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Once it is said that alcohol weakens their effects, again it increases and causes life-threatening interactions. What’s the truth?
Combining alcohol and antidepressants tends to worsen the mood instead of improving it, warns Andrew Solomon, an American psychologist and author of a book on depression, in the New York Times. Manufacturers of antidepressants warn on the package insert that these drugs must not be mixed with alcohol, as there is a risk of adverse interactions. Alcohol alone can make symptoms of depression worse. “However, there is little research on this subject, and the results of those published are inconclusive” – admits the psychiatrist and pharmacologist from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, Prof. Richard A. Friedman. Mayo Clinic psychiatrist, prof. Daniel Hall-Flavin believes that some patients may use alcohol without complications under certain circumstances and under certain conditions. And clinical psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, says they can only do this. Not all antidepressants interact in the same way with alcohol. Prof. Friedman draws attention to bupropion, a popular antidepressant in the United States, because it does not lower sex drive. However, in combination with alcohol, it may increase the risk of seizures. On the other hand, older generation monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors together with alcohol can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure.
Prof. Friedman cautions that combining antidepressants with alcoholic beverages doubles the risk of alcohol dependence. In the case of bipolar disorder, the risk of alcoholism is 6-7 times higher. Therefore, the specialist recommends that people taking antidepressants first consult a doctor before using alcohol.
Check what medications are used for depression
According to “JAMA” in the years 1999-2012 from 6,9 percent. up to 13 percent the proportion of Americans taking antidepressants has increased. Every sixth person over 60 takes them.
Source: PAP