7 Medications You Shouldn't Mix with Alcohol, According to Doctors
When it comes to drinking alcohol, there are plenty of warnings that come with it and guidance on how to do it responsibly. One of the most common warnings we tend to see is not to mix alcohol with medications. But what exactly does this mean? Does this mean you shouldn't take a pill and sip on an alcoholic beverage at the same time? Does this mean that you shouldn't drink alcohol if you're regularly taking medication? And what medications could actually be negatively affected? There are a lot of questions surrounding this particular warning, so we decided to ask medical doctors about what you really need to know about how alcohol can affect your medication.
'Alcohol and medication can interact in different ways based on the medication and the individual's physiology,' says Thomas Pontinen, M.D., co-founder of MAPS, an interventional pain management clinic based in Chicago. 'Many medications can become less effective with alcohol, which can be of concern for individuals who need their medication to stay healthy. This is because alcohol can affect the body's ability to absorb medication.'
Here's the science behind which medications don't mix well with alcohol and what happens to your body—and the effectiveness of the medication—when you do drink alcohol while taking them.
How Alcohol and Medication Interact
'Alcohol should be avoided while taking medication because, in general, it can make side effects worse, diminish the intended benefit of the medication, and threaten the health and well-being of the individual taking it,' Pontinen explains. 'It's also important to mention that alcohol and many medications are metabolized by the liver, so combining them can put a lot of stress on the essential organ and worsen other conditions like liver disease.'
'There are a range of side effects and symptoms that may occur, including change in blood pressure, fainting, change in behavior, maybe even nausea and vomiting or dizziness and headaches,' says Laura Purdy, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician and the medical director at EXILERA. 'When it comes to operating heavy machinery and driving a car, there are additional concerns because lack of coordination, change in mood, emotion and behavior can also be an issue. The effects might be stronger than you are used to, and you may feel more impaired after having one drink than you would typically plan for. Bottom line, your body can respond totally differently then, when both are consumed versus when just taking medications.'
Here are 7 medications that shouldn't be mixed with alcohol:
1. Pain Relievers
'When alcohol is mixed with medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen, liver damage and gastrointestinal bleeding can be a result,' says Katy Dubinsky, Pharm.D., a pharmacist and the founder and CEO of Vitalize.
2. Antidepressants
According to Purdy, antidepressants won't be as effective when mixed with alcohol, and in some cases, could even make symptoms worse. This includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Dubinsky explains that mixing the two can also make you feel more sleepy and less coordinated.
3. Antibiotics
'Taking certain antibiotics with alcohol might have serious side effects, such as headaches, flushing and nausea,' says Dubinsky. 'Examples of these include metronidazole and tinidazole.'
In particular, alcohol causes dehydration in the body by inhibiting the release of vasopressin. Because getting enough fluids is vital for fighting an infection, drinking alcohol isn't advised because of the ways it can make symptoms worse—and prolong recovery.
4. Antipsychotics
'Alcohol may intensify the sedative effects of antipsychotic drugs, causing impairments in mental and physical abilities,' Dubinsky explains. Some of the more common symptoms of mixing the two include difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, fainting and, in severe cases, seizures or coma.
5. Anxiety Medication and Sedatives
Alcohol coupled with drugs like benzodiazepines (Xanax and Valium) and sleep aids (Ambien) can result in extreme drowsiness, respiratory difficulties and potentially life-threatening sedation, according to Dubinsky.
'Anxiety medications and alcohol consumption can cause abnormal behaviors, loss of memory and motor function control and, as with sleeping medications, difficulties breathing normally,' says Purdy.
6. Diabetes Medication
Alcohol's interference with certain medications can put someone with diabetes at risk for low or high blood sugar, depending on what drink is consumed and the medication. Additionally, certain alcoholic beverages like beer and sweetened mixed drinks are high in carbohydrates, which can negatively affect a person's blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of low blood sugar include double or blurry vision, sweating, tingling and numbness, tiredness or trouble sleeping, fast or pounding heartbeat, shaking or trembling, unclear thinking and more. The symptoms of high blood sugar to watch out for are feeling thirsty, tired or weak, headaches, peeing frequently and blurred vision.
Dubinsky says this can occur for diabetes drugs such as insulin or sulfonylureas.
7. Blood Thinners
Blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs, help prevent blood from clotting. People with certain heart conditions or congenital heart defects or those preparing for surgery take these medications. 'Drinking alcohol may interfere with the way warfarin and other blood thinners function, increasing the risk of clotting or bleeding,' says Dubinsky.
