Many people enjoy having a drink or two when they are out to dinner with friends or sipping a glass of wine at the end of the day. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, some medications don’t mix well with alcohol. 

If you’re taking a prescribed medication for major depressive disorder, such as Cymbalta, it’s important to ask your doctor about how your everyday lifestyle may be impacted. For instance, if you like to enjoy a beer or a glass of moscato to relax at night, you should ask, “Is it safe to drink alcohol?” The answer is basically no, it’s not a good idea. However, it’s important to understand the specifics.

In this blog post, we’ll share how drinking alcohol while taking Cymbalta can increase the risk of negative — or even dangerous — effects.

Why it’s risky to drink alcohol while on Cymbalta

Cymbalta is the brand name for duloxetine. It’s an antidepressant that you may be prescribed if you have major depressive disorder symptoms that you’re having difficulty managing on your own, or aren’t being improved with other treatment options. There are a variety of things that should be avoided if you’re taking Cymbalta, including alcohol, tobacco and foods with ethanol. 

Mixing alcohol with any type of medication is almost always not a good idea. When it comes to antidepressants, like Cymbalta, doctors recommend that you stay away from alcohol as it can lead to harmful interactions in the body, increasing the risk of short- and long-term issues.

Some say that an occasional alcoholic drink may be OK while taking Cymbalta, but only if you discuss it with your provider first. It’s difficult to determine how much alcohol it takes for a harmful interaction to occur, which is why it’s usually discouraged. Essentially, no amount of alcohol is considered completely safe while a person is taking an antidepressant.

Here are a few potential risks of mixing alcohol and Cymbalta:

• Potential liver damage — A major concern about mixing alcohol with antidepressants is the possible negative impact it can have on your liver. Each substance on its own can damage your liver cells. By combining the two, there can be an even greater chance, especially if you’re a heavy drinker, or you’ve experienced alcohol use disorder in the past. Liver damage can cause symptoms such as upper abdomen pain, dark urine and jaundice.
• Worsened Cymbalta side effects — Cymbalta comes with several potential side effects, including dry mouth, headaches, nausea and drowsiness. If you drink alcohol while taking Cymbalta, there is a risk of increasing the severity of the side effects. This is often due to overlapping symptoms of alcohol and antidepressants. For example, many people feel nauseous if they drink too much or get incredibly sleepy. Since those are side effects of Cymbalta that you may already experience, alcohol may exacerbate them.
• Decreased effectiveness of the antidepressant — If you’re taking Cymbalta, it’s because you want to alleviate your major depressive disorder symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, such as daily productivity and interpersonal relationships. However, alcohol can change the way that Cymbalta affects the body, leading to decreased efficiency of the ingredients. Mixing alcohol with an antidepressant can lead to worsening the depressive symptoms that you’re trying to manage.

Lightfully can help you manage your depression 

Some people turn to substances like alcohol as a coping mechanism for depression symptoms. However, mixing Cymbalta and alcohol isn’t a good idea. That’s why it’s important that you have a comprehensive treatment for depression beyond a prescription.

Depression treatment is often a combination of medication and therapy. If you’re taking Cymbalta, regular therapy sessions can help you get to the root issues of your depression, talk through situations that may be causing your symptoms and learn coping mechanisms. Lightfully is here if you need a bit more intensive help.

At Lightfully, we use our Precision Care Model, which means that we treat the whole person with a holistic, personalized treatment. You’re more than your depression.

We have four levels of care that consist of evidence-based, data-driven and whole-person-centered treatment:

• Residential Treatment 
• Partial Hospitalization Program
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program 

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.