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Sep 9, 2021 · A growing problem. Polypharmacy, often defined as the regular use of five or more drugs by one patient, is on the rise and is expected to grow as life expectancy increases and the global population...
- Helen Santoro
Mixing any combination of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, illicit drugs and alcohol can be unpredictable and dangerous. Most fatal overdoses involve use of more than one type of drug (poly-drug use). Poly-drug use is dangerous because different drugs act on our bodies in different ways. The harmful effects are magnified by using ...
- Overview
- Why Medications and Alcohol Don't Mix
- Mental Health Medications That Interact With Alcohol
- Other Medication Interactions
- A Word From Verywell
If you take any medication—even over-the-counter (OTC) products—you should know that drinking alcohol might affect how your meds work. Mixing alcohol and medication can even be dangerous.
If you're drinking excessively or regularly, you are increasing the risk of adverse medication reactions. The combination of medication and alcohol can lead to serious health consequences, including overdose and even death.
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.
Alcohol can make some medications less effective by interfering with how they are absorbed in the digestive tract. In some cases, alcohol increases the bioavailability of a drug, which can raise the concentration of the medication in your blood to toxic levels.
Additionally, drinking alcohol can also make the side effects of a medication worse or even cause new symptoms. This is especially true if you are taking a medication that makes you sleepy or causes sedation. The mixture of opiates and alcohol, for example, can cause your breathing to stop and is a common cause of death.
The label on your medication may not specifically warn against consuming alcohol while you are taking the drug, so it's important not to assume that the absence of a warning means it is safe to mix the two.
If you take prescription medication or use a specific medication every day, ask your doctor if it is okay for you to drink alcohol. You may be able to consume a limited amount safely, as long as you follow certain rules (for example, waiting at least four hours after taking your daily dose before having an alcoholic drink).
And be honest about your drinking habits. If you lie about the amount of alcohol you consume on a regular basis, your doctor can't accurately judge the risks and benefits of prescribing a particular medication.
In general, alcohol use has the potential to make symptoms of a mental health condition worse. In addition, there are hundreds of mental health medications that interact with alcohol. Combining alcohol with a mental health medication can make the medication less effective or even more dangerous.
Here is a short list of the most common prescription and OTC drugs that can pose a risk to your health if mixed with alcohol, as well as what can happen if the substances are combined.
Allergy, Cold, and Flu Medications
You should avoid drinking alcohol if you are taking allergy medications or any multi-symptom cold and flu formulation. Drowsiness and dizziness are common side effects of medications used to treat allergies, colds, and the flu. These symptoms are also common when you drink alcohol. When the substances are combined, the effect is intensified, and your judgment and focus will be further impaired. The risks associated with drowsiness caused by medication or alcohol are serious, which is why you should never drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of any substance. Avoid alcohol if you are taking: Allegra (fexofenadine) or Allegra-D (fexofenadine/pseudoephedrine) Benadryl (diphenhydramine) Claritin (loratadine) or Claritin-D (loratadine/pseudoephedrine) Sudafed Sinus and Allergy (chlorpheniramine/phenylephrine) Tylenol Cold and Flu (acetaminophen/dextromethorphan/guaifenesin/phenylephrine) Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Angina Medications
Angina (ischemic chest pain) is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. If you have angina, you might be prescribed a medication called nitroglycerin. If you drink alcohol while you are taking nitroglycerin, it can cause a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), sudden changes in blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting. Avoid alcohol if you are taking any brand of nitroglycerin, including (but not limited to): Nitrostat Nitromist Nitroquick Nitro-Dur
Antibiotics
Alcohol might affect how well some antibiotic medications work. It's possible that if you use them together, antibiotics may be less effective at clearing up the infection that you are being treated for. The research on mixing alcohol with antibiotics is somewhat limited and unclear, but the combination has been associated with symptoms such as tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), sudden changes in blood pressure, gastrointestinal upset, headache, flushing, and liver damage. Drinking even a small amount of alcohol while taking an antibiotic called Flagyl (metronidazole) can cause a severe reaction, making you extremely sick with nausea and vomiting. You will want to avoid alcohol for three days before you start and after you stop Flagyl. Other antibiotics that should not be mixed with alcohol include (but aren't limited to): Amoxicillin Nydrazid (isoniazid) Tindamax (tinidazole)
There are hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter medications that are not safe to mix with alcohol. The dangers of mixing alcohol with medications can range from increased side effects to potentially life-threatening symptoms, overdose, and even death.
Always read the label and package insert of any medication you are taking, whether it has been prescribed by your doctor or purchased over-the-counter. If you are not sure if it is safe to drink alcohol while you are taking medication, call a local pharmacy or talk to your doctor about the potential interactions.
Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol
20 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol and Medications.
Aug 30, 2024 · If you are mixing drugs — whether it’s intentional or unintentional — learn how your risk of health complications, overdose, and death significantly increase. When people are using more than drug at a time, it is referred to as polysubstance use.
Apr 2, 2024 · Unintentional polysubstance use occurs when a person takes drugs that have been mixed or cut with other substances, like fentanyl, without their knowledge. Whether intentional or not, mixing drugs is never safe because the effects from combining drugs may be stronger and more unpredictable than one drug alone, and even deadly.
Alcohol can increase the risk of drowsiness when mixed with other depressant drugs such as GHB or heroin. This can lead to overdose. 3 Mixing alcohol with cocaine produces a chemical called cocaethylene, which is toxic and is associated with seizures, liver damage, and compromised immune system. 11
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