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Alcohol and Lexapro

Drinking alcohol while on Lexapro is not recommended. This is because if alcohol and Lexapro are taken together, Lexapro may potentially increase the effects of the alcohol. If you choose to drink while taking Lexapro, you should drink only light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol -- one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. Twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, and one ounce of 100-proof spirits all count as one alcoholic drink. You should also make sure not to drink at the same time as you are taking your Lexapro.

 

Can I Drink Alcohol on Lexapro?

According to the Lexapro® (escitalopram oxalate) manufacturer, drinking alcohol while on Lexapro is not recommended. Because medicines and alcohol act upon similar chemicals in the brain, the concern is that Lexapro will increase the effects of alcohol -- whether this is increasing depression symptoms or affecting motor skills.
 
When many healthcare providers are asked whether it is okay to drink alcohol while on Lexapro, they recommend that if a person chooses to drink, he or she should drink only light-to-moderate amounts. He or she should also drink alcohol only after fully understanding the effects that Lexapro (and other medicines he or she is taking) may have on the body.
 

Alcohol and Lexapro: What Is Moderate Drinking?

When healthcare providers recommend moderate alcohol drinking, they mean one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
 Because the alcohol content in drinks varies, what counts as one drink also varies. However, healthcare providers have some general guidelines about what counts as one drink. Each of the drinks listed below is an example of one alcoholic drink:
 
  • 12 ounces of beer
  • 5 ounces of wine
  • 1½ ounces of 80-proof whiskey or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
     
(Alcohol and Lexapro Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;