Antidepressants and alcohol effects of joint intake. Signs of post-alcoholic depression. Contraindications and additional information

Treating depression with medication is a lengthy process, and there is often a temptation to combine antidepressants and alcohol. It should be remembered that even small doses of alcohol can lead to devastating consequences in the body. When taking any antidepressant pills, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of combining them with alcohol.

How do antidepressants work?

The action of most antidepressants is aimed at increasing the level of hormones in the body, which are responsible for activity, good mood and equalization of the emotional background. As a result, the patient with depression begins to take an interest in business again, to enjoy life. The feeling of anxiety and tension, the meaninglessness of existence, disappears. Thoughts about their uselessness and inferiority recede.

It must be remembered that the therapeutic effect of taking drugs with such an effect begins to appear no earlier than two weeks after the start of administration. The course of treatment is always long and is at least three or four months.

For such a long period, many patients repeatedly have to solve the dilemma: to drink antidepressants with alcohol or not, and why such a combination is dangerous.

The main groups and their compatibility with alcohol

To cope with mood disorders and eliminate depression, several groups of antidepressants are currently used. They differ from each other in pharmacological effects and the degree of toxic effects on the body.

MAO inhibitors

The action of MAO inhibitors is based on the inhibition of a specific enzyme, monoamine oxidase, which destroys adrenaline, serotonin, and histamine. As a result, the amount of these neurotransmitters accumulates in the blood. This leads to an improvement in mood, activation of activity, calm falling asleep.

The drugs of this group have a high degree of toxicity, they can not be combined not only with alcoholic beverages, but also with products with a high content of tyramine. This does not allow combining such antidepressants with beer.

Non-alcoholic beer and MAO inhibitors are also strictly forbidden to combine, since this drink contains a large amount of tyramine, regardless of its strength. This substance increases the level of adrenaline, which, while taking drugs, can threaten with catastrophic consequences. Even a very small amount of dry wine, along with these drugs, is fraught with devastating consequences.

Tricyclic

Antidepressant drugs of this series have long been used to treat low mood, their effectiveness has been tested by time.

The peculiarity of the chemical structure of these substances is that three molecules are interconnected cyclically. The most popular and often prescribed are the following:

Melipramine;
Clomiprazole;
Coaxil;
Azaphen.

Toxicity and associated side effects are aggravated many times over when drugs are used together with alcoholic beverages. Drinking non-alcoholic beer during treatment with these drugs is also prohibited.

Amytriptilini tablets are available in pharmacies only by prescription, like other tricyclic antidepressants.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

These drugs are modern antidepressants and are much better tolerated by patients than their predecessors. The modern arsenal of funds from this group is represented by the following means:

Sertraline (Torin, Serenata);
Parexetin;
cypramine;
Escitalopram (Selektra).

Despite the slight toxicity of these drugs and fewer side effects, taking them with alcohol is also unacceptable.

Antidepressants based on ademetionine

These drugs stimulate melatonin receptors, resulting in more production of the hormone melatonin. The effect of these drugs on improving sleep and mood has been proven, anxiety and nervous tension are reduced.

Treatment of depression with such drugs allows their compatibility with alcoholic beverages. But you should not solve such issues on your own, recommendations on this matter should be obtained from the attending physician.

Light herbal antidepressants

In mild forms of depression, St. John's wort is often prescribed. Despite the significantly pronounced antidepressant activity, these tablets act gently and without pronounced side effects. They can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription, unlike other drugs with a similar effect. Most often prescribed:

Deprim or Deprim-forte;
Negrustin;
Neuroplant;
Life-600 or Life-900;
Doppelhertz neurotonic.

Despite the low toxicity of such drugs, their possible combination with alcoholic beverages should be strictly regulated.

Interaction of these drugs with alcohol

Often alcohol is considered, quite unreasonably, as a popular and affordable antidepressant that can be purchased without a prescription. In fact, the euphoria that occurs after consumption is fleeting.

A temporary improvement in mood is replaced by irritability, which can turn into aggression. And after sobering up, all the problems and disappointments that caused depression return with renewed vigor. As a result, you have to constantly drink alcohol to stay afloat. The consequences of frequent drinking can be as follows:

development of chronic alcoholism;
leveling the effect of antidepressants.

Analyzing the effect of alcohol on the body, we can conclude that such drinks have an overwhelming effect on the state of the nervous system. When drinking alcohol together with drugs for the treatment of depression, the effect of the latter is significantly weakened. In most cases, health disorders develop, which can become uncontrollable. This means that under no circumstances should alcohol be used as an antidepressant, it is strictly forbidden to drink drugs with alcohol.

What happens when combined?

The combined use of alcoholic beverages with MAO inhibitors can lead to depression of the respiratory center. This dangerous complication can even result in the death of the patient if the dose of alcohol taken exceeds a reasonable one. Respiratory arrest occurs frequently during sleep and is not immediately noticed by close relatives of the victim. An increase in blood pressure is also very dangerous, which can result in a hypertensive crisis and the development of cerebrovascular accident (ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke). MAO inhibitors in combination with alcoholic beverages pose the greatest danger, washing down such pills with alcohol is tantamount to consuming a potent poison.

Tricyclic antidepressants with alcohol can have a devastating effect on the body, as side effects increase several times. As a result, the liver will suffer, with a regular adverse combination, liver damage can develop up to its cirrhotic changes.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have a milder effect on the body than their predecessors. But their combination with strong drinks leads to an increase in the concentration of adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. This may be accompanied by such negative symptoms:

hallucinations;
disturbance of consciousness;
thinking;
sweating; heartbeat;
changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Consequences of the combination

If antidepressants are mixed with alcohol, adverse consequences will inevitably arise in the form of the formation of pathological changes in the internal organs and the brain:

cirrhosis of the liver;
arterial hypertension;
increased manifestations of depression;
vegetative-vascular dystonia.

It must be remembered that if alcohol is mixed with such tablets, fatal consequences may develop. Therefore, even a small dose of alcohol is prohibited.

Exceptions to the rules

Some antidepressants can be combined with small doses of alcohol. Such a combination is possible only with treatment with agents based on St. John's wort and ademetionine. It should be borne in mind that the dose of alcohol should be minimal (vodka is allowed to drink no more than 50 ml, dry wine - 150 ml, beer - 500 ml). This dose can be consumed no more than once a week; mixing different types of alcohol is unacceptable. It is impossible to exceed the recommended amount of alcohol, as this threatens with unpredictable consequences.

When can I start taking antidepressants after drinking alcohol?

Alcohol dependence often accompanies the development of depressive disorders. It should be borne in mind that treatment is allowed to begin after the complete removal of ethyl alcohol and its metabolic products. This requires a powerful detoxification using enterosorbents and intravenous administration of detoxification agents.

To control the process of removing alcohol, it is necessary to pass the appropriate tests. After positive results, treatment with antidepressants can be started.

If there is a need to cancel such therapy, you need to remember that you can start drinking alcohol no earlier than two weeks after the completion of the treatment course. If you drink a strong drink earlier, there is a risk of developing severe disorders of the internal organs and nervous system.

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Drunkenness destroys a person not only physically, but psychologically. Metabolism is disturbed, the liver, nervous system suffer, the body lacks vitamins. After drinking, someone has a stormy burst of energy, uncontrollable fun, when “the sea is knee-deep”, others have unmotivated aggression or indifference to everything that surrounds them.

