Mixing alcohol and Prozac

Prozac is a drug which is unique among depression disorder medications. It is the most popular among Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). However, there are some cases where mixing an unwanted material with Prozac or Fluoxetine Hydrochloride causes greater serious repercussions.

Alcohol and Prozac

Alcohol and Prozac share a surprising relationship. Most of the disorders related to depression are solved using alcohol, before going for Prozac. Alcohol can be the cause for Prozac medication.

On the other hand, some people take recourse to alcoholic medication and find relief when they experience Prozac side effects. Thus both are cause and consequence of each other.

Reasons for taking alcohol during Prozac

Normally, it is seen that people drink alcohol to reduce their depression before taking any prescribed medicine. Greater addiction towards alcohol results in Prozac. While in using Prozac, patients can lessen the desire to have alcohol to some extent but this desire surfaces with greater intensity when similar symptoms are experienced after Prozac medication.

Symptoms like nervousness, anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness, etc, which are common with Prozac side effects give rise to the need to have alcohol along with an anti-depressant like Prozac.

Tolerable drinking level

Alcohol mixed with Prozac generally does not prove harmful if the former is taken in small quantities and occasionally. It also refers to the percentage of alcohol in the drink. If the alcohol content is high, drinks should be kept less otherwise the number of drinks can increase a bit.

Consequences of taking alcohol with Prozac

Serious effects shoot out from Prozac when coupled with alcohol. These consequences intensify depending upon the severity and the longevity of alcoholic consumption. Here we are presenting some of the major consequences found through clinical trials when alcohol is also consumed during Prozac medication.

• Alcohol, in general, is supposed to affect the autonomic nervous system of a person. In this condition, he is unable to take decisions. In such a situation, if a car is driven or heavy machinery is operated upon, it leads to accidents or injuries.
• Prozac under the influence of alcohol, increases the degree of side effects produced, which are otherwise mild and can be treated with simple drugs.
• Alcohol provides temporary relief to anxiety and depression. This transient relief and the longer impact of Prozac might conflict with each other and in fact can complicate the situation. The complexity can be judged by the fact that the people incorporate greater tendency to commit suicides.
• Alcohol is supposed to cast greater effects on cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, hepatitis, cancer, disorders and other such effects which complicate the situation.
• Some patients take recourse to alcohol when they are not able to adjust with the post-Prozac symptoms, which are known by the name of Prozac withdrawal symptoms. This weakens the positive effects of Prozac and resurfaces the previously existing symptoms of disorders.

Precautions to be taken if alcohol is mixed with Prozac intake

As already mentioned above, alcohol with Prozac in small quantities do not create many problems. However, it becomes a matter of concern if the quantity or the consumption of former is increased. Here are some of the guidelines to avoid or discontinue the use of alcohol if Prozac is already being used.

• First and the foremost thing is that who have already been under the influence of alcohol before starting Prozac will feel to have it again. This tendency to revert back to alcohol has to be suppressed as it will only obscure the matter, instead of relieving.
• If you are somehow caught by alcohol with Prozac intake and facing issues which you are unaware of, immediately consult your doctor as alcohol alone can give rise to a new set of problems.
• If you are easily influenced with alcohol, do not take hurried decisions like going for driving or doing some dangerous activity. This can lead to more seriousness and uncontrolled situation.
• If feeling extreme desire to have alcohol, do take it but in a limited quantity or drink with lower percentage of alcohol in it. This will quench the desire and also do not have problems.
• Meditation and regular exercises are known since time immemorial in alleviating alcohol consumption and desire. This will also support Prozac in weakening the impact of depression upon you because the depression is the root cause for the urge to have alcohol.

Alcohol, if taken in controlled manner, even with anti-depressant like Prozac, cannot be harmful. But no doubt, the effect of Prozac is nullified if alcohol is also taken in large quantities and that too, frequently.

This article is written with an intention to provide some useful information on alcohol usage and consumption done along with Prozac, which itself is a drug to restore mental imbalance in a person. The reasons and the methods to avoid alcohol intake have also been tried to explore.