Hi Paul, you recently talked at my school about the
effects of alcohol and how long it takes to get out of your system. I was
wondering what are the effects of alcohol on antidepressants and anti-anxiety
medications? Does using these types of medication cause alcohol to stay in your system any longer and do they amplify the effects of
alcohol?Anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications should only be taken when prescribed by a doctor. Using either medication on their own can cause a range of problems including, in extreme situations, death by overdose. When you drink alcohol at the same time this dramatically increases the risk of something going wrong.
Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant
medications do not cause alcohol to stay in your system any longer.
Understanding the interaction between the types of medications and alcohol is
important.
Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant
medications affect the body in different ways.
The most commonly prescribed anti-anxiety
medications in Australia are benzodiazepines (also known as minor
tranquillisers or 'benzos') and are classified as 'depressants' (i.e., drugs
that 'slow down' the central nervous system). Examples include diazepam,
temazepam, nitrazepam and oxazepam. These are prescribed to help people with
anxiety or sleep problems. The effects may last from a few hours to 12 hours or
even longer, depending on the dose and type of drug taken. Using
benzodiazepines at the same time as other depressants - such as alcohol, GHB,
heroin and methadone - is extremely dangerous. It can cause loss of consciousness,
breathing problems, coma and death.
The situation with anti-depressant
medications and alcohol is more complex due to the availability of different
types of anti-depressants. Drinking alcohol while taking these medications,
however, is generally not advised. Even in small amounts, alcohol can affect
concentration and coordination, cause drowsiness and dizziness and lead to injuries
and road traffic accidents. It is also important to note that drinking alcohol and
taking anti-depressants at the same time can also make depression worse.
Combining alcohol with monoamine-oxidase
inhibitor (MAOI) anti-depressants is especially risky. This is because a
substance called tyramine, often found in alcoholic drinks, can cause serious
side-effects if taken with MAOIs, including a sudden and dangerous rise in
blood pressure. Speak to your GP or
pharmacist if you're not sure what type of anti-depressant you're taking
and don't know whether you should avoid alcohol.
It is always a good
idea to ask your GP or
pharmacist about how alcohol interacts
with prescribed and over the counter medications.
If the doctor has known you for a long time, they may not even think about the
possibility of you drinking and prescribe you something that could be
particularly risky. If you want to
continue to drink and need to take medication, your GP may be able
to find a safer alternative.
There are some people who try to push the
boundaries to see what will happen if they intentionally combine medications with
alcohol or, as you say in your question, to 'amplify the effects of alcohol'. This
is extremely dangerous. There is no effective advice that can be provided to
reduce risks other than 'please don't do it'.
First published: January 2018
First published: January 2018