A person begins to feel bad after 10 hours of drinking. The consequences are a decline in energy, emptiness, the appearance of a headache, nausea, a desire to drink. These are all symptoms of a hangover and should not be confused with complex post-alcohol depression. If a person does not suffer from alcoholism, all these symptoms will disappear in a few days, as soon as he stops drinking.

Much more serious is the case with alcoholism. Only a new dose of alcohol can help to somehow return to normal. There is a vicious circle, hard drinking, post-alcohol depression. A sick person simply cannot get rid of the consequences of such an ailment and stop drinking forever on his own.

Signs of post-alcoholic depression

Symptoms:

You can get rid of the consequences of post-alcoholic depression only under the supervision of a qualified specialist.

Treatment of post-alcohol depression

We can say that the treatment of post-alcohol depression depends on the depth and severity of the disease, on the desire of the patient to quit drinking, the help of relatives in treating him for binge.

Usually prescribed medication (antidepressants), psychotherapy, and in some cases hypnosis, when you can instill an aversion to alcohol. Additional methods of treating the consequences of drinking are physiotherapy, manual therapy, acupuncture. Post-alcohol depression is different for everyone, so its treatment requires a special approach.

Antidepressants are drugs that are prescribed by a doctor to destroy the monoamines in the body, thereby inhibiting some of the natural processes. Monoamines are substances that improve mood, give vigor and a feeling of happiness (adrenaline, histamine, serotonin). Antidepressants (tranquilizers, sleeping pills or antibiotics) help to cope with anxiety, insomnia, increase mood, interest in life, and improve the patient's physical health.

Psychotherapy (group, individual, family) helps to restore lost moral values, teach to live without alcohol, enjoy life and believe in yourself. Here, the environment, family and relatives are very important, who can and should help their relatives stop drinking alcohol, recover from hard drinking during the rehabilitation period, forget about post-alcoholic depression forever.

Consequences of taking antidepressants and alcohol

An important role in recovery from post-alcohol depression is played by a complete refusal to take alcoholic beverages, because. it negates the effect of drugs and increases the effect of monamines. It often happens that a surge of some emotions, troubles is provoked by drinking alcohol while taking antidepressants, after which post-alcohol depression can return with renewed vigor. And sometimes a person independently, without consulting a specialist, begins to take antidepressants. The combination of alcohol and antidepressants that affect the nervous system is unacceptable.

If you take antidepressants along with alcohol, this combination can lead to sad consequences:

You should not take alcohol in such a difficult period as post-alcohol depression. Otherwise, the consequences are inevitable. You can again fall into the risk group and start all over again.

Is it possible to take antidepressants on their own, because many of them require regular and competent use to achieve the desired effect? Such medicines can be drunk only as directed by a doctor in order to avoid unpredictable consequences. And even more so, if you started, do not quit because of the desire to drink, even if you have a serious reason for it.

Antidepressants and alcohol are incompatible, doctors say. If you want to stop drinking, get rid of all the troubles that post-alcohol depression promises forever, go through a course of treatment only under the supervision of a doctor.

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Consequences of the simultaneous use of alcohol and antidepressants

Scientists have found that activity after drinking alcohol is a temporary effect, soon a depressed state appears, due to which depression intensifies. If the patient continues to drink and takes antidepressants, the consequences for his health and life can be catastrophic:

persistent headaches;
deterioration in the quality of sleep, constant drowsiness;
increased load on the cardiovascular system due to additional releases of the hormone adrenaline into the blood;
dangerous increase in blood pressure;
problems in the liver - slow production of an enzyme to detoxify the body;
aggravation of the state of the nervous system;
apathetic state;
impaired coordination and delayed reaction;
intoxication.

The above list is not the whole list of consequences of the joint use of alcohol and medications to combat depression. It is important to remember that drinking alcohol often clouds a person’s mind, creates the illusion of a small amount of alcohol consumed even at a time when the dose received has exceeded all conceivable and unimaginable norms. The consequences of alcohol addiction are known. The same thing happens with taking antidepressants. A person realizes that the pills do not help him, and begins to increase the dose, which negatively affects the functioning of the liver and, as a result, can lead to intoxication of the whole organism. Unfortunately, doctors do not always mention the fact that it is impossible to drink pills in combination with alcohol, also because alcohols often reduce the effectiveness of the drug or completely block its effect on the body.

The most dangerous consequences of the simultaneous use of alcohol and antidepressants

Some combinations of depression medications with alcohol can be especially dangerous. We are talking about drugs from the group of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which block the destructive ability of the monoamine oxidase enzyme in relation to a group of hormones in the human body. When the enzyme loses this ability, the hormones adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin stay in the human blood longer, which, in turn, helps to get rid of depressive states as soon as possible. When this inhibitor is mixed with alcohol, adrenaline is released and the drug is blocked, due to which its medicinal effect disappears.

If a person continues to drink, the release of monoamine oxidase slows down significantly, and its amount is no longer enough to delay the necessary hormones in the blood.

Tyramine is also present in some alcoholic beverages. In structure, it is similar to adrenaline and, in combination with antidepressants, can increase blood pressure to critical levels. That is why doctors strongly do not recommend drinking at least 2 weeks after completing a course of antidepressant treatment, as this can cause a hypertensive crisis.

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What are antidepressants

These are psychotropic drugs, the main action of which is aimed at relieving the symptoms of apathy, anxiety, melancholy. They contribute to the normalization of appetite, sleep and improve mood.

Indications for use: obsessive-compulsive, bipolar and anxiety disorders, panic attacks, bulimia, insomnia.

The principle of action of antidepressants is based on slowing down the decay and increasing the concentration of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) in the body, which are responsible for a person's mood.

With apathy and lethargy, antidepressants-stimulants are prescribed that activate mental activity. To eliminate feelings of anxiety and agitation, antidepressants with a sedative effect are recommended, which calm the nervous system. The type, dosage and duration of taking the drug is prescribed by the doctor based on the clinical manifestations of depression.

Psychotropic drugs belong to the group of potent drugs, they should be taken in a strictly prescribed amount as prescribed by the doctor. Otherwise, they can lead to side effects, cognitive impairment, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, lethargy, lethargy, anxiety, tremors, sensory disturbances.

Remember, an overdose of antidepressants requires immediate hospitalization, as it poses a threat to a person's life.

In the case of long-term use of psychotropic drugs, it is impossible to abruptly stop their use. Otherwise, a withdrawal syndrome may develop, which will disturb and worsen the person's condition for 2-4 weeks. So that the body does not feel shock and does not experience side effects, it is recommended that the drug be gradually discontinued in the form of a gradual decrease in the dosage of the drug for 10 days.

Modern new-generation antidepressants available without a prescription include:

"Maprotiline", "Prozac", "Paxil", "Deprim", "Azafen", "Persen", "Mianserin", "Amitriptyline", "Mirtazapine", "Novo-Passit", Leuzea extract, tincture of ginseng, lemongrass, hawthorn, valerian.

Direct contraindications related to all psychotropic pharmaceuticals are: pregnancy, lactation, allergy to the original components, age up to 18 years.

Antidepressants and alcohol: mechanism of action

Ethanol is able to modify the properties of the drug. Alcohol can reduce, neutralize, block or enhance the effects of psychotropic substances. After the joint intake of alcohol and antidepressants, the liver takes on a powerful toxic reaction.

