Zoloft and alcohol - compatibility, consequences

The table indicates the possibility of joint use of alcoholic beverages and the drug Zoloft - after how long and when to take the drug

• 2 days before drinking alcohol for women.

• 20 hours after drinking alcohol for men.

• 1 day after drinking alcohol for women.

• after 1 month if there was a course of treatment, for men and women.

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To avoid possible health risks, give up alcohol for the entire period of treatment.

• under no circumstances at any stage of pregnancy.

• under no circumstances, if treatment is ongoing, for men and women.

When combined with alcohol, Zoloft can lead to a disulfiram-like reaction. Antibiotic molecules come into contact with ethanol, which leads to intoxication which can react on the body with symptoms: nausea and vomiting, severe headache, fever and redness of the neck, face, chest, rapid heartbeat, heavy and intermittent breathing, cramps in the arms and legs.

• Stop drinking alcohol.

• Drink more water for the next 4 hours.

• In the annotation to the medicine, read the paragraph - contraindications, and follow them.

• If the medicine was taken as a course of treatment, alcohol is contraindicated for use from 3 days to 1 month (depending on the instructions of the attending physician).

• It does not matter what form of Zoloft is taken with alcohol, both the tablet and the ointment will have an effect.

• If this happens for the first time, the risk of harm to health is minimal.

• Contact your doctor for further help and advice.

— In the calculations of the table, the average indicator of alcohol consumption (average degree of intoxication) is taken, calculated in proportion to body weight of 60 kg.

— Alcohol that can affect the drug includes: beer, wine, champagne, vodka and other strong drinks.

— Even 1 dose of alcohol can affect the medicine in the body.

Per 1 drink for different drinks

, it is generally accepted:

Source https://alkogolno.ru/sovmestimost/zoloft/

The vast majority of antidepressants are categorically incompatible with alcohol. The presence of alcohol in the blood sharply increases the likelihood of side effects of antidepressants: they can cause many serious complications on various body systems, primarily on the central nervous system. Therefore, it is prohibited to combine alcohol with almost all antidepressants.

Almost all antidepressants are incompatible with alcohol.

What antidepressants can alcohol be combined with?

It is allowed to drink alcohol once a week in hangover-free doses (1 glass of vodka or cognac) only if you are taking antidepressants containing the following main active ingredients (the most popular trade names of drugs containing this active ingredient are indicated in brackets):

• ademetionine (heptor, heptral)
• St. John's wort (negrustin, deprim, life 600)

Try not to get carried away and not exceed the specified dose of alcohol, do not forget to then take a break from alcohol for at least a week. And don't take even small amounts of alcohol with any other antidepressants.

You can combine alcohol with these antidepressants in hangover-free doses, but not more than once a week.

Zoloft - interactions

Zoloft may interact with other drugs and supplements. A person should tell their doctor about all the medications they are taking before using Zoloft. Your doctor may recommend changing some medications to avoid interactions.

Zoloft should not be taken with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which are another type of antidepressant, or pimozide, which is an antipsychotic drug.

Drugs that may interact with Zoloft:

• drugs that affect serotonin levels, such as antidepressants, linezolid, tramadol and St. John's wort;
• warfarin and other drugs highly bound to plasma proteins;
• drugs that affect the central nervous system, such as some antiseptics;
• Triptans is a drug used to treat migraines.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Serotonin is a signaling substance (scientifically called a neurotransmitter). Brain cells exchange serotonin molecules to transmit information. In depression, there is an imbalance of serotonin.

Imagine that brain cells are throwing molecules around like balls. The point of contact between cell processes is called a synapse. When a cell receives a serotonin molecule, the signal is received, the cell no longer needs serotonin, and it gets rid of it. The removal of serotonin from the synapse is called reuptake. If this process is interfered with (inhibited), then there will be more serotonin in the synapse. This will strengthen or extend the signal. In some way that is not fully understood, this will alleviate depression by stabilizing your mood. This is exactly what this group of antidepressants do.

