Throughout the 10,000 or so years that humans have been drinking fermented beverages, they’ve also been arguing about their merits and demerits. The debate still simmers today, with a lively back-and-forth over whether alcohol is good for you or bad for you.
It’s safe to say that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison. The difference lies mostly in the dose. Moderate drinking seems to be good for the heart and circulatory system and probably protects against type 2 diabetes and gallstones. Heavy drinking is a major cause of preventable death in most countries. In the U.S., alcohol is implicated in about half of fatal traffic accidents. Heavy drinking can damage the liver and heart, harm an unborn child, increase the chances of developing breast and some other cancers, contribute to depression and violence, and interfere with relationships.
Even in small amounts, alcohol may intensify medication side effects such as sleepiness, drowsiness, and light-headedness, which may interfere with your concentration and ability to operate machinery or drive a vehicle, and lead to serious or even fatal accidents.
Because alcohol can adversely interact with hundreds of commonly used medications, it’s important to observe warning labels and ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s safe to use alcohol with any medications and herbal remedies that you take.
What is citalopram?
Citalopram oral tablet is a prescription drug that’s available as the brand-name drug Celexa. It’s also available as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version. Citalopram is used to treat depression. It may be used as part of a combination therapy. This means you may need to take it with other medications. Citalopram is also available as an oral solution.
How citalopram works
Citalopram is part of the antidepressant drug class called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. SSRIs act in your brain to increase levels of a substance called serotonin. Having more serotonin in your brain can improve symptoms of depression.
What happens if you drink while on citalopram?
Although citalopram does not increase the effects of alcohol, the FDA warns that taking doses of citalopram over 40 mg per day can cause heart issues. Adding alcohol to the equation may also cause severe heart effects. The combination of alcohol and citalopram may be linked to torsades de pointes, one of several types of life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. In the case of torsades de pointes (TdP), the heart’s two lower chambers called the ventricles, beat faster than and out of sync with the upper chambers, called the atria. Abnormal heart rhythm can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Another major risk of mixing alcohol and citalopram is the risk of overdose. Citalopram is metabolized by the liver, but when you consume alcohol, your body prioritizes that first. This can lead to higher concentrations of citalopram staying in your system, even if you only took your regularly prescribed dose.
Taking alcohol and citalopram together can also increase the nervous system side effects of the medication such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.
