Antidepressants are the drugs that are used to treat depression. Due to the fast life & the unbearable tensions in life many people suffer from depression may it be the clinical depression or the normal depression. So the number of people taking this antidepressant drugs has increased to a greater extent.
But at the same time there are a number of people who also consume alcohol daily. The thing is that, there are a number of people who are not aware of the fact that consumption of alcohol & antidepressants can have a serious impact on the life of these people. It is not only the antidepressants but there are many medications which interact with alcohol & have serious effects. It is observed alcohol is the main cause for maximum number of emergency admissions in the hospitals.
The science that lies underneath is that whenever we intake the drug as a medicine in order to cure a disorder, that drug has to enter in the blood stream of the body so that it can make some effect on the organ & tissues.
The effect of these drugs is reduced only when these drugs are processed, that is effect is reduced only if the metabolism takes place in the body. Alcohol also behaves in the same manner. It enters into the bloodstream & causes intoxication to the brain & is finally metabolized & eliminated via the liver.
When drugs & alcohol are taken in simultaneously than for metabolism to take place they fight or demand for the same enzymes & can result into improper functioning of the drug. This in turn can result in not curing the disorder for which the antidepressant was taken. In some cases the consumption of alcohol along with antidepressants can cause serious disorders, & can sometimes lead to death.
When it comes to alcohol & antidepressants together, there are a number of cases when their interaction causes severe disorders. Alcohol boosts or adds to the sedative effect of the trycyclic antidepressant. Increase in sedative effect can result in the decrease in the mental responses.
Many beers & alcohol consists of a chemical that reacts with the antidepressants like the monoamine oxidase inhibitors that can result in increase in the blood pressure of that person.
Thus there are a number of disorders that occur because of the interactions of antidepressants & alcohol. So one should always take care of this fact that, one does not consume alcohol & antidepressants at the same time.