Author: Anne-Marie
(This story was first posted on davidhealy.org. It has been the most commented on post there. It epitomizes what RxISK.org is all about – one woman getting to grips with a problem she has on treatment.)
I have been asked to write this story to raise awareness about a strange side effect of treatment and my efforts to get to the bottom of it.
Before my problems began I had been working as a health care assistant at my local hospital in Surrey for five years. I enjoyed my job. I had a stable life. I owned my own home and car.
Following the sudden and devastating death of my father I became anxious and over a period of a year developed a fear of choking which got worse to the point that I was avoiding food and losing weight. I realized I needed help.
I went to my GP and was prescribed paroxetine 20mg in liquid form because I couldn’t swallow the tablets. I had nausea, dizziness, felt spaced out and detached but was assured by my doctor that these symptoms would settle down.
After a few months things did start to improve. I noticed my eating had returned to normal. I felt much more energized and more confident and was able to complete a day’s work without feeling drained and exhausted. I started socializing again.
The warning reassured me it was safe enough to have a few drinks with friends
To begin with I was concerned about drinking alcohol on the medication. I checked the patient information leaflet which gave, what seemed to me, to be a mild warning that “although it is always advisable to avoid alcohol whilst taking medication there is no known interactions with Paroxetine and alcohol”. This reassured me that it was safe enough to have a few drinks with friends.
At first I was only having a few glasses of wine but slowly over time I drank more and more. I began saying and doing things I had no memory of later. I got banned from restaurants and bars in my local town and became an embarrassment to my friends. Eventually some of my close friends and family distanced themselves from me. I was losing everyone around me and losing control of my life but I just didn’t care. I felt like I was in a dream and that none of this was real.
I became verbally aggressive and my behavior was reckless. On one occasion I climbed out of a velux window and onto my roof. I was not trying to kill myself. I didn’t even consider the dangers of what I was doing.
I began to get into trouble with the police, in the main for continual nuisance phone calls to the police station. This happened on a regular basis when I was drinking. Sometimes I would ring them 20 to 30 times a night on their non-emergency number with only a very vague memory of doing so. It resulted in me getting arrested on numerous occasions.
I began to feel that something was very wrong
After getting arrested several times I began to feel that something was wrong. I started taking time off work. I got cravings for alcohol that were so intense I felt I was possessed. I would start drinking and couldn’t stop. I’d continue until I was either arrested or I collapsed into a coma. Things were getting very out of hand. I felt alone with my problem and couldn’t understand why I was behaving like this. I felt that no one understood what was happening to me or cared.
I began to research on the internet to find an answer and I found other people reporting cravings for alcohol on SSRI medication on many websites. This really shocked me. Yet no one in the medical profession seemed to be taking any notice of it. Why? The first time I saw a psychiatrist I was told that it was due to my drinking problem.
Terrible overwhelming uncontrollable cravings
I knew I was drinking too much but I also had terrible overwhelming uncontrollable cravings for alcohol. I printed some of the information from the internet out and gave this to my doctor and tried to explain that I thought the medication was giving me intense cravings for alcohol.
My doctor was very sympathetic but not convinced. Again I was told that I had a drink problem and was in denial. He did however agree to change my medication and prescribed me 20mg of citalopram. I was referred to my local drug and alcohol clinic.
Following the switch to citalopram over the course of a couple of months, I felt less aggressive. However my cravings for alcohol were as strong as ever and I still couldn’t stop drinking. Things spiraled further out of control. I spent time in prison, was suspended and eventually sacked from the job I loved. Even a couple of alcohol free months in rehab, where I was provided with overwhelming help and support, wasn’t enough to stop the pattern continuing as soon as I returned home.
By now I had given up on the experts… who accused me of denial
By now I had given up on trying to tell my medical team that I thought it was my medication that was causing the problems. I was accused of being in denial over the alcoholism but I was certain that these intense cravings for alcohol were being induced by the SSRI.
Before I had searched for others with similar problems, now I began searching for answers. First I googled alcohol cravings induced by paroxetine and then by citalopram. The first web pages I came across were from the depression forums and similar websites where people where sharing their stories about the same alcohol cravings and looking for answers. I came across the International Coalition for Drug Awareness, the Seroxat Users Support Group and the Seroxat Secrets website where many people were reporting the same thing.
I decided to start looking at research papers but I couldn’t find any on SSRIs and alcohol cravings. I then read a message on one of the forums that mentioned a Yale study from 1994 that had a link to serotonin. This pointed me toward reading about alcoholism and the serotonin system.
There were no easy answers to this
I read many papers that I only vaguely understood. I had to learn all about serotonin receptors, transporters and neurons to understand the research papers I was reading. I had to leave it several times and go back to it as my head was hurting trying to understand it. I nearly gave up looking several times but couldn’t because I knew the answer was there somewhere. I learnt that there were seven serotonin receptors and was very disappointed to learn that there were even more receptors connected to these receptors. There was also only one receptor though that had a gateway to dopamine which was the S-3 receptor. I now needed to learn what all these different receptors did and to see if any were connected to cravings for alcohol. There were no easy answers to this.
Had I really been like this for ten years?
I wanted to wean myself off citalopram. I knew it was ruining my life. In the first month I couldn’t believe the change in me. I felt as if I had been given back my sight and hearing again. I felt in awe of everything around me. Had I really been like this for ten years and hadn’t realized it? Almost immediately the cravings for alcohol reduced by about 50%.
But withdrawal wasn’t easy and I went through two months of distress with extreme mood swings, panic attacks, sensitivity to noise, feeling like I had the flu with aches and pains. I couldn’t cope with this so went back to my GP and was put on mirtazapine 15mg, which was later upped to 30mg as I was experiencing restless leg syndrome at the lower dose. (I had seen on the internet that another woman had a similar experience as me on 15mg mirtazapine which disappeared at 30mg).
I realized that mirtazapine may have the answer
My cravings went completely. I realized that mirtazapine may have the answer. I knew it worked differently to the SSRIs.
I looked up medications for alcoholism and came across a drug called ondansetron, which works by blocking the S3 receptor and eliminating cravings. I discovered that mirtazapine also blocked S3 receptors.
I searched for alcoholism and S3 receptors and found that the S3 was the only serotonin receptor that had a gateway to dopamine and a paper ‘Functional Genetic Variants That Increase Synaptic Serotonin And 5HT3 Receptor Sensitivity Predict Alcohol And Drug Dependence’. I was amazed. It makes sense that if some people have a genetic link to alcoholism mediated through the serotonin system that SSRIs might increase this sensitivity and mirtazapine block it.
I have also just found another research article that was carried out on mice back in 1990’s that also found that if S3 was blocked in mice it stopped the mice from drinking alcohol.
I now know what happened to me
It’s taken me a lot of time, reading and learning but I now have understanding of why I had such intense cravings for alcohol whilst taking SSRIs.
It makes me angry that we never had warnings like they do in the United States. Why were we not being protected here in the UK with appropriate warnings in the same way? If my GP had known that SSRIs could cause cravings for alcohol in some people he would have taken me off these drugs at the very first signs of drinking.
This would have saved me years of suffering and maybe helped many other people too. I’m sure that this is a problem that is more common than people realize. In addition to all the people I have come across reporting these effects on various internet websites, I have met many people who have had similar problems or who know of people who have also had problems on these drugs.
People on these drugs are vulnerable anyway and it is worrying to think how many could be drinking to excess across the country because of a craving for alcohol caused by treatment. It’s absurd to give the impression these drugs are relatively safe with alcohol if the tablets cause some people to experience intense cravings. It’s worrying also that both the drug and alcohol can independently cause confusion, disorientation, hypomania, aggression, and obsessional and bizarre thoughts and behaviors and that the combination in some people can make this much worse.
It has now made me look to other people’s experiences for information regarding drugs as they seem to be more accurate and honest in their findings than companies, regulators or doctors.
It’s crazy that patients have to get together on the internet to compare their side effects and discuss their problems because there is nowhere else to go. It has made me look to other people’s experiences for information now regarding drugs as they seem to be more accurate and honest in their findings than companies, regulators or doctors.
I didn’t realize until I came off the medication how bad I was. I feel ashamed and guilty for what I put people through. I have lost my job, had to move home, have a criminal record and lost the respect of family and friends. This could all have been avoided if there had been proper warnings in place and effective communications between different authorities.
I saw my retired GP in Asda recently and he asked me if I was back in Nursing. I told him no, I will never be able to go back now after what has happened to me. He said nothing and walked off. I didn’t mean to sound as if I was blaming him but I think he felt that was what I was doing. I felt guilty afterwards. I don’t blame my GP at all, I blame the drug companies and MHRA. What annoys me is that even the Department of Health wrote back to my MP basically laying the blame on the GP who they said should have noticed any changes in my behavior.
I want to tell my story as a warning to anyone who may be craving alcohol on SSRIs. I also want to tell people that sometimes it’s a mistake to leave it to the experts. And finally I want to tell doctors that your patients can often see that the information you are getting is wrong — we don’t blame you for this, we just want you to listen to us.
(The extraordinary twist in the tail here is how the regulator manages both to deny the existence of this problem and blame the doctor at the same time. This is becoming ever more common in modern healthcare systems — DH).
This post and the comments on davidhealy.org (attached to Out of my mind: Driven to drink) offer a compelling case that antidepressants can make alcohol abuse significantly worse.
Update: See the published paper, Ninety-three cases of alcohol dependence following SSRI treatment.
Candy says
My story is so similar to yours! Only, I live in the U.S. My story began the same.. Paroxetine, then citalopram much later. I have an appointment with my Pdoc on Friday, and I am worried what he will say when I tell him what has been going on. The citalopram completely eliminates my aggression, but causes drinking problems that have landed me in treatment programs for fear of losing my job or my child (which will happen if something doesnt change). I hope he will listen.
Dave says
I have the same problem. i believe lexapro at 10 mg a day has really increased mt addiction for wine. i am 64 years old and i want to get off this stuff.