SSRIs are drugs containing the following active substances (the most popular trade names of drugs containing this active substance are indicated in brackets):

• fluoxetine (deprex, portal, prozac, profluzac, fluval)
• sertraline (Aleval, Asentra, Deprefolt, Zoloft, Serenata, Sirlift, Stimuloton, Thorin)
• paroxetine (adepress, actaparoxetine, paxil, plisil, rexetine, sirestill)
• citalopram (Oprah, Pram, Siozam, Tsipramil, Citol)
• escitalopram (lenuxin, miracitol, selectra, cipralex, esipi)
• fluvoxamine (fevarin)
• venlafaxine (Velaxin, Velafax, Newelong, Efevelon)
• duloxetine (Cymbalta)

Alcohol cannot be combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors because alcohol itself prolongs (extends) the action of intracerebral serotonin to a certain point, and is also an inducer of dopamine synthesis (like MAO inhibitors (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), also antidepressants and also incompatible with alcohol) . Therefore, on the one hand, when alcohol is taken simultaneously with antidepressants, competition for the substrate may occur, and this will increase not so much the direct, but rather the side (undesirable) effects of antidepressants.

These side effects, indicated in the instructions for use, can also develop with standard administration and dosage of antidepressants: due to the polymorphism of serotonin receptors, effects opposite to those expected can develop (depending on which receptors the antidepressant acts on - those it targets, or the opposite Both are serotonin). With the simultaneous effect of alcohol, the probability and degree of stimulation of different types of serotonin receptors turns out to be almost unpredictable.

Therefore, from a cocktail of alcohol with an antidepressant you can easily get hallucinations, sexual disorders, and depressive psychosis. For example, this is what happened to a reader of our site:

I’ve been taking Paxil for 10 years now, and I used to drink alcohol, but this time I overdid it due to stress. The next day I was vomiting, I was a coward, I felt like a drug addict. At night an ambulance called and they dropped something on me. The pulse was 120. A user of the website pokhover.rf

But potentially much more dangerous is the possibility of severe autonomic disorders: pressure surges, blood clotting disorders, secretory disorders, arrhythmia.

English scientist Andrew Herxheimer and New Zealand scientist David B. Menkes published an article in the Pharmaceutical Journal noting that many patients do not take seriously the warning that alcohol should not be combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Manufacturers of antidepressants explicitly do not recommend doing this on the instructions that are included in the boxes with medicines, but they rely on the results of studies on healthy volunteers in whose bodies their medicine does not interact with alcohol in any way.

It turns out that these warnings had not previously been confirmed by scientific research, and therefore did not convince either doctors or patients. Herxheimer and Menses described specific manifestations of pathological intoxication syndrome, which often causes serious consequences in patients taking SSRIs or similar antidepressants.

Cost and analogues

Analogues of the drug are:

• Pantogam;
• Velaxin;
• Calixta;
• Melipramine;
• Stimuloton;
• Fluoxetine;
• Paxil;
• Cipralex;
• Prozac.

The price of a package of Zoloft is from 463 to 1158 rubles, depending on the concentration and number of tablets in the package.

Fluoxetine

The drug is also a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, but in addition, it exhibits a stimulating effect, improving performance. It has similar contraindications and side effects, so the decision about which is better – Zoloft or Fluoxetine – should be made exclusively by the attending physician.

Paxil

A close analogue of Zoloft, used for the same pathologies and in a similar age group of patients. Whether Paxil is better than Zoloft should be discussed with your doctor to avoid serious adverse reactions.

Cipralex

Prescribed for similar pathologies, but prohibited for use under the age of eighteen. Also represents a group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It is applicable, for the most part, for anxiety disorders, because in other pathologies it is better to choose between Zoloft and Cipralex with your doctor.

Prozac

Prozac, like Zoloft, may be relevant for premenstrual dysphoric disorder and depression, but for anxiety and severe depression, Zoloft is often preferred.

Tricyclic antidepressants

All tricyclic antidepressants have a similar chemical structure: three ring-shaped molecules joined together (though the molecules themselves can be completely different from one antidepressant to another). These include drugs containing the following active ingredients (the most popular trade names of drugs containing this active substance are indicated in brackets):

• amitriptyline (tryptisol, Elivel)
• clomipramine (anafranil, clominal, clofranil)
• imipramine (melipramine)
• tianeptine (coaxil)
• pipofezin (azafen)

Tricyclic antidepressants themselves are too toxic to also poison the body with alcohol when taken. Tricyclics have many side effects, including quite severe ones, and the presence of alcohol in the blood can increase the likelihood of these undesirable effects or intensify existing side effects. Tricyclic antidepressants are not compatible not only with alcohol, but also with some foods and with many medications, so you should be very careful when taking them.

