Sleepy Pregabalin and Alcohol Questions

[perry12]

Hi

I am on 40mg Citalopram and have just started Pregabalin. I was wondering if the side effects of feeling sleepy and exhausted will pass? I am about a week in to these and take 2 a day. After taking each tablet I go very sleepy which isn't ideal at work or if I am trying to concentrate on something.

Also, can you drink whilst on Citalopram and Pregabalin? by drink I literally mean 2-3 pints, not getting hammered. I just really enjoy going out to watch football and having a drink with friends, it is a really relaxing thing for me and I would hate to have to knock that on the head as I do feel good when at the football.

Opinions would be great

Thanks everyone

[MyNameIsTerry]

According to Drugs.com's interaction checker you get the following 3:

Moderate
ethanol  citalopram

Applies to: Alcohol (contained in alcoholic beverages) (ethanol), citalopram

Using citalopram together with ethanol may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with citalopram.


Moderate
citalopram  pregabalin

Applies to: citalopram, pregabalin

Using citalopram together with pregabalin may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications


It's a Moderate interaction and as you can see, not only are the side effect issues limited to a few symptoms but also they are the same with each interaction - including the one you are already dealing with between your meds.

There is an obvious case for a greater potential of interaction the more a drug dosage is increased or the more drugs you add (where they interact). So, perhaps the risks are like someone on higher doses of one drug as to someone on lower doses of two? I don't know on that one, but can see you are on the max for Citalopram.

I think this is where you play the careful route to determine how it affects you. I think this is more required when starting a med too because these are side effect issues, and side effects are expected in a window at the start but later on they should not be present normally. This means you may have a greater chance of seeing some and given your drowsiness, it might be more likely to increase it.

I expect hanshan or SmilingAlbert will spot your thread and give you better advice from people who are used to Preg. I drank fine 20mg Citalopram years ago but I was doing much better then..and I did have a heavy week on the sauce without any issues. If your anxiety is bad, it could be a different story.

I've seen the guys say Preg's side effects seem to go pretty quickly but hopefully they will spot you shortly.

Moderate
ethanol  pregabalin

Applies to: Alcohol (contained in alcoholic beverages) (ethanol), pregabalin

Using pregabalin together with ethanol may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with pregabalin

[hanshan]

I would have to say that my answer would be that it is okay for some people to combine a small amount of alcohol with pregabalin, as I do so myself with no great harm.

However, I can't really generalise from that. The two do definitely interact, so you should exercise caution until you know how both affect you. The addition of an antidepressant is another reason to be cautious. As a general rule, with pregabalin cut your previous alcohol intake in half and see how you go from there.

[SmilingAlbert]

Hi guys,

I can't really add more here as I've never taken Citalopram. All I would say is: take it easy, especially at first so you can judge things.

If sleepiness is a problem when working, I would suggest a good strong coffee or 3 in the AM might help get you going.

Albert