Shasha says
Dave,
I had a horrible experience with Lexapro and alcohol that caused me to act irrationally and landed me in legal trouble two years ago. I am still in the process of going to court to fight the charges. I was allegedly completely out of my mind, aggressive, violent and not compliant. This is the complete opposite of my character on a regular basis. I don’t recall any of my supposed actions. I noticed that when I was on the medication I felt “loopy” and confused all the time. People I worked with would literally ask me “what are you confused about?”. I can recall wondering how this drug is legal to take everyday and drive, because of the way it made me feel. Needless to say, after my legal trouble I stopped taking the medication and started going to the gym instead, to get my endorphin’s going. It helped a lot in addition to the time that has lapsed. I stopped attending work functions (which is where I was coming from that dreadful night) because alcohol was pushed on everyone. I didn’t feel it was worth the possibility of more trouble and embarrassment.
Harrison Foster says
The same thing happened to me on Cymbalta. Would like to talk to you about it if you’re open to it.
Linnie says
Hi I’m on the same drug and having the same problem. It’s getting worse. But on the other hand the Cymbalta Took my mind out of the fog I was in because of Effexor I’m lost and don’t know what to do ? Any help. Linnie
Jeri says
I experienced the same thing. Wellbutrin is a different type of medication. My doctor prescribed a “Prozac bridge” to ween me off of Effexor without the horrific side effects. It worked! Afterwards, I started Wellbutrin. Alcohol cravings gone.
Lmary says
For me the alcohol cravings began with Lexapro. My Dr switched my medication to Cymbalta because it was supposed to help with the pain I was having from arthritis. Although it absolutely helped with my daily pain, it exacerbated my cravings for alcohol. I was off to the races! To make a long and difficult story short, a very knowledgeable psychiatrist made the connection between the meds and addiction and weaned me from Cymbalta. Not easy coming off the meds and strongly encourage doing it under a psychiatrists care. The result is I no longer have the intense cravings and got my life back!
Shane Smith says
I can confirm that i am having the same symptoms right now as i type this message. I have an extreme craving for alcohol. The only thing that makes the anxiety subside is alcohol. It feels to me as if these medications are designed to kill people. If i die or if anyone else dies because of drinking on Sertraline or Cymbalta no one will blame the medication. They will blame alcoholism. Oh you should not have been drinking on those medications. Well if the medication makes you want to drink more then it means it must be triggering the very thing you are trying to get rid of via the medication which is depression and anxiety. So maybe, just maybe there is some sinister agenda behind these medications. This world we live in is so evil and it drives all of us insane. Seeing as we live in an order out of chaos society it’s not hard to believe that the ones in control would create medications that simply numb out the damage that this reality is doing to each of us daily and eventually will kill you. Now i am in a position where i cannot cope without the medication and cannot cope with it in my system. That would give anyone thoughts of suicide because it automatically creates a scenario where you feel trapped and hopeless. Thank god i am intelligent and very resilient. I wish the same for others going through this. We are guinea pigs. Lab rats. The elite will do anything to keep us quiet. Depression is not a disease, it is what we are all living. We are all just part of a new world slavery system. And we are making it easier for the new world order to take control of us by taking their medications. You will always see case studies and reports of how many people have been helped or saved by antidepressants. Everyone is at a different stage of being or awareness. I believe the more aware you are the more prone you are to becoming depressed or anxious. it doesn’t mean you have depression, it means your soul and entity is crying out for help. How long can we all just sit back and let this go on. We are all being silently silenced. I wish everyone the best and i hope that you grow from this experience. I know i have.
Dylano says
Hi Shane, I really can relate to what you said. I started taking sertraline in November and have been drinking more on it. I want to come off the tablets!
Leslie says
I’m replying to your post because it is the most recent. I was put on SSRIs at a very young age. I have recently decided to stop taking it. I have horrible withdrawal symptoms but guess what I don’t have anymore? An alcohol problem. I always knew something was wrong when a 100 pound woman could out drink men twice my size. I don’t know if anyone is still replying to this. I’m really not all that familiar with the site. If anyone wants to hear my experience or share their own experience with me, I would love to talk about it.
Sharyn says
Hi Leslie
I would like to hear your story. I am just so grateful others like you have been through the same thing as me. Just wish my psychiatrist would listen to me. I have weaned myself off my SSRI and my alcohol compulsion has gone but I have a police record now for drink driving. I am worried about how I will be without an antidepressant
Sarah Hubbard says
Hi Leslie, I am getting alcohol cravings on 10mg citalopram.
Can you please help me get off this poison.
Danny says
Dancoonkey@hotmail.com – I’ve been suffering from this for 25 years, since 11 years of age… I never connected the dots that the times I would stop taking my paroxetine or citalopram I all of a sudden would lose the INSATIABLE urge to drink. If anyone wants to share stories – Dancoonkey@hotmail.com.
Caroline says
I don’t know if genetic testing will help. It’s worth a shot.
L says
Thank you for saying this. I’m on venlafaxine (effexor) and am caught between wanting to come off completely andble side effects. I feel mad because I think the same things as you do but then I doubt myself and think
L says
I’m being paranoid. Im not paranoid, I see what’s going on and that’s what’s affecting my mind. The world is sick, not the people in it. Anxiety/depression/ personality disorders etc are written off as being problems in the individual when the problems are with society and how it treats humans.
Ray says
Hello good people. Since the time I was about 45 until now I went through a personality change that cost me my family, friends, and a great job. Add to that behaviour that got me banned from pubs, landed me in drunk tanks, and resulted in a DUI. The culprit of all this turned out to be SSRIs. It was only recently that I titrated myself off them. The results were almost immediate. Not only did my cravings go way down, but the high I was getting from alcohol diminished as well. It was my discovery through the internet such as these experiences that I was convinced to get off depression meds. The damage is done, but now there is real hope. Thank you all.
Gina Dustin says
Shane, you nailed it. I’ve been on antidepressants for 11 years and I am totally getting everything you said. I am now down to 37.5 mg of Effextor a day weaning myself off from 225 mg. My alcohol cravings are gone. I tell this to my friends and they say, ‘well, why wouldn’t it be in the side effects?’ Really??? “Side effects may include: BECOMING AN RAGING ALCOHOLIC.” Sure, that will sell Big Pharma’s drug. It’s our society that has done this. You wake up and get on FB, you see nothing but media, advertising, go to work and stress out…It’s a no win situation. And you’re right, the one’s that are the most aware of what’s going on around them are the most depressed. It was one of the reason’s why I drank. I wanted to be blissfully dumb like everyone else. I know you wrote this a couple years ago so I hope you found the happy place you were striving for.
Kelsey says
Hi all!
I’m on 10mg Lexapro which I started this past fall- I’m in college and didn’t realize the extent to which it would effect my drinking. I was blacking out very easily and becoming very aggressive both of which I had never done before (let me say this was typically after 2 beers which wasn’t normal) I’ve tried weening myself off it because I do not like how I become when I drink on it, but doesn’t anyone know how long it takes for these negative effects of the drug to stop? I don’t feel like myself anymore.
Jim Gibson says
Hi Kelsey, I’ve was on lexapro for 14 years and me drinking was out of control. I’ve been off for 2 years and although I feel much better, I am still not the same.
Tolis says
I am very interested to know about it because a close person is on citalopram and he craves alcohol quite often. There is no limit for him when goes out on Friday or Saturday and can be aggressive in the end. To describe it, it is a psychotic, aggressive behaviour where he starts swearing at you, saying toxic things for at least 40 minutes. The next day he either feels really stressed imagining the police will come and get him or he does not remember a thing. What are your ideas?
Karyn says
I have been on lexpro now for over 12 years and that is when my drinking really took off. I had gone off of lexapro for awhile and when I did I had no desire to drink. But my anxiety and depression came back, so I went back on Lexapro. My drinking took off again. I am now going cold turkey off of Lexapro and the withdrawals from Lexapro are back, you know the feeling that someone is taking a cattle prod to my brain, non stop crying and then a half hour later, very manic. But I have no desire to drink. Put me back on Lexpro and I can guarantee you I will be back to putting away a case of beer with no thoughts about the hell I will put myself or loved ones through. Not sure what I can do, maybe try Remeron.
Dr. David Healy says
Remeron can help but at the cost of weight gain. No one knows what Buspirone will do – might be worth trying
David Healy
Karyn says
I am going to get the genetic testing for “mental health medications”, I am interested in finding out what that says. Hopefully it will take the guessing out of the equation. It would be interesting to see if there is a genetic component to SSRI’s causing some people to crave alcohol. Anyone on here that has had the genetic testing for SSRI’s, and what were the results. I also have HH, did that genetic test when it first came out.
Bob says
I am on paroxitine and find it is excellent for my depression and anxiety. I used to love getting drunk on this stuff and then learnt how to meditate. I never crave alcohol if I meditate regularly. I love meditation and paroxitine together. I’m just so much happier. It is the meditation which really adds the calm to the whole thing. My therapist said my drinking was actually about stress and people who aren’t on antidepressents drink to let go of their day. For people on antidepressents it is best to meditate and not drink.
I have tried several times to come off my meds especially when life was going really well and my meditation practice was excellent.
My depression and anxiety returned very quickly and was horrible. I do mindfulness based cognitive therapy with meditation and anti – depressents and this is the best I have felt. So after work now I always meditate and I don’t go out and drink anymore.
Try meditation. The mindfulness of breathing is very good as are body scans. Good luck 🙂
Antidepressents are very good for my meditation too. In fact my meditation practice became ineffectual when I came off my meds.
Colleen says
Would love to hear more on how you use the 2 together!
Violet says
I’m a smart health professional and with PMS I really hate alcohol yet with escitalopram I developed alcohol dependence. I’ve stopped the tablets now and just don’t feel like it much. Used to have 1/2 to a bottle of wine every night (past 12m since meds) and previously only rarely drank let alone at home alone and it was not because of depression or mood. Serious change, antidepressants made me really like the taste of alcohol and I was thinking about it a lot. I honestly can’t believe its just gone away now, 2 weeks I’ve found it hard to finish or enjoy a glass of wine and I think that part of life is passed. Very weird! I wouldn’t have believed anyone else til I experienced it myself and found this site.
