Alcohol Abuse Advice

Prozac and Alcohol

It has long been the topic of debate that whether alcohol should be consumed by the individuals taking Prozac, an antidepressant for the treatment of various types of depression. While some of the health experts are totally against the idea, there are others who believe that it doesn’t harm to consume moderate amount of alcohol with Prozac dosage.

In general, alcohol is not recommended for the patients suffering from some kind of psychiatric disorder and depression in different forms is one that belongs to this category of disorders. Drinking alcohol can aggravate the existing symptoms of mental illness, leading to some serious effects. On top of that, drinking alcohol, while also consuming an antidepressant like Prozac, can have threatening effects for the individual in question. The following discussion can help you understand the things said so far in a better manner.

Reaction on Brain

As obvious, an antidepressant like Prozac is expected to affect the chemicals present in human brain, so that the disorders, like depression, obsessive-compulsion disorder, bulimia and panic disorder, can be eliminated from their roots. It has been proven by the studies that alcohol affects the same chemicals, as targeted by the Prozac or any other antidepressant. Hence, the combination of Prozac and alcohol can act upon brain, leading to two types of bas effects:

First, Prozac can enhance the effects of alcohol, intensifying the level of depression to a higher level. Second, the combination can negatively affect the motor skills of an individual, making him or her incapable of performing things like picking up objects, maintaining the balance and even sitting and walking.

Effect on Liver

Alcohol is metabolized readily by the liver in one’s body. Prozac is also metabolized inside the liver and both the processes can interfere with each other. In general, the alcohol metabolism can cut down the rate of metabolism for Prozac, enforcing the antidepressant to stay in the liver for many days to come. In this way, the liver becomes an accumulated store of Prozac and the drug is not used up to produce intended effect on the disorder for which it is consumed.

Extensive Sleepiness

One of the known side effects of Prozac dose in the human body is sleepiness or drowsiness. And, it is clear that consuming alcohol can enhance the level of sleepiness in the body, leading to incapability of the person to perform some vital tasks, including:

Driving a car Handling a machinery Using electronic appliances and so on.

Complementary Addiction

Both Prozac and alcohol are addictive in nature and the person consuming both of them can develop the habit of depending upon them. As it is clear from the discussion above, both Prozac and alcohol can enhance the effects of each other, making the person more addictive towards both of them. In such a situation, the level of depression can increase, when the person is denied both alcohol and Prozac or even one of them. So, it is definitely a matter to take care that Prozac and alcohol are not consumed at the same time.

Moderate Amount of Alcohol

As per the recommendations of most of the health experts around the world, it is not harmful to take moderate amount of alcohol while undergoing the treatment with an antidepressant, including Prozac. Drinking habits of an individual can’t be stopped in on\e day, but to reduce the level of alcohol can solve the purpose. The amount of alcohol to be taken along with Prozac should depend upon the type of alcohol a person is fond of. For instance, 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine can contribute towards the moderate drinking for an individual. Also, the level of alcohol drinks should be differentiated for men and women, as both bear the effects of alcoholism differently.

Other Precautions to Follow

Avoid taking alcohol immediately after consuming the dose of Prozac. For this, fix a time in the morning for taking Prozac dose and maintain a good amount of gap between the dose and drinks. If you are also taking some other medication, along with Prozac and alcohol, make sure that you talk about the same with your doctor. If your health expert completely put ban on your drinking habits, cooperate with him to get rid of depression through Prozac.

It should be remembered in any case that alcohol acts as a depressant, whereas Prozac is an antidepressant. So, both things are obvious to clash with each other’s effects on human body. Once you reach the decision by discussing the issue with a doctor, be sure to stick to it and head towards a better life.

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