Combining Lexapro (escitalopram) with alcohol can increase drowsiness, impair judgment and motor skills, and worsen depression symptoms. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that can counteract the therapeutic effects of the antidepressant and increase the risk of dangerous behavior.
How This Interaction Works (Mechanism)
Escitalopram selectively inhibits serotonin reuptake, increasing serotonin availability in the synaptic cleft. Alcohol enhances GABAergic inhibition and suppresses glutamatergic excitation in the brain, producing sedative and depressant effects. The combination amplifies CNS depression, causing greater impairment of cognitive and motor function than either substance alone. Alcohol also disrupts sleep architecture, which can worsen the depression that escitalopram is treating.
Source: Lexapro (Escitalopram) Prescribing Information, Allergan, 2025
The prescribing information for Lexapro recommends avoiding alcohol. If you choose to drink, start with very small amounts to see how the combination affects you. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking while on Lexapro. If you notice worsening depression, increased anxiety, or suicidal thoughts after drinking, contact your doctor immediately.
Check More Drug Interactions
Use our free interaction checker to search thousands of drug, supplement, and food combinations.
Open Interaction CheckerKeep a multi-drug routine straight
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sources and standards behind this page
What a drug interaction does, and how strongly it is supported, is documented in public labeling and federal safety references rather than in any one summary, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a claim without taking this page's word for it.
- DailyMed carries the current FDA labeling for every marketed drug product, including the warnings and drug interaction sections.
- Drugs@FDA is the federal database of approved drug products and their approval documents.
- FDA: Drug interactions, what you should know explains how drug-drug, drug-food and drug-condition interactions are described on labels.
- FDA Drug Safety Communications publishes the agency's safety alerts and label changes as they are issued.
- FDA MedWatch is the program for reporting and reviewing adverse events, including suspected interactions.
- openFDA provides public access to FDA labeling and adverse event data.
- MedlinePlus drug information is the National Library of Medicine's consumer reference for what a medicine is and how it is taken.
- NIAAA: Harmful interactions documents which medicines interact with alcohol and how.
- NCCIH: Herb-drug interactions summarises the evidence on interactions between herbal products and medicines.
- National Library of Medicine maintains the drug and health databases the sources above draw on.
This page describes how this interaction works and where it is documented. It is not medical advice: a prescriber or pharmacist decides what applies to a particular patient and medication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lexapro and Alcohol have a moderate interaction that requires caution. While some patients may take both under medical supervision, the combination can cause adverse effects. Talk to your doctor before combining these medications, and do not adjust doses on your own.
Combining Lexapro (escitalopram) with alcohol can increase drowsiness, impair judgment and motor skills, and worsen depression symptoms. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that can counteract the therapeutic effects of the antidepressant and increase the risk of dangerous behavior.
Yes. Anytime you are taking multiple medications, supplements, or substances, you should inform your doctor and pharmacist. They can evaluate your specific risk factors (age, kidney function, other medications, medical conditions) and determine whether the Lexapro and Alcohol combination is safe for you, or whether adjustments are needed.
Related Resources
Get Drug Safety Alerts
Leave your email for updates on FDA warnings, new drug interactions, and patient safety information. We have not started sending yet, and we will only email when we do.