Jane says
OMG – so I’ve been on Escitalopram for a year – and my craving for wine increased greatly – like a lot – I’m a women in my 50’s – I don’t feel things at all on this drug – like I don’t give a shit – I’m a professional women with a family – need to get off this stuff
Cassady Caldwell says
Ok! This is exactly how I have been feeling! I am so happy I found blog, I am getting off of this ASAP.
Thank you ALL!
mp says
Jane and everyone. Thank you so much for all of your replies. Now I feel like I’m not crazy. I, too am on escitalopram and alcohol cravings are through the roof. It doesn’t make me violent. It actually makes me nice and less anxious, but it is the “I don’t care” effect for sure. Can easily start drinking first thing in the morning, a bottle of wine a day no problem. I was actually making progress with sobriety before I started taking it. I tried weaning off of it before but got almost suicidal… it’s like what the heck is this? Menopause? Depression? Stress? I’m a professional, too and don’t want to lose it. Also major addiction issues in family history. I’m just going to have to try to wean off it again. I meditate better when not on it anyway.
Hannah says
Would love to talk more about this!!!! Email me hannahmabry@outlook.com
jesse says
doctors are like mechanics and can be replaced very easily.
Steve says
Hi there, having read other people’s comments and stories mine is so so similar. Escitalopram worked for major anxiety and depression in my younger years. It all makes so much sense now. Would love to talk. gunning.sg@gmail.com.
Steve
frustrated says
I have experiened increased desire for “strong beverages”
over 10 years on fluoxetine ( luvox )
donna frazer says
Hello my name is donna I been on effexor for about 3 months and followed by serequel and klonopin I been noticing I been drinking like 2 beers Now end up to now 4 a day I’m so scared right now don’t want to drink I don’t no what the hell is going on please help I don’t want to kill my self…..
Sammi says
Hello,
Just read your comments, are you still on here? Im on venlaflaxine and have been drinking lots since starting. What happened to you? Did you come off? Any help would be appreciated!
KR
Sammi
Cazz says
Hi Sammi.
I seem to only have increased cravings when I am on Effexor and seroquel. I don’t seem to be able to stop drinking when I’m on seroquel and also crave nicotine.
Joe says
Agree with everyone’s comments. If you find yourself guessing if the drugs are the problem, i can assure you 100% the drugs are the problem. Please wean off the drugs and your life will drastically improve. It may be a struggle to get off the drugs but with the proper support system you will succeed! Exercise and proper nutrition is the key to coming off the drugs. You may have problems sleeping because you will feel more anxious and alert but with time this will all go away. These doctors need to be locked up in a mental institution and fed these drugs to see how it feels. Next time you see you Doctor ask him/her if they would take the drugs themselves and if they would give their children the drugs. If they say YES, they are lying and not revealing all the harmful side effects. Your doctor will continue to use excuses and feed you bull shit to keep you in the drugs saying its a risk benefit ratio, etc. Dont believe any of it! People who take these drugs only get worse. Everyone I know who’s been on these drugs is worse off than they were. Again, doctors will tell you that the drugs cannot it solve all your problem and that your mental disorder is a disease that can only be improved. They will switch their advise constantly throughout your therapy and sometimes you will walk out of the session thinking that what they told you is the opposite of what they said weeks or months before. These drugs cause so much confusion for a person, he/she will sometime not know what right or wrong. If you read this please trust me and wean yourself off the drugs. You may need talk therapy but find another provider or better yet friends and family to talk to for talk therapy. Nothing bad will happen to you if you wean yourself off these drugs. You will not lose your job, relationship, or family. I thought the same thing but I can assure you that all will work out and your life will improve. You will start to enjoy life and have goals and aspirations. If you continue on the drugs you will continue to have problems and your life will spiral out of control. Psychiatrists are paid by the number of patients they see and you are worth tens of thousands of dollars to that doctor. They will continue to keep you on the drug to bring in money into their practice or hospital system. These doctors will claim that you drank before you were on the drug or that you were suicidal before going on the drugs when in fact the drugs only make that worse. I was a driven person before I went on these toxins and started to not care about my goals and relationships as soon as I went on these drugs. I was being treated for anxiety and OCD both of with do not exist. Anxiety abd OCD can be overcome by positive right thinking. When you come off these drugs you will see that your anxiety is because you care about life and its okay to worry because if you don’t worry then you are concerned with your well being. Your OCD is your obsession to improve your life and want an enjoyable fulfilled life.
Mimi says
Hello, Are your comments for “real”? I am not very savvy about this internet stuff so I am a bit skeptical if this is for real or not…but here goes.
I have been on Paxil since 2000. I was experiencing anxiety. It worked my anxiety was gone, I couldn’t believe how good I felt. My husband and I retired and moved to AZ in 2004….my drinking took off, but I figured it was because we were “living the dream”. I started having thoughts like, “why am I pouring these drinks down?” why do I feel like I can’t slow down”? why am I spending money like there is no tomorrow?” My friend described me as running around like a “raped ape”. So I went on the internet and looked up Paxil & increased alcohol use….I found sites where people had posted similar stories. Not having much confidence in myself and dismissed it and thought it couldn’t be true. We moved back to our home state in 2007….continued to drink and checked into rehab in 2008. I have remained sober since rehab but continue to question the Paxil involvement. I find myself not craving alcohol but I still like to drink socially. I want to get off the Paxil. I have tried several times and just give up and tell myself….just live with it! My friends, my Primary Physician, laugh at me and say it’s my imagination and just resign yourself to the fact to be on the med for the rest of your life. I am contemplating weaning myself off without telling anyone. Thanks for your comments.
Joe says
Yes my comments are all accurate
Arnold says
I completely agree! I’m in the process of weaning off sertraline and have now been completely off for 2 month. These drugs absolutely destroyed me for the last 5 years and the withdrawal coming off them is also horrendous. I’m now starting to finally get my life back. The doctors don’t have a clue about the effects of SSRIs!
Lucy says
I think that perhaps we should remind each other that a one size fits all approach can be dangerous. Especially when it comes to antidepressants whether they are SSRIs or not. I had been on paroxetine for about 15 years when I decided that I needed to wean off of them as I was worried about the effects of being on a medication for that long. Initially I was so happy that it appeared that everything was fine without the SSRI. However, I did not recognize the fact that I was slowly spiraling down into the abyss of depression once again. I have been dealing with many health issues, including chronic pain issues. Then my father passed away which gutted me. Before I knew it, I made a serious attempt on my life. I was in ICU for a week and a total of six weeks in the hospital and literally, almost didn’t make it. Now I am back on the medications that I need to function properly but not without some serious permanent damage from my attempt. Both physically and even mentally (including guilt for putting my family through all of this).
I didn’t mention anything about alcohol because that element has not affected me. I just wanted to reiterate that coming off of antidepressants without medical supervision can be VERY dangerous.
Dr. David Healy says
Lucy
I have a problem with this. Medical supervision of stopping these meds has become dangerous in its own right. Doctors do not understand what’s involved and may well make things worse for many people. There will be an Easter post on Rxisk – this weekend on this issue – Potentially Inappropriate Deprescribing and a linked post on DH.org about this important issue.
The safest thing is not to take these too easily in the first instance. There is no simple chemical imbalance they fix – you end up with a complex chemical imbalance by the time you have been on these drugs for a while.
David
Cherie says
I haven’t smoked in 25 years but since taking Trintellix I’ve had very strong cravings for a cigarette! It’s so strange!!
Alan says
Hi Cherie,
I started off with Lexapro 10mg and was experiencing some unwanted sexual side effects. My GP switched me to Trintellix. Both made me crave alcohol more but the Trintellix took it to a whole new level. I switched back to Lexapro but continued to drink. I finally stopped taking all of it and my cravings are about 90% gone. I expect there would be some still around just because of how much I drank, but it has been an eye opening experience.
Ellie says
back in 2004 I was having severe mental health issues due to an extremely psychologically abusive relationship & also witnessing a fatal motorbike accident, I was put on Sertraline and had high hope it would fix all my problems… I almost immediately started drinking heavily until every night I was consuming two to three bottles of wine a night – basically I would drink until I passed out. Not only that but one day someone walked past me smoking a cigarette and it smelled amazing, so I started smoking as well. My behaviour was completely unhinged, it cost me several jobs. Im amazed I never got stopped for drink driving as even in the morning I was not sober from the night before. It took me three years to wean myself off the Sertraline, during which time I had severe nightmares, hallucinations, violent shaking and depression. I managed it though and cut right back on the drinking & even gave up completely for a year, I also quit smoking – somehow it was easy to stop when not taking Sertraline. Sertraline also increased my suicidal tendancies & I was only on it six weeks before my first overdose. I have never trusted the Drs since then. The Sertraline and zopiclone very nearly cost me my life ( I was given zopiclone for insomnia and it caused me to have wild hallucinations and sleep walk – one night I tried to cimb out a third floor window and have no recollection. I am so glad people are now talking about this, I have been saying for years that SSRIs lead to alcohol and tobacco abuse, and now here it is people talking about having the same problem. My long standing depression completely dissappeared when I adopted a low histamine diet. I am now teetotal and wouldnt even think about smoking.
Brit says
I hope I can help!
I was on Effexor 150mg for 8 months. In 6 months I gained 30 pounds and KNEW it was the Effexor.
In the same amount of time I began drinking heavily. I have always had a glass or 2 of wine or liquor after dinner.
But…I would go through half or even a whole bottle of liquor in a day. My therapist AND my psychiatrist told me, you have an alcohol problem.
Well, YES..I do. But I never did before. Why?
I would crave it the moment I woke up and would drink until I passed out almost daily.
I am currently weening off this Effexor. Not because of the alcohol, but because I continued to gain weight.
I went from 150mg to 75mg. I have been on 75mg for 2 weeks now.
And AMAZINGLY, I am not longer addicted to alcohol. I am back to a few glasses after dinner.
I have a slip up here and there because I’m still on this drug, but I am now CONVINCED it was the drug!
Unbelievable!