MAO inhibitors

MAO inhibitors are active substances that can inhibit (that is, slow down the enzymatic reaction) the enzyme monoamine oxidase. These include drugs containing the following active ingredients (the most popular trade names of drugs containing this active substance are indicated in brackets):

• moclobemide (Aurorix)
• pirlindole (pyrazidol)

Alcohol should be avoided while taking MAO inhibitors to prevent the occurrence of tyramine syndrome and serotonin syndrome. Consumption of strong alcoholic beverages in combination with MAO inhibitors threatens depression of the respiratory center. When taking antidepressants of this class, you should adhere to a strict diet, because there are many foods and medications with which these drugs cannot be combined. Look at the first instructions you come across for the medications you have at home: in many of them you will probably find instructions not to combine use with MAO inhibitors.

Other groups of antidepressants

You can also mention antidepressants and other, less extensive groups, which are also often prescribed by doctors. For example, agomelatine (Valdoxan) stimulates melatonin receptors and blocks serotonin receptors.

Monoamine receptor agonists:

• mianserin (lerivon, miansan)
• mirtazapine (calixta, mirtazen, mirtazonal, remeron)
• trazodone (azona, trittico)

There are so many other antidepressants that it is impossible to list them all here. Be sure to read the instructions for the medications you plan to take. And if in the instructions for your drug in the “Pharmacological group” section you see the inscription “antidepressant”, then remember, while you are taking it, you should stop drinking alcohol.

Also read the special article “Depression from a hangover,” and you will learn how to deal with a bad mood after regular drinking and after a long binge, and also why antidepressants do not save you from hangover depression.

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Source https://pohmelje.ru/antidepressanty-i-alkogol/

Most antidepressants should never be combined with alcohol. Alcohol entering the bloodstream can dramatically increase the risk of side effects and lead to serious consequences. One of the fairly common drugs prescribed for depression is Zoloft. Let's look at the possible consequences that arise if you combine Zoloft and alcohol.

Alcohol and depressionEffects of alcohol on depression

Drinking alcohol is not recommended if you are depressed. This is because alcohol is a depressant, so drinking alcohol can make things worse and heavy drinking can lead you into a downward spiral in terms of your mental health. Remember that depression is more than just sadness. Alcohol can worsen all of the following symptoms of depression:

• anxiety
• feeling of worthlessness
• fatigue
• irritability
• fatigue or insomnia (trouble falling or falling asleep)
• anxiety
• weight gain or weight loss
• loss of appetite

Even if you take Zoloft for other than depression, it may still be unsafe to drink alcohol. You may be at risk of increased depression from drinking. This is because depression is a common symptom of other health-related problems, such as OCD and PTSD, which Zoloft treats.

Composition and indications

The drug Zoloft is an antidepressant. The active substance of drugs of this pharmacological group is sertraline. These tablets can be used for a long time, both by adults and children from six years of age.

The drug can only be prescribed by the attending physician for the following problems:

• depressive states;
• OCD;
• panic attacks;
• social phobias;
• post-traumatic stress disorders.

Zoloft helps relieve symptoms such as:

Good results are found after the use of an antidepressant during treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

This pharmaceutical product can be purchased at a pharmacy only with a doctor's prescription. The medication is available in the form of tablets of 50 and 100 mg.

Reviews

“I believe that the most important thing with this drug is to find your dosage with your doctor. When I took two tablets a day, I somehow felt unsteady in the morning, and then I lowered it a little with the doctor, and it became great. A simple and understandable drug."

Irina, 39 years old

“It was quite scary to take Zoloft tablets, but I decided, although depression was not in my diagnoses - the neurologist prescribed me these tablets after a course of drugs that improve blood circulation. I was afraid of adverse reactions, but the course went well.” Evgeniya, Samara

“I literally took two tablets over two days - everything was as prescribed by the doctor. Besides, I spent a long time looking for these pills all over the city. As a result, I can’t sleep at night, I have nightmares, I break into a sweat, I can’t lower my blood pressure until the morning, and this despite the fact that I’m not yet thirty.”

How to take the medicine?

It should be taken in the morning or evening. It does not matter whether it is taken before or after meals.

During the treatment of depressive conditions and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the initial amount of the drug is 50 mg per day. For panic disorders, traumatic circumstances and various kinds of phobias, 25 mg of the drug is prescribed to begin with. After a week, this dose is increased to 50 mg.

If the effect is not noticeable, it is allowed to increase the dosage after 7-10 days. The maximum permissible dose of the drug is 200 mg.

Reviews indicate that the tablets show the first results a week after the first dose. The maximum significant effect is allowed 14-30 days after the start of treatment.