The action of ethanol is aimed at suppressing natural reactions and inhibiting regulatory centers in the body, while psychotropic substances, on the contrary, stimulate, providing a favorable function for their normal operation. As a result, the body begins to go crazy, because it does not know how to behave. A person feels either a surge of energy and strength, or he becomes ill to such an extent that urgent hospitalization is required.

Antidepressants and alcoholic drinks act in the body through biologically active substances - monoamines, which regulate the processes of activity, mood, vivacity. Among them are: dopamine, melatonin, histamine, serotonin, adrenaline, norepinephrine. The intensity of release of compounds depends on the concentration of alcohol in the blood, under the influence of which their consumption increases, which leads to a deficiency of monoamines over time.

The main purpose of antidepressants is to equalize the emotional background, assist in the accumulation of humoral, nervous reserves. As a result, two opposing forces begin to work in the body, forcing it to function "over the top", which aggravates the human condition. That is why it is strictly forbidden to combine the intake of alcohol and psychotropic substances.

Anti-depression drugs, belonging to the group of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, block the ability of enzymes, as a result of which they can stay in the blood longer. Due to this, the symptoms of depression are alleviated. At the same time, we should not forget that this enzyme is responsible for the destruction of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, histamine in the body.

Alcohol with antidepressants can provoke a hypertensive crisis.

Consequences of the tandem "alcohol-antidepressants"

How the body will react to the simultaneous intake of alcohol and psychotropic substances is difficult to predict. It all depends on the type of drug, its dosage, the amount of alcohol taken and individual characteristics. It has been established that under the influence of drinking, the state of depression intensifies, as a result of which the depth of the depressive state increases.

The consequences of a toxic attack from taking alcohol and antidepressants are considered to be somewhat less than they really are.

These include:

sleep disturbance, deterioration of mental state (emotional uplift does not last long);
an increase in the load on the cardiovascular system, rapid heartbeat, a dangerous increase in blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke;
severe headaches, spasms of small vessels, excessive release of adrenaline;
liver dysfunction, cessation of enzyme production, which leads to a stop in the detoxification process and poisoning of the body;
drowsiness, impotence, apathy, severe lethargy;
slowing down the reactions of the body, disruption of the nervous system, coordination of movements;
ear plugging;
difficulty in the work of the kidneys due to a decrease in reabsorbing function.

Doctors agree that antidepressants and alcohol are absolutely incompatible, because under the influence of alcohol, the patient's depressed state will only intensify, the situation will worsen, which ultimately can lead to the development of a deep depression of a suicidal nature. The day after an unsuccessful combination of ethanol with drugs against excessive emotionality, the risk of secreting hormones of anger, fear in peak quantities increases, which can exacerbate the desire to commit suicide.

Often, antidepressant therapy is long-term and, upon withdrawal, suggests a smooth exit. Otherwise, the human nervous system begins to malfunction, which is reflected in the patient's psyche. As a result, the primary symptoms of depression return.

Conclusion

Alcoholic drinks and antidepressants are not compatible. An important characteristic of the treatment of depression with psychotropic substances is long-term therapy, which should not be interrupted. Otherwise, the recovery process is disrupted, and the measures taken will be ineffective. If you take alcohol during the course of treatment, it will be in jeopardy. Even after drinking a small dose of alcoholic beverages, therapy has to be adjusted, often for the sake of safety and health stabilization, it becomes necessary to stop taking the prescribed pills for up to 14 days. As a result, a forced break negatively affects the patient's well-being: unpleasant thoughts, depressing sensations, and headaches are reactivated. Together with this, there will be a need for urgent cleansing of the kidneys and liver from toxic substances formed during the interaction of ethanol with drugs.

Thus, it is possible to start the fight against depression only by giving up alcoholic beverages. Otherwise, alcohol can cause disorders in the digestive tract, impaired psychomotor reactions, severe depression of the central nervous system up to respiratory arrest. Of particular danger is a very deep depression, “reinforced” by the action of alcohol. This combination increases the tendency to suicidal intent, panic and aggressive attacks.

Remember, when trying to drink down a depressive mood, there is a risk of developing alcoholism, going into a binge, which requires the help of a narcologist to stop. It is worth taking a person out of depression only after eliminating the symptoms of a hangover, ethyl addiction. To do this, as a rule, patients undergo detoxification measures aimed at removing toxic metabolites from the body. At the same time, after undergoing cleansing therapy, you can begin treatment with antidepressants. These drugs do not act instantly. Initially, upon entering the body, they accumulate in the tissues, after which they gradually begin to show their pharmacological properties. At the end of the intake, the drugs remain in the patient's structures for some time (up to 14-30 days), which is why it is also recommended to refrain from drinking alcohol during this period. Otherwise, the body will experience the consequences of a toxic attack, which will aggravate the general well-being of a person.

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Varieties of drugs

All medications that are used to treat various depressive conditions are divided into the following groups:

tricyclic antidepressants;
SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors;
MAO inhibitors;
other drugs for the treatment of this disease.

Tricyclic drugs are medicines whose main active ingredients are clomipramine (Anafranil, Clominal, Clofranil), pipofezin (Azaphen), amitriptyline (Triptizol and Elivel), imipramine (Melipramine) and tianeptine (Coaxil). Medicines have a pronounced toxic effect. The consequences of the joint use of alcohol and these drugs are very severe. Such medicines have a large number of dangerous side effects. If a person consumes alcohol during treatment with tricyclic antidepressants, then the side effects of the drug will appear much more strongly.

MAO inhibitors are drugs that slow down the production of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase. The active substance of the drug is moclobemide (Aurorix) or pirlindol (Pyrazidol). If you drink alcohol during treatment with these drugs, then there is a high probability of developing serotonin or tyramine syndrome. Also, the combination of alcohol and MAO inhibitors leads to respiratory depression.

The composition of SSRI drugs includes various active ingredients:

venlafaxine (Velafax, Newelong and Efevelon);
citalopram (Pram, Citol);
sertraline (Thorin, Zoloft);
fluvoxamine (Fevarin);
paroxetine (Cirestill, Pleasil);
fluoxetine (Prozac, Fluval).

The principle of their action is that they make up for the deficiency of serotonin, and this deficiency is the main cause of depression. It is impossible to combine such drugs with alcoholic beverages, since ethyl alcohol in itself has a serotonin effect. As a result, side effects from the use of antidepressants are greatly enhanced. May occur:

psychosis;
increased blood pressure;
arrhythmia;
hallucinations;
sexual disorders;
bleeding disorders, etc.

In addition, in severe cases, the combination of alcohol and SSRI antidepressants can lead to depression of the respiratory center, leading to respiratory arrest and death.

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Alcohol and depression

And where did the widespread belief that strong drinks help get rid of depression come from? Especially considering that alcohol is inherently more related to depressants. Although alcohol does, for a while, improve mood and promote emancipation, it also:

increases pressure;
increases the heartbeat;
stimulates respiratory depression.

Only at first, alcohol can briefly improve mood and encourage a person to take action. Unfortunately, many people are convinced that antidepressants and alcohol were created on purpose so that a person could escape from pressing problems, forget about difficulties, thoroughly relax and unwind. But what is really happening?

Any drinks that contain ethyl alcohol are powerful stimulants and stimulants of the activity of brain receptors.