Additional Consequences
While these particular medications are important to keep in mind before consuming alcohol, in general, Purdy warns that there could be other underlying health conditions that could result in adverse (or even life-threatening) side effects when mixing the two.
'In some situations, the end result could be deadly, or overdosing can be a concern,' warns Purdy. 'If you have any underlying health conditions that you take medications for, or maybe are not aware of, there could be additional side effects and new symptoms that you could experience that could be life-threatening.'
Plus, alcohol can make medicine less effective or even useless, and in some cases, it can react poorly with certain ingredients that are in your medications.
How to Stay Safe
No matter the medication—whether it's prescribed, over-the-counter or otherwise—Pontinen says it's important to speak with your doctor about the side effects before safely consuming alcohol.
'Combining medication and alcohol can be dangerous and even life-threatening, so do not willingly take risks and be sure to avoid alcohol while taking medication unless you're sure it's safe,' he says. 'Individuals who are under heavy sedative effects need to be monitored to make sure they do not risk injury or choking.'
But what if you do consume alcohol while you're on medication? Pontinen says it's important to be in close contact with a loved one in case you fall out of consciousness. 'If you begin to experience severe symptoms of headache, gastrointestinal pain, nausea, dizziness or drowsiness after combining medication with alcohol, seek medical attention immediately and remain with a loved one who is prepared to help if need be until medical help arrives.'
Our Expert Take
There's a reason medical professionals recommend not consuming alcohol while on regular medication, especially medications such as pain relievers, antidepressants, antibiotics, antipsychotics, sedatives, diabetes medications and blood thinners. Not only could the medication not be as effective when mixed with alcohol, but your body could react poorly to the combination of the two.
The side effects of mixing alcohol with medications could range from mild to severe, with some even being life-threatening. This why it's crucial to speak to a doctor before drinking alcohol while taking regular medication—whether it's a prescription or over-the-counter. If you do consume alcohol, be sure to connect with a trusted friend or family member to ensure that you're not alone if adverse side effects occur or if you need to seek medical attention.
Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
‘The climate has always been changing': EPA chief defends push to roll back climate regulations
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin joins CNN's Kasie Hunt to discuss the Trump administration's push to reverse a landmark scientific finding that planet-warming pollution harms human health.
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
An Ohio couple welcomes a baby boy from a nearly 31-year-old frozen embryo
A baby boy born last week to an Ohio couple developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years in what is believed to be the longest storage time before a birth. In what's known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used a handful of donated embryos that have been frozen since 1994 in pursuit of having a child after fighting infertility for years. Their son was born Saturday from an embryo that had been in storage for 11,148 days, which the Pierces' doctor says sets a record. It's a concept that has been around since the 1990s but is gaining traction as some fertility clinics and advocates, often Christian-centered, oppose discarding leftover embryos because of their belief that life begins at or around conception and that all embryos deserve to be treated like children who need a home. "I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did," said Linda Archerd, 62, who donated her embryos to the Pierces. Just about 2% of births in the U.S. are the result of in vitro fertilization, and an even smaller fraction involve donated embryos. However, medical experts estimate about 1.5 million frozen embryos are currently being stored throughout the country, with many of those in limbo as parents wrestle with what to do with their leftover embryos created in IVF labs. Further complicating the topic is a 2024 Alabama Supreme Court decision that said that frozen embryos have the legal status of children. State leaders have since devised a temporary solution shielding clinics from liability stemming from that ruling, though questions linger about remaining embryos. Archerd says she turned to IVF in 1994. Back then, the ability to freeze, thaw and transfer embryos was making key progress and opening the door for hopeful parents to create more embryos and increase their chances of a successful transfer. She wound up with four embryos and initially hoped to use them all. But after the birth of her daughter, Archerd and her husband divorced, disrupting her timeline for having more children. As the years turned into decades, Archerd said she was wracked with guilt about what to do with the embryos as storage fees continued to rise. Eventually, she found Snowflakes, a division of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which offers open adoptions to donors from people like Archerd. She was also able to set preferences for what families would adopt her embryos. "I wanted to be a part of this baby's life," she said. "And I wanted to know the adopting parents." The process was tricky, requiring Archerd to contact her initial fertility doctor in Oregon and dig through paper records to get the proper documentation for the donation. The embryos then had to be shipped from Oregon to the Pierces' doctor in Tennessee. The clinic, Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, refuses to discard frozen embryos and has become known for handling embryos stored in outdated and older containers. Of the three donated embryos the Pierces received from Archerd, one didn't make the thaw. Two were