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Alcohol and Medication Interactions
Alcohol often has harmful interactions with prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and even some herbal remedies. Alcohol interactions with medications may cause problems such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
- Drowsiness
- Fainting
- Loss of coordination
Mixing alcohol and medications also may increase the risk of complications such as:
Medicine is rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness before becoming available to the consumer. In the U.S., the FDA makes sure this happens. Once on the market, the FDA, along with the makers of the drug, continue to monitor the medicine for any unforeseen problems. Should an issue develop, or the safety of a medication come into question, a recall will be issued.
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- Liver damage
- Heart problems
- Internal bleeding
- Impaired breathing
In some cases, alcohol interactions may decrease the effectiveness of medications or render them useless. In other cases, alcohol interactions may make drugs harmful or even toxic to the body.
Even in small amounts, alcohol also may intensify medication side effects such as sleepiness, drowsiness, and light-headedness, which may interfere with your concentration and ability to operate machinery or drive a vehicle, and lead to serious or even fatal accidents.
Because alcohol can adversely interact with hundreds of commonly used medications, it's important to observe warning labels and ask your doctor or pharmacist if it's safe to use alcohol with the medications and herbal remedies that you take.
Alcohol Interactions: A Significant and Increasing Danger
According to the CDC, about two-thirds of American adults over age 18 at least occasionally use alcohol. Of these, 52% are current regular drinkers (defined as at least 12 drinks in the past year), and 13% are current infrequent drinkers (defined as up to 11 drinks in the past year).
Use of prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as herbal remedies, also is extremely prevalent. Partly because of the obesity epidemic, Americans of all ages are taking more drugs to control chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. Because the incidence of chronic conditions increases with age, older Americans are especially likely to take prescription medications -- often as many as 10 per day -- many of which are likely to adversely interact with alcohol.
As the population ages, the problems associated with mixing alcohol and medications are certain to increase.
Older Americans Are at Special Risk of Alcohol Interactions
In older adults especially, alcohol use may increase the risk for falls, serious injury, and disability related to balance problems. Alcohol use also may trigger or worsen certain medical conditions.
When alcohol use is combined with multiple medications, it may magnify these problems. Older adults don't metabolize alcohol as quickly as younger adults do, so alcohol stays in their systems longer and has a greater potential to interact with medications.
It is estimated that up to 20% of people over 65 intentionally misuse alcohol and/or prescription drugs.
Drugs Associated With Alcohol Interactions
Hundreds of commonly used prescription and over-the-counter drugs may adversely interact with alcohol. These include medications used for:
- Allergies, colds, and flu
- Angina and coronary heart disease
- Anxiety and epilepsy
- Arthritis
- Blood clots
- Cough
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Enlarged prostrate
- Heartburn and indigestion
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Infections
- Muscle pain
- Nausea and motion sickness
- Pain, fever, and inflammation
- Seizures
- Severe pain from injury, post-surgical care, oral surgery, and migraine
- Sleep problems
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