What happens when you mix alcohol with medications?
Alcohol can have many short- and long-term effects on the body. Mixing prescription drugs with alcohol can be dangerous because the two can interact in different ways. Drinking alcohol with some medications can:
- Make the medication less effective.
- Make the medication toxic to your body.
- Make side effects from the medication worse
- Cause new symptoms and make you feel ill.
- Make you feel tipsier from the alcohol
Alcohol’s effect on the body changes with age. For older adults, it takes longer for the body to break down alcohol, leading to lower tolerance levels. Older adults are also more likely to take medication. So they have a greater chance of experiencing interactions between alcohol and medication. Additionally, women have higher blood alcohol levels than men after drinking the same amount of alcohol. Therefore, women should take extra caution when drinking alcohol in general.
What are some top medications that you shouldn’t mix with alcohol?
Below, we discuss 10 medications that can cause harmful effects when mixed with alcohol. But keep in mind these aren’t the only medications that can be dangerous to take when drinking.
1. Acetaminophen: Mixing alcohol with acetaminophen can increase the risk of liver damage, as both are metabolized by the liver, leading to potentially severe liver toxicity.
2. Ibuprofen: Alcohol can irritate the stomach lining and combining it with ibuprofen can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers.
3. Aspirin: Alcohol can enhance aspirin's blood-thinning effects, which may lead to an increased risk of bleeding, especially in the stomach or intestines.
4. Benzodiazepines: Mixing alcohol with benzodiazepines can lead to extreme sedation, respiratory depression, and even coma or death due to their additive effects on the central nervous system.
5. Antidepressants: Alcohol can counteract the beneficial effects of antidepressants and may worsen depression symptoms while also increasing the risk of drowsiness and impaired cognitive function.
6. Antihistamines: Combining alcohol with antihistamines can intensify the sedative effects, leading to excessive drowsiness and impaired motor skills.
7. Opioid painkillers: Alcohol and opioids are both central nervous system depressants and combining them can result in severe respiratory depression and an increased risk of overdose.
8. Muscle relaxants: Alcohol can intensify the sedative effects of muscle relaxants, leading to dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired coordination.
9. Antibiotics (Metronidazole, Linezolid, etc.): Mixing alcohol with certain antibiotics can cause severe reactions such as nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and flushing due to the inhibition of the liver's ability to break down alcohol.
10. Diabetes medications (Metformin, Glyburide, etc.): Alcohol can interfere with blood sugar levels and reduce the effectiveness of diabetes medications, leading to uncontrolled blood sugar levels.
Why Medications and Alcohol Don't Mix
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are several reasons that it can be harmful to mix medications and alcohol. The ways that drugs and alcohol interact in your body can go both ways: Alcohol can change how a medication works, and certain drugs can change how you feel the effects of alcohol.
Can I drink and take my medicines safely?
Always read your medicine label. This is important for: * prescription medicines * over-the-counter medicines * complementary (herbal) medicines
If it carries a warning, do not drink alcohol.
It’s best to get your doctor’s or pharmacist’s advice before you take any new medicine. You can find out more about how alcohol will react with your medicine by reading the Consumer Medicine Information (CMI). You can get your medicine’s CMI by:
- asking your pharmacist or doctor to print it for you
- calling 1300 MEDICINE on 1300 633 424 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, Eastern Standard Time)
- searching in healthdirect's medicines section
- searching NPS MedicineWise Medicines finder
- getting in touch with the maker of your medicine — the company details are on their Australian website