Ethanol actively affects the human psyche, unceremoniously interfering and disrupting the normal functioning of the brain. Alcohol, taken in any dose, does not help either relax or calm down. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, alcohol brings persistent insomnia. It is not for nothing that such a disorder accompanies alcoholics after drinking - their sleep disappears completely.

How does ethanol affect how drugs work?

Doctors know perfectly well what will happen if you mix alcohol with antidepressants - a significant aggravation of the patient's current condition. That is a multiple increase in depression. The consequences of such a tandem affect almost immediately. A person, instead of calmness, begins to suffer from:

tachycardia;
mood swings;
persistent insomnia;
increased irritability;
severe bursting headaches.

What does a dangerous tandem lead to

The compatibility of alcohol with antidepressants provokes increased production of adrenaline, which leads to increased stress on the cardiovascular system. The result may be a jump in blood pressure to critical levels.

The liver is also seriously affected, which has to deal with a triple load. The dysfunction of the organ begins, in connection with which the production of special enzymes responsible for the neutralization of toxic toxins stops. This development can lead to:

severe drowsiness;
complete weakness;
disorder of the nervous system;
slowing down all reactions of the body;
apathetic weakened state;
problems with coordination, the ability to adequately think and perceive information.

A mixture of antidepressants and alcohol leads to serious intoxication of the body. It is also necessary to take into account the consequences of a psychological nature. What does alcohol do? Clouds mental abilities and destabilizes volitional qualities. It seems to a person that he has taken a small dose, when in fact he has already drunk quite a lot.

Alcohol blocks the action of the antidepressant, so the patient, hoping to get the desired effect, increases the dose of the antidepressant, further increasing the toxic effect on the liver. The level of intoxication of the body is growing, and the liver begins to work worse.

Deadly danger

The combination of alcohol and drugs becomes especially dangerous if a person has a particularly serious disorder - deep depression with the manifestation of suicidal thoughts. Can I drink alcohol with antidepressants in this case? This combination, against the background of deep depression, often provokes the production of a huge amount of hormones of fear and anger (norepinephrine and adrenaline) in the patient. Such a development of events worsens the current state of the patient many times over and exacerbates the desire for suicide..

It has been established that alcohol intake during treatment with extreme degrees of depressive disorders by antidepressants increases the patient's chances of dying by his own hands by 3-4 times.

Features of the use of antidepressants

Depression is a dangerous condition that requires long-term treatment. Antidepressants, especially mild ones, have cumulative properties and are recommended to be used for several months. There are also depressive disorders that need to be corrected and stabilized throughout a person's life.

In particular, such treatment is required for endogenous depressions. These are the types of disorders that take place against the background of a constantly bad mood, depression, slowing down of thinking and impaired motor activity. In this case, antidepressants of mild prolonged action are used. Such as:

Persen;
Prozac;
Paxil;
Azaphen;
selectra;
Mianserin;
Mirtazapine;
Maprotiline;
Novo-Passit;

And what is the combination of treatment with such drugs with alcohol intake? What will Selectra and alcohol (or any other mild drug) do? Even sparing psychotropics are forbidden to be taken against the background of intoxication. At best, the medication will not bring the desired result, and depressive manifestations will only intensify. And at worst, you will have to face a number of unpleasant symptoms, which occur when the body is intoxicated.

Interaction with alcohol

Alcohol, even low-alcohol and any antidepressant are inherently opposite forces.

Moreover, it is impossible to predict exactly how the human body will react to a dangerous and mutually opposite tandem. Alcohol can both enhance the effect of antidepressants, and completely stop it. Four types of perceived human response to the combination of alcohol and an antidepressant can be identified:

The strongest intoxication of the body.
Complete relief of its drug effect.
A significant increase in the effect of the drug.
An unpredictable effect due to the complete non-combination of two substances.

To unpredictable (and they are sometimes extremely severe) reactions can lead to a combination of alcohol and multicomponent, combined antidepressants. Such as:

Amizol;
Zoloft;
Coaxil;
Citalon;
Cipramil;
Venlaxor;
Miracitol;
agomelatine.

The body can react completely inexplicably. And his reaction may be limited to a strong surge of strength, an increase in good mood and vigor. Or maybe bring a person to complete paralysis and deep coma. In general, the influence of alcohol is aimed at stopping the work of individual body reactions and blocking regulatory centers.

Ethanol acts through monoamines (bioactive compounds that regulate all processes in the body). The most sensitive to ethyl alcohol and antidepressants are such monoamines as:

adrenaline (hormone of fear, stress);
serotonin (responsible for a good mood);
norepinephrine (provokes the appearance of rage);
melatonin (hormone of sleep, longevity and youth);
dopamine (responsible for a good, positive mood);
histamine (a substance produced in response to an allergen entering the body).

Alcohol contributes to an increased release of these hormones, as a result of which the opposite effect is observed over time, that is, a sharp decrease in the level of monoamines and their deficiency. And antidepressants, on the contrary, work to stabilize the hormonal background and equalize psycho-emotional processes.

When means with the opposite effect enter into confrontation, the human body begins to work in the literal sense of the word “for wear and tear”. A person completely exhausts his strength, which further aggravates the course of depression. That is why doctors categorically prohibit the simultaneous combination of alcohol and antidepressants.

Which antidepressants are not affected by alcohol?

But there are a number of drugs of this series, on the action of which alcoholic beverages will not have a serious effect. True, subject to the use of a "hangover-free" dose. Recall that the safe doses of alcohol are:

For men:

wine: up to 200-250 ml;
beer: up to 400-500 ml;
strong alcohol: up to 50-55 ml.

For women:

wine: up to 100-150 ml;
beer: up to 300-350 ml;
strong alcohol: up to 25-30 ml.

This dose is calculated from the condition of using it once a day with a mandatory break of 2-3 days. It is acceptable for people of average build who do not suffer from any chronic disease..

It is this amount of alcohol that can be combined with the treatment of depression with some antidepressants. Namely, such funds, the active substances of which are the following components:

Hypericum perforatum extract.
Ademetionine (an effective hepatoprotector and antidepressant).

Moreover, it should be borne in mind that alcohol intake is strictly prohibited with any other antidepressant. And even against the background of treatment with these (alcohol-compatible) medicines, after relaxing with alcohol, a subsequent week break is necessary.

So, you can take alcohol without harm to health in a minimal amount during treatment with the following antidepressants:

Heptor;
Heptral;
Life 600;
Negrustin.

These antidepressants are mild and gentle in effect. Such drugs are dispensed in pharmacies without a prescription. And they are effective only with weak manifestations of psycho-emotional instability, including apathy, lethargy, slight mood swings. In more severe types of disorders, other antidepressants are required, with which alcohol is absolutely incompatible.

To summarize what has been said

Ideally, even in the treatment of mild antidepressants, alcohol is not recommended. Still, the human body is too individual to say for sure about the safety of this tandem. Why risk your well-being and health once again?

It is better to go through the entire prescribed course of therapy thoroughly and seriously, having achieved a complete restoration of your mental strength and emotional stability. It is too risky to dilute the stabilization of your emotional background with the intake of alcoholic beverages.. After all, after the end of the course of treatment, there will still be a lot of time ahead.

When you can really enjoy the holiday and toasts. And when your own depressive state will remain far in the past. You should take care of yourself and not risk your health for the sake of getting dubious and momentary pleasure with far-reaching sad consequences.

