# Cipralex & alcohol



## random889 (Feb 6, 2007)

going drinking tonight, been on cipralex since last monday but I missed yesterday's dose so I'm wondering if its okay to drink tonight even though its not recommended..even a few drinks?


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

is this the antidepressant citalopram?
with all new meds its best to experiment re alcahol by having a couple of drinks at home first, some react strongly and you dont want to be dancing on the table when out with friends :banana 

in general with antidepressants I would be very cautious re alcahol for the first few weeks then after finding you can cope ok by experimenting at home, I think 1 or 2 social drinks with friends is OK

some docs say no alcahol at all while on antidepressants, but I think its important to maintain a sense of normalcy and maintain the morale with a few social drinks when with friends

has anyone ever heard of damage done by heavy drinking when on an antidepressant, I havent


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## random889 (Feb 6, 2007)

its just at a friends house with only a couple of people..I just want to err on the side of caution
thanks


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

drinking heavily while on ADs isn't really recommended, however, i wouldn't worry about it. in your case, though, you have not been on the med long enough to achieve a substantial therapeutic level of medication, so i would say wait 6-8 weeks to make sure the med is working, then once you have decided that you like the med you can start drinking normally. imo, if you are on a med, you need to be mentally stable before you begin drinking at regular rates. in the mean time, a couple of drinks here and there is fine. the only real potential problem is extreme drowsiness


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## GaSS PaNiCC (Mar 27, 2007)

ive been on cipralex a couple weeks now, and i gone out drinking numerous times, didn't really notice nething so a couple is good. U can always drink light beer to


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## victorian (Jun 12, 2009)

I have only just today sought medication from my doctor and was given cipralex ...
I happen to be an alcoholic and am just doing some research on how to manage taking this drug while perhaps cutting down on my consumption ... cold turkey isn't an option for me but even in general I would love to reduce my daily intake ...
in just one day with one pill and maybe 3 glasses of wine I have had nausea ...
perhaps further time will tell whether that will remain to be a symptom for me
But I have been particularly emotional, anxious and unbalanced lately
Appreciate any helpful thoughts, Victorian


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

From my experience, there isn't much interaction between alcohol and SSRIs. Maybe a bit of potentiation, but that's it. The warnings against drinking on them are vastly overstated.


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## IllusionalFate (Sep 10, 2008)

My Nardil container from the pharmacy explicitly discourages drinking while on the med. I have no idea why they put that there, since alcohol + phenelzine will only lead to a blackout a bit sooner due to increased GABA levels (which SSRIs have absolutely no effect over). Having a few drinks is most definitely okay unless they contain other restricted ingredients.


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## victorian (Jun 12, 2009)

My questions continue as I only just begin trying Cipralex and responses from people taking it help ... with only just 5 mg yesterday and none yet today I have lost my appetite, have had a constant headache with extreme tension in my face (I am inclined toward neither symptom) 
I wonder if some would say give it a good college try I just really am not in much condition to feel worse ... from my current state of anxiety I am seeking feedback in an attempt to help myself make the right decisions to feeling more stable. Thanks Victorian


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

How much do you / did you drink per day? If it was 120g pure ethanol (eg. 6 beer @ 0,5 litre) or more every day than you will probably need benzodiazepines for the withdrawal symptoms. Even if you did drink less your doctor could give you benzos for 2-3 weeks, so you don't feel the initial SSRI side effects and maybe can cut down your drinking faster. Of course benzos are potential dangerous for alcoholics, but one script for a long acting tranquilizer like Librium for just 14-21 days seems fine.

You should also talk about anti-craving substances with your doctor. These can help you to significantly drink less alcohol or completely stop to drink. Some drugs are: Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Topiramate, Ondansetron, Baclofen.


