Can you drink alcohol while on Lexapro? Healthcare providers don't recommend drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro. Alcohol can interact with Lexapro and may increase the risk of side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired judgment. Drinking alcohol can interfere with Lexapro's effectiveness.
What happens if you drink alcohol while taking Lexapro? Drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro isn't recommended. Both alcohol and Lexapro can cause side effects like increased depressive thoughts, sleep problems, and dizziness. Combining the two may cause drowsiness, nausea, reduced alertness, and serotonin syndrome.
Don't skip medication to drink, says Dr. Fink. “The SSRIs can take two to eight weeks to take full effect, and they work best if taken consistently,” she says. “Some antidepressants have a shorter half-life and can cause serotonin withdrawal even as soon as in a couple of days.”
The combination of Lexapro and alcohol should be avoided due to potentially dangerous side effects. Even a small amount of alcohol can lead to a large amount of unpleasant effects. Mixing these two substances may actually lead to heightened symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Some doctors think it's OK to drink moderately if you take an SSRI like Lexapro. “Moderate drinking” means 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce of hard liquor.
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.
It's not recommended that you drink any alcohol with Lexapro, since even small amounts can have a significant impact. However, some people do choose to consume alcohol occasionally while taking Lexapro. You should discuss this with your doctor before making any decisions.
Lexapro and alcohol together can cause side effects such as dizziness, changes in mood, increased anxiety, drowsiness, nausea, and sleep problems. Combining the two substances can also lead to more serious interactions, including worsening depression, liver problems, and serotonin syndrome.
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.
The exact reason Lexapro might cause weight gain isn't fully understood yet. However, many experts believe that changes in metabolism or appetite could play a role in causing this particular side effect.
Do not use escitalopram with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).
In addition, some of the side effects of Lexapro can be made worse by alcohol and other depressants. Especially things like feeling fatigued and having trouble with sexual arousal. Since alcohol can have the same effect on some people, the two drugs together can have a much stronger effect.
Although thought to be generally safe and with minimal drug-drug interactions, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of escitalopram-induced liver injury when initiating depressed patients on antidepressant treatment. This requires extra vigilance as most patients may remain asymptomatic.
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).
You can take Lexapro at any time of day. It's typically taken once per day. If you start taking Lexapro and find that you're having trouble sleeping, try taking it in the morning. This may make it less likely that you'll have trouble falling asleep.
One example of this is Lexapro, which can cause an increase in insomnia for some people. If you are taking Lexapro and unable to rest well during the night, we have some advice and tips on reducing the effects.
Side effects usually start to subside after about two weeks, so know that feeling “worse” doesn't last very long. How long do initial Lexapro side effects last? Most side effects from starting Lexapro typically start to abate after two weeks.
Each person will experience slightly different side effects, but the most common side effects are drowsiness, headache, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting. These effects may emerge during the first weeks of starting Lexapro. If the starting dose of Lexapro is too high, these side effects may be even worse.
What dose of Lexapro is used for anxiety? The typical dose⁷ of Lexapro for anxiety is 10mg daily. Your doctor may start you at 5mg and taper up to 10mg to prevent your anxiety symptoms from worsening during the first two weeks of treatment.
Serotonin syndrome
Alcohol can also temporarily boost the amount of serotonin in the brain. Consuming alcohol while taking antidepressants can lead to very high serotonin levels. Excess serotonin can cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially life threatening condition.
Drinking while on these medications poses a number of problems, from more severe side effects to addiction and even death. It is never recommended to use alcohol while on antidepressants. If you are having a hard time stopping drinking, seek professional support.
You're less likely to experience unpleasant or unpredictable effects if you drink alcohol while taking an SSRI or a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressant, but avoiding alcohol is often still recommended.
The length of time it takes for Lexapro treatment to start working can vary. It's common for some symptoms — like improved energy, sleep, and appetite — to improve within a week or two.