It is necessary to discontinue therapy under the supervision of the treating doctor. There are two ways to stop taking the medicine: gradual dose reduction and alternative therapy and lifestyle changes.

Features of the medical product

Zoloft belongs to the antidepressant group of drugs that begin to show a therapeutic effect several weeks after the start of use.

The medicine works when it accumulates in the tissues in the required quantity. Because of this feature, many patients refuse to take the drug without waiting for the therapeutic effect to appear.

Zoloft is an antidepressant drug that selectively inhibits serotonin reuptake

Antidepressive medications are taken for a long time. Cancellation occurs gradually so as not to cause a return of pathology in a person. Zoloft is a drug that selectively inhibits serotonin reuptake.

Its effectiveness has been officially confirmed, obtained through comparisons and clinical trials of several similar products of the latest generation.

Quickly copes with symptoms manifested by phobias, anxiety, feelings of melancholy and other deviations from the norms of the psychological background.

The use of the drug in psychotherapy for cognitive, obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) gives excellent results. If you have such health problems, you should consider whether Zoloft can be taken with alcohol.

Composition of the drug

In pharmacology, the medicine is produced in the form of coated tablets. Depending on the amount of the main substance, the dosage is 50 mg and 100 mg.

Blisters in the amount of 1-2 pieces are packed in cardboard boxes, each blister contains 14 tablets.

Sertraline hydrochloride is the structural formula of the active substance of the drug Zoloft

Zoloft tablet contains:

• 50 or 100 mg - sertraline hydrochloride;
• calcium phosphate;
• titanium dioxide;
• hydroxypropylcellulose;
• magnesium stearate;
• microcrystalline cellulose;
• sodium starch glycolate;
• polysorbates;
• polyethylene glycol;
• hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

The drug is produced in two countries - Italy and the USA.

Indications for use

Zoloft has an antidepressant pharmacological effect.

Take in accordance with doctor’s prescriptions for the following disorders:

1. depression;
2. panic attack;
3. OCD;
4. social phobia;
5. post-traumatic stress disorder.

Doctors prescribe an antidepressant to young people or children suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The product effectively eliminates the manifestations of panic disorders - fear of being left alone; anxiety; fear of death, crowded places.

Zoloft will be used for obsessive-compulsive mental disorders

Reviews from users show the effectiveness of the medicine; the disadvantage is the need for long-term use to obtain the desired effect. The medicine has a number of contraindications. So, Zoloft and alcohol should not be taken at the same time.

Combination of antidepressant and alcohol

It is wrong to think that Zoloft and alcohol can act in tandem, relaxing a person, calming him down and disposing him to rest. Alcohol also affects the nervous system, but it is opposite to the effect of the drug.

The first doses of alcohol really calm you down, lift your spirits, and distract you from problems. Then the stage of oppression begins, the person again experiences fear, insomnia begins, and the depressive state intensifies. The compatibility of Zoloft and alcohol is a heavy burden for the psyche and nervous system.

The action of the antidepressant is aimed at eliminating serotonin deficiency. Zoloft and alcohol should not be taken at the same time, since alcohol-containing products prolong the effect of serotonin.

Plus, they induce the synthesis of dopamine, which increases the side effects of the drug. It is allowed to drink alcohol after Zoloft only 30-40 days after the end of the course of treatment.

Consequences

The result of the interaction between alcohol and antidepressant is not immediately noticeable to a person, but it is always there.

The effects of Zoloft and alcohol are manifested by a disulfiram-like reaction. Alcohol comes into contact with the substances of the drug, the body begins to experience symptoms of intoxication.

Combining Zoloft with alcohol leads to various adverse reactions

It is manifested by the following symptoms:

• nausea, vomiting;
• heat;
• Strong headache;
• increased heart rate;
• redness of skin areas on the neck, arms, face;
• cramps in the legs and arms.

Some people experience additional symptoms of unwanted interaction - excessive excitability, disturbed sleep, spasms in blood vessels.

Alcoholic products have a strong impact on the human psyche; both the will and the mind become clouded. The dose of alcohol does not seem to be large at all, whereas the permissible limit has long been exceeded.

Overdose and side effects

Ingestion of large doses of the main substance sertraline into the body does not cause serious consequences. But if a large amount of medicine is consumed simultaneously with alcohol and other medications, a person may fall into a coma. Sometimes, in particularly severe cases, they die.

