No abstract

We have studied the interaction of viqualine, a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake inhibitor, with ethanol in 16 healthy men aged 20 to 34 years. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive ethanol dosed to maintain blood alcohol concentrations of 17-22 mmol.l-1 (n = 8) or orange juice (n = 8) on each of two test days one week apart and preceded, in random order, by 3 days of viqualine 75 mg bd or placebo. Ethanol had no effect on steady-state viqualine concentrations or the inhibition of 5-HT uptake. Viqualine did not affect acetaldehyde concentrations or cause an aversive alcohol-sensitizing reaction. The deleterious effects of ethanol on word recall, manual tracking, body sway, and self-ratings of intoxication, sedation, and performance were not modified by the presence of viqualine. Within each beverage group performances and self-ratings on viqualine and placebo days were not different. The first dose of viqualine was associated with transient nausea. Viqualine and ethanol do not interact kinetically or dynamically on the variables examined in this study.

Fluoxetine, unlike amitriptyline, selectively blocks serotonin uptake. The interactions of steady state levels of fluoxetine with ethanol and of amitriptyline with ethanol were measured in a double-blind, chronic dose, randomized study. Sixteen healthy men, ages 21 to 28 years, were tested with placebo and ethanol (dosed to maintain blood ethanol concentration of 17-22 mM) and placebo and juice on two separate days. For 14 nights, 8 subjects took fluoxetine 40 mg, 8 took amitriptyline 50 mg, and all were re-tested with ethanol and juice as before. Ethanol had no effect on inhibition of serotonin uptake or on pharmacokinetics of fluoxetine or amitriptyline. The deleterious effects of ethanol on memory, manual tracking, body sway, intoxication and sedation (p < 0.05) were not modified by either fluoxetine or amitriptyline. This study design, which is sensitive enough to detect ethanol effects, suggests that ethanol does not interact importantly with clinically relevant doses of fluoxetine or low doses of amitriptyline administered chronically.