anti depressants & drinking
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 180
anti depressants & drinking
I read about how it was believed there to be a link between ssri anti depressants and cravings for alcohol. This was like a jolt of lightening for me so I researched more and indeed there is a lot of people out there that strongly believe there to be a link and tell stories of their alcoholism whilst taking this medication, people that were not drinkers at all before the medication.
I evaluated my own situation from this. … my drinking has escalated over the last year or so. Yes I’ve always been a drinker but I have to say my intake has increased and urges to drink have become much more frequent. It’s is also just over a year that I have been taking ssri anti depressants. I am now seriously considering that there may be a link. I thought it was just a progression of the illness now I’m not so sure!!
I’ve considered weaning off them to see if there is a difference but I’m scared as I remember what it was like before taking them …. i have the worst pmt imaginable. I’m also worried that the wine witch might use this knowledge to her advantage I. E you can drink cos it’s not your fault now it’s the medication.
I’m not sure what to do now. Apparently medical professionals and drug companies in the UK are still reluctant to acknowledge the link therefore is it even worth talking to my go? ?
Your experiences and opinions would be much appreciated.
I evaluated my own situation from this. … my drinking has escalated over the last year or so. Yes I’ve always been a drinker but I have to say my intake has increased and urges to drink have become much more frequent. It’s is also just over a year that I have been taking ssri anti depressants. I am now seriously considering that there may be a link. I thought it was just a progression of the illness now I’m not so sure!!
I’ve considered weaning off them to see if there is a difference but I’m scared as I remember what it was like before taking them …. i have the worst pmt imaginable. I’m also worried that the wine witch might use this knowledge to her advantage I. E you can drink cos it’s not your fault now it’s the medication.
I’m not sure what to do now. Apparently medical professionals and drug companies in the UK are still reluctant to acknowledge the link therefore is it even worth talking to my go? ?
Your experiences and opinions would be much appreciated.
now's the time
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,181
I had the opposite... getting on antidepressants helped me get sober and helps me stay that way. The first time I got sober I went off of them ("I'm fixed!") and fell back into drinking fairly soon after. This time I got on them right after quitting and can feel how much stronger I am mentally being sober and actually letting them do their job.
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by 2muchpain 
Interesting topic. I looked for any information on this connection but could not find any. Could you please share the links you found this info? Thanks. John
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by fantail
I had the opposite... getting on antidepressants helped me get sober and helps me stay that way. The first time I got sober I went off of them ("I'm fixed!") and fell back into drinking fairly soon after. This time I got on them right after quitting and can feel how much stronger I am mentally being sober and actually letting them do their job.
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,509
I had the opposite situation, too. I'm sorry that things are not working for you.
I was depressed long before I began drinking and when I decided to stop, it was my depression that made it impossible, because I didn't care enough. Thankfully I got on the right antidepressant that worked for me, and levelled the playing field for me. I have a chemical imbalance and the antidepressants help with that. I was able to step out of the dark hole and I know I never have to go back there.
I was depressed long before I began drinking and when I decided to stop, it was my depression that made it impossible, because I didn't care enough. Thankfully I got on the right antidepressant that worked for me, and levelled the playing field for me. I have a chemical imbalance and the antidepressants help with that. I was able to step out of the dark hole and I know I never have to go back there.
You're not shackled to not drinking, you're free from drinking
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 1,406
This is just my opinion, but depression and alcoholism is definitely linked. We use the alcohol to self medicate and for awhile it works. SSRI's are obviously used for depression so it would be an easy argument, although possibly not correct, to say SSRI's and alcoholism is linked.
I've been on and off AD's for over 30 years and I haven't seen a correlation between them and my alcohol intake. I have seen a negative correlation between my depression and alcohol intake. AD's are not as effective and you never address the underlying issues causing the depression.
I've been on and off AD's for over 30 years and I haven't seen a correlation between them and my alcohol intake. I have seen a negative correlation between my depression and alcohol intake. AD's are not as effective and you never address the underlying issues causing the depression.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Wilmington, DE
Posts: 393
Fantail,
"The first time I got sober I went off of them ("I'm fixed!") and fell back into drinking fairly soon after....."
My daughter took Zoloft for years including during the time she was in active addiction to opiates. She got clean and remained so for about 20 months.........."I'm fixed!"
There is a small, very hard core of NA people who believe one should be completely chemical free. My daughter decided she should quit taking Zoloft and join the hard core. She stopped taking the Zoloft and it was not too long before she relapsed.
She came to her senses very quickly; detoxed / rehab / continues in an IOP now. Has started taking Zoloft again and is currently 60 days clean. With the help and guidance of her counselors and her sponsor, she has reached the conclusion that part of the reason she relapsed was the cessation of Zoloft. She won't be doing that again.
One day at a time,
Jim
"The first time I got sober I went off of them ("I'm fixed!") and fell back into drinking fairly soon after....."
My daughter took Zoloft for years including during the time she was in active addiction to opiates. She got clean and remained so for about 20 months.........."I'm fixed!"
There is a small, very hard core of NA people who believe one should be completely chemical free. My daughter decided she should quit taking Zoloft and join the hard core. She stopped taking the Zoloft and it was not too long before she relapsed.
She came to her senses very quickly; detoxed / rehab / continues in an IOP now. Has started taking Zoloft again and is currently 60 days clean. With the help and guidance of her counselors and her sponsor, she has reached the conclusion that part of the reason she relapsed was the cessation of Zoloft. She won't be doing that again.
