Dangers of Citalopram and Alcohol Drinking

Is it safe to use citalopram and alcohol together, asks the Prozac nation often. With the use of drugs to treat depression on the rise, it is important to understand the health risks of citalopram mixed with liquors.

citalopram and alcohol

by schoschie under CC BY

.

Millions of people have depression, and they resort to various ways to treat it. Some pay a visit to psychiatrists or psychologists and discuss what causes their feelings of negativity and low self-esteem. Others take several anti-depressants to feel better, and one of the popular ones is Citalopram.

Celexa belongs to a class of anti-depressants called SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and is primarily used to balance chemicals such as serotonin in the brain.


However, aside from being strictly prescribed by a doctor, this drug cannot be taken with other drugs, or if one is allergic to alcohol. In fact, a concoction of alcohol and citalopram is a deadly mix.

A Deadly Mix

Depression, instead of being reduced becomes more pronounced if this drug (or celexa) and alcohol are taken together. The only time that citalopram should be taken with such beverages is when healt hcare providers explain to the patients how this drug affects them, but even then it is a health risk.

Furthermore, patients can only drink lightly or moderately if they also take this drug to treat their depression. Most of the time, patients are not encouraged to take citalopram with this type of beverages because their motor skills will be affected. Moreover, there is a risk that depressive symptoms will be more severe than before.

Read the new report on is alcohol a depressant and how it can cause depression disease.

A mix of alcoholic beverages with citalopram can be taken together only if a healthcare provider recommends it (but few, if any, will recommend it!). Women may be allowed one drink a day while men can drink two, although it will depend on the alcoholic content of the drink.

In most cases, though, education on the effects of citalopram is required because it can affect a person when he is operating a machine or driving any type of vehicle. Still, a citalopram alcohol mixture is not for everyone because each individual’s situation is different, and their doctors know what is best for them.

If taken together, there should be constant communication with doctors and healthcare providers, because of the known citalopram side effects. One of the worst things that can happen when one is taking citalopram with alcohol is that a person may contemplate killing himself. If one has suicidal feelings, he or she must inform a doctor about this.

Be as it may, the secret to ingesting the citalopram antidepressant & alcohol is simply moderation. Some studies suggest that there can be no problems when they are taken at the same time. Many others, however, have found the citalopram alcohol interaction to pose high risks.

On the other hand, too much alcohol intake will significantly lessen the effectiveness of citalopram. In this case, citalopram (Celexa) & alcohol do not mix because the former is a medication while the latter depresses the central nervous system.

For the drug to work, patients should practice discipline as well as avoid any unnecessary complications, such as exceeding a safe daily intake of these beverages. For now, there is no evidence to support the claims that citalopram taken with can affect one’s psychomotor functions even if that person drinks moderately.

Additionally, studies are still being conducted on whether this concoction can affect the liver’s function of metabolizing the drug. Only further research can tell if these concerns are unfounded or not.

Citalopram is also known as Celexa. Do not mix such beverages with this medication due to the aforementioned health risks.

Combining this drug with liquors has resulted in overdoses and fatalities. You could enter a coma (serotonin factors) and become a long-term patient of a clinic and later an alcohol rehab center. So stay away from that problem mixing drugs & such beverages together.

Withdrawal symptoms will be accompanied with those of withdrawing from the antidepressant. Whether it is Prozac, zoloft and alcohol, acetaminophen and alcohol, antidepressants with such beverages together are a dangerous mix.

Author

7 thoughts:

  1. A deadly mix huh? Are there any examples you can cite – I failed to see any. A lot of generalization here and maybe even a bit of baseless fear-mongering.

    Look at the popular RX forums for proof that it’s not as deadly as claimed here. Drinking too much water can be deadly, without the need of a mix!

    The simple fact of the matter is that everyone is different and will experience different effects. The majority have no problem mixing Celexa with alcohol, in moderation. Wine seems to cause more problems than other forms of alcoholic beverage.

    Here let me sum this entire article up in one line:

    You should be careful mixing drinking alcohol, particularly when combining it with other drugs.

    The end.

    • yes a deadly mix. My sister was found dead in her bathroom late last year. Cause of Death: the mixture of alcohol and Citalopram. She was 62.

  2. This article feels like a load of fear-mongering. Perhaps ‘Alcohol Detox Magazine’ has more of an agenda than it has real, tangible evidence.

    I don’t have an agenda incidentally. I’m a non-drinker on Cipramil who just thought I’d see the effects of alcohol when mixed with the drug. On this site, I seemed to learn nothing other than someone’s skewed opinion.

  3. This article is correct one or two drinks may do no harm but more can be a deadly mix and make side effects worse including suicidal thoughts and actions. The other most important thing is that SSRI antidepressants like Citalopram can cause intense cravings for alcohol. This has happened to me in the past I became almost alcoholic, my drinking increased to dangerous levels and it took me a long time to realise the connection. When I came off the SSRIS my cravings dropped significantly. I then went onto Mirtazapine and I never felt like drinking again, my cravings completely vanished. The side effect and combination has wrecked my life. Please be very careful with drinking on these drugs but also be aware if you notice intense cravings for alcohol this may be due to the drug.

  4. My girlfriend is taking citalopram and is a heavy drinker and iv noticed a massive change in her demeanor. when she’s had a few since starting the medication but she will not accept it and it’s driving a wedge between us , iv asked her to see the doctor about discussing drinking while on he medication but she refuses, what can I do ??

  5. I have recent began taking Citelipram and my friends and family have noticed some pretty extreme behavioral changes. I have drinking more often and I am somewhat of a mood ring personality. If the surroundings are happy I am over the top. If the surroundings are somber such as a funeral I am extremely depressed. I stumbled across this article, just trying to identify some of the possible effects while taking this drug.
    To all of the naysayers that have replied, all I can say is unless you have lived it, you should keep your unsolicited comments to yourself.

Post your comment

Captcha Captcha Reload