Effexor and alcohol

I have been suffering with severe anxiety for a few years now. I have been put on medication but always too freaked out to try it. This past summer i tried citalopram and well it helped with my mood but not my anxiety. My doctor prescribed  me effexor but once again i was afraid and didn't take it. Now that the sun is going down and school is piling up, i'm feeling more anxious and depressed so i decided to try effexor. I noticed that it said to not consume alcohol while on the drug but i am in university and if this drug works then chances are i'll be on it for a while... and alcohol consumption is inevitable. I was just wondering how bad the side effects are with alcohol?

Thanks!

[M4Y0U]

Hello there,

It's always a bad idea to mix up drugs even if it's only alcohol. I will tell you something tho that you should not take as a suggestion but it's my personal experience.

I am on Cymbalta which is similar to Effexor and i drink alcohol pretty much every week-end. But i do it with moderation and i try to drink light beer. I haven't noticed any side effects. Remember to keep yourself hydrated while consuming alcohol especially when you are going to bed by taking some water.

I don't recommend you do it, it is my own personal experience and everyone is different and can react differently but if you really about to drink alcohol with your Effexor please do it with moderation and drink some water along and use light beer.

Best regards,
M4

[greenlydia]

You should not drink ANY alcohol while taking Effexor. If you can't control your consumption, at the very least, talk to your doctor about holding your dose until the next morning. In my humble opinion, what should REALLY happen here is you being  totally honest with your doctor. There is a sound medical reason you should not drink while on this med.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[cortico]

taking amiodarone, warfarin, bendroflumethiazide and candesartin, got chronic anxiety about, drank 3 pints today , got  bad headache on top of head. not a regular occurrence, could alcohol be responsible for headache?

[greenlydia]

Without a doubt!
Call your chemist and ask him how many of your meds say "Do not mix with alcohol."
Should say right on the bottle.
Peace
Greenlydia

[greenlydia]

P.S.
The advice from M4YOU is BAD advice! Plain and simple. I don't care if he DID say it was his own personal experience or not, I don't care if he DID say he didn't recommend it............that he IMPLIED as long as you stayed hydrated and drank in moderation, you could "sneak" around the rules is foolish. If your meds say do not drink, make a choice..........drink or get off the meds. To be safe you can't have it both ways.
-L

[cjs970]

It's an antidepressant...Alcohol is a depressant....So DONT DRINK on Effexor...:)

[wogman]

I have a bottle of venaflaxine, a form of effexor.  When I took it before, I experienced great times of no strength, trouble staying awake, sadness.  I always felt better after getting off it. However, I decided to do a research on the internet concerning it, and have discovered suicide is a common factor if not taken properly