If the course of therapy is completed incorrectly, the patient may experience withdrawal syndrome. It is characterized by a depressive state, the possible appearance of hallucinations, psychomotor agitation, anxiety, and symptoms of psychosis. All these signs are clearly distinguishable from the symptoms of the underlying disease.

Contraindications

The medicine is used for depression of various origins, as well as social generalized anxiety disorders.

It is prescribed with caution in the case of recent myocardial infarction, arterial hypertension, a history of seizures, closed-angle glaucoma, predisposition of the skin and mucous membranes to bleeding, unstable angina, tachycardia, increased intraocular pressure, a history of manic states, and low weight of the patient.

The manufacturer prescribes the use of Velaxin for the purpose of prevention and complex treatment for depressed, depressed mental states of various origins.

Velaxin is prohibited from being prescribed for the following diagnoses:

• presence of severe kidney disease;
• severe impairment of liver function;
• individual sensitivity to the components of the product;
• The age limit of patients is up to 18 years.

It should be used with extreme caution if there is a history of such findings as:

• the patient's condition after a heart attack;
• a condition in which the heart rate is increased;
• increased intraocular pressure;
• unstable ischemic heart disease;
• hypertension;
• non-standard reaction of the body to irritants with sudden and involuntary attacks of muscle contraction;
• a painful state of mind with the concentration of all feelings and consciousness on a specific idea;
• spontaneous attack of convulsions.

Compatibility of Zoloft and alcohol

It is permissible to take the drug one day before drinking alcohol for men and two days for women. Men can take the medicine after at least 20 hours have passed since consuming alcoholic beverages. For women, this time increases to a day.

In cases where a doctor has prescribed a course of treatment with Zoloft, you can drink alcoholic beverages a month after treatment, for both men and women.

It is strictly forbidden to take the product at any stage of pregnancy.

Consequences of combination

When Zoloft is combined with alcohol, a disulfiram-like reaction may occur. Ethanol begins to come into contact with the drug molecules, resulting in intoxication. Its main features are:

• vomiting and nausea;
• severe headaches;
• increased body temperature;
• redness of the skin of the face, hands, neck;
• tachycardia;
• cramps in the limbs.

Also, the likely consequences of a combination of antidepressants and alcohol-containing drinks include: sleep disturbances, excessive release of adrenaline into the blood, spasms of blood vessels.

In addition, alcohol also affects a person’s psychological health - it weakens the will and clouds the mind. To a drinking person, it seems that he has drunk very little, although the permissible dose has long been exceeded. If ethyl alcohol enters the body, the effect of the drug is blocked, and the patient can take a second dose. As a result, the toxic load on such an important organ as the liver increases many times over.

Experts unanimously say that it is most dangerous to drink alcohol for people who are deeply depressed and suicidal. The combination of ethyl and antidepressants in such situations can lead to the release of the maximum amount of fear and anger hormones. This hormonal imbalance increases suicidal desire and can lead to suicide. It has been proven that a depressed person taking medications and drinks containing ethyl alcohol together sharply increases the risk of dying at his own hands by 2-3 times.

When can you drink after taking antidepressants?

After completing the course, you are allowed to drink only after two weeks. If you drink alcohol earlier, serious disruptions in the functioning of internal organs are possible. Therapy should be started only after the body has been cleansed of the decomposition products of ethyl alcohol.

If the start of treatment was preceded by a feast, it is necessary to maintain an interval of 2-3 days. This period of time will be enough to remove dangerous toxins. In this case, the patient will minimize adverse reactions and improve the quality of therapy.

We suggest you read: Harmful use of alcohol

Taking MAO inhibitors at the same time with drinking can cause breathing problems. This effect can cause death. Respiratory arrest usually occurs during sleep, so the patient’s loved ones may not notice it.

It is also possible to increase blood pressure (blood pressure), which often results in a hypertensive crisis with the further development of circulatory disorders in the brain (hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke).

Even a small dose of alcohol during drug treatment can lead to serious consequences!

The combination of booze and tricyclics can increase the side effects of medications. The combination has a negative effect on liver function. Regular joint use causes the development of cirrhosis.

When taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors with alcohol, the side effects are not as dangerous. However, this combination will not bring anything positive to the body.

The combination can cause the following symptoms:

• thinking disorder;
• hallucinations;
• increased sweating;
• problems with the functioning of the heart muscle;
• changes in blood pressure.

Combining ethanol with psychotropic drugs causes liver cirrhosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, arterial hypertension, and also increases the patient’s depressive state.