November 2008
Don't mix these meds with alcohol
Nearly two-thirds of people who are prescribed medications known to interact dangerously with alcohol say they've taken them
and drank beer, wine, or hard liquor at least once in the past year. That's according to a September 2008 study by researchers
at Brown University, who analyzed the prescription drug use and drinking habits of 8,200 adults. One in 20 drank regularly
enough to be at high risk for interactions, including an increased risk of drug side effects, and reduced drug efficacy. And
some drugs can amplify the intoxicating effect of alcohol.
In general, don't take any of the drugs listed in the chart below within one to two hours of consuming alcohol. But since advice varies among individuals, talk with your doctor first. And because this list is not comprehensive, ask whether alcohol can interact dangerously with any other medication you take. (Note that many of the listed drugs are also available as generics.)
This article first appeared in the December 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
In general, don't take any of the drugs listed in the chart below within one to two hours of consuming alcohol. But since advice varies among individuals, talk with your doctor first. And because this list is not comprehensive, ask whether alcohol can interact dangerously with any other medication you take. (Note that many of the listed drugs are also available as generics.)
| Drug | Effects |
|---|---|
| Antihistamines: brompheniramine (Dimetapp), cetirizine (Zyrtec), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), clemastine (Tavist), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy, Sominex). | Dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired coordination. |
| Antibiotics: certain cephalosporins, notably cefamandole (Mandol), cefmetazole (Zefazone), cefoperazone (Cefobid), and cefotetan (Cefotan); doxycycline (Vibramycin), erythromycin (E-Mycin), and metronidazole (Flagyl). | Nausea, vomiting, and flushing with cephalosporins and metronidazole. Reduced efficacy with doxycyline. Increased alcohol intoxication with erythromycin. |
| Antipsychotics: aripiprazole (Abilify), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril), fluphenazine (Prolixin), olanzapine (Zyprexa), paliperidone (Invega), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), and ziprasidone (Geodon). | Impaired coordination and thinking. Lower resistance to drug toxicity with chlorpromazine and fluphenazine. Fainting with all but chlorpromazine. |
| Antidepressants: MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate); tricyclics such as amitriptyline, imipramine, and nortriptyline (Pamelor). | Severe, sharp blood-pressure rise with MAOIs. Sedation and impaired coordination and thinking with tricyclics. |
| Blood-pressure lowering drugs: ACE inhibitors such as captopril (Capoten) and enalapril (Vasotec); alpha blockers such as doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), and terazosin (Hytrin); calcium-channel blockers such as felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin); and diuretics. | Fainting from low blood pressure. Increased alcohol intoxication with calcium-channel blockers. |
| Blood thinners: aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin). | Internal bleeding and worsened blood-clotting control. |
| Diabetes drugs: sulfonylureas such as chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase), and tolbutamide (Orinase); metformin (Glucophage). | Drop in blood sugar, flushing, nausea, and vomiting with sulfonylureas. Increased risk of life-threatening buildup of lactic acid in the blood with metformin. |
| Muscle relaxants: cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and tizanidine (Zanaflex). | Increased alcohol intoxication. |
| Narcotic pain relievers: meperidine (Demerol), long-acting morphine (Avinza, Kadian), long-acting oxymorphone (Opana ER), and propoxyphene (Darvocet-N). | Respiratory depression, coma, and death. |
| Pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve); acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol). | Internal bleeding with NSAIDs. Liver damage with acetaminophen. |
| Sleep drugs: eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien). | Excessive sedation and increased risk of unexpected nighttime behaviors. |
This article first appeared in the December 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
