Combining antidepressants with alcohol could worsen your symptoms and can be extremely dangerous. If you combine alcohol and antidepressants:
- You may feel more depressed or anxious. Drinking can counteract the benefits of your antidepressant medication, making your symptoms more difficult to treat. Alcohol may improve your mood short term, but overall increases symptoms of depression and anxiety
- You may be at risk of alcohol abuse. People with depression are at increased risk of substance abuse and addiction. If you have trouble controlling your alcohol use, substance use treatment may be necessary before your depression improves.
- Side effects may be worse if you take another medication. Many medications cause problems when taken with alcohol-including anti-anxiety, sleep, and prescription pain medications.
- Your thinking and alertness may be impaired. The combination of antidepressants and alcohol will affect your judgment, coordination, motor skills and reaction time more than alcohol alone. This can impair your ability to drive and to other tasks, such as perform safety sensitive duties as a Flight Attendant which require us to be focused and alert.
- You may become sedated or drowsy. Some antidepressants cause sedation and drowsiness, but with alcohol the combined effect can be intensified.
Tell your doctor about any health conditions and medications you take, including over-the-counter medications and supplements.
Keeping your doctor informed is important because: Some liquid medications, such as cough syrups, can contain alcohol. As you age, your body processes medication differently and levels of medication in your body may need adjusted. Adding a new medication may change the level of another medication in your body and how your body reacts
For more information-
Can I Drink Alcohol with Anxiety Medications?
Anxiety Medications and Alcohol
Telephonic meetings are open to all Flight Attendants who are exploring their need for or seeking recovery from substance use disorders.
Meeting times are scheduled on Wednesday at 3:00 pm EST and Sunday at 5:00 pm EST.
Each meeting will last between forty-five (45) minutes to one (1) hour.
The conference call in number is 1-855-544-2320.