The medication guide tells you to avoid alcohol while taking Pristiq - would this mean "totally" or is the occasional glass of wine with dinner acceptable?
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4/17/09 5:13pm
Hi Ginger
Of course this question would be best answered by your doctor or pharmacist.
In the meantime I will give you some links of things I found in the literature about what other patients say as to how even a glass of wine affects them when taking Pristiq.
Here is one forum where a woman talks about her experience drinking a glass of wine while taking Pristiq.
And here is yet another forum where patients talk candidly about mixing Pristiq and alcohol.
On this question and answer forum, it is strongly suggested that you don't drink any alcohol while taking Pristiq.
Everyone will react differently I am sure. Your best bet is to ask your doctor.
Thank you for your question!
1/ 7/10 5:56pm
Is there any difference between drinking alcohol and prozac or zoloft or stratera and alcohol with Pristiq? Would alcohol interact any differently with Pristiq?
1/ 7/10 5:56pm
Is there any difference between drinking alcohol and prozac or zoloft or stratera and alcohol with Pristiq? Would alcohol interact any differently with Pristiq?
8/28/09 9:47pm
I have been on pristiq for around six months I drink around a 12 pack of beer a night and I have hade no problems while on pristq with large amounts of alcohol granted I drank alcohol prior to taking pristiq If you take alcohol you should tell your doctor but i have not do to the fear of loosing him I do not recomend drink on drugs but I have had no problems
9/28/09 2:33pm
I have been drinking a large bottle of wine every night for about 6 years now. I started taking Pristique about 6 months ago for what I would describe as mind anxiety and depression. My Dr. said it would be ok for me to continue drinking on Pristique. I have found that I am increasingly having nightly situations where I shut down mentally but I am continuing to interact with my partner as if I am still alert. Almost like sleep walking...and I become very confrontational and rude. I have no memory of the incident in the morning or remember how I got to bed. My partner has had it with me and doesn't believe I shut down or have no memory of the incident. Therefore, I am going sober as of today and hope I can mend my relationship. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this drug interaction.
11/13/09 9:39am
I have been taking Pristiq for about a month and a half and lately when I drink i have no memory of it and my husband tells me that I also get mean towards him. When I wake up I have no idea why he is mad at me most of the time. Before Pristiq I could usually remember a night of drinking the next day. It's like I black out while still functioning. It is pretty scary!
12/18/09 9:13pm
I am planning on starting my Pristiq tomorrow. I do worry because I drink several drinks every night. I do not feel that I will quit drinking. I just hope that the Pristiq will get me up & going again. I have always been little but I have gain about 12 pounds since I have bee on pain medication. I feel miserable & I need help. I am very emotional. I hope that Pristiq will help & I can quit drinking so much.
5/13/12 9:19pm
Good luck & I hope the Pristiq works for you. I have been on it for I think a little over a couple weeks now & I am noticing that I have lost a little weight & am feeling a lot more stable. I feel like I have more courage to talk to people and just be a little more confident it seems. I was addicted to pain meds for 5 years. I quit on New years 2012, however when I tried Pristiq during my 1st 5 days of my detox off of the pain meds & benzos during the holidays, I about went crazy after day 5 & almost had to go to the hospital. My boyfriend broke down & gave me a piece of a Klnopin. However, this past month I find I have been drinking more & smoking weed since I no longer over medicate. I haven't been liking my mood swings & so decided to give the pristiq another try.(since I never threw way my stash) I started by breaking it into 3 pieces, & taking a piece a day, then a half, & now a whole. I have had my nights when I have drank alcohol while being on this Pristiq, & it doesn't seem to be a big deal. However, I do believe that avoiding anything with a depressive effect will heighten the work of the Pristiq. Alcohol is ok, but it kindof seems to kill the serotonin/norepinephrine thing that the pristiq is doing.(as well as weed, though I would never mess with smoking weed while on an antidepressant...that is just my rule)... Just in moderation really with the alcohol. & quite honestly, sometimes the Pristiq can make me a little jumpy, so I need a glass of wine to calm down. I also started taking ambien at night as well as switching it with Trazedone every other night so not to get addicted to one particular thing. Those 2 help with sleep. Anyways, I hope my insight helped.
