When your mental health is suffering, it’s difficult to relax. Medications like Lexapro can help, but they’re not always enough. Drinking alcohol can serve as a temporary balm, but in the long term, it leads to more complications.
When used together, Lexapro and alcohol are usually safe in small doses. However, combining the two can worsen side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and poor coordination. Over time, alcohol reduces the effectiveness of Lexapro and increases the likelihood of liver problems.
If you’re experiencing a mental health condition as well as an alcohol use disorder, you’re not alone. In 2022, 16% of Orange County residents reported experiencing poor mental health for at least two weeks each month. In the same year, 35% of adults living with a serious mental illness also have a co-occurring substance use disorder.
At Pacific Sands, we understand that mental health and substance use are deeply linked. We’ll provide you with tailored care and the personal touch of a small, high-end treatment facility that focuses on your unique needs and experiences.
What Is Lexapro?
Lexapro, also known by the generic name escitalopram, is an antidepressant medication used to treat anxiety and depression. The medication is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRIs work to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry messages between the nerve cells in the brain. Serotonin, in particular, regulates your mood, sleep, appetite, and other vital functions. Usually, serotonin transmits the intended signal and is then reabsorbed for reuse later. SSRIs target the serotonin transporter protein responsible for the reuptake of serotonin. By preventing serotonin from being reabsorbed, Lexapro allows the chemical to attach to receptors for a longer period, thereby increasing activity and signaling in the brain.
The increased availability of serotonin and improved signaling in the brain are believed to improve your ability to regulate your mood. Typically, SSRIs like Lexapro are used in combination with talk therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy, for the most effective treatment outcomes. Most people are on Lexapro for a year or longer. Some people choose to reduce their dose or end their use of the medication as their emotional management skills improve over time. Others find that Lexapro is a good tool for long-term emotional regulation.
Understanding the Impact of Alcohol on Depression and Anxiety
There is a definite relationship between problematic alcohol consumption and mental health conditions. Studies estimate that as many as 68% of people with an alcohol use disorder also have depression. There’s also data to suggest that as many as 50% of people with alcohol use disorder meet the criteria for one or more anxiety disorders.
There are several reasons that people with mental health conditions have a complex relationship with alcohol. 3 of the most common examples include:
- Self-medicating: Many people use alcohol as a tool for self-medication. Alcohol depresses the nervous system. It slows down many bodily processes, which physically relaxes you and reduces your ability to think clearly. If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, alcohol feels like a welcome reprieve. Alcohol becomes a tool you use to self-soothe and calm down, even if it’s harmful in the long run.
- Alcohol’s negative effect on mood: In some cases, alcohol use predates the mental health issue. Alcohol consumption has a severe impact on mood. As your ability to process information slows down, you may become more depressed than normal. Drinking heavily on a regular basis often leads to intensifying symptoms of depression.
- The impact of withdrawals: When your body becomes accustomed to alcohol, stopping has a serious impact on your mental health. When you suddenly stop consuming alcohol, you’ll experience a range of psychological symptoms like severe anxiety, irritation, and confusion. In more severe cases, you could also experience hallucinations and delusions. These withdrawals lead to a vicious cycle where people continue to use alcohol to avoid the mental health symptoms caused by withdrawals.
How Alcohol Interacts With Lexapro and Other Antidepressants
If you’re taking an antidepressant, like Lexapro, alcohol can impact how the medication works in your body. If you’re like many people with clinical depression or an anxiety disorder, you may take multiple antidepressants at the same time. This chart highlights how alcohol interacts with Lexapro and other antidepressants that are sometimes used in combination with it.
| Medication Type | Examples of Medication | How the Medication Interacts with Alcohol |
|---|---|---|
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | Citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). | Mixing alcohol and SSRIs reduces the effectiveness of the medication. It also compounds the sedative effects of both substances, leading to intense drowsiness. |
| Tricyclic antidepressants | Amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), and imipramine (Tofranil). | Alcohol can have a severe impact on tricyclic antidepressants. Combining the two can cause liver problems, and in more severe cases, trigger seizures. |
| Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). | Venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq). | Alcohol worsens the potential side effects of SNRIs, including dizziness, drowsiness, and poor coordination. |
| Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) | Tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), and isocarboxazid (Marplan). | MAOIs have a severe reaction with tyramine, an amino acid found in certain foods and alcohols. The combination can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure. |
Generally, you should avoid mixing alcohol and antidepressants whenever possible. If you’re on a medication in addition to Lexapro, and you don’t see it on this list, consider talking to your doctor about how it interacts with alcohol.
The Dangers of Mixing Lexapro and Alcohol
Generally speaking, occasional, moderate alcohol consumption while you’re taking Lexapro is not going to cause significant harm. Lexapro’s clinical trials did not find a significant negative relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and a therapeutic dose of Lexapro. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends against mixing the two.
Binge-drinking, which is 5 drinks in a 2-hour period for men and 4 for women, can have unintended consequences for people taking Lexapro, including:
- Poorer judgement than with alcohol alone
- Feeling drowsier than you would with just alcohol or Lexapro
- Severely impaired coordination
- Being less alert than with either substance on their own
Both alcohol and Lexapro have an impact on the central nervous system. While taking Lexapro with alcohol won’t make you feel “more” drunk or get drunk faster, its effect on the central nervous system will be compounded.
Over the long term, mixing Lexapro with heavy alcohol use can have more serious health concerns. Consistent alcohol use makes mental health symptoms worse and decreases the overall effectiveness of Lexapro. Ultimately, this leads to worse mental health symptoms than you would experience if you weren’t taking Lexapro to begin with. To get the full benefit of your treatment regimen, it’s best to avoid alcohol use.
Heavy drinking and Lexapro both have an impact on your liver health over time. Lexapro is metabolized in the liver, just like alcohol. The combination of the two over time puts undue strain on the liver. The longer this goes on, the more likely you are to experience liver damage and, eventually, liver failure.
Getting Help for Alcohol Use Disorder in California
Living with anxiety and depression on top of an alcohol use disorder makes for a dangerous combination. In the beginning, alcohol can help you relax and feel more at ease. However, constant alcohol use can quickly spiral into a harmful cycle that causes worsening symptoms and serious health concerns. Combining alcohol with antidepressants like Lexapro can quickly make the situation worse.
With the right approach to treatment, you’re capable of healing. Effective alcohol use disorder treatment will empower you to reframe your relationship with alcohol and take control. A strong program will provide you with dual diagnosis treatment that recognizes the ways that your mental health condition and substance use disorder impact each other. A combination of carefully curated therapy, skill development, and medication management will serve as the tools you need to discover the life you want.
Pacific Sands is a high-end treatment facility located in Santa Ana, CA. We have a maximum of 6 clients with private rooms, ensuring you receive personalized, focused care. We are solution-focused, so we’ll work with you to learn more about your treatment history and what will work well as you build the future you want. For more information, call us at 949-426-7962.
Pacific Sands – The first step towards a new life.
