Why am I not supposed to drink alcohol while taking anidepresants?

Question

I was just prescribed effexor, to be specific, for depression. The bottle warns against drinking alcohol. What wll happen if I do and why is there a warning against this if it is not a narcotic?

Answer 1

A few things could happen if you mix antidepressants and alcohol. First, your medication may become ineffective in treating your depression. Alcohol acts a depressant, so by drinking it, you could counteract effects of your medication and lessen their benefit.

The side effects from your medication could also worsen. Some antidepressants cause drowsiness, and so does alcohol. Mixing the two could make you sleepy, which is dangerous in situations where you need to be alert, such as driving, or at work. Studies have proved that even social drinking may impair your ability to react quickly and remain alert while driving, even hours after consuming a single alcoholic drink.

Answer 2

It is common knowledge not to drink when you are taking meds. The reason you are on this med is to balance chemicals in your brain. That cannot be accomplished when alcohol invades the brain and makes everything go wacko. If you cannot stop drinking to take your meds then you have to take a look at yourself honestly. Just maybe you have a drinking problem.

Answer 3

I don't know why. All I know is that you should definetly listen to that warning!!!!!! I was on Fluoxidine when I was 16, back when I used to drink a lot. One night, I barely drank anything at all and I was GONE! I woke up the next morning feeling fine, but apparently after I went to sleep I went on a little naked rampage...

Yeah, don't drink and take pills. You'll regret it!

Answer 4

Alcohol can not only effect the way drugs work

but it can also react negatively with drugs and make

you sick. Also alcohol tends to be a depressant,

so taking it with anti-depressants can have the

reverse effect you would like to get.

And not that this is a good thing but some

people abuse themselves by mixing medication

with alcohol to get high. This is not a good idea

& could lead to the individual becoming very

sick or in some cases death.

Take care.

Answer 5

Alcohol is itself a depressant.  One key side effect is drowsiness and mixing the two could cause impairment.  It may also counter the medicine which will make it in effective. The best source on this though would be your local pharmacist or the doctor who prescribed it to you.