1/ 1/10 11:26pm
This is exactly what has been happening to me, and that is why I started looking for answers today since last night was the worst. Its some strange reaction that never happened before when I drank. Lately I feel like its not really me. I become a different person.
4/26/11 9:01am
That is exactly what happens to me. It is like i become a totally different person and I remember nothing of what I did. I went to a party recently and even had the were-with-all to take some videos of the party...came across them looking for another pic to show a friend of something else...came across them and i was mortified...i was totally functional...having a good time with friends...and i dont remember ANY OF IT. And i had only a small amount to drink, 2 or 3 beers...and this happens ALL OF THE TIME. Total black outs
7/13/10 1:07pm
last week i started taking pristiq..since then i have not drank anything. This is because i was on Prozac before and had a horriable time while drinking on that med. I too had similiar symptons. One night i blacked out from 11 pm till the next morning. My friends told me i was acting pretty drunk but still funcational. It is probably the scariest thing i went through. I also ruined a great relationship and now to do that, he got fed up and left. Now i am changing my life and staying sober. Drinking on any anti depressant , i believe is not a good idea at all. It lowers your tolerance and makes you black out.. or at least for me it did.
11/10/10 1:10am
Ha ha! That's so funny you should mention that John. Just the other night I "awoke" from the couch in one of these said comas and started pouring maple syrup in all the cups in the sink! Luckily I have a very understanding partner as this kind of thing is common, and I barely ever remember the point at which I passed out, what happened afterwards, and how I got to bed. Sad isn't it! Not drinking excessively is the ONLY answer, which is even more sad :-(
11/30/10 6:11pm
yes i have .. i was on zoloft, i became very violent towards my partner.
and i see you have said you have quit alcohol to save your relationship! its great , i advise asking your doctor anout AA alcoholics Anonamous... It is an excellent group of people .. 
8/12/11 11:51am
I just had an incident this past Monday night. My Mom is sick and I have to take care of her..............I got home after drinking and called her a Bitch. She slapped me and I did her back, I don't remember it at ALL...............I am not drinking any MORE!
12/ 9/09 12:01pm
I used to drink about a 12 pack a night and could have heavy nights and be just fine. When I started Pristiq I found that I was getting drunk faster on less. Soon afterwards I found I was becoming an emotional rude drunk. I have had 3 episodes now where I have completely blacked out, mind you I did not drink enough to get black out drunk, and woke up on the couch with my wife extremely mad at me for my behaviour the night before. I have no recollection what so ever of any of it. Needless to say I have chosen to sober up and continue taking Pristiq because other than that, I have had no ill effects other than some nasuea.
11/21/10 1:06am
I have also had an occasion where I have blacked out with no recollection. I have been taking Prestiq since July. I rarely drink, but when I do, I have a GREAT time. Unfortunately, I had not drank at a social function since July. In September, I was pulled over for a DWI and speeding. I was arrested and taken to jail. I woke up early in the morning and had absolutely no idea how I got there. I am not trying to use this as an excuse to get out of trouble, I am trying to figure out why I ended up in jail with no memory of how I got there. The only reason I even made it to this website is because a family member asked if maybe my meds had something to do with it. I googled it and the rest is history. I have never been in trouble in my life. This is completely out of character for me, and I hope by sharing this incident I can warn anyone that may be taking/prescribed Presiq to DEFINITELY NOT DRINK WHILE YOU ARE ON THE DRUG.
10/28/09 11:29pm
I do not take pristiq yet, but I do drink a large bottle of wine often, plenty of times I sleep with my husband , have no idea, but at the time feel fully aware. I am assuming this is blackout??
1/ 6/10 5:51pm
Just wondering about drinking while taking pristique. Please send any information.
