and take it. Well, the pristiq was about the same, it works better for depression than anxiety, but lexapro is working soo much better for my anxiety than pristiq did.. And pristiq has worse withdrawals I would think as its a lot stronger potent drug :)
wannabbetter
13 March 2016
I never have taken Seroquel, but I take 1mg of Klonopin at nite for sleep & anxiety. I never had a prob w/any benzo & drinking. I know that it's not recommended. When I drink wine I alternate w/water & try to drink slowly. However, I don't drink nearly as much as when I was younger. If it weren't for the cost I would try to get a script for Pristiq to see if it would help my depression.
brittvarcoe
13 March 2016
i was on a benzo for anxiety for a week and i was silly enough to drink ALOt (was in a bad place) and i almost overdosed on it so definately make sure u are careful with benzos :)
wannabbetter
13 March 2016
Thanks. I've been on the Klonopin for almost 2 yrs so my body pretty much adjusted to it. I try to stay away from the hard stuff. I also try to have food w/liquor & limit it to 2 drinks. I would not recommend drinking w/a benzo to someone who has never been a drinker. Now my prob is no motivation... that's w/drinking or not drinking. My Celexa is not helping w/getting me to move. Stupidly, I didn't stay on the Lex long enough to give it a chance.
brittvarcoe
14 March 2016
i think alot of antidepressants make you feel a little lazy sometimes, i just take it as thats the drug working? at the end of the day ide rather be lazy than fueling with anxiety and depression. haha
Dan11111
13 March 2016
I'm on lexapro and having a few beers after a hard work day helps me relax. I'm on it for anxiety.
WildcatVet
13 March 2016
The question isn't just whether it's for anxiety and/or depression but a question of how wise it is to combine alcohol with potent medications that affect your brain's neurology.
acb2139
25 Sep 2017
RE: Wildcat, Is it ever wise to drink alcohol? Alcohol is a neurotoxin and increases your risk for multiple types of cancer in a dose-dependent fashion. Any time you drink you're assessing that the benefits of drinking outweigh those risks/consequences for you. This person is just trying to get more information about how the consequences have changed because he's started taking Lexapro.
Drinking does help people feel more relaxed short-term. It's unlikely that infrequent, light drinking is going to make a huge difference in terms of SSRI response. Daily drinking any amount would probably interfere. Long-term drinking on regular basis can make you more anxious by down-regulating the receptors for the neurotransmitter that helps you relax.
WildcatVet
25 Sep 2017
I'd rather be safe than sorry. One drink leads to another and another and you're not in full control of your faculties... then you get in your car or you fall down the stairs. Happens to drinkers all the time. Now add a potent depressant medication into the mix...
Do you think they put that sticker on your prescription bottle just to ruin your evening? No. They put it there because they've seen the statistics. Go ahead... be one.
Inactive
25 Sep 2017
I don't want to get involved in a debate here, but IMO: This forum, according to my understanding, is to share information from our own personal experiences, as well as information that can be provided by pharmacists who contribute to the forum, and others who are knowledgeable in the medical/medication field.
This is my personal experience: If people who took antidepressants were told to never drink alcohol while taking these medications, then there would be a LOT fewer people taking antidepressants, and choose to continue to drink instead.
There is a happy medium - I discussed this issue with my doctor, and was told it is acceptable to have alcohol in moderation. Many people that I know, can and do, quit after one drink of alcohol, or one glass of wine, or one beer, or possibly even two. Everyone who takes a drink while on an antidepressant regimen does not become a statistic...
And alcohol in that low of an amount does not exacerbate depression and anxiety in a person, unless a person is super sensitive and cannot react well to a small amount of alcohol. A person like that should not set a precedent for all other people who want to take a drink while taking antidepressants.
Everyone cannot be lumped into one category. It's not always an "either/or" situation - either take an antidepressant, or have a drink of alcohol. It depends on the medication, the person, their circumstances, and their communication with their medical professional, as to whether it is acceptable for the person to "drink a few beers" as Dan expressed it.
WildcatVet
25 Sep 2017
You're so right! But everyone is not on the same platform when defining what's *a few beers*.
Inactive
25 Sep 2017
I agree. That's so true. "Having a few beers" - that was Dan's comment.
My comment refers to one, maybe two, drinks of alcohol - one or two glasses of wine - or one or two beers - with the doctor's awareness of the situation.
I do not advocate for either being a drunk, nor a teetotaler. This is about drinking in moderation while taking an antidepressant, with the doctor's approval.
And this is only my personal experience and my personal opinion. I wish everyone well.
WildcatVet
25 Sep 2017
Go to PsychCentral Blogs and read 7-deadliest-drug-combinations.
Inactive
25 Sep 2017
Let's not go overboard here. It is factual that many many people drink in moderation while taking antidepressants. I am not talking about people who are already alcohol abusers.
Someone should not be made to feel guilty for having a drink, especially with their doctor's consent!
WildcatVet
25 Sep 2017
As I said, go ahead. If you've educated yourself first. Apparently doctors don't have a clue until they tell you something you want to hear. Do you know what drugs interact with alcohol and how severely? How about tobacco? Did you know that nicotine can also interact with some psych drugs?