transferred to Lindsey Pierce's womb, but just one successfully implanted. According to Dr. John David Gordon, the transfer of the nearly 31-year-old embryo marks the longest-frozen embryo to result in a live birth. He would know: Gordon says his clinic assisted in the previous record, when Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born from embryos frozen for 30 years, or 10,905 days. "I think that these stories catch the imagination," Gordon said. "But I think they also provide a little bit of a cautionary tale to say: Why are these embryos sitting in storage? You know, why do we have this problem?" In a statement, Lindsey and Tim Pierce said the clinic's support was just what they needed. "We didn't go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby," Lindsey Pierce said. For Archerd, the donation process has been an emotional roller coaster. Relief that her embryos finally found a home, sadness it couldn't be with her and a little anxiety about what the future holds next, with possibly meeting the Pierces and the baby in person. "I'm hoping that they're going to send pictures," she said, noting that the parents have already sent several after the birth. "I'd love to meet them some day. That would be a dream come true to meet — meet them and the baby." ___ This story has corrected the first name of Lindsey Pierce in the second paragraph.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Menopause increases your risk of STIs due to how aging changes your body
Diagnoses for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are increasing in older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the number of people older than 65 diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis in the U.S. increased about three-, five- and sevenfold, respectively, from 2010 to 2023. Data also suggests that women older than 50 are at greater risk for HIV than younger women. Explanations for why these infections are so common in older adults include limited understanding of STIs in this age group, infrequent condom use and increased availability of medications for conditions that typically limit sexual activity in older adults, such as like Viagra and Cialis for erectile dysfunction and estrogen creams and tablets for vaginal dryness. Many older adults are reluctant to discuss their sexual history with their partners and health care providers, which contributes to misconceptions that they are monogamous or sexually inactive. In my work as an infectious disease scientist, I examine the largely unexplored biological reasons for why postmenopausal women have increased susceptibility to STIs. My recently published research shows that menopause is associated with loss of the genital tract's protective barrier, an essential defense against the microbial pathogens that cause STIs. Menopause: A natural part of aging Menopause is the stage in a woman's life marked by no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months. In the U.S., menopause begins on average between ages 45 and 55. It is estimated that by the year 2030, 1.2 billion women worldwide will be menopausal or postmenopausal. Menopause results from a loss of estrogen production from the ovaries, which can diminish vaginal lubrication and vaginal tissue elasticity. This can cause a condition called genitourinary syndrome of menopause, or GSM, which involves symptoms such as vaginal dryness and irritation, painful sex and frequent urinary tract infections. Roughly half of postmenopausal women experience GSM. In addition to these negative effects on vaginal health, research from my lab has found that menopause also compromises the structural integrity of the tissue lining the vagina. The surface of the vagina is composed of multiple layers of epithelial cells that are held together by numerous adhesion molecules, including the proteins desmoglein-1, or DSG1, and desmocollin-1, or DSC1. These proteins strengthen the vaginal lining and restrict pathogen access to deeper tissue, reducing the risk of infection. To explore how menopause affects the vaginal lining, we compared the DSG1 and DSC1 levels in vaginal tissue from postmenopausal and premenopausal women. We found significantly lower DSG1 and DSC1 levels in postmenopausal women. We then surgically removed the ovaries of mice to model the loss of ovarian estrogen production in postmenopausal women. We also detected significantly less DSG1 and DSC1 proteins in vaginal tissue from mice without ovaries compared with mice with intact ovaries. Mice without ovaries also had greater susceptibility to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2, and were less able to clear chlamydia infection from their lower genital tract. On the other hand, applying estrogen cream to mice without ovaries restored the integrity of their vaginal lining and fully protected these mice from HSV-2 infection. Too important to ignore Fully understanding the behavioral and biological risk factors that contribute to STI susceptibility can help clinicians and public health officials tackle the startling increases in STIs among older adults. Together, our studies show there is a loss of integrity in the vaginal lining after menopause. While additional research is needed, findings from our lab suggest that estrogen-containing compounds used to relieve vaginal irritation and other symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause can also reduce susceptibility to STIs among older adults. In the meantime, health care providers can help reduce the risk of STIs among older adults by consistently counseling them about safe sex practices and offering routine STI screening. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Thomas L. Cherpes, The Ohio State University Read more: Millions of women are working during menopause, but US law isn't clear on employees' rights or employers' obligations Iceland's recent volcanic eruptions driven by pooling magma are set to last centuries into the future The sex of your cells matters when it comes to heart disease Thomas L Cherpes receives funding from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
