Prozac and Alcohol Interaction: Can You Drink Alcohol with Prozac?

Prozac is an antidepressant used to treat mood disorders. It’s commonly used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and even bipolar disorder. Prozac is only available with a prescription from a medical professional and should not be taken without one. In most cases, Prozac is taken once daily. That said, some people may take Prozac twice a day; once in the morning and again during the middle of the day.

What are the Effects of Mixing Alcohol and Prozac?

When Prozac and alcohol are mixed it leads to various side effects. Alcohol and Prozac are both depressants, which means they slow down the nervous system. When mixing alcohol and Prozac, the side effects of both substances are amplified. Therefore, people who mix the substances can experience dizziness, drowsiness, a lack of coordination, and increased intoxication. Combining alcohol and Prozac can also make Prozac less effective. Because alcohol interacts with serotonin in the brain, it can cause changes in mood and mental health.

What are the Effects of Alcohol and Prozac on the Liver?

Alcohol is processed in the liver. The liver removes alcohol from the blood, which is maintaining proper levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). When taking medications like Prozac, the liver also has to remove byproducts of the medication from the blood. If alcohol and Prozac are both in someone’s body, the liver has to work harder. For these reasons, mixing Prozac and alcohol can increase the risk of fatty liver disease, liver failure, and other liver problems.

Does Prozac Affect the Taste of Alcohol?

Prozac does not affect the taste of alcohol. While Prozac leaves an aftertaste when swallowed, it doesn’t have a permanent impact on taste buds or the taste of alcohol. Combining the substances doesn’t change the way alcohol tastes but it can make alcohol easier to stomach in higher quantities due to increased feelings of drunkenness. Once the aftertaste is removed from your mouth, alcohol tastes the same as it always does.

Does Prozac Affect the Effect of Alcohol?

Prozac affects the effect of alcohol by increasing the feeling of intoxication. When combined with alcohol, Prozac amplifies its effects. This means that taking Prozac with alcohol causes people to feel more intoxicated than they are. The result of this feeling is an increase in the side effects of alcohol, which is often a strong feeling of drunkenness. People who mix the substances often experience dizziness, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and even death. Mixing Prozac and alcohol can also cause people to faint.

Can Mixture of Alcohol and Prozac Lead to Death?

Yes, mixing alcohol and Prozac can lead to death. When combining the substances, intoxication is often amplified. Increased intoxication leads to reduced coordination, mental health disorders, alcohol-related death, and even comas.

People enter a coma when consuming large quantities of alcohol and Prozac because the central nervous system slows down to abnormal levels. Unfortunately, these types of comas are hard to come out of and many people die. Furthermore, a coma that’s caused by alcohol and Prozac can lead to mental decline.

Who should not Take Alcohol and Prozac?

Alcohol and Prozac are substances that should not be mixed. While it’s typically safe to have 1 or 2 standard drinks when taking Prozac (at average doses) consuming large quantities of alcohol is problematic. That said, some groups are at a higher risk of experiencing severe side effects when mixing alcohol and Prozac. These groups include adults over the age of 65, women, and people who have a history of liver problems.

Adults who are over the age of 65 can not process alcohol as efficiently as younger adults. The result is more intoxication and a higher BAC with less alcohol. This can make Prozac more dangerous to take with alcohol because it can lead to severe side effects and sedation. Women also have a similar problem but it has to do with water. Naturally, women have less water in their blood than men, which makes it easier for BAC levels to rise. When mixed with Prozac, this makes it easier for women to feel the effects of both substances. Finally, the liver processes Prozac and alcohol in the blood. A history of liver problems increases the risk of overdosing on alcohol and Prozac.

Can I Take Prozac with Alcohol While Pregnant?

Taking alcohol and Prozac during pregnancy should never be done. Alcohol should never be consumed during pregnancy because it leads to several health issues for mothers and babies. Some examples include fetal alcohol syndrome, miscarriages, and more. Alcohol should also be avoided when breastfeeding newborns because it can end up in breastmilk. Adding Prozac to this mixture makes the effects worse and can speed up the rate at which negative health effects occur.

Can Prozac be Used to Prevent Alcohol Hangover?

Prozac can not be used to prevent an alcohol hangover. While Prozac can interact with serotonin and make someone feel better after a night of drinking, it does not treat the symptoms of hangovers.

In most cases, alcohol hangovers are caused by high BAC levels that result in dehydration. Prozac can’t treat dehydration and does not reduce symptoms like stomach problems, fatigue, or headaches. In fact, Prozac can make these issues worse for many people.

Are all Types of Alcohol Harmful with Prozac?

All types of alcohol are harmful to take with Prozac. Taking Prozac with alcohol is dangerous because it can increase intoxication. While having 1 or 2 standard drinks doesn’t have a big impact, consuming more alcohol leads to adverse effects. One standard drink is the equivalent of 1 beer (4% ABV), a 5-ounce glass of wine, and 1 shot of liquor. That said, having more of each type of alcohol is harmful

Still, liquor is the most dangerous alcohol to consume with Prozac. Liquor is more dangerous than other types of alcohol because of how strong it is. People can get drunk after a few shots and shots consist of very little liquid. Therefore, shots of liquor should be avoided when taking Prozac.

How Much Prozac can be Dangerous to Take with Alcohol?

Any amount of Prozac can be dangerous to take with alcohol, even a dosage of 20 milligrams. Prozac is dangerous to take with alcohol because it slows down the central nervous system and interacts with serotonin in the brain. These are both things that alcohol also does.

That said, Prozac becomes more dangerous to take with alcohol in higher doses. Therefore, doses that are above 20 milligrams are exceptionally dangerous to take with alcohol. Ultimately, any dosage of Prozac is dangerous to consume with alcohol.

Does Alcohol Affect How Well Prozac will Work?

Alcohol affects how well Prozac will work. Alcohol has this impact because of how it interacts with the body. Antidepressants like Prozac are used to boost serotonin in the brain and create balance. Alcohol, on the other hand, interacts with serotonin in the brain and causes imbalances. While consuming alcohol and taking Prozac can make someone feel better for a few hours, the serotonin depletion after consuming alcohol makes it harder for Prozac to balance people’s minds.

How Long After Taking Prozac can You Drink Alcohol?

Mixing Prozac and alcohol is never a good idea. Once you stop taking Prozac, you should wait at least four to six days before consuming alcohol. Prozac has a half-life of 4 to 6 days, which is the amount of time it takes for half of the Prozac to leave your system. The rest of the Prozac can take up to 25 days; it depends on how long you’ve been taking the medication and the dosage. If you want to stay on the safe side, we recommend waiting between 6 and 25 days. The longer you wait the better, especially with alcohol because of how it impacts depression and other mental health disorders.

What Are Other Drugs That Are Dangerous To Use with Alcohol?

Dozens of drugs are dangerous to use with alcohol. Using drugs with alcohol is dangerous because of unanticipated interactions between alcohol and other substances. For example, combining alcohol with antibiotics can make antibiotics less effective. That said, some drugs are more dangerous to combine with alcohol than others.

Some examples of drugs that are dangerous to use with alcohol are listed below.

• Antibiotics
• Adderall
• Antidepressants
• Xanax
• Hallucinogens
• Marijuana
• Amoxicillin
• Lexapro
• Oxycodone
• Melatonin
• Gabapentin
• Fluconazole
• Macrobid
• Bactrim
• Sudafed
• Benadryl
• Doxycycline

It’s important to note that these are only a handful of dangerous medications to mix with alcohol. Therefore, you should always consult with your doctor before mixing alcohol with other substances.