Bipolar Disorder, Alcohol Use, and Psychiatric Medications

"Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication" is in the instructions for many of the drugs prescribed for mental disorders (along with medications for many, many other conditions). Many people think it's because the combination "may cause drowsiness."

While that's quite true, there can be a lot more to the problem. Mixing some psych meds with alcohol can have far more dangerous results, anywhere in the range from alcohol abuse to just having an occasional drink.

Listed below are drug groups and drugs included in each group. In the table beneath are symptoms that may occur when people taking these drugs use alcohol.

Important Reminder: Some over-the-counter products, especially cough syrup and laxatives, may contain enough alcohol to interact with your medications. Ask at the pharmacy if a particular product is safe for you to take.

Medication Groups

These drugs, grouped by type, may have serious interactions with alcohol:

Group A: Anti-Anxiety and Sedating Drugs

The benzodiazepines, which include:

• Ativan (generic lorazepam)
• Klonopin (clonazepam)
• Serax (oxazepam)
• Valium (diazepam)
• Xanax (alprazolam)

For a complete list of this type of medication, see Benzodiazepines Family of Drugs.

In addition, this group contains other drugs used for sleep, including:

• Ambien (zolpidem)
• Lunesta (eszopiclone)
• Rozerem (ramelteon)
• Restoril (temazepam)

Group B:

Tricyclic antidepressants, including:

• Amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)

For a complete list of this type of drug, see Tricyclic Antidepressants.

Group C:

SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, including:

• Celexa (citalopram)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Zoloft (sertraline)
• Luvox (fluvoxamine)
• Paxil (paroxetine)

• Effexor (venlafaxine)

Group D:

Atypical antidepressants, which include:

• Wellbutrin (generic bupropion)
• Trazodone (brand name Desyrel)

This group also includes Serzone (nefazodone), which is only available in certain places outside the U.S., and the herb St. John's Wort, which has other potentially dangerous interactions.(see Warning).

NOTE: Interaction effects worsen if you are taking two or more medications in any of these groups.