1/12/10 1:13am
i am a serious drinker... i drink very often and in high amounts..ie...like 24 beer at a time.... a 26 oz is a good buzz but i drink more than that even... pristiq i found to be magic happy drug at first...but i i grew more tollerent it was less spectactual... i found the blackout factor to increase more and more... i would drink from say 9 am...to 4am... but i wouldnt remember shit from around 3-4 pm...apparently i was still just my usall drinking personality...but would have no recolation...now my doc has given me wellbutrin @ 300 mg...so i dwindled myself off the pristiq...(sexual side effects)...but i have them saved for special occations...like family gatherings...everything is so...ahhhh... So in finale on pristiq...and alchomahol... im gunna give it a 3 outta ten...but i bet i drink alot more than most...at least compared to what ive read here...but then again maybe drinkin 30 beer a night is a bit much...maybe...
oh and on another note...since ive stopped the pristiq which i did slowly cause there r repocutions... like almost the same high you get when you first start it...but not as good...wellbutrion isnt much better...yet for me the whole sexual thang isnt a problem... final note... love pristiq...u shouldnt drink tooo much... and im drunk right now lets see if i remember this...
2/20/10 3:27pm
Don't do it. I had one glass and started having trouble breathing, I literally couldn't get any air. If my dad hadn't been here, honestly I don't think I would have made it. He was talking to me the whole time, telling me I would be okay and not to give up. Every time I heard his voice, I tried harder. I started passing out every minute or so, as well. An ambulance got called and by the time they got here, I was having seizures. The paramedic, hooked me up to oxygen and gave me an IV. As I started coming to, he explained how alcohol mixed with Pristiq causes a reaction in your brain, which causes seizures. It was unbelievably scary. And the funny thing is, I remember every bit of it. I couldn't move and could barely breath, but I was still there, fighting. And I heard everything that was said, and remember everything that was done. Other than the times that I passed out, of course. Although, I was there, I couldn't move or react to anything that was said or done. It was truly scary and I am going to the doctor Monday to get off of this horrible medication.
3/24/10 9:53pm
I have been on pristiq for a couple of weeks now. I know that these depression\anxiety style drugs take a while to actually work within your system but this seemed to work quite well early. Lately though, i forgot to take one the other night and since last night to today i have mopped around feeling anxious. I have suffered depression for 10 years. Sometimes i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I don't drink every day but when i do i usually go overboard. After a night on it I sleep most of the day and when i get up i go for a huge walk which generally makes me feel better. However at night i can feel like i am going to die and on occassions feel very detached from my body like i am not even in it. Quite a scary feeling. During the walk though you feel normal. At night when i get these scary feelings i don't want to be around anyone. Even my family. I don't sleep well that night either but the next day i am a lot better although still a bit ify. Managable would best explain it.
I have explained these situations to my Psych and he is going to put me on a drug called luvox (Fluvoxamine) which i have been told will stop me worrying about things all the time, help depression and anxiety and also has a sedative which can help sleep patterns as long as it is taken at night. I'm willing to give anything a go personally but my Psych seemed to pin point my problem over any Psych i've seen so hopefully things will look up. Will let everyone know =)
4/17/10 10:36am
do you have to give beer up all together
4/17/10 4:57pm
seafawefr
10/ 9/10 2:14pm
I had twelve stubbies of beer over two days and am on 50mg of Pristiq/day but am not a regular drinker... was just celebrating catching up with an old mate, sitting in the sun - not hot day. Anyway that night I had a seizure, so alcohol does enhance the effect of pristiq and should be avoided in my opinion. BTW my weight is over 150kg and am 175cm tall, so my dose is not severe and I am managing nocturnal epilepsy with tegretol 100mg/day. (dumb move mixing alcohol with chemicals)
10/16/10 5:35am
occasional
10/16/10 5:35am
occasional
1/19/11 1:22pm
For me the awnser is NO! I useally drink a few glasses of wine at night and have had to stop due to this medication. As others have reported, it makes me go into a state of mind where I am extreamly angry and rude to those around me. Also, like others, I have very little memory of any of it and and the things I am told that I said and did while in this state down right scare me. It is as if I were a different person and out of control. This has caused me to loose some people very close to me as they don't believe that it was the reaction to the medication and not my "real" feelings coming out. I am a very easy going person but the reaction I have when drinking while taking this is not something I ever want to repeat again. I was down right crazy. Lucally my wife is a forgiving and understanding person or this might have ended my marrage. Do NOT drink while on this.
