Can I Drink Alcohol on Zoloft?

According to the Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) prescribing information, drinking alcohol while taking Zoloft is not recommended. Zoloft and alcohol act upon similar chemicals in the brain. So the concern is that Zoloft will increase the effects of alcohol — whether this is increasing depression symptoms or affecting motor skills.

Practically, when many healthcare providers are asked whether or not it is okay to drink alcohol on Zoloft, they make the following recommendation: If a person chooses to drink alcohol while taking Zoloft, he or she should only drink light to moderate amounts — and only after he or she understands the effects that Zoloft (and other medicines he or she may be taking) can have on the body.

Alcohol and Zoloft: What Is Moderate Drinking?

When healthcare providers recommend moderate alcohol drinking, they mean one drink a day for women; two drinks a day for men. Because the alcohol content in drinks varies, what counts as one drink also varies. When healthcare providers talk about one alcoholic drink, they are referring to one of the following examples:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 5 ounces of wine .
• This doesn’t sounds good but its the true.:))

Both alcohol and
Zoloft are metabolized in the liver, and taking both can stress the
liver. The manufacturer of Zoloft, Pfizer, states that one should not
drink alcohol while using Zoloft. Alcohol alone can induce depression,
and alcohol consumed  with Zoloft can render Zoloft useless. Taking
Zoloft with alcohol can even make some people crave more alcohol!

Consumption of alcohol can also interact with the Zoloft you are
taking, affecting its metabolism, as well as affecting its ability to
control the depression, or other condition, for which it was
prescribed.