Ann Hoffman says
Hi, I know this is 3 years later but I have been on effexor for about 5 years now. And I can’t go a day without drinking, I start having cravings about 430 everyday and drank til I went to bed. I didn’t start realizing it until I started Prozac and started weaning of effexor and I noticed my cravings for alcohol is beginning to subside. I can’t believe how my desire for alcohol is beginning to decrease. It will probably take a few more months to completely taper of but relieved that it was the effexor that was causing to drink so much. I never drank like that before starting effexor. Hope u are doing well.
Lorna says
I am the same… only a couple months on the lowest dose of effexor and I am like an alcoholic when I drink… nothing can stop me and I don’t think of the consequences. Happened years ago too when I was on fluoxetine … I am so glad I found this blog. I thought I was losing my mind!
May says
donna how are you? I have experienced the same feelings please feel free to contact me you are
Not alone x
Melinda Peterson says
I am sooo in the same situation! Do not know what is wrong with me UNTIL I read this!!! Always been a “social drinker”My Doctor put me on Fluoxetin ( Sarafem) for PMSPD. But after marriage issues & the loss of my sister I began to drink to “UNWIND”. Only now it seems I CAN NOT STOP! PLEASE offer some ADVISE! STRUGGLING!
Neil says
If I had it to do over again I would probably go to an in house rehab, if I could find one that would allow me to just get over the paroxetine addiction without prescribing other medications. Instead I was forced to go cold turkey, my Dr. insisted there were no withdrawals. He lied my withdrawals were on par with what’s known as alcohol delerium tremens, with seizures and psychotic symptoms that continue today, 3 years later, it’s possible that this is from the many head traumas I suffered during paroxetine withdrawal seizures. As of yet the only medication I have found that helps, is cbd’s with no thc from marijuana and that is not legal in my state I’ve only found it in very short supply and it’s very expensive. With it I’m nearly 100%, and I’ve tried many many psychiatric medications including anti convulsants, anti psychotics and every combination I was willing to tolerate. All of this for something that is just suppose to take the edge off, with no risk of side effects, and no risk of withdrawal’s. Turns out that’s a lie to, drug manufactures originally Glaxo Smith Klein changed the definition of addiction to make SSRI’s appear safer and more marketable.
I. says
My advice? GET OFF OF YOUR SSRI OR SNRI MEDICATION!!! Taper, if possible. I did this with Effexor, by removing 2-5 of the little granules in the capsule daily, till I was off. After this, my alcohol cravings disappeared. To reiterate: you will NOT resolve your alcohol cravings until you completely quit any and all antidepressants.
Joe says
Agree 100%!
Erin says
Has Sertraline been an issue for anyone or could this med be a cause of heavy drinking as well? I’m on only 50 mg but have suffered with several of the same issues. Blackouts frequently when drinking. I honestly would take the depression over this alcohol issue any day.
Rachel Appleton says
I am on 50mg Sertraline, and feel that my drinking is harder to control. I am craving alcohol more and strufgling to go a day without it. I took Sertraline some time ago and decided not to drink at all and was fine… it worked well. Recently i started taking sertraline again but do now drink and i feel that its becoming a problem. I think the craving is intensified through sertraline. However if i had never had even 1 drink like my 1st time on sertraline i would’ve been ok.
Dan Chin says
I don’t know if this thread/discussion is still active, but will post anyway. Back in 1996, I was in a severely abusive relationship with a woman with schizophrenia. I became quite depressed and the doctor gave me Zoloft. I had never been a heavy drinker and never gambled in my life. After maybe 3 weeks on Zoloft, I developed uncontrollable cravings for alcohol. My drinking went from maybe 6 beers a week, to 15 beers everyday. I quit the Zoloft cold-turkey after about 4 years, but the cravings for alcohol have never gone away. At the same time as I was on Zoloft, I had never once been into a casino. Within 2 weeks, I started gambling and drinking all my money away. I’ve been off Zoloft for 20 years, yet the alcohol and gambling cravings have never gone away…in fact, they just got worse. How was this terrible drug approved in the first place, and is there any recourse for financial compensation from the evil company that marketed this drug as safe? I feel my life was ruined by this drug the doctor told me was perfectly safe. The makers (Pfizer?) should have conducted longer clinical trials before this drug was approved. Best of luck to all that have suffered from the side effects of Zoloft.
Jim says
Hi Dan, my situation was very similar. I took lexapro and it completely destroyed my life. I started literally pouring beers down my throat until blackout. My finances fell apart, I stopped talking to all my friends and treated loved one like shit. I was a happy very nice guy that excercised all the time. I started lexapro and gained 40 pounds and slept 10-12 hrs a day. I’ve been off 2 years and although I feel much better I’m definitely not the same.
Karen Young says
I can’t believe I’ve just come across this forum. I have been on sertaline for a few weeks and my alcohol cravings are through the roof. I’m also blacking out completely. I need to get off the meds and fast. I’d rather have anxiety.
Virginia BRAGG says
Yes. I was on 200 mg per day. I have been in it for years. I never made the connection until I ran out and I could not get anymore for a few days. My cravings completely stopped. I wish I had known that years ago.
Ellie says
yes on Sertraline, I was an alcoholic – totally out of control. Drinking until I blacked out. The cravings were so intense I could not control it at all. My adviec to everyone – get off the SSRIs and look into diet, herbs, exercise. Also if someone is making your life a misery – taking SSRIs wont help, you need to change your life and go in a new direction. I wish everyone on this forum well.
Sarah says
I totally agree 100% DANGEROUS DRUGS AND THEY SHOULD BE BANNED.
Sarah Hubbard says
I totally agree also.
David says
Same thing here! I used to drink socially. The most I would drink at a time was a 6-pack of beer on the weekends. I was going through a nasty divorce, and told my Dr. I was coping well with the stress by having a few beers. He got angry, and said alcohol was bad. He prescribed 150 Mg./day of Zoloft. Wow! After 2 weeks, I developed severe cravings for alcohol…not beer anymore, but the hard stuff. I could swig a 40 ounce bottle of Rye down straight in 1 1/2 hours. If I didn’t drink, I was fine, but even 1 beer, and I was on a 2 week bender. I couldn’t get enough booze. The other thing I noticed with the Zoloft, was I could drink a 40 oz bottle of whiskey in less than 2 hours, go to sleep, and wake up with no hangover whatsoever, which just made alcohol cravings worse. After quitting Zoloft for 10 years, I can finally drink “normally” again. I thought I was the only person to have this effect from SSRI’s. Never again will I take that poison!
John Doe says
That is literally my story. That is scary. I was also depressed and stressed after a divorce and was told Zoloft was the last push I needed to get on top again. I was on Zoloft for approximately 6 months and the last 3 months was horrible with anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, blood pressure through the roof and alcohol cravings in the end from the moment I got up in the morning. Alcohol was the only thing keeping me from crawling on the walls. Despite the warnings from my doctor I went cold turkey on the SSRI and dragged my sorry ass to rehab which cost me my job. I know it sounds dramatic but I think I would have died had I not done what I did. My BP was 230/130 when I checked in to rehab. I am now 6 months out of both SSRI and alcohol and feeling much better. I am however labeled an alcoholic and told I can never have a beer with my friends again. And still looking for a job. But I am alive and still kicking….
I hope to God these posts can help at least some people to avoid going down that road. For those of you in it stay strong and get of the poison.
Victoria says
Oh my goodness! This is where I am today.
I’ve been taking Sertraline for 10 months.
I suffered with depression and anxiety after a trauma.
Wine has been my coping mechanism it’s fair to say. But now. It’s horrendous. I’ve joined AA because it’s destroying my life.
I never thought the SSRIs were a cause.
I am shocked.
x
Lizzy says
Wow, thank you. I pray this will prove to be the case for me too. Scared about coming off the Sertraline, scared about continuing to drink in a manner that I can’t seem to control. Was arrested last night for driving over the limit. Feel so stupid, angry at myself etc etc?
Jane says
I began taking Celexa for anxiety 15 years ago in my 50’s. I was a social drinker all my adult life. After starting Celexa I began drinking more and attributed it to some really tough times I was going through. As time went on, I drank more & more, eventually blacking out and not remembering anything. My husband believed from early on that there was a connection between my drinking and Celexa, but I couldn’t find any information to back that up, and several doctors said there was absolutely no evidence that antidepressants lead people to alcoholism. I joined AA in January and no longer drink. I am slowly weaning off Celexa now. I’m really angry to think this could have been avoided. Has anyone successfully resumed social drinking after complete withdrawal from their SSRI?
Worm says
” Has anyone successfully resumed social drinking after complete withdrawal from their SSRI?”
Yes, my longer story and follow up is posted here. It has been over four months off Lexapro. I have been able to resume social drinking, but I will say I was very nervous the first time I cracked a beer at a concert…ended up having five light beers during a three band show and called it a night. Was a fun “normal” night.
I think the biggest issue for me was fear. Fear of the excess and those blackout moments I experienced. But I can definitely take it or leave it now (alchohol), no drinking every day…not even close.
If you got as bad as I did, it has to scare the crap out of you and those memories (or lack there of) will stay with you for some time.
Don’t rush back to social drinking, give yourself some time to really get your head straight and really think long and hard about what you’ve been through. Then get your ass out and live from time to time 🙂
Withdrawal issues have been more emotional than physical and I would say they peaked around the three month mark. At this point I am about as close to what I remember being like before the medication. Some anxiety…yes…but I will take that any day over the two year nightmare the medication put me through.
Best wishes
Jane says
I was on Lexapro for 10 years and was drinking around half a bottle of vodka daily. I have been off it for 7 months and only recently I have rediscovered that nice little high in only 1-2 drinks!!! It’s so nice to be normal.
Cesar says
I’m so glad to hear that you experienced the same thing I did. I started to take antidepressants when I was around 21 so I just assumed that it was my nature even though I felt something was wrong. I had drank before in high school but never to the extent that I did after prozac. I never get hangovers, and I’m always aggressive after a few beers. Also, one beer and I’m on a long bender.