4/26/11 8:54am
I have been taking this for awhile and I do drink on the weekends. Not a large amount at all..and i get drunk way faster...and I black out. Completely. I dont remember anything. This past Easter we went to a party. I had a wine cooler prior to going. I remember pulling up to the house...and then nothing. But still totally functional. I even have videos i took on my phone of the party...watching myself, family and friends have a good time..and i remember nothing of it. I came across the videos looking for another pic on my phone that I took yesterday...and i was shocked. Fully functional, but it was like i was watching someone else. I completely black out when i have a very small amount to drink, about 3 or 4 beers. And also, my husband says we fight crazy and he is mad at me in the morning...and i dont know why. It is totally crazy. Total black outs when I drink now that I have been on this medication
1/18/12 3:27pm
I know this is a really old question, but I wanted to add my experience so far. I've been on Pristiq for 5 days and have already noticed a lot of positive changes. I've had plans to hang out and drink with my friends tonight, so last night I had one beer to check for any negative interactions. I felt great after the one beer, like it had been maybe 2 beers. Then oddly, the feeling was gone very quickly and I felt sober. I developed a headache and went to sleep a couple hours later. I woke up this morning and I still have the headache 12 hours later. I also completely nullified the effects of the Pristiq. Today I feel exactly like I did before I started taking it. I've decided not to drink tonight because even though I have a lot of fun when I drink with these friends, it's not worth feeling this depressed the next day.
PS-I am also taking Vyvanse and Wellbutrin and am usually able to drink a considerable amount on them with no ill effects.
1/29/12 3:06pm
Well after reading everyone's reactions to Prestiq and alcohol, it's eery b/c that's exactly what happens to me. I woke up this morning, remembering only a portion of the night. My husband tells me that I got wasted after maybe 2 glasses of wine and was aggressive and loud and cocky. Then he took me home bc I couldn't walk smoothly and he didn't want me to embarrass myself further. I yelled him him all the way home, ate some gross chips and salsa, then demanded we have sex. Which of course, wasn't appealing and he was mad at me,so we didn't. I DO NOT remember any of this. I woke up happy and cuddly with my husband and then I get the "don't you remember last night ??" I'm in the dog house. But seriously, I've been on Wellbutrin, lexapro, and a bunch of others in my 20's when I drank more and def. had some reactions like this but not after a couple glasses of wine. Since prestiq hasn't been tested over a lifetime, I wonder if I should not take it if I'm young and going to be going out on the weekends??? Or should I attempt to stop drinking all together?? This would be hard at 30.
I need the Prestiq bc I get major panic attacks and anxiety that is dehabilitating. I'm in therapy working on the cause of this. I have family members with similar disposition.
My husband won't forgive me for acting out until I have the discipline to stop drinking while on the meds. This isn't worth making my marriage rocky. I have to decide to stop drinking or take another SRS for anxiety.
2/18/12 8:38am
After this Whitney Houston thing I got worried about my wife being on Pristiq and drinking. This site has been valuable, informative, and I hate to say it, incredibly entertaining. My wife suffers from MS, takes Avonex, and has had episodes where she appears much drunker on less alcohol. We though it's from switching from beer to wine, but there appears to be ample evidence that its the Pristiq which must be amplifying the alcohol. For those of you pounding 30 beers a day, you might want to reconsider what the bigger problem is. There's a fine line between questioning is it the pill or if you are a balls out alcoholic?
3/ 1/12 8:04am
i have been on pristiq for almost 2 years, I think i stopped drinking for the first three weeks but then continued as per normal (normal is a couple of glasses of wine most week nights and then drinking on the weekend) I have to agree with everyone, it makes me black out. completely black out. I remember the start of the night but never the end and everyone always says im the drunkest but i dont remember drinking loads. Im also starting to get hair loss....had anyone else experinced that?
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Some scary conditions were mentioned on the Q&A forum. The main worry I read somewhere in the Pristiq literature is about damage to the liver. I imagine this and other health problems would occur with excessive alcohol consumption, but not on one glass of wine a day before dinner. I hope I'm right, because that's my habit.