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Sometimes the accumulated life problems lead a person into a state of deep depression, which he cannot cope with on his own. In difficult cases, the patient is prescribed not only psychotherapy, but also special medications - antidepressants. Anyone who considers them harmless pills is seriously mistaken. These are powerful medicines, which are often dispensed only by prescription. Their use requires caution, because a number of side effects are possible.

Treatment for depression can take a long time, and it is not at all easy to give up the usual joys for such a long period. Around are relatives and friends who now and then celebrate holidays or invite you to fun parties. What are the consequences of violating Prohibition? Are antidepressants and alcohol compatible?

Why do people crave alcohol during depression?

It would be correct to call alcohol not an antidepressant, but a depressant. It really eliminates stiffness and improves mood, but only for a short time. At the same time, it promotes increased breathing and increased heart rate. Spiritual uplift quickly disappears, and it is replaced by a long-term depressed state.

It seems that alcohol is literally created to help calm down and relax. In fact, this is not so: getting into the brain, ethyl alcohol disrupts its normal activity. "Hot" stimulates to active actions, but does not relax. It has been proven that one of the serious problems of alcoholics after drinking is that they simply cannot sleep.

How does alcohol interact with antidepressants?

Alcoholic drinks do not overcome depression, but intensify it, further driving a person into a depressed state. Violation of the "dry law" can lead to a deterioration in the patient's well-being, especially with endogenous depression, when the psychological background is corrected with special drugs.

"Hot" can have the following effect on antidepressants:

increase their effectiveness;
change the mechanism of action;
reduce or even eliminate the therapeutic effect.

The mechanism of interaction of antidepressants with alcohol is not fully understood by physicians. How everything goes in a particular case is influenced by several factors: the individual characteristics of the body, the type of alcohol, the type of drug, the time of year, the amount of alcohol consumed.

Some doctors allow their patients struggling with depression to drink alcohol during treatment. However, in order not to harm yourself, you must follow the following recommendations:

Always coordinate the intake of "hot" with your doctor.
Do not break the "dry law" in the first two weeks of treatment so that the body can get used to therapy.
Drink alcohol no more than once a week.
Limit single dose to 40 grams.

If you cannot adhere to these rules, completely remove alcohol from your life for the period of treatment.

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Consequences of the simultaneous use of alcohol and antidepressants

persistent headaches;
deterioration in the quality of sleep, constant drowsiness;
increased load on the cardiovascular system due to additional releases of the hormone adrenaline into the blood;
dangerous increase in blood pressure;
problems in the liver - slow production of an enzyme to detoxify the body;
aggravation of the state of the nervous system;
apathetic state;
impaired coordination and delayed reaction;
intoxication.

The most dangerous consequences of the simultaneous use of alcohol and antidepressants

If a person continues to drink, the release of monoamine oxidase slows down significantly, and its amount is no longer enough to delay the necessary hormones in the blood.

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How antidepressants work

The drugs of the antidepressant group begin to act in about a couple of weeks after the start of the course of administration, i.e., such drugs have a delayed effect. In order for drugs to work, they must first accumulate in sufficient quantities in the tissues of the body. This feature often causes patients to refuse to take antidepressant drugs, because they do not see the expected therapeutic effect.

Antipsychotics and tranquilizers have a faster therapeutic effect. Antidepressant drugs must be taken for a sufficiently long course, then the drug is gradually canceled so as not to provoke a regression of depressive pathology.

Types and groups of antidepressants

There are several pharmaceutical groups of antidepressants:

MAO inhibitors;
Tricyclic;
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors;
Other antidepressants.

MAO inhibitors are active substances that slow down the release of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. These are drugs based on active ingredients like pirlindol (Pyrazidol) or moclobemide (Aurorix). It is strictly forbidden to drink antidepressants with alcohol if they belong to MAO inhibitors. Such a mixture is dangerous for the development of serotonin and tyramine syndrome. Combining booze with inhibitors, you can provoke depression of the respiratory center. These drugs cannot even be combined with some products, so there is nothing to talk about alcohol.

Tricyclic antidepressants include drugs based on active ingredients like imipramine (Melipramine) and clomipramine (Clofranil, Clominal, Anafranil), amitriptyline (Elivel and Triptizol) and pipofezin (Azaphen), as well as based on tianeptine (Coaxil drug). These drugs are highly toxic, so you should not poison the body with alcohol. They also differ in many side reactions, and quite severe ones, and ethanol only enhances the severity and likelihood of side reactions.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) contain active ingredients like:

Fluoxetine (drugs Fluval, Prozac);
Parksetin (Plizil and Actaparoxetine, Cyrestill, etc.);
Fluvoxamine (Fevarin);
Setralina (Asentra and Zoloft, Thorin, etc.);
Cytoalopram (Cytol and Cipramil, Pram, etc.);
Venlafaxine (Efevelon and Newvelong, Velafax, etc.).

These drugs eliminate the main cause of depression - serotonin deficiency. SSRIs cannot be combined with ethanol, since alcohol itself prolongs the serotonin effect, and also provokes dopamine synthesis. As a result, there is a dangerous increase in unwanted side reactions of antidepressant drugs. The consequences of joint use can manifest themselves in sexual disorders and psychoses, hallucinations and autonomic disorders (high rises in blood pressure, arrhythmia, problems with blood clotting, etc.).

Consequences of combining

The best solution is to avoid combining alcohol with any medication. If you drink alcohol while taking antidepressants, then there are dangerous consequences for the patient.

Worsening of depression. Alcohol stops the effect of medications, which negatively affects the overall picture of the pathology.
In some patients undergoing therapy for depression, after alcohol consumption, an emotional and psychological uplift is observed, which is of a short-term nature. After that, an even greater feeling of depression literally rolls over the patient, which worsens the already difficult mental state of the patient.
Many patients, trying to drink a depressive state with alcohol, brought the body to alcoholism, which is also considered a negative consequence of the combination.
A mixture of alcohol with antidepressants negatively affects the reaction and thought processes.
Sometimes, when alcohol is combined with antidepressant drugs, lethargy and a strong hypnotic effect occur, which is especially dangerous for patients employed in industries where special attention and reactivity are required.

Combining antidepressants with alcohol increases the likelihood of adverse reactions to the drug.
Ethanol can turn a drug into a poison. Especially dangerous is the combination of alcohol with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (for example, Tranylcypromine or Phenelzine). When combined with alcohol, these drugs cause a serious increase in blood pressure, which is dangerous for strokes and other complications.

This is just a general picture of complications, of which there are many more. If there is a reason for drinking alcohol, it is necessary to discuss this possibility with your doctor.

Is there an exception to the rule

Doctors sometimes allow patients to drink alcohol once a week, but only in small doses that do not cause a hangover (for example, a glass of cognac or vodka). Such a relaxation is permissible only if the treatment is carried out with antidepressant drugs, which are based on the following substances:

ademetionine (drugs Heptral, Heptor, etc.);
St. John's wort (preparations Deprim, Negrustin, Life 600).

These are antidepressants compatible with alcohol. When combined, it is categorically impossible to exceed the above dosage, and after drinking alcohol, a week of rest from it is necessary. Under no circumstances should alcohol be combined with antidepressants of other groups.

