Alcohol and sertraline

[Scared_11]

Hi Cathy.

I havnt been too bad. I am still on 50mg. I felt quite sick the first few days and get the night sweats quite bad but other than that I havnt had anything too bad. I noticed u said u have benn getting palpitations! I have too but I got then before I started taking the meds.

I noticed my mood starting to lift after about 8 days and still the same now realy. Still getting anxiety but not as bad as before. Not sure if it's the meds as I know it's still only early days!

How r u?

[cathycrumble]

Bit nervey this morning I am off to a funeral now an old neigbour shes 90.

Hope my nerves settle later.

have a good day

Cathy xx

[Scared_11]

I think that's pretty normal to feel nervy on a day like that.

Hope it goes ok for you xx

[jack__B]

hi, ive been on sert for 6 days! yesterday i went out and had a skinfull and today has been awful! my nerves have been terrible, ive had the worst anxiety i have ever experienced and i also had a panic attack!! after reading a few comments on here it seems a lot of people feel the same! i have learnt my lesson and definatly wont be drinking again whilst taking sert!!

[xhyperyogix]

just wanted to add an update to this thread.... it's been 5 months on the sert now. it's made the panic attacks go completely which has been an absolute revelation!!!! Nearly 20 years!!!!!!!!! My mood still swings from low to high but it seems i can see the wood for the trees now and accept it as what it is - mood which if i stick it out will pass. i can also drink and never get hangovers any more - very strange since at the start it made it impossible to drink. Not that I'm getting trashed all the time - well I did for a bit and then crashed so not doing that again.

So, anyway all, sert is great for panic, and sometimes works for the depression - well for me anyway.

hugs xxx

[MintyFresh]

I don't seem to have any problems boozing while on sertraline and even went out on a stag night last friday having pint after pint and wine and felt fine the next day. In fact I seem to feel better drinking after having taken one!

[jack__B]

hi minty fresh, how long have you been on sert? im on my seventh day, im not sure if its the alcohol or maybe the side effects of the sert thats made me feel so bad!! it was saturday night i had a skinful! yesterday was awful and today ive been just as bad really!

[Laheed]

Hi guys,

Thought I'd add my comments to this thread... I'm on day 23 of 50mg of Sertraline...

I can only agree with what people have been saying about alcohol affecting you pretty badly when your on these meds. I am on them for anxiety, which manifests itself (for the most part) as insomnia and obsessive behaviour about insomnia. Had a few panic attack type anxiety attacks early on when I was off medication, but dealt with them.

Anyway, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol until day 9, when I tried to have a can. Didn't finish it before I noticed the return of side effect symptoms (which for me weren't too bad, lasted about a week and kind of felt like progressively shorter and milder doses of err MDMA - and all that comes with that. Only the dry mouth and thirst for water continued.) I left it at that and didn't continue.

On day 18 I had a glass and a half of Champagne. No problems with that. By this point I'd started to feel really positive and was sleeping well without Zopiclone (heavy sleeping tablets). Was convinced the Sertraline was working.

On day 19 I struggled to sleep. Had to take a Zopiclone. I have pretty severe perfectionism, for which I am receiving therapy. I'm normally very optimistic, energetic and self confident person and am also a high achiever. Have quite a high powered job for my age (27). Throughout this episode I have issues about taking 'backward steps' and feeling like I'm getting worse again, so this will certainly have played a role in what followed next.... But on day 20, I had three pints of Guinness. Not a lot at all... I am usually quite a 'heavyweight' and 3 pints would barely touch the sides normally. However, I was absolutely BATTERED. The next day I just felt so depressed. And the day after that I went into a full-on anxiety meltdown.

I am just starting to feel better again... but I felt quite a few side-effect style symptoms, which would tally with the drug being flushed out of your system. I have been going to the toilet an awful lot as well - drinking so much water. Just to compound it, I'm also physically ill, so that's not helped.

But basically all I would say is, from my experience: DON'T DRINK on them. I've learnt my lesson the hard way. I really hope to be able to drink at some point, because it's an important part of my social life and it's kind of depressing to think you won't be able to drink even for as long as the best case scenario of six months or so. But definitely wait till you are feeling strong and the drugs are in your system properly.

[iames]

Hi i've been on sertraline for about a year and a half now, and i'm 19 so drinking is obviously difficult to avoid in social situations, but I have generally always been okay with drinking on them, except for often finding if i drink more than one night in a row i often end up feeling pretty low a few days after. I had quite a lot to drink last night and now feeling very panicky and anxious for the first time in months, does anyone else often suffer panic attacks after drinking?

[damopanther]

ive just start sertraline, been about 10 days, headaches quite common, just wainting for them hopefully to kick in, i now stay away from alcohol altogether, as it is a depressant, after one night out i would have paranoia and low depression and heightened anxiety for a week, i was a binge drinker and could never just have a few, so a couple now and again might be ok for some people, take care, damo