Alcohol and Zoloft

[derek]

I am a 19 year old male taking 100 mg of zoloft per day. I drink occasionaly and usually lightly while on this drug but the other day at my birthday party I got very drunk. I had approximately 12 - 15 drinks over a 2 or 3 hour period. I felt more drunk than I would have if I wasn't on the medication and now a few days later I feel quite depressed and I am worried that I gave myself some kind of permanent brain damage. I never puked or passed out but I was at a night club and danced for an hour or more. I am wondering if this could have induced brain damage because I have heard that ecstasy can cause the body to overheat when dancing for prolonged periods, so I was wondering if there is a similar effect with alcohol and zoloft? The manufacturer of zoloft doesn't recommend zoloft and alcohol, but it doesn't say why. I am really worried because I have noticed that my cognition is worse than it was before, as in I feel stupider and cannot read as well as before. Please respond ASAP.
Thankyou, Derek

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I don't think you have to worry about permanent brain damage, and the mechanism of zoloft is quite different than ecstacy.But you do see that there are real side effects to drinking that much with zoloft. You formed a toxic cocktail in your brain, but the effects will wear off from this one time excess. But if you repeat it often, permanent effects are a real risk.  

I will do some more research and post the results in a few days if I can add or refine what I have already said.

[David Replogle]

Man they told me i am depressed and put me on zoloft and i hated the drug it made me more depressed then anything i would suggest thet this is causing the way u feel my e mail is ***@****

[alice]

Derek, I don't know if you're still checking, I just came across your note from Jan. 29th.  Anyway, I hope you're feeling better now.  Drinking 12-15 drinks in 2-3 hours is enough to give anybody a 3-day hangover, Zoloft aside.  It takes an hour for your liver to process one drink.  Think how many hours you were processing all those drinks, it would take a while for the effects to wear off.  I know, I've been there!  Sometimes you really do still feel down and foggy a few days later.

Hope you're feeling better and back to more moderate drinking levels...I try to keep it to 2-3 drinks at most in any single day and not do it every day.  Good luck to you.

[Don From Virginia]

Re David Repogle's Comment:


I can only speak for myself, but my experience with Zoloft (at 200 mg per day) has been very different from David's experience.   I consider Zoloft an absolute Godsend  --  and I cannot imagine living without it.  (Literally)  On a few occasions, I have been unable to afford to refill my prescription immediately  --  and I have discovered in the process that I start having strong suicidal thoughts within around 48 hours of stopping.

For Whatever It's Worth, I am a recovering alcoholic and was booze-free for 12 years before I started taking Zoloft.  It is possible that the total absence of alcohol from my system may have made Zoloft more effective for me than it would have been otherwise.


Yours,

Don from Virginia