Neil says
I didn’t notice there was any problem until it was just about too late, my doctor assured me my sudden alcohol addiction and psychotic issues could not be caused by paroxetine. Well I gave him 2 years and rehab to fix the problem, and his answer was always to increase the dose of paroxetine which always made things immediately worse. So I quit paroxetine on my own he assured me there were no real withdrawals from it, and there were, like seizures. But after getting off of it my alcohol addiction vanished into thin air, I wish my psychotic issues, bad reputation and police record I accrued on it would do the same. His healthcare network has told me that they will not give me a diagnosis until the statute of limitations is up for medical liability, and every lawyer in town has told me no one wins in my situation with SSRI’s and that’s why hospitals do not mind flaunting their mistakes with them. Seeking help elsewhere my psychotic issues are dissociative another condition caused by SSRI’s. How’s that for a pill that has no risk of side effects and no withdrawal or addictive potential, it was just suppose to take the edge off. I haven’t been able to return to work for nearly 3 years now, due to the dissociative symptoms. The strangest thing to me, is that I’m told I did not discriminate during the times I don’t remember I sexually harassed both men and women, that is why I do not ever leave the house now. I can completely relate to the author of this page in getting into trouble through repeatedly calling people and the police department I broke a record with just over 300 calls in one night to the same #, that makes no sense to me either but it’s comforting to know it happened to someone else. I tried seroquel and then seroquel and klonopin for my psychotic issues, and said no more to psychiatric medicine, all it did was allow that someone else to take over and I never want to hear about that happening again. All of these symptoms are commonly reported and Dr’s know better they just really don’t give a shit becuase they also know they will never be held accountable for ignoring the instructions for the safe and responsible dispensing of SSRI’s even though it is plainly listed on every drug manufacturer’s website. So little is truly known about how SSRI’s work on humans, that claiming one triggered a pre-existing condition is 100% foolproof in court, unless there is an injury to an infant.
Ann says
Repeatedly calling the police in a confused state does make sense its a sub conscious cry for help.
Joe says
Agree 100%!
Lindsey says
I am so sorry to hear that you went through all that you went through, but I am somewhat glad to find this article. I am in somewhat of the same situation and I have so many questions, but feel like I have no one to turn to for answers! I was put on SSRIs (first Lexapro and then Citalopram) and I began showing signs of alcoholism. I live in the U.S. so I knew the risks of drinking while on SSRIs but I am wondering if the risks were actually greater than was ever told to me. I put myself in AA and have no been sober for a little over 6 years. I stopped taking my meds almost a year ago. I have begun wondering if I really am an alcoholic or if it was perhaps a side effects of my meds. I don’t think I have the courage to try a drink again and see how it goes, but I want to understand so many things, and feel like I just don’t have access to people who know. I want to understand alcoholism more in depth. I am curious as to if it is something that is always there or if a “switch” is turned on after a certain amount of drinking. I used to be able to drink like a normal person and in fact, I never even liked it much before I went on my meds. I wish there were some sort of test that could be performed to tell me if I truley am one or not. I also hate bringing this subject up to people for fear of being told the usual, “Get over it. You’re an alcoholic and can’t drink.” That may be the case but I just hate all the wondering. Anyway, I am rambling on. Sorry again to hear what you went through, but thank you for sharing your story. If anyone has any info that might be something that could help me, please send it my way! Thanks.
Johanna says
Dear Lindsey – just want to reply, as someone with personal experience of anti-depressant withdrawal and alcoholism. There is more and more evidence accumulating that SSRI’s cause alcohol cravings in some people who never had them before, and were occasional social drinkers for years. It sounds VERY much like this could be the case with you.
That being said, if being a Former Drinker is working for you, and you don’t find yourself avoiding perfectly nice social situations to preserve your sobriety, it might be a good idea to just stay on the wagon. Don’t feel like you need to perform the experiment on yourself “just to know for sure”!
There’s an old AA cliche: “once you’ve been pickled, you can’t go back to being a cucumber.” (In other words, once you’ve gotten into a bad relationship with alcohol, for whatever reason, you’re not likely to return to a good one.) Who knows, it may be true. Anyway … if you find yourself thinking that without booze you are missing out on a great part of what life has to offer, THAT’s a good sign you may be an alcoholic. Because it just ain’t true. Most non-alcoholics who quit drinking for a medical reason like diabetes don’t feel any big void in their lives. Many feel better once they kick the habit.
I truly hope we can force the medical community to take this seriously. I’ve been alarmed in recent years to see how many people coming into AA from “medical” addiction treatment programs have been put on multi-drug cocktails that include both benzos and SSRI’s! (It used to be common knowledge that benzos were like alcohol in pill form, and very dangerous for recovering alcoholics. But no more.) If these drugs can make non-alcoholics crave alcohol, they could be doing terrible harm to recovering alcoholics struggling to stay sober.
Jess says
I have a question for everyone. I have been on antidepressants since I was 14 years old and am now 31. I had my first drink at age 18 and have struggled with a bit of a drinking problem since then. I have no idea if this was caused by the antidepressants because I started on them years before I ever had my first drink. Alcoholism runs in my family so I’m not sure if that is it or what. I guess it doesn’t even matter thought because without antidepressants I would certainly commit suicide. I have tried to go off them multiple times over the years or decrease my dose and it always ends in disaster. Is there no solution for this? There is no way I can stop taking my medication so that isn’t an option but I also don’t want to be an alcoholic.
Joe says
The antidepressants are the problem. You will stop drinking over time once you stop the antidepressant.
Al says
I lost 10 years of my life because of the same things. I had been on so many different pills to the point that every dr. Visit I was handed another script. I was a train wreck waiting to derail. I was only on the pills for a few years but once I put two and two together I tossed them all in the trash and my life slowly started coming back to me immediately. Although it still took several years to return to what I last remembered as normal , I will say today I’m really close but still think the pills and alcohol did it’s damage. I have no doubt had I continued taking the pills and the un controlled desire to drink would have killed me and maybe others from driving so drunk! I still have daily issues just like the happiest people on earth but I’m able to deal with it much better than some fixer pill. We as a person have a responsibility to ourselves to pay attention to what makes us tick and if we study ourselves and work on our defects we can work through the hard times without mind altering medications designed to make people rich. I am a better person without the medication. That’s me , maybe not you.
Caite says
Same thing happened to me! Great write up! SSRI’s, especially paroxetine, DO make for incredibly intense alcohol cravings, at least in some people.
Karyn says
Same thing happened to me. I was on Lexapro. Here is another research paper on SSRI’s and alcohol. Yes we shouldn’t drink on SSRI’s but what if SSRI’s causes acute alcohol cravings. In order to get rid of the alcohol cravings we have to get off of the SSRI’s first. Here is a link to the article. https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/drinking-alcohol-during-antidepressant-treatment-a-cause-for-concern
Karyn says
This from another article. “SSRIs may aggravate alcohol cravings
While antidepressants may help some heavy drinkers reduce their alcohol consumption, other evidence suggests that SSRIs can actually worsen alcohol cravings in certain people who combine both drugs, leading those people to drink more. If you’re at risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD), an SSRI could push you over the line from controlled drinking to alcohol abuse.” Here is the link. https://riahealth.com/blog/antidepressants-alcohol/
MIssus D says
This is all sorts of terrifying. I take an SSRI (Sertraline) for anxiety and I cant seem to stop the alcohol cravings. I have 2 paternal aunts who are alcoholics (clinically diagnosed). Its 6pm and I’m drunk………..
Jack says
This is unreal. I have been on Sertraline for almost 2 years, and for the last year I have labelled myself an alcoholic, compulsive eater, compulsive smoker, and hated myself and my genes for it.
Until a month ago, when I had a dental implant, and stopped taking Sertaline for a week.
I knew I had to stop smoking and drinking for a while, so I thought I’d stop everything, including the meds. And wow. I found myself being able to effortlessly refuse drink, not obsess about cigarettes, maintain a low sugar diet, and stick to my exercise plan!
Unfortunately, I did not taper, and the WD’s got quite bad a few weeks in, so I started up again, and LO and BEHOLD, I am craving sugar, booze, cigarettes.
I will taper off the meds from now, but I really think some awareness needs to be raised about SSRI’s. I am convinced that they do serve a purpose, but the side effects are more than what is listed at the side of the packet. Even knowing the origin of my cravings for alcohol and such like would have reduced my anxiety. I am annoyed, because for over a year I have toyed with the prospect of ‘all or nothing’ alcoholism – Do I join the AA and abstain forever, or do I continue by weekend binging? Well, I think both are irrelevant until I am off the meds. We shall see. It may be the case that I shouldn’t drink at all, and I am prepared for that, however, I am not prepared for SSRI induced cravings for the rest of my life. It just isnt productive.
Dean says
Hi Jack – I saw your comments about taking Sertraline and having cravings for grog and smokes etc. Wondering how you went after going off sertraline for the second time- did the drinking end again?
DEaN
Mikey C says
So glad I found this story. Always worked, then needed knee surgery for long term problem. Suddenly was ‘thrown on the scrap heap’ as no one wanted to know me, help me or anything, and lost job as physically couldn’t do it anymore. Slipped into depression and givens ssri’s. Initially they were fantastic and I felt so much better, but I went from an occasional drinker to three plus bottles of vino a week, and increasing. Haven’t yet got to the stage where the police are involved but that’s cos I’ve been drinking in my room, on my own, in the dark. Found this piece as I was getting concerned as I felt I was losing control of the drinking. Thank you so much everyone who has commented on here. You help people like me so much, and hopefully my comments will help others. Bless you all 🙂
anon says
I don’t like the taste of any alcohol, I do sometimes though like to binge in one night but i suffer the worst hangovers literally a whole day of vomiting and discomfort. This is something that didn’t even matter when I was put on lexapro and then citalopram. I did a whole 360 my life turned upside down not long after I was put on thus medication. I was drinking 2 bottles of wine everyday at work, going out a night being so reckless even sexually. Eventually when I stopped them my self control came back . I settled down, when u got the urge to drink I stopped myself because the consequences and dud to me not liking the taste. After a few years I found myself again trying anti depressant prozac….that day and for two weeks I immediately lost my appetite. My cravings were back with a vengeance, I needed to drink and didn’t down care that it was going to ruin my relationship I even started snorting no doze then my partner broke up with me. I came of the proactive and again it all went away. I realize that I turn into a person I can believe is me. My cravings are so string to get high or drunk on these tablets I just can’t control at all…I’m on this never ending path of doctors thinking I’m bi polar 2 due to thus experience and mood but no bi polar medication helps me at all…I’m so confused what’s wrong with me and I have had so many diagnoses thrown at me but not one fits fully.