How long can I take medication after alcohol

These drugs are actively used as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of alcoholism. It is necessary to start a course of treatment with antidepressants after the complete elimination of ethanol. Usually, patients undergo detoxification measures, during which all toxins and alcohol metabolites leave the body. Only after cleansing from alcohol are prescribed antidepressants.

If the patient has undergone a course of therapy with such drugs, then alcohol can be drunk only 3-4 months after the end of therapy. Such a restriction is necessary, because the components of antidepressants accumulate in the tissues and only then begin to act. At the end of the intake, these substances are still stored in the patient's organic structures, and it will take some time to remove them.

Depression is a serious psycho-emotional disorder that requires the intervention of specialists. It can drive a person to suicide. It seems to many that alcohol helps to get out of a depressive state, but this is not at all the case. Alcohol is dangerous both for depression itself and when combined with antidepressants. Therefore, there is no need to combine them.

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What are antidepressants

These are psychotropic drugs, the main action of which is aimed at relieving the symptoms of apathy, anxiety, melancholy. They contribute to the normalization of appetite, sleep and improve mood.

Indications for use: obsessive-compulsive, bipolar and anxiety disorders, panic attacks, bulimia, insomnia.

Remember, an overdose of antidepressants requires immediate hospitalization, as it poses a threat to a person's life.

Modern new-generation antidepressants available without a prescription include:

"Maprotiline", "Prozac", "Paxil", "Deprim", "Azafen", "Persen", "Mianserin", "Amitriptyline", "Mirtazapine", "Novo-Passit", Leuzea extract, tincture of ginseng, lemongrass, hawthorn, valerian.

Direct contraindications related to all psychotropic pharmaceuticals are: pregnancy, lactation, allergy to the original components, age up to 18 years.

Antidepressants and alcohol: mechanism of action

Alcohol with antidepressants can provoke a hypertensive crisis.

Consequences of the tandem "alcohol-antidepressants"

The consequences of a toxic attack from taking alcohol and antidepressants are considered to be somewhat less than they really are.

These include:

sleep disturbance, deterioration of mental state (emotional uplift does not last long);
an increase in the load on the cardiovascular system, rapid heartbeat, a dangerous increase in blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke;
severe headaches, spasms of small vessels, excessive release of adrenaline;
liver dysfunction, cessation of enzyme production, which leads to a stop in the detoxification process and poisoning of the body;
drowsiness, impotence, apathy, severe lethargy;
slowing down the reactions of the body, disruption of the nervous system, coordination of movements;
ear plugging;
difficulty in the work of the kidneys due to a decrease in reabsorbing function.

Conclusion

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Alcohol and depression

increases pressure;
increases the heartbeat;
stimulates respiratory depression.

Any drinks that contain ethyl alcohol are powerful stimulants and stimulants of the activity of brain receptors.

How does ethanol affect how drugs work?

tachycardia;
mood swings;
persistent insomnia;
increased irritability;
severe bursting headaches.

What does a dangerous tandem lead to

severe drowsiness;
complete weakness;
disorder of the nervous system;
slowing down all reactions of the body;
apathetic weakened state;
problems with coordination, the ability to adequately think and perceive information.

Deadly danger

It has been established that alcohol intake during treatment with extreme degrees of depressive disorders by antidepressants increases the patient's chances of dying by his own hands by 3-4 times.

Features of the use of antidepressants

Persen;
Prozac;
Paxil;
Deprim;
Azaphen;
selectra;
Mianserin;
Mirtazapine;
Maprotiline;
Novo-Passit;
Amitriptyline.

Interaction with alcohol

Alcohol, even low-alcohol and any antidepressant are inherently opposite forces.

The strongest intoxication of the body.
Complete relief of its drug effect.
A significant increase in the effect of the drug.
An unpredictable effect due to the complete non-combination of two substances.

To unpredictable (and they are sometimes extremely severe) reactions can lead to a combination of alcohol and multicomponent, combined antidepressants. Such as:

Amizol;
Zoloft;
Coaxil;
Citalon;
Cipramil;
Venlaxor;
Miracitol;
agomelatine.

Ethanol acts through monoamines (bioactive compounds that regulate all processes in the body). The most sensitive to ethyl alcohol and antidepressants are such monoamines as:

adrenaline (hormone of fear, stress);
serotonin (responsible for a good mood);
norepinephrine (provokes the appearance of rage);
melatonin (hormone of sleep, longevity and youth);
dopamine (responsible for a good, positive mood);
histamine (a substance produced in response to an allergen entering the body).

Which antidepressants are not affected by alcohol?

For men:

wine: up to 200-250 ml;
beer: up to 400-500 ml;
strong alcohol: up to 50-55 ml.

For women:

wine: up to 100-150 ml;
beer: up to 300-350 ml;
strong alcohol: up to 25-30 ml.

This dose is calculated from the condition of using it once a day with a mandatory break of 2-3 days. It is acceptable for people of average build who do not suffer from any chronic disease..

It is this amount of alcohol that can be combined with the treatment of depression with some antidepressants. Namely, such funds, the active substances of which are the following components:

Hypericum perforatum extract.
Ademetionine (an effective hepatoprotector and antidepressant).

So, you can take alcohol without harm to health in a minimal amount during treatment with the following antidepressants:

Heptor;
Deprim;
Heptral;
Life 600;
Negrustin.

To summarize what has been said

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It is allowed to take 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 medicines 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 do not exceed the indicated dose of alcohol, do not forget then for at least a week to take a break from alcohol. And don't take even small amounts of alcohol along with any other antidepressants.

These antidepressants can be combined with alcohol in hangover-free doses, but no more than once a week.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

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

Imagine that brain cells are thrown around by molecules like balls. The point of contact between cell processes is called a synapse. When a cell receives a serotonin molecule, the signal is accepted, 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 prevented (inhibited), then there will be more serotonin in the synapse. This will amplify or extend the signal. In some way that is not fully understood, this will alleviate depression by stabilizing mood. This is exactly what antidepressants in this group do.

SSRIs are preparations 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, serlift, stimuloton, torin)
paroxetine (adepress, actaparoxetine, paxil, plizil, rexetine, sirestill)
citalopram (oprah, pram, siozam, cipramil, citol)
escitalopram (lenuxin, miracitol, selectra, cipralex, asipi)
fluvoxamine (fevarin)
venlafaxine (velaxin, velafax, nuvelong, efevelon)
duloxetine (Cymbalta)

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

These side effects, indicated in the instructions for use, can also develop with the standard intake and dosing of antidepressants: due to the polymorphism of serotonin receptors, effects opposite to those expected can develop (depending on which receptors the antidepressant will act on - on those that it targets, or on the opposite Both those and others are serotonin). With the simultaneous action of alcohol, the probability and degree of excitation of serotonin receptors of various types is practically unpredictable.

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

I have been taking Paxil for 10 years now, and it was such that I drank alcohol, but this time I overdid it because of stress. The next day, I vomited, I was scared, I was vibrating like a drug addict. at night, she called an ambulance and they dripped something on me. pulse beat 120. user of the website hangover.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 directly do not recommend doing this on the instructions that are put in boxes with medicines, but they rely on the results of studies on healthy volunteers, in whose body their medicine does not interact with alcohol in any way.

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

It must be remembered that the therapeutic effect of taking drugs with such an effect begins to appear no earlier than two weeks after the start of administration. The course of treatment is always long and is at least three or four months.

