Taking SSRIs While on Naltrexone For Alcohol Use

If you’re taking SSRIs for depression, naltrexone is safe and often recommended because alcohol use can make mental health disorders much worse.

What You’ll Learn:

• Statistics that show the close correlation between depression and unhealthy alcohol use.

• Why alcohol makes depression worse.

• What to know if you’re taking SSRIs and naltrexone at the same time.

• How to make sure you’re getting the most out of your medications.

For many people, depression and unhealthy alcohol use go hand-in-hand. It’s sometimes so closely correlated that it’s difficult to tell which issue led to the other. This isn’t just an anecdotal observation. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed the close connection between depression and alcohol abuse. It’s what’s known as a biconditional relationship.

Not surprisingly, we get a lot of questions about taking SSRIs for depression while taking naltrexone for alcohol use. We’re here to give you hope that you can find relief from both problems, and reducing alcohol use is absolutely essential.

Research That Proves the Powerful Connection Between Alcohol Misuse and Depression

Depression worsens alcohol abuse, and alcohol abuse makes depression worse. It’s a horrible cycle that perpetuates both problems in a scary way.

Here are a few statistics about depression and alcohol use that are pretty startling:

• A national survey from AFMC found that 63.8% of people who drink heavily have depression.

• A study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that 1 in 5 people that misuse alcohol have depression.

• The University of Minnesota determined that while only 5% of the general public had alcohol use disorder (AUD), anywhere between 20-40% of people with anxiety or major depression had an AUD.

• It’s not just an issue in the U.S. A study in the U.K. found that 18% of non-drinkers reported that they had depression whereas 37% of harmful drinkers had depression.

This is just a small sampling of the research that makes a clear connection between depression and an increased risk for alcohol misuse. The connection isn’t a cultural or social issue. It’s a biological issue that’s inescapable.

Why Alcohol Makes Depression Worse

The research makes it clear that one of the worst things you can do if you have depression is drink alcohol. The question you may have is why alcohol makes depression worse.

Alcohol is a Depressant

Alcohol might seem like it’s giving you a boost in the moment, but the next day the depression will be worse. Your mood will decline while anxiety increases. This happens because alcohol alters brain chemicals. While drinking it can boost GABA, which has a relaxing effect. It also causes a release of dopamine that can provide a short-term boost.

But this is also why alcohol is addictive, and the come down can make it even harder to handle depression.

Other neurotransmitters are affected by alcohol as well. Serotonin is one of them, but alcohol suppresses serotonin rather than increasing it. This is really detrimental to someone with depression because it throws off brain chemistry and circuitry even more. Alcohol will disrupt the neural pathways making it more difficult to regulate your mood.

Alcohol Actually Inhibits Anti-Depressant Medications and Makes Them Less Effective

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) help correct depression by increasing serotonin production in the brain. Alcohol does the opposite. Even drinking once will have a negative effect on serotonin, and chronic alcohol use compounds the problem. Essentially, when you drink you’re cancelling out the benefit of SSRIs.

Drinking While Taking SSRIs Can Be Dangerous

There’s another reason alcohol makes depression worse, not better. Drinking alcohol while taking SSRIs at higher doses can also be dangerous. High dose SSRIs can have a sedative effect. Paired with alcohol, it can make you drowsy, impair coordination and negatively impact breathing.

Bottomline: mixing antidepressants and alcohol is never a good idea. Check out our full breakdown of why alcohol makes depression worse for more details that can help you better understand your mental health.

What to Know About Taking Naltrexone If You’re Taking an SSRI

SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Anywhere from 50-70% of people who are diagnosed with depression take SSRIs as a first-line medication. Given the prevalence of alcohol use, many people who are prescribed SSRIs are taking them while drinking, essentially negating their effect.

You know that alcohol use is making you more depressed, but getting a handle on the situation can be extremely difficult. Even people without depression can have difficulty controlling their alcohol use when it’s habitual, they have cravings or alcohol dependence has formed.

FDA-approved naltrexone medication is a game changer for many people with depression that drink excessively. Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist that blocks dopamine from being released when alcohol is consumed. This eliminates the buzz that you feel while drinking, and overtime it helps rewire the brain’s reward system so that you won’t crave alcohol. Both of these effects make it easier for many people to reduce alcohol intake or quit drinking entirely.

If you’re taking SSRIs for depression you may be hesitant to add another medication to the mix, but it’s completely safe to take naltrexone as well.

• There are no adverse drug interactions between the two.

• Naltrexone won’t make serotonin syndrome worse.

• Naltrexone can be taken daily to make sure it’s continuously active in your system.

At most, you may experience typical naltrexone side effects. Even then, side effects are typically mild and last just a week or two before resolving once you get used to the medication.

In fact, SSRIs and naltrexone are often prescribed together for people who are struggling with depression and AUD. It’s recognized that significantly reducing alcohol use is essential, and medication-assisted treatment is a viable solution.

How to Ensure You’re Getting the Most Out of Your Medications

If you’re taking SSRIs and naltrexone it’s important to take steps to ensure that you’re getting the most benefit possible out of your medication.

Don’t Take Naltrexone Without a Prescription

First and foremost, naltrexone is a controlled substance that requires a prescription. While it is extremely safe, a qualified clinician needs to do an evaluation first to determine if it’s appropriate for your situation. The clinician will review your medical history, the medications you’re taking and alcohol use prior to prescribing.

Work With a Prescriber That Will Monitor

You don’t want to get naltrexone from an online prescriber that just sells the medication. Regular evaluations and monitoring are essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the side effects. A knowledgeable clinician can make dosage adjustments as needed and gauge how well the treatment is working.

Choose Your Horizon offers the convenience of online naltrexone prescriptions that are delivered to your home along with the support of having clinicians you can connect with that can monitor your care. And if you find that SSRIs aren’t providing the desired anti-depressive effect even after you quit drinking, ketamine-assisted therapy for depression is an option.

If you’re interested in using naltrexone, take the Alcohol Use Assessment. It’s a quick, confidential way to determine if naltrexone can help.