Ema Kay says
Effexor, and previously Paxil, both caused or influenced my increased consumption of of alcohol and alcohol tolerance. I can outdrink most, and I am a small woman. I told a GP this back in the late 90’s. Going off Effexor now after 10 years of use. Was not working anymore, maybe because I was drinking too much. I really believe that my body for some odd reason can tolerate more alcohol on antidepressants, and very little while not taking any. Luckily, I have not messed up anything in my life.. I am closet/ evening only drinker, except my relationship with God, myself, and my physical body / organs.
Michelle says
Someone has to stop this some how I lost fourteen years to these drugs until I weened myself from them I never even knew it was the drugs on till they started to come out of my system and my whole life changed, not really, but everything cleared up I could think! I cared! I still drank alcohol but like I should no more urges like in the first store mine is so the same….. I lost my store, My kids in a way, My freedom, I have a record could have killed someone drinking and driving and went through hell. I’m still bipolar nothing has changed. I just don’t go out anymore I’m afraid of taking any other meds. To lose anymore time from my life knowing what I know now man they are so bad!
nkena says
evening all
im so glad I found this site right in time. I was busy searching online for AA meetings around my neighbourhood when I came across this site. as I write this message Im drinking a glass of wine and I know it will lead to few more glasses. I was on citalopram for 6 months and I have noticed an increase in my alcohol consumption. im starting to worry that I might turn into an alcoholic
Mikey C says
More than a year after your original comment but so true. As I write this comment I’ve just opened my second bottle of wine tonight, and it’s still early, and I was an occasional drinker to someone who’s thinking what can I afford this week. Thank you all, I’m coming off my medication.
Anonymous says
I wish I or one of my doctors had known this information fifteen years ago. I was prescribed SSRI’s by the age of 13. For years I complained of a compulsion to drink. I felt compelled to do it, it was horrible. I will never forget what it felt like, it almost killed me several times, there was nothing in the world that would take it away. Rehab, AA, self help, nothing in the world could relief this compulsion. The compulsion to drink over took the reason I was prescribed the SSRI’s in the first place. I almost died of “alcoholism”.
I discontinued my SSRI at the age of 28, and did not immediately make the connection that my compulsion to drink went with it. It wasn’t until I was again prescribed the SSRI for anxiety the alcohol cravings came back with a vengeance. I white knuckled through the compulsion to drink until I could report it to my dr. He, thank God, was a good doctor who listened, and actually found some evidence supporting what I was telling him. I have a huge family history of alcoholism, and apparently SSRI’s can cause compulsive drinking in “type B” alcoholics. I have remained sober for years. I do not attend AA meetings, I do not even drink socially. Alcohol disgusts me and I just associate it with pain. The anxiety remains an issue, however I will take my chances with the anxiety and panic disorder over compulsions to drink myself to death. Unfortunately, I now will carry the label as “substance abuser” likely for life. I had my baby several towns away afraid that I would be accused of drug seeking if I asked for an epidural. People have a right to know about this side effect. I wish somebody had told me.
Joe says
Agree with all of your comments
Lisa S says
I am still in the process of withdrawal from escitalopram which I took for over 5 years. Before that I took efexor, but weaned myself off of it when it caused too many side effects. I was just telling my husband that its weird how I don’t feel like drinking all the time now like I used to. Prior to taking SSRI’s I wasn’t much of a drinker, so I went looking to see if this had happened to other people and found this article.
Following my Mothers death and a number of other traumatic life events, I was prescribed SSRI’s, and then again while experiencing hormonal symptom the SSRI was changed and increased.
Years later, after reporting numerous lifestyle changes that should have made me feel better and lose weight, my Dr started testing for health problems. He concluded that I had issues with very low thyroid and low levels of vitamin D. After getting the thyroid issue in check and supplementing with the D he suggested that I may not need SSRI’s as my condition may have been misdiagnosed, so I started tapering off of the escitalopram. Thats when the hell of withdrawal began!
Getting off of the SSRI after so many years has been an uphill struggle for me. I am still having side effects, mainly the brain zaps and ringing in my ears. I found out that my Tramadol has a mild SSRI, so I started taking a half of one twice a day to help alleviate the symptoms. This doesn’t make it go away, but helps me get through the day. My other recourse was to go back on SSRI’s, which I am not willing to do.
Thanks for writing this article which sheds some light on why I may have had an alcohol problem. I am glad to off of the SSRI’s and will never take them again!
Jennifer says
I have been on Effexor for 1 1/2 years. This is my second time trying. I have depression and anxiety due to many difficult situations the past 9 years.
The first time I tried it I noticed a major difference in not carrying about the important things in my life and then I noticed how much I would crave my wine.
I am 115 lbs and 5 4″. In all of my adult life would I never consume more than 2 glasses of wine. Occasionally maybe 2 1/2. Sometimes never finish 1 though. Not to mention not even drink more than 1 to 2 days a week. I am a complete health freak. My main addictions besides taking care of my family were running, juicing, spinning, and bikram yoga. Unfortunately it did not completely help with my depression. I have 3 beautiful children a very loving husband, and I’ve owned my own hair salon for 13 years.
This past weekend was my rock bottom and wake up call.
Here is my story for the last year and 1/2.
After 4 months of being on it the second time this time I went back to talk to my Dr. About my alcohol intake and cravings. He had told me he never heard of such a thing. I then got embarrassed and lied about the amount I was consuming. Even though I had researched it already and found that it could be a problem.
As time went on I tried to monitor it better, but it just wasn’t working. I started to go next door to my salon if I had a break and have a glass of wine. Then go home and drink a bottle. No one at first saw it as a problem bc many people I associate with do very much enjoy drinking wine. I still would get up and go running, do my yoga and take care of my family. My children one day asked me why I don’t order wine at the drive through of Dunkin Donuts since I drink so much all the time.
How embarrassing and sad is that?
A couple of months ago I drank so much I blacked out and my children had to call my mother to come help them.
Fast forward…. the past month I decided to start pursuing someone else. Someone that respected me and would never imagine it. We started talking at a bar and I had about 3 glasses of wine by the time we started talking. I guess I had said some things that are definitely not me and acted very inappropriately by the end of the night. I don’t remember much, but the next day I could remember that what I did do was wrong. Very upset I did go and apologize. He accepted it and reminded me about my husband and children. Another very embarrassing moment.
Didn’t stop me though bc the start of one drink and that pain will go away.
in the meantime my husband, mother and kids are telling I’m drinking too much and I am telling my mom and husband for the past few months i need to go off this medication i am on. They of course don’t think I should and don’t believe me. They tell me that maybe I just need a different one and to give up the alcohol.
Well, this weekend after having a bottle of wine 2 dirty martinis and a couple of shots out at a bar with friends I decided to leave without telling anyone bc I was going to go and see if I can meet up with that other man at his restaurant.
I had an ANGEL watching over me!!!! I remember nothing from the time I left until the time I woke up the next day.
This is what I was told. A car saw me driving and called the cops from my home town bc my kids sports stickers are on my car. In the meantime I hit a guardrail on the way a parked car in the center of town and kept going. I was arrested for DWI and 2 other counts. On top of it my husband found my text messages to the other guy asking him to please meet me.
I have created my own nightmare. I truly know this medication is not healthy. When your running across the street to a package store that has been there for as long as I owned my salon to buy a bottle of wine during work the past 9 months and drink at the restaurant next door during the day and never ever, ever did that up until the last year just doesn’t suddenly start happening. After the first time I went off this medication I went back to normal. That was 8 years ago. I tried it again bc maybe I was wrong.
I am taking myself off and I am going to find my old self again. I am going gain the respect from my children, family, friends who now think I am an alcoholic and most importantly my husband..
I know who I am. I many times pouring my first glass of wine would say what the hell is wrong with you. You know this isn’t you, just call your Dr. Just go off of this stuff, you know this is what’s causing this. I would go out for a 10 mile run and tell myself I wasn’t going to drink when I got home after showering and cooking dinner. As much as I would think about not doing it and tell myself it was wrong it didn’t matter. It was like a demon pulling me to the package store to buy that bottle.
Not anymore! The old me, the real me is a hell of a lot easier to deal with then who I’ve turned out to be. I am just so thankful that I have had the people around me to point it out and not stop pointing it out, along with My thoughts during my running, hot yoga have also helped keep it right in my face. This weekend happened for a reason. I am going to go to my Dr. I am showing him this sight and tell him to do his research. These medications are ruining lives. I thank GOD mine was only 1 year 1/2.
Deirdre Doherty says
Thanks for all your posts.
I was prescribed Seroxat and more and more SSRIs which induced hypomamina, depression, extreme agitation and suicide ideation in me. I had no mental health issues at all (excluding a panic attack once during a bad menstrual period) before being prescribed an SSRI.
When the doctors seemed confused as to why I said I felt the all SSRI medication was making me worse they prescribed Effexor, an SNRI. Within 3 months of taking Effexor I had developed a serious drinking problem despite no former problems with alcohol, and I became anorexic… In a highly agitated spiralling down I ended up making a impulsive no cry for help suicide attempt on drink and Effexor. I was told by staff in intensive care I was lucky to alive. The doctors actually kept me on Effexor and the drinking didn’t stop until I knew I had to get off the drug – even I, at the time, made no possible link between what happened and Effexor. These drugs have almost cost me life three times. Because mention stress at work to a doctor in a five minute appointment fifteen years ago! Hopefully any studies proving a link between SSRIs will and cravings for alcohol will become known or better known.
