My wife was put on Venlafaxine and increased her already high intake of alcohol and wine. It has made her seem irrational making decsions and wont agree drinking must have a negative on the drug. What are commen affects of alcohol and the drug? Thank you
Can you drink alcohol while taking Venlafaxine?
Question posted by double d dog on 19 Sep 2010
Last updated on 18 June 2018 by Jessicabana
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
3 Answers
Jessicabana
19 June 2018
I am on effexor... i have been crazy depressed and have been drinking alot more. I have found after i drink i am even more depressed and it takes 2 to 3 days for me to even want to get out of bed. When i drink i just dont stop and the affects are horrible. I do dumb things and turn into a mean horrible person. I have noe told myself that i can no longer drink on this medicine. I was a crazy person and drove around my area of where i live because i felt i could breath and the walls were closing on me. I ran out of the house leaving my hubby with no explanation. After my driving time. I pulled the car over and feel asleep. I was awoken by police. I was charged with a DWI. I have NEVER been in trouble. I got post partum after my son was born and i have been on these meds for 3 years. So don't drink on them... at all cause one drink will take you to 10 and in jail or died...
LolliepoppxoxO
27 Feb 2017
I've been on venlalic for just under a year. I can only give my personal experiences as I'm not a healthcare professional but I have found that drinking alcohol does not mix well at all with the medication. I end up being a completely different person, acting irrationally, I end up going really suicidal and irresponsible. I drank recently and I ended up lying in the middle of the road and refused to get up, punching and kicking walls and cars. I was not safe at all. I am now avoiding drinking alcohol completely. I am fine with one or two drinks but any more than that and I am a state now whereas before I could handle my drink. For me venlafaxine and alcohol does not go well together and I never want to be ok that state again where I'm acting out so badly again.
LolliepoppxoxO
27 Feb 2017
I'd also like to add that this has only recently began happening since the increase of the meds. I was fine on the dose lower. I'm on the prolonged release at 225mg
Rajive Goel
20 Sep 2010
According to the manufacturer or Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride), drinking alcohol while using the medication is not recommended. This is because drugs like Effexor and alcohol act upon similar chemicals in the brain. The concern is that Effexor will increase the effects of alcohol -- whether this is increasing depression symptoms or affecting motor skills.
Practically, when many healthcare providers are asked whether it is okay to drink alcohol while on Effexor, they recommend drinking light-to-moderate amounts. They also recommend that you wait to drink alcohol until you understand how Effexor and other medicines you may be currently taking affect your body.
When healthcare providers recommend moderate alcohol drinking, they mean one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. Because the alcohol content in drinks varies, what counts as one drink also varies. When healthcare providers talk about one alcoholic drink, they are referring to one of the following examples:
12 ounces of beer; 5 ounces of wine; 1½ ounces of 80-proof whiskey or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Drinking alcohol while on Effexor does not seem to increase the mental and motor skills impairments caused by alcohol in normal subjects taking Effexor.
However, the effects of Effexor and alcohol in those with depression have not been studied. This is one reason for exercising caution with alcohol and Effexor.
Related topics
Further information
- Venlafaxine uses and safety info
- Venlafaxine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Venlafaxine (detailed)
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