But what many people don't know is that mixing Prozac and alcohol can lead to unwanted results. Put simply, it can lower the effectiveness of your medication while also making its side effects more extreme. And in the longer term, mixing Prozac and alcohol could actually worsen symptoms of your depression.
What Should I Avoid While Taking Fluoxetine? Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking antidepressant medications. They may decrease the benefits (e.g., worsen your condition) and increase adverse effects (e.g., sedation) of the medication.
Combing alcohol and Prozac or other antidepressants can cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition resulting from too much serotonin in the brain. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome after drinking alcohol while taking antidepressants include: Feeling restless, agitated and extremely nervous.
However, since many patients are not willing to give up alcohol completely, it is important to combine alcohol and antidepressants in the safest way possible. Some physicians allow moderate drinking for their patients. This means 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.
Generally, drinking alcohol while taking antidepressants is not advised. Alcohol can make depression worse, and also increase the severity of antidepressant side effects. It's generally recommended that people on antidepressants abstain from alcohol, especially if they will be driving or operating heavy machinery.
It's best to avoid combining antidepressants and alcohol. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. If you mix antidepressants and alcohol: You may feel more depressed or anxious.
You can drink alcohol while taking fluoxetine but it may make you feel sleepy. It might be best to stop drinking alcohol for the first few days of treatment until you see how the medicine affects you. Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? You can eat and drink normally while taking fluoxetine.
On the other hand, you should not skip your dose of Prozac to drink “safely.” Not only does the medication remain in your system for a certain period (which can lead to these reactions,) but symptoms of the disorder fluoxetine are meant to treat and can resurface.
But if you're taking antidepressants, it's worth keeping close tabs on your caffeine consumption. Antidepressants and caffeine can both have an effect on brain chemistry, and adding too much of the latter on top of your meds can leave you feeling lousy.
The medical term for decreased effectiveness of the medication is tachyphylaxis, although some people refer to it as "Prozac poop-out." While no one knows for sure why these medications lose their effectiveness over time, one theory is that the receptors in the brain become less sensitive to the medication.
The common occurrence of slow-rolling eye movements during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in patients taking Fluoxetine has led to this finding being referred to as “Prozac Eyes” [1]. The oculomotor movements in patients on Fluoxetine are accompanied by an increase in myoclonic activity[2].
For example, the manufacturer of Prozac (fluoxetine) recommends it be taken in the morning because it can make some people feel more energized, especially at the beginning of treatment. Effexor (venlafaxine) is sometimes recommended to be taken in the morning because it may interfere with sleep when taken at night.
Prozac and alcohol should not be used simultaneously since combining them may lead to interactions and decreased medication efficacy. While an occasional drink may not lead to serious side effects, it is best not to combine your medication with alcohol.
There are no antidepressants that are completely safe when taken with alcohol. Some providers may say that light to moderate drinking is OK while taking certain antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), and escitalopram (Lexapro).
Overall, Prozac does not typically lead to excessive weight gain. Most patients notice moderate weight gain after long-term treatment, but it is not guaranteed to happen in everyone.
For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
Prozac is linked to weight loss, especially early in treatment. Studies show that when people begin treatment with Prozac, they could experience a modest weight loss of about one pound. This weight loss will be observable about one month after beginning treatment.
Bottom Line. Within the first one to two weeks, most people feel lower levels of anxiety, restlessness or tiredness with Prozac treatment. Your sleep, energy and appetite may improve over the first month and you may have a better focus on daily tasks. A depressed mood can take up to 8 weeks to fully respond.
Prozac half-life ranges from 2 to 7 days, meaning it takes 11 to 38.5 days for the body to be clear of this substance. It is recommended to wait at least a month after last taking this drug to start drinking alcohol.
You can feel drowsy in the first few days of taking fluoxetine. However, it should get better after the first week or two. You may become more anxious, or it may make you irritable. This should settle after a couple of weeks.
Long-term side effects
Sexual side effects, such as problems getting an erection or a lower sex drive, have been reported after taking fluoxetine for a long time. In some cases, these can continue even after stopping the medicine.
In general, it's not a good idea to skip doses of your antidepressant for any reason, including to drink alcohol. Most antidepressants are only effective when used consistently.
In general, mixing alcohol with antidepressants or any other drug is never recommended.
Acute Alcohol Effects on the Brain's Serotonin System
In humans, for example, the levels of serotonin metabolites in the urine and blood increase after a single drinking session, indicating increased serotonin release in the nervous system (LeMarquand et al.