Agnes Gorny says
I have had some serious problems also. Has anyone got legal representation to sue the company who sell these drugs?
Agnes Gorny says
I was told by a physical therapist that antidepressants zap your bones of calcium. Anyone know anything about this?
Dr. David Healy says
they do increase the risk of fractures
DH
Sarah Hubbard says
Hi Dr Healy, can you please please guide me in getting my mind back. I need to get off 10mg of escitalapram urgently as I’m losing my mind, family and life. Please help.
Sarah Hubbard
AMBERT says
I m’sorry to dont speak english, i’m French. I have a problem with alcohol since i have a medication with one type of antidepressant. When i stop these antidepressants : no alcohol or easy to stop drinking but i am bad… With these antidepressants : a lot of alcohol and very very difficult for me to stop.
Sara says
I have been on luvox for about 10 years with heavy drinking and many blackouts. I thought the obsessing about drinking or not drinking were due to ocd (the reason for the luvox) or just plain alcoholism. I binge drank before I got on the mediation, though, unlike many of the people here.
Danni says
First and foremost thank you for this post. Citalopram was a nightmare for me. I had terrible manic episodes. I drank non stop… To the point where I locked myself in the house and drank for 4 days straight. I woke up one morning after two weeks of this nonsense and thought I was dying. If you think panic attacks are bad for 10 minutes, try having one for 3 hours. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath. I finally was able to scrape myself off the bed and into the ER. My resting heart rate was 168. I discontinued using Citalopram and now a year later I’m on and off setraline. The side effects are mild in comparison. It’s been an uphill battle, but there’s hope on the horizon. The same thing happened to my best friends husband on Citalopram. Not all medications have equal and similar reactions in people. But that is one medication I don’t ever want to encounter. Thanks again for the post. I was weirded out that I craved alcohol and wanted to drink that badly! Good luck to everyone on here.
Danni says
By the way, with the heart rate… I am a long distance runner and have seen it as low as 65 which alarmed some medical providers until I told them this. The extreme rise was scary for me.
Ian says
have been on duloxetine (cymbalta) since 2008 and i want a drink so f*cking badly right now. can’t go out without someone getting suspicious, so i’m sitting here just craving it. keep me in your thoughts.
steven says
My wife died just over a month ago because of this. She first got on lexapro in may, then switched to zoloft. I have never seen anyone drink like her before. It was like leaving las vegas. She got on anti depressants to deal with anxiety, and depression caused by other events in her life. The drugs that were supposed to help her, killed her. A friend of hers described her as literally insane. She would hide and sneak alcohol. I didn’t realize that it was the drugs that was causing the cravings. She had drunk before as a way to deal with some very bad things that happened to her, but when she got on the drugs, she was like a freight train going through a china shop. She was irrational, angry, aggressive, and doing bat shit crazy stuff all the time. I was trying to tell her that she can’t stay here when she drinks. She tried to kill herself on this before, by sitting on a 6th story ledge wanting to jump, but she didn’t do it cause she didn’t want to die. The final time, she left and stayed at a nearby hotel. I didn’t know where she was. I filed a missing person’s report on her, and 2 days later the coroner called cause she drank a huge bottle of vodka, and a fist full of aspirin. Still waiting for toxicology report. In just 6 months, she spiraled out of control, and now she’s dead. Doctor’s didn’t tell her of the risk of her wanting to drink more alcohol. She trusted the doctor’s and now she’s dead. My life is ruined. I have nothing without her. I am nothing without her.
Angela says
Steven,
I am so sorry for your loss, I will keep you in my prayers
Jane says
I’m so sorry for your loss, Steven. How frightening and so very sad!
adelina says
Thank you so much for this article and all the responses I can’t believe I’ve found it. I Googled the link between alcohol cravings and my fluoxetine after reading on the sober recovery website about someone that had made the link.
I’ve always been a drinker, alcoholism runs in my family. However the last year or so things have progressed quickly. I have gone from drinking a bottle of wine 3 or 4 nights a week which was bad enough to drinking 1 and a half to 2 bottles 5 or 6 nights a week.
Alcoholism is progressive so I figured that that was why I’m drinking more and have serious problems resisting the urge….
Thinking about it now though I’ve been taking the anti depressants for the time that my drinking has escalated. I had made no connection and was actually feeling grateful for being on them as they have helped the depression but now …. I’m not so sure they’re good at all!!! I’ve decided to start weaning off them, do it sensibly then assess if there is any difference to my compulsions to drink. Thank you again x
Helen says
Hi Adelina, It’s been two years and I’m only reading your post today. Just wondering how all of this worked out for you? My story is similar to yours and many others on this page. I’ve been going to Alcoholics Anonymous to help with my drinking thinking that I must be an alcoholic but now I’m wondering if it is my medication.
Anne-Marie says
Well I appealed 2 times with an expert and lost my case I then reapplied with a different expert to the CCRC and not only had to wait 4 years almost but I then came across a comment on my original story “out of my mind driven to drink” on David Healys blog by a dr who said this “Blaming SSRI’s for addiction is like blaming bullets for shootings. Alcoholism/addiction is a disease. The genetic dysfunction is based in the nucleus accumbens and has a documented genetic component. Will altering the serotonin/dopamine level have an effect on cravings for a mood altering chemical? Of course. But relating it as the “cause” shows a lack of knowledge in peer reviewed pharmaceutical addiction” . I decided then to give up my appeal as I do not have faith in the system and believe they still will regardless of what ever proof I have take the side of this Dr’s comment. I would have risked quite a lot to have gone on with the appeal even though I know it was the drug. I have already been to prison five times because of the combination and don’t feel strong enough to risk landing up there again. My advice as a patient/defendant to anyone considering legal action is I wouldnt bother unless more of the medical community are alongside but of course the risks are up to you but as things stand at the moment I don’t think our cases are strong enough.
John says
I’m sorry if I only skimmed through most of these and when I saw your’s I kind of related. The reason I found this article was just by chance because I’m still going through the ramifications from being misdiagnosed with bipolar and initially put on Prozac by the quack. By the time it was all over after in total going through four psychiatrists each of who had their own misdiagnoses for the PTSD that it turned out to be,
I’d been put on Paxil, Lithium, Effexor and I can’t remember how many others. The whole time claiming that it was those things making me drink in the beginning so I could sleep and all I had to do was when I got up take more and I didn’t suffer any noticeable hangover. Unfortunately I went from a fairly good career ending up on disability at which point it was impossible to get anyone to listen to me with “an indeterminable mental disorder”.
Eventually it turned out through a Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim as the result of a serious assault that occurred while I was still working for the Government, before they released me from the Queen’s Park Institution (Ontario Government offices) they were counselling me to avoid problems with PTSD in the future.
Even after that it was virtually impossible to find a psychiatrist that would believe it wasn’t really a drinking problem (that I was telling them about, but in denial?) and that I wanted help getting off the SSRI’s so I wouldn’t experience a problem like I had before when I tried to stop taking them myself.
If it’s of any value, I finally smartened up and of all things went to an addiction clinic. Not claiming that I needed help with the drinking on the intake form, but help getting off the SSRI’s that were making me drink.
I’m as amazed finding this site as I was with my addiction counselor who wasn’t really all that surprised to hear the problems I was going through. Until now I wasn’t really sure if it was just to prove my point that I haven’t had a drink since then in about 2002. I wish it had helped as much with the PTSD but at least I can deal with it better without the rose colored glasses, drunk half the time and having to listen to Narcissists that do nothing but make it worse.
Pristiq.... Naltrexone says
I have long drank too much. I spent 15 years on the wagon. Had a rough patch and started drinking.
I went on Pristiq and it did wonders but I noticed that I drank much more thany normal heavy. I went off and continued to struggle with booze.
I began to take NALTREXONE. It is an antiopioid and prescribed to reduce alcohol intake and consumption. Wow! Over the next six weeks my alcohol consumption was in safe limits.
A family member has been pushing me for months to get back on Pristiq and really pushed as I was more irritable as my alcohol consumption decreased. I was convinced this was related more to the slow withdrawal and adjustment from drinking 12 to 20 drinks a day down to 4 over six weeks.
Finally I relented and took Pristiq again, while taking Naltrexone. Within two weeks my drinking had again skyrocketed. While not as high as pre-naltrexone, almost as high.
I knew it was probably the Pristiq, but have continued to take both then I came across a government website regarding how to reduce drinking through medicine (how i learned about naltrexone) that I refer to often. I saw the section about using antidepressants to curb drinking but had not read it.
Read that section today. Wow…. It even states that people who develop alcohol use disorders (AUDs) later in life are usually helped with SSRIs…..BUT and this is huge, people like me with strong genetic factors and who developed and AUD younger in life often end up drinking more and are hindered when put on antidepressants!
The site is:
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/pharmacotherapy-for-alcohol-use-disorder
If you have an alcohol disorder, this site is a blessing. naltrexone has been a lifesaver to me. I wish I had read the SSRI section earlier and had my doctor put me on gabopentin for the irritability. I am making that call today.
May says
Naltrexone works best when taken 1 hour before drinking only on days that you drink. Cravings can vanish over a 2-6 month period. This is called The Sinclair Method, which is used widely and successfully in Finland and now is catching on in the US. Google this method TSM for short.
Check out the Facebook page and the non-profit site
http://www.cthreefoundation.org
New Documentary: One Little Pill is great !
New Book Amazon – by Dr. Eskapa – The Cure is also great.
My loved one is doing so well using TSM and naltrexone !
It’s self-administered with only occasional Dr. visits.
Best to all,
May
Jeff says
I highly recommend gabopentin! I take it around 7pm 600mg and it helps calm my nerves so I don’t crave alcohol.
I have been on ssris for 20 years. They landed me in AA for the past 10. Something didn’t feel right. I was sober but so jittery. The cravings never went away. I relapsed a few years ago and went to a doc for help. He gave me Effexor (was on sertraline previously). Cravings were worse – horrible! Would be sober 6 months, 3 months etc over the past 3 years and any time I relapsed I would pound warm white wine, hide it etc. I physically could not stop until I was passed out. I was in a blackout after 2 glasses.
