If I miss a week of Addyi (flibanserin), will that be enough time for the drug to be cleared so that alcohol will no longer cause its interaction side effects?

Flibanserin and Alcohol Interaction After One Week Off

One week off flibanserin is sufficient to eliminate the drug from your system and avoid alcohol interaction side effects, as the medication is completely cleared within 2-3 days after stopping.

Pharmacokinetic Clearance Timeline

The elimination of flibanserin follows a predictable timeline based on its half-life:

• Flibanserin has a relatively short half-life of approximately 11 hours 1
• Complete drug clearance occurs within 2-3 days (approximately 5-7 half-lives) after the last dose 1
• After one week (7 days) without taking flibanserin, the medication will be entirely eliminated from your body 1

Alcohol Interaction Context

Understanding the interaction helps clarify why clearance matters:

• The primary safety concerns with flibanserin and alcohol include hypotension, syncope, dizziness, and somnolence 2, 3
• These interactions occur when flibanserin is present in the system at therapeutic levels 2, 3
• Research studies evaluating alcohol timing relative to flibanserin dosing examined intervals of 2-6 hours, not days, because the drug must be present to cause interaction 2

Clinical Evidence on Timing

Studies have examined various timing scenarios:

• When flibanserin was administered 2,4, or 6 hours after alcohol consumption (0.4 g/kg), no significant increase in hypotension, orthostatic hypotension, or syncope occurred compared to flibanserin alone 2
• Co-administration of flibanserin with varying alcohol doses (0.2-0.6 g/kg) resulted in dizziness rates of 27.4-39.8%, compared to 31.1% with flibanserin alone 3
• These studies focused on same-day interactions because the drug's presence is required for the interaction to occur 2, 3

Practical Recommendation

After 7 days off flibanserin, you can safely consume alcohol without concern for drug-alcohol interactions, as no flibanserin remains in your system.

Important Caveats

• If you plan to resume flibanserin after drinking, wait until the next scheduled bedtime dose, as flibanserin should be taken at bedtime 2, 3
• The most common side effects of flibanserin itself (without alcohol) include dizziness, somnolence, nausea, and fatigue 1, 4
• When restarting flibanserin after a prolonged break, you may experience these side effects again as your body readjusts 4, 5