The short term reductions in drinking in human alcoholics lasted no longer than a week and then the subjects were once again drinking just as much as they ever had.

There is one group, however, which seems definitely to benefit from SSRIs. A number of studies conducted in the 1980s and the worthington 1990s sho that SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac led to short term reductions in alcohol consumption in both humans and rats. This led to a lot of enthusiasm and intensive research on the effects of SSRIs on alcohol consumption because some researchers hoped that SSRIs might hold the key to the cure for alcoholism. Do Antidepressants Make Some People Drink More. However, the research proved that the effects of SSRIs on alcohol consumption are far less simple than they initially appeared.

Moreover, the research sho that SSRIs may actually worsen drinking in Carr Onset Alcohol Abusers and in women.

Patients who have both Alcohol Dependence and severe Major Depressive Disorder show significant improvement both in depression and alcohol consumption when treated with SSRIs.