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## shrink001 (Jul 9, 2010)

*Do not mix Cipralex and strong alcohol*

Drinking strong alcohol such as whiskey, cognac, certain types of rum, tequila and vodka can lead to episodes of heavy palpilations, anxiety, depression, panic disorder, migraine, strong headaches, nausea and a general feeling of discomfort. If it happened by accident, drink a lot of liquids and take plenty of rest until your system stabilizes.


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## Chrisc54 (Mar 2, 2011)

random889 said:


> going drinking tonight, been on cipralex since last monday but I missed yesterday's dose so I'm wondering if its okay to drink tonight even though its not recommended..even a few drinks?


 What was the end result and how did you feel after a few beers?
I just started taking 10mg today and its my 19th birthday friday and would like to have a few beers, i did not feel any side effects today off the cipralex which is goood....thanks for your time


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## Concerned1 (Apr 16, 2011)

I have a friend who has been prescribed Cipralex and is a very heavy drinker. When drinking heavily tends to overdose on medication. I am concerned that the person will be able to commit suicide by taking the entire prescription and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Is this possible?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Death would mainly be the result of alcohol poisoning. He can try naltrexone to cut down on the drinking, baclofen would be better.


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## mrswahl (Feb 23, 2012)

Isn't the main reason they say stay away from alcohol is because it can intensify it and its a depressant so kinda goes against what your taking an ANTIdepressant for?
I've been on various AD's for about 19 years and have had a few bevies over that time and I was fine. If you drink to much, its gonna have an effect on you regarless if on ADs!


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## mrswahl (Feb 23, 2012)

Oh and just from personal experience regarding benzos and booze, I was first put on rivitril(clonazepam) at 19 for panic attacks and I was in my party phase then too..well lets just say with the NORMAL dosage I took of the rivotril and having maybe 3-4 drinks, I ALWAYS blacked out so basically learned that I was pretty much "date-rape" drugging myself and not knowing it so I would be EXTREMELY careful drinking on any type of benzo. Just my opinion
(I ended up in a detox facility to come off the pills...and I WASN"T abusing them either..found out I was just perscribed them for too long!! Thanks doctor)


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Drink, I have drank on all 5 SSRI's i've been on and Nardil. I feel the exact same.

You might have a panic attack from worrying about it though, that's in your head.

All I know is I pulled off about 3 JD shots, 2 tequilas and about 4-5 tall boys. I was drunk, but I didn't have any issues. Although when I took my nardil to go to sleep, I fell asleep almost in a split second.

Since being on meds, when I wake up after drinking I have a bit of rebound anxiety. But I don't really care about that.


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## RNWB (Nov 22, 2012)

I would recommend completely avoiding alcohol whilst on cipralex. I know this may draw mixed reactions but I am on 20mg of cipralex and whilst after initially quitting alcohol altogether, I started having one or two, and then it just snowballed to the point where I was craving alcohol and drinking excessively every day. This brought me to such a low point where I was completely detached from everyone and everything and felt so confused about life I can barely explain. 

I hit rock bottom a few weeks ago and quit drinking, and within a week I was feeling back to my old self. I know some people may say "that's just alcohol and it's effects," but the feeling I got from drinking on cipralex was not like that of just simply drinking a lot.

If you think you can handle just having a couple of drinks and not pushing it any further, then you're lucky, as are you if you're able to drink as you were previous to your being on meds, but from own experience, with the benefit of hindsight, I found combining alcohol and cipralex to be quite a scary, dangerous and upsetting in the long run and it just snowballed for me. End of the day, everyone is different, but for me, whilst I remain on these meds, I will not be touching alcohol. I hope this is in some way helpful.


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## Intricate (Dec 2, 2012)

Alchool can really be harmful


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## AmirMlivic (Aug 4, 2013)

*Ciplarex*

Not recommending it but it does add dopamine and serotonin to your daily brain needs, but take in consideration that if your taking this drug for 10 years...coming off it will impact your life drastically compared to some one that has been taking it for lets say 6 months

I myself have been taking it for a long time and I would not recommend it in anycase


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