IF YOU’RE taking prescription medication, you’ll be familiar with the drug interaction warning labels on the side of your pill bottle.
But how seriously do you tend to take these warnings?
GettyDrinking while taking certain medications can have some nasty side effects[/caption]
Though indulging in a drink if you’ve taken antibiotics or painkillers might seem like no biggie, mixing certain meds with booze can have some nasty side effects and even put your health at risk.
That’s because mixing alcohol and pills can increase the increase the effects of the alcohol or heighten side effects of the drug.
Sometimes, the interaction can even result in some all new side effects, pharmacy and pharmacology researchers from the University of Sydney wrote in The Conversation.
“Alcohol can interfere with the way a medicine works in the body, or it can interfere with the way a medicine is absorbed from the stomach,” they explained.
“If your medicine has similar side-effects as being drunk, those effects can be compounded.”
It’s not just prescription medicines that shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol, the experts warned.
Some over-the-counter drugs can also cause unwanted symptoms when combined with booze.
They include medicines for sleeping, travel sickness, cold and flu, allergies and painkillers.
From pain meds to antibiotics and the antidepressants you take daily, here are some drugs that are best not mixed with booze and the side effects from doing so.
1. Benzodiazepines
These are a type of sedative medication that slow down the body and brain’s functions and are used to help treat anxiety and sleep problems.
One example that’s prescribed in the UK is diazepam, also known as Valium.
The NHS advises you don’t use them for long periods as they can become addictive and start to lose their effectiveness.
It adds that drinking while taking benzodiazepines can be dangerous.
According to the Sydney University medicines experts, mixing the drugs with booze can have side effects including dizziness, loss of coordination and drowsiness.
There’s also an increased risk of overdose, they added.
2. Opioids
Alcohol can increase the break-down of certain medicines, such as opioids, Sydney University researchers said, making them less effective.
Opioids are mainly prescribed for pain relief and – like benzodiazepines – they can be addictive. They include drugs like codeine and tramadol.
When combined with booze, they can slow your breathing, reduce your brain activity and make you drowsy.
There’s also a risk of fainting or slipping into a coma, according to the researchers, as well as an increased risk of overdose.
3. Antidepressants
Many people take antidepressants for longer periods of time and they might not think twice about indulging in a tipple while on them.
But the NHS advises you be wary of drinking alcohol if you’re taking antidepressants, as alcohol is itself a depressant and drinking alcohol can make your symptoms worse.
But it noted that you’re less likely to experience unpleasant side effects if you take antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
According to the University of Sydney researchers, you may feel dizzy and drowsy if when mixing booze and antidepressants and feel drunker than you otherwise would.
They also warned that you might face increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
4. Antipsychotics
It’s safest to avoid drinking while taking antipsychotics, the experts advised.
While causing dizziness, drowsiness and impaired thinking and judgement, the cocktail of booze and antipsychotics may also cause difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, lead you to faint and even seizures and a change in body temperature or heart rate.
5. Painkillers
How often do you pop a painkiller after drinking in order to dull the next morning’s hangover?
This should definitely be avoided, as combining alcohol with medicine like ibuprofen can lead to a higher risk of stomach upsets and stomach bleeds.
Booze can also alter how medicine is broken down, potentially creating toxic chemicals that can cause serious liver complications.
“This is a particular problem with paracetamol,” the Sydney University experts said.
6. ADHD meds
Though mixing medicines and alcohol can leave you feeling drunker, not all the side-effects are alcohol-like.
“Mixing alcohol with the ADHD medicine ritalin, for example, can increase the drug’s effect on the heart, increasing your heart rate and the risk of a heart attack,” the researchers warned.
7. Antibiotics
We’re often advised not to drink while taking antibiotics and there’s a reason for that.
The NHS notes that “it’s unlikely that drinking alcohol in moderation will cause problems if you’re taking the most common antibiotics.
“However, some antibiotics can have side effects such as feeling sick or dizzy, which might be made worse by drinking alcohol.”
Other side effects can include stomach pain, headaches, a fast or irregular heartbeat and hot flushes.
Who is most at risk of side effects?
Not everyone will experience these side effects from mixing medicines and booze.
Women tend to be more at risk than men of unpleasant interactions, as do older people and those with a smaller body size.
Older people especially can’t break down drugs as quickly and are more sensitive to the side effects of medications, particularly those that act on the brain.
According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looking at drugs and alcohol, the most common medications that interact with alcohol include:
High blood pressure medication
Sleeping pills
Anxiety medications
Pain medications
Skeletal muscle relaxants
Diabetes medicine
Cholesterol medications
Antidepressants
Antipsychotics