All I'm saying is educate yourself... and that doesn't include anecdotes on a thread.
Inactive
25 Sep 2017
Calm down... Anecdotes on a thread? Jeez, lighten up! People are human and are still going to live their lives. Don't make them feel like they are sinning, if not following your instructions. Let's not get too self righteous. We aren't here to judge. But when asked an opinion, we have the option to answer it, but not the option to berate the questioner.
C'mon, people, can we just all get along? lol
Inactive
26 Sep 2017
"If I were new to this forum and I read her comments, I would be tempted to smoke a carton of cigarettes, drink a case of beer, and eat a pack of Snickers and say to heck with it all!" ~~ (My husband's comment when I read him the above back and forth exchange). :-X
Inactive
26 Sep 2017
(no offense, anybody, that last comment was just a joke!)
masso
13 March 2016
The only problem with it that I see is that you are depressed and taking an AD and alcohol is a depressant. With regards to having a drink or not, well that is your choice, I am not here to judge anyone or tell what to do with their life, but then again remember the first place you started an AD, you were/are depressed and alcohol brings people down accentuating their depressed state of mind.
cherrrub
13 March 2016
No every one is on antidepressants for depression. I'm on them for anxiety and I can tell you that a couple of wines actually do me good! So if some alcohol doesn't affect you negatively then I don't see the harm!
masso
13 March 2016
As I said I am not here to judge. You know your organism better than anyone and if you are fine with it well live your life as you most see fit. I was only informing you.
As you do not have a depressed state of mind and are taking AD for anxiety issues, how was I supposed to know if you did not mention it in your original question?
Have a nice Sunday.-
cherrrub
13 March 2016
Never assume ;-)
masso
13 March 2016
I did not say "assumed" I said "supposed" quite different.
masso
13 March 2016
At the end of the day I was only trying to help but ended having a bad time... well that is life for you, some people are well, they just are.
Again... have a nice day.
brittvarcoe
13 March 2016
im sorry you had a bad time, you did help. again i appreciate your reply and concern. have a good day
WildcatVet
13 March 2016
From experience: When you're *a little tipsy* you feel great and don't realize you're *a little tipsy* ~ or worse.
At very least, if you want to ignore the posted warnings please don't drive, try to navigate a staircase, or operate dangerous machinery.
Combining alcohol and medications just exaggerates the danger.
Delila
13 March 2016
Hi Masso, i was going to comment the same as you. You are providing the correct information, not judging and giving the person the opportunity to make an informed choice. You have my vote!
WildcatVet
13 March 2016
Ditto to what Delila said.
masso
13 March 2016
Thank you Delila and Wildcat!
Duez
14 April 2018
Depressants like alcohol don't make you depressed. They more like relax the nervous system.
masso
14 April 2018
Alcohol alters your brain chemistry
Our brains rely on a delicate balance of chemicals and processes. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can disrupt that balance, affecting our thoughts, feelings and actions – and sometimes our long-term mental health. This is partly down to ‘neurotransmitters’, chemicals that help to transmit signals from one nerve (or neuron) in the brain to another.
The relaxed feeling you can get when you have that first drink is due to the chemical changes alcohol has caused in your brain. For many of us, a drink can help us feel more confident and less anxious. That’s because it’s starting to depress the part of the brain we associate with inhibition.
But, as you drink more, more of the brain starts to be affected. It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in to start with, when high levels of alcohol are involved, instead of pleasurable effects increasing, it’s possible that a negative emotional response will take over. Alcohol can be linked to aggression you could become angry, aggressive, anxious or depressed.
Alcohol can actually increase anxiety and stress rather than reduce it
Unfortunately reaching for a drink won’t always have the effect you’re after.
While a glass of wine after a hard day might help you relax, in the long run it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with. This is because regular, heavy drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.
When we drink, we narrow our perception of a situation and don’t always respond to all the cues around us. If we're prone to anxiety and notice something that could be interpreted as threatening in the environment, we'll hone in on that and miss the other less threatening or neutral information. For example, we might focus on our partner talking to someone we’re jealous of, rather than notice all the other people they’ve been chatting to that evening.
Alcohol depression = a vicious cycle
If you drink heavily and regularly you’re likely to develop some symptoms of depression. It’s that good old brain chemistry at work again. Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain – a chemical that helps to regulate your mood.
In Britain, people who experience anxiety or depression are twice as likely to be heavy or problem drinkers. For some people, the anxiety or depression came first and they’ve reached for alcohol to try to relieve it. For others, drinking came first, so it may be a root cause of their anxieties2.
Drinking heavily can also affect your relationships with your partner, family and friends. It can impact on your performance at work. These issues can also contribute to depression.
If you use drink to try and improve your mood or mask your depression, you may be starting a vicious cycle…
Warning signs that alcohol is affecting your mood include:
Poor sleep after drinking
Feeling tired because of a hangover
Low mood
Experiencing anxiety in situations where you would normally feel comfortable.
cherrrub
13 March 2016
Omg! Go nuts (well, maybe not too nuts). I often have 2-3 wines on a Friday night and get a little tipsy and I'm fine! You'll be fine!!
Related topics
lexapro, anxiety, drowsiness, generalized anxiety disorder, desvenlafaxine, escitalopram, alcohol
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