•+Alcohol+and+Anti-Depressants



“Antidepressants may be effective for patients who use alcohol episodically but are not effective for those who drink daily and/or heavily” (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2009). Combining antidepressants and alcohol can be hazardous because most drugs in the category cause side effects such as(Morrow, 2012) Alcohol also numbs the central nervous system causing the same side effects, so when these agents are mixed the disabling effects are more severe (Morrow, 2012). > The combination of antidepressants and alcohol will affect your coordination, judgment and reaction time (motor skills) more than alcohol alone. Some combinations may make you sleepy (Morrow,2012).This can impair your ability drive or do other tasks that require focus and attention (Morrow,2012). > Some antidepressants are sedative. If they are taken with alcohol, a person can be seriously sedated and at risk of their breathing stopping (Morrow,2012).
 * Drowsiness
 * Impaired motor coordination
 * Dizziness
 * Clouded cognitive abilities (Morrow, 2012)
 * **You may feel more depressed. **Alcohol can offer temporary reprieve from the symptoms of depression; however, as the intoxicating and numbing effects induced by alcoholic drinks fade away, the feeling of depression is heightened (Morrow,2012). Also, since both alcohol and antidepressants act on the same part of the central nervous system, alcohol can complicate the body’s response to antidepressants and make it more difficult to address the symptoms of depression (Morrow,2012).
 * **Your thinking and alertness may be impaired. **
 * **You may become sedated or feel drowsy. **
 * **Increased risk of side effects from the antidepressants **Dependent on the quantity and occurrence of alcohol intake severe damage to an individual’s liver can occur (Morrow,2012). Many antidepressants are broken down in the liver (Morrow,2012). Because alcohol can damage the liver, the levels of these antidepressants in the body will be higher in people who are also drinking heavily. This can lead to an increase in side effects from the antidepressants” (Depression-Guide.com, 2005).

**Reaction of Alcohol with Different Antidepressants **
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">: "While some SSRIs like fluoxetine show no reaction with alcohol, others such as sertraline, escitalopram and citalopram do not lead to any increase in the effects of alcohol on motor and cognitive functioning" (Morrow,2012). "However, fluvoxamine and paroxetine; which drugs in the same category, can cause severe drowsiness when used with alcohol" (Morrow,2012).
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs): **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">"If you are on TCAs such as amitriptyline, consuming alcohol can significantly increase the risk of feeling drowsy and impact your motor and cognitive senses. (Morrow,2012). "The effects are usually more pronounced within the first few weeks of starting on TSAs. Related antidepressants such as trazodone and mianserin can also react similarly with alcohol" (Morrow,2012).
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">"When combined with certain types of alcoholic beverages and foods, monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressants can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure" (Morrow,2012). "Examples of MAOIs include isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate)" (Morrow,2012).
 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">Other antidepressants: **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">"While drugs like reboxetione, venlafaxine and duloxetine do not react strongly with alcohol. Similarly, drinking alcohol when on mirtazapine can augment the risk of coordination problems and make you sleepy, making it dangerous to drive or operate heavy machinery when using this antidepressant with alcohol" (Morrow,2012).