For such a long period, many patients repeatedly have to solve the dilemma: to drink antidepressants with alcohol or not, and why such a combination is dangerous.

The main groups and their compatibility with alcohol

MAO inhibitors

Tricyclic

Antidepressant drugs of this series have long been used to treat low mood, their effectiveness has been tested by time.

The peculiarity of the chemical structure of these substances is that three molecules are interconnected cyclically. The most popular and often prescribed are the following:

Melipramine;
Clomiprazole;
Coaxil;
Azaphen.

Amytriptilini tablets are available in pharmacies only by prescription, like other tricyclic antidepressants.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

These drugs are modern antidepressants and are much better tolerated by patients than their predecessors. The modern arsenal of funds from this group is represented by the following means:

Sertraline (Torin, Serenata);
Parexetin;
cypramine;
Escitalopram (Selektra).

Despite the slight toxicity of these drugs and fewer side effects, taking them with alcohol is also unacceptable.

Antidepressants based on ademetionine

Light herbal antidepressants

Deprim or Deprim-forte;
Negrustin;
Neuroplant;
Life-600 or Life-900;
Doppelhertz neurotonic.

Despite the low toxicity of such drugs, their possible combination with alcoholic beverages should be strictly regulated.

Interaction of these drugs with alcohol

development of chronic alcoholism;
leveling the effect of antidepressants.

What happens when combined?

hallucinations;
disturbance of consciousness;
thinking;
sweating; heartbeat;
changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Consequences of the combination

If antidepressants are mixed with alcohol, adverse consequences will inevitably arise in the form of the formation of pathological changes in the internal organs and the brain:

cirrhosis of the liver;
arterial hypertension;
increased manifestations of depression;
vegetative-vascular dystonia.

It must be remembered that if alcohol is mixed with such tablets, fatal consequences may develop. Therefore, even a small dose of alcohol is prohibited.

Exceptions to the rules

When can I start taking antidepressants after drinking alcohol?

To control the process of removing alcohol, it is necessary to pass the appropriate tests. After positive results, treatment with antidepressants can be started.

Treatment with antidepressants is a lengthy process lasting several months. During this period, there is often a desire to drink alcohol. The combination of alcohol with the drug is life-threatening due to the interaction of the components of the drug composition with ethanol. Before the feast, you need to make sure that there are no negative health consequences by visiting your doctor or carefully studying the instructions for using the antidepressant.

There are several groups of antidepressants that differ in composition, mode of action on the body and degree of toxicity:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). They are toxic, have a tonic effect, are prescribed for atypical depression, alcohol dependence. Incompatible with ethanol.
Tricyclic. May have a stimulating or calming effect. They are highly toxic, aggravated by alcohol intake.
selective inhibitors. Eliminate depression, anxiety. Low toxicity, but hazardous to health when interacting with ethyl alcohol.
Means with amethedionine. Improve mood and relieve anxiety. Compatible with alcohol, but only after the permission of the doctor.
Mild drugs. Made from plants. They have a mild sedative or tonic effect. Can be combined with alcohol after doctor's approval.

Antidepressants, when the dosage is exceeded, can cause severe intoxication of the body when taken simultaneously with alcohol. In the latter case, the likelihood of side effects increases.

Regardless of the antidepressant group, each drug has its own characteristics. It can be combined with any dose of alcohol or only with a certain type of liquor. Most often, such drugs have a negative effect on the body when any amount of ethanol is received.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

As a result of the action of these drugs, the monoamine oxidase enzyme, which destroys adrenaline, serotonin and histamine, is inhibited. At the same time, the level of the latter increases. A person's mood improves, there is a desire to do some kind of activity.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are highly toxic. This feature requires strict adherence to the rules of admission. The drug should not be taken simultaneously with any kind of alcohol, including low ethyl alcohol. It is not allowed to combine with non-alcoholic beer due to the interaction of the components of the composition of the product with tyramine. Failure to follow the instructions is fraught with the development of such conditions:

stop breathing;
a sharp increase in blood pressure is a precursor to a hypertensive crisis;
cerebrovascular accident.

Therapist: cessation of breathing is the most dangerous consequence, since it can occur in a dream. In this case, relatives do not have time to help the victim due to the absence of signs of a pathological condition.

Effects arise as a result of a sharp increase in the level of adrenaline in the blood and severe intoxication of the body. A tandem of MAO inhibitors with alcohol is not able to do without consequences even when drinking just one glass of wine. The body begins to suffer from severe poisoning, which threatens mortal danger.

Tricyclic

Designed to improve mood. Their toxicity increases several times when interacting with ethanol. Tricyclic antidepressants are strictly forbidden to be taken with any kind of alcohol. Non-alcoholic beer is no exception.

The combination of ethyl alcohol with these types of products causes:

drop in blood pressure;
loss of consciousness;
muscle cramps;
increased heart rate;
nausea, vomiting;
liver damage, development of cirrhosis;
myocardial infarction.

The most pronounced health problems are manifested in the abuse of alcohol. The dose of alcohol that endangers the patient's life cannot be accurately determined due to the individual effects of the drug and ethanol on the body.

Selective inhibitors

Selective inhibitors act on the body milder than tricyclic antidepressants and MAO inhibitors. They have fewer side effects. Their simultaneous use with alcohol is prohibited. This is justified by the prolongation of the action of intracerebral serotonin and the stimulation of dopamine production both by the drug itself and by alcohol. As a result, the effect of the drug and its side effects are enhanced:

dizziness, loss of consciousness;
insomnia;
suicidal thoughts;
hallucinations;
cold sweat;
increased heart rate;
drops in blood pressure.

More often, when combined with alcohol, patients experience changes in behavior. There are persecution mania, increased anxiety, possibly increased manifestations of depression.

Based on ademetionine

Promote the synthesis of melatonin, improving mood. Relieve frustration and nervous tension. The combination of such antidepressants with alcoholic beverages is allowed. Before drinking alcohol, you should consult your doctor. Independently determine the possibility of simultaneous reception is prohibited.

There are no side effects from the combination of drugs based on ademetionine with alcohol. Ethanol makes the treatment ineffective. The action of drugs resumes after the complete withdrawal of alcohol and its decay products from the body.

Light drugs

Antidepressants with a slight effect on the body are of plant origin. They are non-toxic and have few side effects. The possibility of combining with drinking is determined by the doctor according to the type of drug and the components of its composition. In most cases, they do not interact with alcohol.

Herbal antidepressants can increase the toxicity of ethanol, the manifestation of a hangover syndrome. At the same time, a decrease in the effectiveness of treatment is likely.

Consequences of combining

Alcohol, like antidepressants, is psychoactive. In rare cases, this does not affect the body. Otherwise, their combination enhances or reduces the effectiveness of drugs, causes a deterioration in well-being and can lead to death.

Hepatologist: the combination of any drugs with alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the liver. This destroys its cells, eventually disrupting the functionality of the organ.

Possible consequences of co-administration:

aggravation of a depressive state - occurs with a decrease in the effectiveness of treatment;
malfunction of the nervous system - tremor of the hands, cramps of the limbs, loss of coordination of movements;
jump in blood pressure;
stop breathing;
increased side effects of the antidepressant;
the appearance of drowsiness;
stroke;
hallucinations;
liver and kidney failure;
violation of cerebral circulation;
myocardial infarction;
heart failure.