One day at a time,
Jim
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 180
thanks guys, but there are people out there that are adamant that there is a link. some of which didn't even drink much until they started the meds, they then deteriorated alcoholically so fast that it had huge impacts on their lives. since coming off the meds they have no desire to drink. apparently in the US some companies do acknowledge the link between the med and cravings for alcohol and include it on their info sheet under side effects, not sure if any of you in the US can confirm this? here in the UK there's no such acknowledgement yet.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Pacific Coast
Posts: 785
During the time my drinking escalated into full-blown alcoholism, I was on the anti-depressant Paxil. At the time, I blamed the Paxil for "egging me on" into drinking more -- it felt as if I needed to drink in order to counter some mania-inducing quality of the anti-depressant. I was convinced that the link was real.
Nowadays I'm 8 years off Paxil and 3 years off alcohol, and with the clarity of hindsight I can see that my progression into alcoholism would assuredly have been the same whether I was on the Paxil at the time or not. I don't know for sure, it may indeed have exerted some small "egging on" influence, but it certainly didn't "make me" an alcoholic. Factors far more significant than the Paxil did that.
I would echo the advice of others that it really doesn't matter whether there's a link between your anti-depressant and your increased drinking. The point is to stop drinking. If you continue, your alcohol addiction will progress equally whether the anti-depressant is a factor or not.
Nowadays I'm 8 years off Paxil and 3 years off alcohol, and with the clarity of hindsight I can see that my progression into alcoholism would assuredly have been the same whether I was on the Paxil at the time or not. I don't know for sure, it may indeed have exerted some small "egging on" influence, but it certainly didn't "make me" an alcoholic. Factors far more significant than the Paxil did that.
I would echo the advice of others that it really doesn't matter whether there's a link between your anti-depressant and your increased drinking. The point is to stop drinking. If you continue, your alcohol addiction will progress equally whether the anti-depressant is a factor or not.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
From what I know about medication, it's probably not a good idea to stop something that's been prescribed by a medical professional without seeking some medical advice, or at least have a chat to your Dr about some alternatives.
The worst thing you can do is put your Sobriety at risk as a result of experimenting with various medicines, the other thing to consider is even if you weren't taking this medicine, would you have still needed Sobriety in our life? who knows, potentially, but stopping any medication without a chat with a Dr is probably not a good idea!!
Hang in there Adelina!!
The worst thing you can do is put your Sobriety at risk as a result of experimenting with various medicines, the other thing to consider is even if you weren't taking this medicine, would you have still needed Sobriety in our life? who knows, potentially, but stopping any medication without a chat with a Dr is probably not a good idea!!
Hang in there Adelina!!
Resident Awesome Guy
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Castle Pines, CO
Posts: 747
Originally Posted by fantail
I had the opposite... getting on antidepressants helped me get sober and helps me stay that way. The first time I got sober I went off of them ("I'm fixed!") and fell back into drinking fairly soon after. This time I got on them right after quitting and can feel how much stronger I am mentally being sober and actually letting them do their job.
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
If they've been effective for you, yes, talk to your GP. I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that was undiagnosed for years and making her very ill. I learned from her quest that there are a lot of alternative health communities and theories, and some of them are probably valid, but others are certainly not, and it's hard to tell which is which. Drinking and antidepressants are both chemicals that can be life changing for good or ill, so I would proceed very carefully with the help of a dr. If yours won't even consider the link, maybe try to find one with more of an open mind?
totfit
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ft Collins, CO
Posts: 1,273
Oh, just the opposite as far as my experience goes. I had relatively more control, but again that is relative. We always look for the "reason" that we drink the way we do, thinking if we get rid of that "reason" it will be okay and our drinking will be fine. I kept getting rid of the reasons, but the drinking just continued to get worse. I have really never heard of anti-depressants causing larger issues with alcohol, though I guess it may for some. We are all different. Beware looking for the reason however.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Somewhere in the sands of time
Posts: 1,462
I think my Prozac levels me out and helps with not drinking. This country is so over medicated though, who knows. I tried not taking mine and eventually ended up a basket case!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WI
Posts: 529
I started on an SSRI about 3 years ago. I drank a lot before, and I drank a lot after beginning to take it--in spite of the enhanced possibility of seizures. That is how much of a hold alcohol and my addictive voice had on my thought process.
I'm not sure if I could separate the two from each other, since I was self medicating heavily for so many years.
I'm not sure if I could separate the two from each other, since I was self medicating heavily for so many years.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
Hi adelina - I have heard of this before, very rarely, but others have made similar claims.
Please don;t come off or cut back on your anti-depressants before seeing your Dr though.
I do notice that you admit to being a heavy drinker before you started the ADs...I think you also really need to consider the possibility this might just be the natural progression of your alcoholism?
D
Please don;t come off or cut back on your anti-depressants before seeing your Dr though.
I do notice that you admit to being a heavy drinker before you started the ADs...I think you also really need to consider the possibility this might just be the natural progression of your alcoholism?
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 701
Our brains a are all unique and incredibly complicated. Although I saw no correlation between anti depressants (not an SSRI, though) and alcohol use, I did have to have my dosage adjusted after quitting alcohol. My GP was a bit baffled, but suggested that perhaps being alcohol free changed the concentrations of the medication in my system. There is so much that is still unknown about chemicals and the brain, not even considering the alcoholic's brain on chemicals! However, I am grateful every day for my anti depressant meds, and how the changed my life for the better.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
