Mixing Mirtazapine and Alcohol: Dangers & Side Effects
Patients need to be aware of the potential for increased dizziness and should be advised to stand up slowly to minimize the risk of falls. Before detoxification, 44.7% (34/76) of pDDIs were considered severe, while after detoxification, 40.8% (31/76) were considered severe. The most common pDDI categories before detoxification were “increased risk of renal failure” (35.5%; 27/76), “pharmacokinetic interaction” (18.4%; 14/76) and “pharmacodynamic interaction” (15.8%; 12/76). After detoxification, these categories remained prevalent with “increased risk of renal failure” in 35.5% (27/76), “pharmacodynamic interaction” in 17.1% (13/76) and “pharmacokinetic interaction” in 15.8% (12/76). The risk of exposure to pAMIs and pDDIs increases during inpatient withdrawal treatment in patients with AUD. Improvements in the quality of prescribing should particularly focus on the use of antihypertensives and opioids.
- Those 14 clinical trials included 5 studies with tricyclic antidepressants, 7 studies of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and 2 from other classes (vioxazine, nefazodone) with a total of 848 subjects.
- Participant-rated depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock & Erbaugh, 1961).
- It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.
- Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms after stopping mirtazapine or decreasing the dose.
Identification of demographic data
Due to the exploratory nature of our study, no adjustments were made for multiple testing. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies investigating whether qualified inpatient withdrawal treatment is a risk factor for medication safety in AUD 15, 18. We enrolled 153 patients with AUD who were treated in an addiction unit of a university hospital in Germany. Of these, 67.3% experienced at least one pAMI before and 91.5% after withdrawal treatment. In total, there were 278 pAMIs classified as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe” before and 370 pAMIs after withdrawal treatment.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking a medicine to lower your cholesterol. Your healthcare provider may check your cholesterol levels while you are taking mirtazapine. Older adults and children, adolescents, or young adults can be at greater risk for some side effects from mirtazapine. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risks if you are in one of these age groups. Low Blood Pressure Upon Standing (Orthostatic Hypotension).
Do not use more than the recommended dose of mirtazapine, and avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medication affects you. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns. In addition, people with AUD have an increased susceptibility to potential alcohol-medication interactions (pAMIs) during alcohol consumption, which pose a significant risk to their health 11, 12.
Drug Interactions
However, elderly patients are more likely to have confusion or unusual drowsiness and age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving mirtazapine. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. However, mixing the two substances can also cause a range of physical side effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia and sexual dysfunction. In some cases, mirtazapine and alcohol blackouts and memory loss can also occur, both of which mirtazapine interactions with alcohol can put you at risk of accidents, potential crimes and other dangers.
Serious side effects
A small study reported that after maternal doses between 30 to 120 mg, nursing infants received approximately 1.5% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose. None of the subjects underwent any alcohol treatment or other treatment outside the study. Three persons complained of mild sedation when they first started the medication, but the sedation resolved over a few days. At baseline, 4 subjects were unemployed, 7 had part-time jobs (less than 40 hours of work per week), and none had a full-time job. However, at the end of the medication trial, all 12 were employed, – 3 held part-time jobs, and 9 held full time jobs. In other words, at the beginning of the medication trial, none of the 12 subjects were employed full time, but at the end of the medication trial 9 of the 12 subjects (75%) were employed full time.
Alcohol affects women differently
Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking.
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor’s orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
A small number of people who have taken antidepressants such as mirtazapine have reported having seizures. There are many different types of seizures and some of them are not easy to recognize. Stop taking mirtazapine and call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following signs that a seizure is happening or could happen. The most common side effects of mirtazapine are listed below. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.
Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take. The orally disintegrating tablet may contain phenylalanine and could be harmful if you have phenylketonuria (PKU). It is not known if mirtazapine is safe and effective for use to treat MDD in children. The way this medication works is still not fully understood.