# What happens if you mix depressants and antidepressants?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-mix-depressants-and-antidepressants/604446>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-mix-depressants-and-antidepressants/604446 "2011-11-29T13:43:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-mix-depressants-and-antidepressants/604446/21 "2011-11-30T18:28:26Z")

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> [@Jaledin](#):
>
> My GP told me that antidepressants’ effects are mitigated by regular alcohol consumption, especially to excess on occasion. But, I take Xanax as needed (on a stressful day, 6 mg qd, on a regular day [most], none). Haven’t noticed anything personally, but I’m on a low dose of Citalopram (20 mg qd), which is taken for anxiety, so (a) I’m not perhaps the ideal subject, never having had major depression and (b) I don’t know of any studies, nor would I know how to interpret them if there were any.

I suffered from major depression for years before my GP prescribed Paxil. Some months later I discovered that if I drank alcoholic beverages, (1) I could become intoxicated really, really easily, and (2) the next day or two my mood dropped horribly. I now abstain almost entirely as I’d rather forego the single malt Scotch and martinis that I used to really, really love, because neither of those are worth the depression.

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**Author:** ![pkd88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pkd88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkd88)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-mix-depressants-and-antidepressants/604446/22 "2011-12-01T02:16:58Z")

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One thing I have learned in my years of being on mental health meds is that medications get a type label and that does not always represent what it is capable of doing.

An anti-depressant may help with anxiety but it is not called an anti-anxiety medicine like Xanax is. An SSRI type of med may work with the neurotransmitters that cause different reactions, they then can be used for many things.

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-mix-depressants-and-antidepressants/604446/23 "2011-12-01T02:40:01Z")

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I’ve been on anti-depressants most of my adult life. If you count alcohol as a depressant, then I’d say they don’t do a whole heck of a lot, at least not in the dosages I’ve experienced. I’m currently on a mood stabilizer, a stimulant (AHDH) and Xanax, which is for anxiety but I’m not sure if it counts as a depressant. They all just do what they’re supposed to do. I’ve never had any weird side effects or anything from taking my medication.

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