In severe cases, the patient falls into a coma. This is fraught with a fatal outcome, which is also likely after complications such as heart attack, stroke, respiratory arrest, etc. At the risk of developing negative consequences, careful monitoring of the patient is required. It is recommended to seek medical attention early. Specialists will conduct detoxification therapy, which rids the body of the remnants of ethanol and the drug.

When a person experiences stress, he may experience depression. Mild depression can go away on its own, but long-term stress should be treated with medication. Some patients heed this advice and seek help from a doctor, while others try to treat depression on their own with alcohol. But there is a third category of patients who try to combine both of these methods of treatment. According to doctors and pharmacists, it is strictly forbidden to combine alcohol and antidepressants. Such a cocktail for the body is dangerous with various negative consequences.

How antidepressants and alcohol work

Medicines of the antidepressant group have a noticeable effect on the body not immediately, but after about two weeks from the start of the course of treatment. In other words, we can say that the effect of these drugs is delayed. In order for the drug to give a therapeutic effect, it needs to accumulate in sufficient quantities in the tissues of the body.

Often, this delayed action of antidepressants forces some patients to abandon treatment without waiting for the first results. Some of them, not seeing a quick therapeutic effect, decide to combine antidepressants and alcohol, hoping to either enhance the effect of the drug or find relief from depression in alcohol.

A faster therapeutic effect is obtained by taking tranquilizers and neuroleptics. But the drugs of the antidepressant group need to be taken for a rather long course, after which they are also gradually canceled. Abrupt withdrawal of this medication can provoke a reverse development of a depressive state.

An alcoholic drink taken during treatment with any medication affects the effectiveness of treatment and the drug effect. The consequences of the joint use of alcohol with a particular drug can be unpredictable. Since alcohol can neutralize the effect of the drug, the simultaneous use of antidepressants with alcohol during the treatment of endogenous depression is especially dangerous. In the treatment of this type of depressive state, the continuity of the course of treatment is very important.

It is generally accepted that alcoholic beverages cheer up, eliminate depression and relax. However, this effect is very short-lived, after sobering it will be even worse, depression will only worsen. Moreover, alcoholic beverages put an additional burden on the liver, which is undesirable while taking medication.

Important: in medicine, alcoholic beverages are classified as substances of a depressant effect. That is why it is forbidden to drink alcohol and drugs for depression together.

Varieties of antidepressants

tricyclic antidepressants;
MAO inhibitors;
SSRIs - inhibitors (selective), working on the principle of serotonin reuptake;
other drugs to combat depression.

Tricyclic drugs for the treatment of depressive conditions - these are medicines in which clomipramine, imipramine, amitriptyline, pipofezin and also tianeptine are used as the active substance. These drugs have a pronounced toxic effect. You can guess for yourself that the consequences of taking these medications and alcohol together will be very severe. This group of drugs has many adverse reactions, and among them there are quite severe and dangerous. If a person taking tricyclic antidepressants drinks alcohol, then he risks getting side effects in an enhanced manifestation.

MAO inhibitors are active substances that slow down the production of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase. The active ingredient in these drugs is pirlindol or moclobemide. If you drink alcohol during treatment with these medications, you can provoke the development of tyramine and serotonin syndrome. Also, such a joint reception can lead to respiratory depression.

Attention: it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol during treatment with drugs of the MAO inhibitor group. It is worth noting that these drugs are incompatible even with some foods.

Medicinal substances of the SSRI group may contain various active ingredients. The principle of their action is based on replenishing the deficiency of serotonin, which is the main cause of depression. Taking antidepressants of the SSRI group along with alcohol is prohibited due to the fact that ethyl alcohol itself can prolong the serotonin effect. In addition, it provokes dopamine synthesis. As a result, this can lead to an excessive increase in unwanted side effects from the use of an antidepressant. The result of this approach is the following:

psychosis;
sexual disorders;
hallucinations;
arrhythmia;
increase in blood pressure;
bleeding disorders, etc.

Consequences of taking alcohol and antidepressants together

The most correct decision is a complete rejection of alcohol for the duration of treatment with any medication. And it does not matter whether antidepressants are used in the treatment of alcoholism or they are taken by a non-drinker, it is important to completely abandon alcohol. Otherwise, it can lead to the following negative consequences:

Increased depression. This is due to the fact that alcohol neutralizes the effect of the drug and in itself contributes to increased depression. All this will negatively affect the treatment process and the overall picture of the disease.
Even if the patient takes a drug compatible with alcohol, then due to the use of alcohol against the background of a course of antidepressant therapy, there is a short-term emotional and psychological upsurge, after which a wave of a new, stronger depression rolls in. The mental state of the patient will be even worse than before. He can be very depressed.
Some patients who have tried alcohol to treat depression have become addicted. After such a “treatment”, they will have to fight not only with depression, but also be treated for alcoholism.
If you take an antidepressant along with alcohol, then a person may experience inhibition of reactions and a deterioration in the thought process.
In some cases, the combined use of alcohol and a psychotropic drug causes severe lethargy and a powerful hypnotic effect. This is dangerous not only with a fatal outcome, but also if a person works in production, where reaction speed and increased attention are required.
This combination increases the risk of adverse drug reactions.
Ethyl alcohol can change the effect of a drug, turning it into a poison. Its combination with MAO inhibitors is especially dangerous. Such a cocktail can cause a strong increase in blood pressure and even a stroke in a person.

The above lists only the main consequences that may occur if alcohol is taken during the treatment of depression with drugs. In any case, if during treatment you have a need to drink alcohol, you need to discuss this with your doctor.

Exception to the rule

In some cases, doctors allow the patient to drink some weak alcohol. However, such a reception is permissible no more than once a week and in a dosage that does not cause a hangover. But this is allowed only if the course of treatment is carried out using antidepressants based on the following substances:

St. John's wort (drugs Life 600, Negrustin, Deprim);
ademetionine (drugs Heptor and Heptral).

Only the above medications can occasionally be combined with the use of alcohol. However, when taken together, it is strictly forbidden to exceed the dosage of the drug indicated in the instructions. Moreover, alcohol can be drunk in small quantities, after which you need to give the body a break for a week.

As for antidepressants of other groups, it is strictly forbidden to combine alcoholic beverages with them. In this case, there can be no exceptions.

When can you drink?

Since antidepressants are actively used in the complex treatment of alcohol dependence, it is possible to start a course of therapy only after the complete removal of ethanol and its decay products from the patient's body. Usually, before the start of treatment, detoxification therapy is performed, after which all toxins and alcohol metabolites are completely eliminated from the body. Only then can antidepressants be prescribed for the treatment of an alcoholic.

But one more question remains, how long after the end of treatment with antidepressants can you drink alcohol? Usually, if the patient has completed a full course of treatment with such medications, you can drink alcohol only 3-4 months after stopping the medication. Such a long interval after the end of therapy is necessary so that all the active substances that gradually accumulate in the tissues of the body are completely eliminated from it. Such a long-term excretion is associated with a delayed action of antidepressants, for which it is important that the medicinal substances are deposited in organic structures.

Conclusion: depression is a serious disease that can lead to suicide, so for its treatment you need to seek the help of specialists, and not try to drown out negative emotions with alcohol. Not only will alcohol not help to get out of a depressive state, but it will aggravate it, and in combination with antidepressants, it can be dangerous for a person’s physical and mental health.