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When alcohol and drugs don't mix
Drinking alcohol while taking medication--including aspirin and allergy drugs--can be dangerous. Alcohol interacts with many
drugs and disrupts enzymes necessary for the digestion of both substances. That can compound the intoxicating effect of alcohol
or the side effects of the medication. Or it may dangerously increase or decrease the drug’s therapeutic effects. Heavy drinking
multiplies those risks. But with some drugs even a single, occasional drink can cause problems, and you may need to abstain
from alcohol for a full day or so before or after taking certain drugs. So, consult your doctor before imbibing if you’re
taking any medication, especially the ones listed here.
| USED FOR |
MEDICATIONS |
EFFECTS WITH ALCOHOL INCLUDE
|
| Allergy, insomnia, motion sickness |
Brompheniramine (Dimetane), cetirizine (Zyrtec), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy), zaleplon
(Sonata), zolpidem (Ambien)
|
Increased dizziness or drowsiness |
| Angina (chest pain), heart disease |
Heparin; warfarin (Coumadin); nitrates such as isosorbide (Isordil), nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) |
Bleeding, sudden drop in blood pressure, fainting, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting |
| Bacterial infection |
Cefamandole (Mandol); cefoperazone (Cefobid); cefotetan (Cefotan); erythromycin (E-Mycin); metronidazole (Flagyl); sulfonamides,
such as sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim), sulfisoxazole; tetracyclines, such as doxycycline (Vibramycin), tetracycline (Achromycin
V)
|
Reduced antibiotic efficacy, nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to sunlight |
| Depression, anxiety |
Tricyclics, such as amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramine), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor) |
Convulsions, abnormal heart rhythms, sedation, increased alcohol effects |
| Diabetes |
Metformin (Glucophage); sulfonylureas, such as chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase) |
Difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, low blood sugar, coma |
| Hypertension |
Alpha-blockers, such as doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), terazosin (Hytrin); beta-blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin),
metoprolol (Toprol-XL), propranolol (Inderal); calcium-channel blockers, such as felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia),
verapamil (Calan)
|
Sudden decrease or increase in blood pressure, fainting, increased alcohol effects |
| Pain relief |
Acetaminophen (Tylenol); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), ketoprofen (Orudis
KT), naproxen (Aleve)
|
Bleeding, kidney or liver damage, increased alcohol effects |
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