Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
A glass or two of champagne with Christmas lunch. Some cheeky cocktails to ring in the New Year with friends. There seem to be plenty of opportunities to relax with an alcoholic beverage.
But if you are taking some medicines while drinking alcohol LiquorIt can affect your body in many ways. Drinking alcohol with some medicines means they will not work as well. With others, you risk a life-threatening overdose.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re taking Medicine And plan to drink.
Why is this such a big deal?
after taking one MedicineIt goes till the stomach. From there, your body shuttles it liverWhere the medicine is metabolized and broken down before it goes into your bloodstream. Each medicine you take is provided at a dose that takes into account the amount of metabolism that occurs in the liver.
When you drink alcohol, it is also broken down in the liver, and this can affect how much of the drug is metabolized.
Some drugs are metabolized MoreWhich may mean that it doesn’t reach your bloodstream in sufficient quantities to be effective.
Some drugs are metabolized LessThis means you may get a higher dose than expected, which can lead to an overdose, The effects of alcohol (such as drowsiness) may act in addition to the similar effects of a drug,
Whether or not you have a conversation, and what kind of conversation you have, depends on many factors. These include the medications you are taking, the dosage, how much alcohol you drink, your age, genes, gender, and overall health.
Women, older people, and people with liver problems are more likely to have drug interactions with alcohol.
Which medicines do not mix well with alcohol?
Many medications interact with alcohol, whether they are prescribed by your doctor or purchased over the counter, such as herbal medicines.
1. Drug + Alcohol = Drowsiness, Coma, Death
Drinking alcohol and taking medications that depress the central nervous system to reduce agitation and agitation may have additive effects. Together, these can make you extra drowsy, slow your breathing and heart rate and, in extreme cases, cause coma and death. These effects are more likely to occur if you use more than one of these types of medications.
Medicines worth noting include medicines for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, pain (except paracetamol), sleep disturbances (such as insomnia), allergies and cold and flu. It is best not to drink or minimize alcohol intake while taking these medications.
2. Drug + Alcohol = More Effects
Mixing alcohol with some medicines increases the effect of those medicines.
An example is the sleeping pill zolpidem, which should not be taken with alcohol. Rare, but serious, side effects are strange behaviors while sleeping, such as sleep eating, sleep driving, or sleep walking, which are more likely to occur with alcohol.
3. Drugs + craft beer or home brew = high blood pressure
Some types of medications only interact with certain types of alcohol.
Examples include some medications for depression, such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine and moclobemide, the antibiotic linezolid, the Parkinson’s drug selegiline, and the cancer drug procarbazine.
These so-called monoamine oxidase inhibitors only interact with certain types of boutique and artisan beers, beers with visible sediment, Belgian, Korean, European and African beers, and home-brewed beers and wines.
This type of alcohol contains high levels of tyramine, a naturally occurring substance that is normally broken down by your body to cause no harm.
However, monoamine oxidase inhibitors prevent your body from breaking down tyramine. The levels increase in your body and your blood pressure can rise to dangerous levels.
About the authors
Niall Whyte is Associate Professor in the Sydney School of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney.
Jessica Pace is Associate Lecturer at the University of Sydney.
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
4. Medicines + Alcohol = Effect even after stopping drinking
Other medications interact because they affect the way your body breaks down alcohol.
If you drink alcohol while using such medications, you may feel nauseous, vomit, have a red face and neck, feel breathless or dizzy, your heart may beat faster than normal, or your blood pressure may drop.
This can also happen if you stop treatment, then drink alcohol. For example, if you are taking metronidazole you should avoid alcohol while using the medication and for at least 24 hours after you stop taking it.
An example of where alcohol changes the amount of a drug or related substances in the body is acitretin. This medication is used to treat skin conditions such as severe psoriasis and to prevent skin cancer in people who have had organ transplants.
When you take acitretin, it is changed into another substance – acitretinate – before it is eliminated from your body. Alcohol increases the amount of etretinate in your body.
This is especially important because etretinate can cause birth defects. To prevent this, if you are a woman of childbearing age you should avoid alcohol while using the medicine and for two months after you stop taking it.
Myths about alcohol and drugs
alcohol and birth control
One of the most common myths about medications and alcohol is that you can’t drink alcohol while using the birth control pill.
It is generally safe to use alcohol with the Pill, as it does not directly affect how well birth control works.
But the pill is most effective when taken at the same time every day. If you’re drinking too much, chances are you’ll forget to do so the next day.
Alcohol can also cause nausea and vomiting in some people. 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 because the hormones they contain can change the way your body removes alcohol. This means you can get drunk faster, and stay drunk for longer than usual.
Alcohol and Antibiotics
Then there’s also the myth of not mixing alcohol with any antibiotics. This only applies to metronidazole and linezolid.
Otherwise, it is usually safe to use alcohol with antibiotics, as alcohol does not affect their ability to work.
But if you can, it’s best to avoid alcohol while taking antibiotics. Antibiotics and alcohol have similar side effects, such as stomach upset, dizziness, and drowsiness. Using the two together means you are more likely to have these side effects. Alcohol can also decrease your energy and increase the time it takes for you to recover.
Where can I go for advice?
If you’re planning on drinking alcohol these holidays and are concerned about any side effects with your medications, don’t stop taking your medications.
Your pharmacist can advise you whether it is safe for you to take it based on the medicines you are taking, and if not, can advise on alternatives.