A glass or two of champagne with Christmas lunch. A fresh and crisp beer on the beach. Some cheeky cocktails with friends to check out in the New Year. There seem to be so many occasions to relax with an alcoholic beverage this summer.
But taking certain medications while , can affect your body in several ways. Drinking alcohol with some medications can affect how they work, and with others you risk a life-threatening overdose.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to drink alcohol during the holidays.
What medications do not mix well with alcohol?
Many medications interact with alcohol, whether prescribed by your doctor or purchased without a prescription, such as herbal medications.
Medications + alcohol = drowsiness, coma, death
Drinking alcohol and taking a medication that depresses the central nervous system to reduce arousal and stimulation can have additive effects. Together, these can make you feel more sleepy, slow your breathing and heart rate, and, in extreme cases, cause coma and death. These effects are more likely if you use more than one medication of this type.
If you value articles like this, consider supporting us by becoming a Pro subscriber. Subscribers enjoy access to members-only articles, materials, and webinars.
Medications to consider include those for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, pain (except pain), sleep disorders (such as insomnia), allergies, and colds and flu. It is best not to drink alcohol with these medications or to keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Medications + alcohol = more effects
Mixing alcohol with some medications increases the effect of those medications.
An example is the sleeping pill zolpidem, which should not be taken with alcohol. Rare but serious side effects are strange behavior while asleep, such as sleep eating, sleep driving, or sleep walking, which are more likely with alcohol.
Medications + craft or homemade beer = high blood pressure
Some types of medications only interact with some types of alcohol.
Examples include some medications for depression, such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and moclobemide, the antibiotic linezolid, the anti-Parkinson’s drug selegiline, and the anti-cancer drug procarbazine.
These so-called monoamine oxidase inhibitors only interact with some types of craft beers, beers with visible sediment, Belgian, Korean, European and African beers, and homemade beers and wines.
These types of alcohol contain high levels of , a natural substance that is normally broken down by the body and usually does not cause any harm.
However, they prevent your body from breaking down tyramine. This increases levels in your body and can cause blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels.
Medications + alcohol = effects even after you stop drinking
Other medications interact because they affect the way your body breaks down alcohol.
If you drink alcohol while using these medications, you may feel nauseated, vomiting, flushing of the face and neck, difficulty breathing or dizziness, your heart may beat faster than normal, or your blood pressure may drop.
This can occur even after stopping treatment and then drinking alcohol. For example, if you are taking , you should avoid alcohol both while using the medication and for at least 24 hours after you stop taking it.
An example of how alcohol changes the amount of medication or related substances in the body is . This medication is used to treat skin conditions such as severe psoriasis and to prevent skin cancer in people who have had an organ transplant.
When you take acitretin, it is changed into another substance, , before it is eliminated from your body. Alcohol increases the amount of etretinate in your body.
This is especially important since etretinate can cause birth defects. To avoid this, if you are a woman of childbearing age, she should avoid alcohol while she is using the medication and for two months after she stops taking it.
Myths about alcohol and medicines
Alcohol and birth control
One of the most common myths about medications and alcohol is that you can’t drink while using the birth control pill.
It is generally safe to use alcohol with the pill, as it does not directly affect the effectiveness of birth control.
But the pill is most effective when taken at the same time every day. If you’re drinking a lot, you’re more likely to forget to do it the next day.
Alcohol can also make some people feel nauseous and vomit. If you vomit within three hours of taking the pill, it will not work. This increases your risk of pregnancy.
Birth control pills can also affect your response to alcohol, as the hormones they contain can change the way your body gets rid of alcohol. This means you can get drunk faster and stay drunk longer than normal.
Alcohol and antibiotics
Then there is the myth of not mixing alcohol with any antibiotics. This only applies to and .
Otherwise, it is generally safe to use alcohol with antibiotics, as alcohol does not affect their effectiveness.
But if you can, it’s best to avoid alcohol while taking antibiotics. Antibiotics and alcohol have similar side effects, such as upset stomach, dizziness, and drowsiness. Using the two together means you are more likely to have these side effects. Alcohol can also reduce your energy and increase the time it takes you to recover.
Where can I go for advice?
If you plan to drink alcohol this holiday and are concerned about any interactions with your medications, don’t stop taking them.
Your doctor can advise you whether it is safe for you to drink based on the medications you are taking and, if not, advise you on alternatives.
Article published in and provided for republication in