When you're on prozac, can you drink alcohol at all?

Question

Like, whatsoever.

If you can't then:

Can you not even have a little bit? Why can't you drink on them?

Answer 1

You can, but I would not recommend it. Alcohol is a "downer" and prozac is a drug you are taking to replace the chemicals in your system that are missing. Usually for depression, anxiety. This means your system already has lower counts of the chemicals that keep you in a good mood. Taking alcohol will truthfully bring you down to where you were before taking prozac.  

Answer 2

It can interact negatively. I was on antidepressants to treat mild anxiety a few years back, and I drank 6 beer and I was so drunk I could barely walk! Also, the interaction made me behave strangely with few inhibitions. But, it effects different people different ways. I would recommend caution with drinking or other recreational substances while on antidepressants as you don't yet know how they will interact.

Perhaps try drinking very slowly (3-4 drinks over 4-5 hours or so) one night and see how you feel.  

Answer 3

I had a friend that was on Prozac for depression.  She was able to drink, but was told by her doctor NOT to take Prozac the day she planned on drinking.  The reason for this is that alcohol is a depressant and Prozac (which a side effect can also be depression, regardless of what it's treating you for) this can be a double whammy and has known to cause things such as suicide/thoughts of suicide. I would say if you're going to drink, and IN MODERATION, do NOT take the Prozac that day, and don't make it a habit. Once in a while it's okay. Don't forget, Prozac needs to be taken everyday to work as well. If you're skipping pills all over the place, chances are it will not work for you.  Call your local pharmacy, they will tell you the same thing. Good luck!

Answer 4

i take prozac and im drinking right now, your not supposed to thow because alcohol makes you more depressed and they say it stops the antis from working, drinking will not have any side effects there not like antibiotics which could have a reaction to it but they say it could make you drunk faster who knows  i dont feel i have any side effects but sometimes when i wake up in the morning after drinking the night before i feel soooooooo depressed

Answer 5

It is not recommended that you drink alcohol (a depressant) while you are on any kind of anti-depressants.  That doesn't mean that you can't drink socially.

I took Prozac for a number of years when I was in highschool, and still drank socially.  Everyone is different though and you should really speak to the doctor who prescribed it.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

You should Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of Prozac

Answer 7

Yeah, you can. I am on Paxil, Lamictal, and Topamax (which is filtered through the liver), and I drink alcohol, sometimes weekly. Don't worry about it...

Answer 8

I've found the following information which I hope will help you:-

Can I Drink Alcohol on Prozac?

Sometimes people are warned to avoid alcohol while taking Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride). This is because alcohol and medicines like Prozac act upon similar chemicals in the brain. The concern is that Prozac will increase the effects of alcohol -- whether this means increasing symptoms of depression or affecting motor skills.



When many healthcare providers are asked whether or not it is okay to drink alcohol while on Prozac, they recommend that people choosing to drink should only drink light to moderate amounts -- and should also wait until they understand the effects that Prozac and other medicines they are taking may have on their body.



Alcohol and Prozac: What Is Moderate Drinking?

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

1 ounces of 80-proof whiskey, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.



Using Caution With Alcohol and Prozac

If a person decides to drink alcohol in moderation while on Prozac, it is recommended that they do not drink alcohol at the same time that they take their medication. Also, people should learn the effects of Prozac on their body before they begin drinking. Prozac may affect some people's ability to perform certain functions, such as driving a car or operating machinery.

Answer 9

I don't know if you are supposed to but I have a VERY close relationship with a person who takes Prozac and drinks (even in excess) on a regular basis.  It hasn't done any harm that I know of.

Answer 10

wouldn't be proper at all ..but cheeck this if you hadn't

Answer 11

Yes. You can drink alcohol.

Answer 12

if you drink at all it's quite likely that the prozac will not work in the way it was intended. also if youre on prozac then most likely its to treat the symptoms of depression - alcohol is a depressant so it will increase your symptoms.

so you cant drink whilst on prozac - not even a little bit.