Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

[Andy1111]

I'm on an anti anxiety/depressant drug called Lexapro. I am thinking about getting off it because my anxiety has decresed since I reduced my drinking (only drunk 6 times over last four weeks!) and I've heard that such drugs can cause drink cravings and make you more drunk than you should be -- perhaps affecting your ability to shut your off switch when you are drunk. Anyone else read or heard anything about this?

Thanks!
Andy

[lushy]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Hi Andy,

I do not know about Lexapro but in my personal experience with antidepressants I found I drank WAY more than when I was not on them. I have read articles about how it can cause you to drink more but I cannot remember the reasoning behind it. I truly believe cutting out the drinking does decrease the anxiety so maybe you are right about trying to wean off the Lexapro. Good luck.

[Andy1111]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

I've done some more research and found that anti depressants increase seretonin, but decrease another chemical. This reduction in this other chemical has been linked to drink cravings. Try googling Lexapro and craving alcohol. Some pretty scary stuff. I am going to speak with my therapist today. Imagine if all of this (in my case) or at least part of it was caused by this pill. Makes me sick.

[lushy]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

I believe antidepressants are a bad thing in general for those of us that are mildly depressed. Yes, they helped me when my parents died and I was in a real deep depression but weaning off of them was pure hell. And I know they can help people that are severely depressed but I am sure a lot of our depression is from drinking too much. There are other more natural ways to increase our serotonin like, hmmmm, perhaps not drinking all of the time and exercising??!!! Now there's a thought! Sounds like you are on the right path........

[MKR]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Dear Andy,

Lush is right. My husband is on anti depressants. He just went back to the gym this week and boy are his serotonin levels way higher and the funny thing is, since he is working on his body again . . . he is cutting back on his amount of beer just because of the calories!

I found my anxiety level cut back and a more relaxed attitude on life by cutting back my alcohol consumption.

Talk to your therapist and congratulations!

Mary

[InnerStrength]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Hi Andy
I noticed when i took an anti depressant - effexor - my craving to drink and my behaviour were absolutely out of control. I have never been so "crazy" with the drinking as I was when I was on that medication. Just my two cents.
Jen

[happycamper68]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

You know what? Me too! I have taken plenty of different kinds too and I did drink more. I'm off them all now.

[southernbelle47]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Hey guys..........
I read this with interest because I have heard that before.
It seems to fit into my timetable of when craving started.

I have come off them twice...both times very hard to do but I did it veryyyyyyy slowly. Be carefull if you start cutting back on the meds.

Very interesting and you would probably never get a doc to agree.

Nancy

[Beaches]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Here's a great website ICFDA Alcohol Cravings Induced via Serotonin

Of course mine would be on there. Explains a lot!

[YoungAtHeart]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Hard to know which came first the chicken or the egg, because I'm not sure which went up first, my drinking or starting on Prozac. I now take Serzone, which works on noradrenaline, which is also mentioned in the article. Either way, Yikes!

:eeks: :eeks:

[southernbelle47]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Yes!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!!

Nancy

[Andy1111]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

Spoke with my therapist and he confirmed anti depressants can make you a lot drunker (which can lead to uncontrolled binge drinking). They've also been proven to make you gain weight. Seeing a diff doc he rec to get off the lexapro, since it's done its job in terms of controlling my anxiety, which was started by the drinking.

[boycie]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

My god this is all making sense now. I know I have always had a tendency to drink a lot but never as much as the past two or three years which has been the amount of time I have been taking effexor !!!!!!:wow: :wow: Thanks Andy really appreciate the heads up will check it out.

[surfer2]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

please check my post in research about withdrawal from ssri's
it may save you a world of trouble

[lucky 2.0]

Anti-Depressants linked to Craving alcohol?

I am so confused now. I thought I wanted Wellbutrin but maybe not. Wonder how SamE fits in?