1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Alcohol Consumption

Did Fluxotine made me an alcoholic?

Posted , 5 users are following.

nellpop
nellpop

I've just come off 60mg fluxotine for anxiety after 4 to 5 years, I am sensitive to most meds (I'm the 1 in 100 to get the strange rare side effect) & took a while to get a ssri that I could cope with.

Over the past 4 years my alcohol consumption skyrocketed, drinking/being drunk was very different & I've ended up on meds to reduce cravings. I've had sober periods in that time. I've never had a physical dependence on alcohol.

I do think there is a connection with fluxotine and now that I'm off I'm thinking of trying off the alcohol craving meds.

Anyone been through something similar??

Can fluxotine cause alcohol cravings?

Is it just my alcoholic persona trying to trick me?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 nellpop

    Posted

    I do agree with you that this drug could have caused you to drink.

    I was on this a couple of weeks ago and I was insanely hyper..and manic.

    I can see how a drink would have calmed me down.  I didn't drink. But, I can see why someone would on this drug.

    And you don't even realize it is that drug causing your uneasiness until you stop using it!

     

  • ADEfree
    ADEfree nellpop

    Posted

    Paroxetine actually has alcohol abuse listed as a possible side effect, SSRIs in general suffer from anecdotal reports of suddenly increased alcohol craving and abuse. RiskX has an article on it from a layperson's point of view, but the site is backed by doctors.

    It's not anything you can put your finger on and say this person is going to start drinking heavily on this SSRI. The very same drug may make another person drink less. Or then next guy might not see any difference in their drinking at all, again on the very same drug. Just like when someone is trying out a particular SSRI for it's antidepressant effects, it's one man's nightmare and another's savior, while for yet another it does little or nothing. 

    If the craving/drinking effect from SSRIs were more common, I would think there would be heads on sticks over this by now. 

    By all means, do discuss this with your doctor. They may well have come across it before. 

    What anti-craving meds are you using? 

    • nellpop
      nellpop ADEfree

      Posted

      Thank you - wow, I'm not sure to let myself get excited about this being the end of my alcohol nightmare. I'll check out that info now

      I was first on campral which worked really well with cravings but made my depression very bad. I'm now on revia (Aus brand names) & im not sure of its my effect on me.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.