I quit Effexor after my docs solution was to double my dose from 75 to 150 and I was so jittery and restless I wanted to jump out of my skin.
I’ve just come off 5 days of nightmares that had me screaming, extreme dizziness and confusion but it’s getting better.
I never want to crave alcohol like that again. It was hell and AA only helped somewhat bc the PHYSICAL CRAVING NEVER WENT AWAY and worsened with increased dosage. I had panic attacks in my 20s – this is the origin of the problem. I know I was drinking too much then but no one ever told me they can result from too much drinking and create a cycle of addiction.
The solution as I see it is don’t drink and don’t take SSRIs if drinking is how you solve anxiety issues. They will send you down a hellish spiral. I was very open with my docs about my recovery and entered AA before anything tragic or legal happened. They still prescribed these drugs for a few panic attacks instead of pointing me i a different direction.
Rocketgurl says
I am soooo thankful for this article. I spent many years of my adult life craving or wanting to drink without thinking of the repercussions that happen in the morning. I have broken bones, driven drunk and got myself into risky situations. I quit taking paroxetine approximately three months ago and I have no craving to drink alcohol to the extent I use to drink which was basically to drink until I was good, drunk and falling down. I couldn’t stop once I started and before I started, all I could think about was when I was off work so I could drink. I still drink, one to two times a week, up to 3 drinks at home and I’m done. I no longer need to drink until 3-4 in the morning. I just had two beers an hour ago and have been in bed ever since relaxing. I don’t even miss alcohol! Getting off paroxetine can be challenging. It was tough and while I was weaning myself over several months, I had many second thoughts and wanted to start up again and wanted a stronger dose! I am happy that I didn’t revert back and give up. I won’t lie, it wasn’t pleasant because also with the brain zaps come emotions. Real, raw emotions I hadn’t felt or had to deal with in many many years. It’s not always fun crying at the drop of a hat, but now at least I know I am ALIVE and I feel!!! Good luck to those who get off of these dangerous meds, but again, it’s not my life or my position to decide for you. But honestly, I knew I wasn’t an alcoholic even though I acted like one. Thank God someone wrote this article!!! It’s not just me alone in this!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Maybelle merriwether says
This article saved my life.
Was put back on effexor in 2009 having previously taken it with few issues. I had my youngest son in June 09 and was prescribed effexor so that depression wouldn’t happen. Rarely drank at that point.
Fast forward to 2011 and I was off the scale. unmerciful alcohol craving. Mad behavior. Out of character completely.
Didn’t see the original article until last November after a chat with a friend at a concert where she said she stopped effexor as within 6 months of starting she was killing a bottle of gin a day. So I weaned off the pills and went cold turkey at Xmas.
Yesterday I finally went to the doctor and told her why I did it and she said I wasn’t the first she’d heard of.
I have been having anxiety, lockdown and menopause aren’t great companions but I asked for mirtazipine and got it. Had first night of sleep in two years and anxiety is much lessened today.
Aaron says
I just started Effexor about a month ago or so. It’s been worrisome. I’d had trouble with alcohol in the past during my time in the military, and it put me in a lot of compromising situations. Fortunately I never saw any prison time or serious injury, and I was able to pretty much cut it out of my life after I got out in 2019, having become too familiar of the consequences of heavy drinking. Well, fast forward to about a month ago when I started Effexor, and I almost immediately started engaging in more pleasure seeking behavior. Increased caffeine, nicotine, and marijuana intake, and I frequently take higher doses of the medicine itself than was needed because it too has stimulating effects. About a week into starting it I noticed that I really wanted to drink again. The day after I did, I also noticed that my hangovers weren’t nearly as bad as before, so I had even less reason to abstain. I went from 0-4 drinks a month to 35+ drinks a week, mostly by myself in my room. Just went on a bender yesterday. I’ve resolved to start taking things day by day because I can’t continue to do this.
Mark says
Mark is my name. I was a fire-fighter for 19 years: I ended up suffering PTSD which eventually led to my early retirement. I was initially diagnosed with depression, and the treating brigade health-worker recommended escitalopram. Before this, I was a casual drinker that could easily go without beer for several days; nowadays, I can drink all night without so much as a slight hangover. My wife is concerned, as am I, with my intense cravings for alcohol. I do suffer extreme depression on a regular basis, so on the odd occasion I have doubled my dose of escitalpram to 40 mg. In combination with alcohol, I become obnoxious to people around me, and I recently abused my father-in-law over something rather minor. It’s like I observe this character that is not me, carrying on in an anti-social manor…..and I don’t like this character. Thank God I came across this article and the associated comments; I now feel some sense of solidarity and hope-at least-a new sense of direction. Thank you to all you brave people for your help.
Lyn says
Like everyone who is reading these responses… Mine rings so true.. I have tried many AD’s over the years… When they work, I am a happy non drinker.. Sometimes for years. But when I change meds, I become an alcoholic… I wake up thinking of alcohol instead of coffee.. I can and have drunk 3 bottles of wine per day… No hangover!!! I feel alienated from my family, my life and myself. EVERYTHING that was precious to me has gone… My husband of 26years has had enough… I was on Effexor 75 mgs. I do not talk anymore…. It’s like the cats got my tongue… I hate shopping which I used to call my no.1 pass time. Family feel estranged… I feel like I am inside a fishbowl… Void of emotions… I am going off the medication now. I’ve had enough.. Whatever happens,happens. I no longer want to have my life sliced up into feeling good or feeling s*^t. I used to be called so kind and considerate and loving. Can anyone else relate??? BTW, I’m 52 and female…
Jane says
Lyn, I was 51 and a social drinker when I started taking Celexa. I began drinking more right away. My alcohol abuse continued to increase until I had black outs every time I drank. Started AA this year. Now I don’t drink at all. I just found this site tonight. I’m definitely getting off this medication. I also gained 60 lbs. on it. Looking forward to finally being able to lose weight and maybe be a social drinker again.
Wendy says
I started drinking the moment I was prescribed antidepressant medication – Citroplim & lexapro. I was at my worst on lexapro. I spoke to my doctor and he said it’s not possible!! I now know it’s the truth
ERIK says
Firstly, Anne-Marie and the rest of you, thank you for taking the time and courage to share your experiences.
This has been an interesting read and really quite enlightening. I have been taking SSRIs for many, many years for GAD as well as Benzos for peak anxiety. Though I have always enjoyed alcohol and happy to have a beer or wine with friends (keep clear of hard stuff) part of the culture here in Europe, I have noticed that when on SSRIs there is an element where, once that first drink has been taken, there is an accelerated thirst for more drinks and this until I reach a pretty drunk stage, whilst still being fairly “normal”…Having gone through some challenging moments these last 2 years, I have had to up my SSRIs and take Benzos on a daily basis; following this regime, I have noticed that my end of day beer, quickly became, beers followed by a few glasses of wine if not a bottle. Also, if I would go for a lunch with a friend where we had wine, we would down some pretty frightening amounts, not that I felt that it affected me all that much, but I clearly had a high percentage of the alcohol in my blood. More recently I have also noticed myself sneaking in a couple of beers before heading out to an event so I am already a couple of drinks ahead before getting there, not to be drunk but just to be a bit steady (probably related to anxiety management of sorts), and would then keep downing quite a few at the party or dinner (also noticing that I am filling up my glass a lot more regularly than others – something my wife has recently spotted as well making me feel somewhat shameful, blaming it on stress). Unfortunately, the spiral is not healthy, as it does affect recovery sleep, makes me wake up more anxious, and also quite foggy so tend to throw down some caffeine (which for an anxious person like me is like downing liquid anxiety – another really strong and needless habit to break) which further amplifyies anxiety, and thus more benzos are required, etc. After reaching a more comfortable benzo-induced cruising altitude, and I then attend a dinner party I can down a serious amount of beer and wine. Being surrounded by “good” drinkers, it goes rather unnoticed, but my wife has commented that I have said certain odd things, but also I sense more aggression in that state, and, more concerning have noticed I can’t remember certain conversations the following day.
I was sort of suspecting that there was some sort of link to the medication and do know that benzo’s (with or without alcohol do have an impact and may lead to dementia down the road, not that reassuring), but the SSRI link was less clear as there is not much out there. Most side effects that come up are more about people having physical side-effects or sense of disconnection, fatigue, stomach pains and the overall-winner-and-most-common-reason-to-quit weight gain which will happen with some rare exceptions.
I have a checkup next week and will indeed discuss this element with my GP – I am currently working on reducing my SSRIs anyhow as want to shed the weight (probably in good part brought on by the alcohol calories and stress) but also taken up mindfulness and will start yoga in the spring.
Good luck to all. Sharing is always useful!
E
Thomas foreman says
My 1st wife was a alcoholic. Our doctor put her on citilpram (maybe misspelled). For anxiety. He knew she was an alcoholic has he was her doctor for many years.
In August of 2011, while I was home with her (I was on the couch taking a nap) my wife went into the bathroom, put a 9 mm handgun to her head and pulled the trigger. She is no longer with us.
After reading the above story it was like reliving what was happening to her before she chose that answer.
I hope you all find the answers you need, and stay away from. These nasty life taking drugs…….
Caroline says
Add Brintellix/Trintellix/vortioxetine to the list. An excerpt from a post on crazyboards dot org. It is the member’s only post, so take it with a grain of salt.
–YOU CANNOT DRINK ALCOHOL while taking Brintellix. Why? At least in my case, it literally turned me into an alcoholic. While taking it, I found that the desire for alcohol extended to all hours of the day. I wound up being let go from my job; I lost my housing; and for a month I was homeless. I had been a high-earning tech professional.
Fortunately, the city of San Francisco came to my rescue. I had become physically addicted to alcohol after 2 months of continuous drinking. The Brintellix went away, as I lost my health coverage, but not until after I found myself in the psych ward at the hospital. After 3 months in alcohol rehab, and now 4 months in a sober living house, I have finally come to the conclusion that I’m not an alcoholic. I still have no craving for alcohol — I have no problem being around drinking people (though I’ve been sober now 8 months) and I must come to the conclusion