Possible Interaction: Ethanol and Antipsychotic Agents

“However, despite the fact that benzodiazepines possess high therapeutic index and are … safe, their use can be dangerous when: (1) co-administered with alcohol , (2) co-administered … sedatives, antidepressants, neuroleptics or morphine like substances, (3) driving under their influence, (4) … as drugs of abuse or in drug-facilitated crimes.”

“While the typical antipsychotics do not limit the comorbid substance use, and may actually worsen it, preliminary data suggest the novel antipsychotic clozapine may have the unusual ability to dramatically decrease alcohol and other substance use in patients with schizophrenia.”

“Dopamine (DA) receptor supersensitivity is also suggested by the enhanced effect of neuroleptics in inducing hypomotility in rats treated with ethanol.”

“It is assumed that the inhibitory effect of neuroleptics on ethanol addiction seen in these experiments is mediated by their adrenolytic rather than antidopaminergic properties.”

“After 13 mo of ethanol consumption, the number of neuroleptic binding sites in striatum was diminished by 29%.”

“Many of these medications had the potential for adverse interactions with alcohol , including opioids, anxiolytics, antidepressants, hypnotics, antipsychotics , and mood regulators.”

“We also found a high prevalence of AA , which are rarely investigated in epidemiological studies performed on drivers, but may cause impairment of the ability to drive, especially when taken in combination with alcohol or other drugs.”

“Among 429 addiction treatment inpatients screened, 73 (17.0%) reported misuse of antipsychotics with alcohol , opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and/or cannabis; 39 (9.1%) within the past year.”

“More recently, we have been shown alcohol’s ability to induce a near psychotic misinterpretation of the emotion being expressed on other people’s faces as one of threat, particularly in men.”

“ Alcohol also increases the sedative effect of antipsychotics , and some patients deal with this by ceasing medication and avoiding their first appointments.”