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Almost everyone knows that alcohol should not be drunk while taking certain medications. It is much worse with the knowledge of what specific drugs are involved.
- Combining alcohol with some medications can be dangerous to your health and even life. The matter is serious, especially since some of these pharmaceuticals are over-the-counter (OTC) preparations
- However, the opposite phenomenon may also be dangerous – unnecessary discontinuation of the drug taken permanently on the day of the planned feast
- Below is a list of selected groups of drugs that may be particularly dangerous when mixed with alcohol
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Prescription drugs:
- Opioids, sedatives and hypnotics. Their combination with alcohol can result in excessive sleepiness, impaired motor functions, memory lapses, breathing problems, and in extreme cases – death.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. celecoxib, naproxen, diclofenac, and many others). Mixing them with alcoholic beverages can result in stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver damage and, for some NSAIDs, cardiovascular events.
- Medicines against blood clotting (e.g. warfarin). As the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) warns, alcohol can potentiate the effects of warfarin, increasing the risk of internal bleeding. However, the same combination can have the opposite effect and lead to the formation of blood clots, stroke or heart attack – emphasizes Prof. Amy Tiemeier of St. Louis College of Pharmacy. In this case, quite moderate amounts of alcohol can be dangerous.
- Antibiotics, chemotherapy and antifungal drugs. For example, azithromycin, metronidazole, ketoconazole – when combined with alcohol, they can cause tachycardia, sudden changes in blood pressure, abdominal pain, vomiting. Alcohol can also increase some of the side effects of these medicines, such as nausea and dizziness. What is very important – it can also reduce their antibacterial or antifungal effectiveness.
- Oral diabetes medications such as glipizide, glibenclamide, chlorpropamide. Alcohol consumption by a person treated with these drugs is often not tolerated. Nausea, vomiting, headache, tachycardia and hypoglycaemia may occur.
OTC drugs:
- Painkillers. The combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with alcohol can irritate the gastric mucosa, cause erosions and bleeding in it. Conversely, alcohol may increase the risk of liver damage if you take paracetamol.
- Antihistamines and combined preparations used to relieve symptoms of colds. If you take substances with anti-allergic properties, alcohol may cause e.g. increased drowsiness and dizziness. Interactions of anti-inflammatory ingredients and paracetamol with alcohol – see section 6.
- Certain cough suppressant syrups, particularly (but not limited to) codeine or dextromethorphan hydrobromide. Together with alcoholic beverages, they may cause dizziness and drowsiness.
Attention! The above list should in no way be considered complete. We strongly recommend that you carefully read the leaflets of all medications you take.
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