A 34-year-old female asked:
Can you drink alcohol on celexa (citalopram)?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. Alan Alianswered
Psychiatry 34 years experience
Alcohol/Celexa: Not good idea to drink alcohol on any medications.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Robert Woodsanswered
Psychiatry 32 years experience
Best To Avoid: Celexa (citalopram) is an antidepressant and alcohol is a depressant. Common sense tells us to avoid alcohol while treating depression, otherwise one agent will cancel the other. I have always considered alcohol the "original medication". It calms you, gives you confidence, stimulates you and puts you to sleep and can even be unused as an antiseptic. If you are unable to stop drinking talk to your doctor.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
CA
A 54-year-old member asked:
Can I still drink alcohol while taking celexa (citalopram)?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Michael Milleranswered
Addiction Medicine 48 years experience
Be Careful: Even moderate alcohol use can be associated with depression. Although there is no contraindication to an occasional drink, i would advise to be very careful with alcohol if you're being treated for depression. Also there can be a link between depression and the development of addictive behavior.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Is it okay to drink alcohol when taking celexa (citalopram)?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Aaron Amentanswered
60 years experience
HOW MUCH?: They will be additive regarding sedation. That's not a good idea for driving, gutter cleaning, tree trimming and other things where you don't want to doze off. Also the amount of drink is a real factor.
Check with dr who prescribed Celexa (citalopram) and get dr's opinion re anxiety, depression, alcohol.
Therapy may be indicated. If in therapy, time to take it seriously.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
How will drinking alcohol while i'm on citalopram affect me?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Jason Campbellanswered
Family Medicine 18 years experience
Additive Effects: The general consensus among medical professionals would be to avoid such a combination of alcohol and ssris such as citalopram (celexa). A drug interaction checklist offers a "caution advised" for this combination (not "avoid" nor "contraindicated") with reason of combo may increase risk of psychomotor impairment (additive effects). However I do feel that 1-2 drink equivalents should be okay.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Australia
A 19-year-old female asked:
What happens when you drink alcohol while taking citalopram (30mg)?
1 doctor answer • 10 doctors weighed in

Dr. Donald Gieckanswered
Clinical Psychology 16 years experience
Interaction effects: Use of alcohol while on citalopram is strongly discouraged. Several important effects to know about: short-term there is a risk of increased drowsiness and sedation, dizziness, difficulties with concentration, and impaired decision making. Second alcohol reduces effectiveness of citalopram, increasing risk of heightened depression or anxiety symptoms, and may interfere with treatment outcomes.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Spanaway, WA
A 37-year-old male asked about a 18-year-old female:
Should you drink alcohol when taking topomax and citalopram ?
4 doctor answers • 19 doctors weighed in

Dr. Erica Bialanswered
Specializes in Pain Management
Nope: This mix carries an increased risk of sedation and seizures.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Last updated May 8, 2016
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