medication interactions with alcohol
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Drug interactions
- antibiotics
- metronidazole, grisiofulvin, furazalidone, quinacrine used concurrently with alcohol can cause nausea/vomiting, headache & possibly convulsions
- chronic alcohol use may diminish effective of isoniazid (INH) & rifampin
- anticoagulants
- anticoagulant effect of warfarin is increased with acute alcohol consumption, but reduced by chronic alcohol consumption
- antidepressants*
- hypoglycemic agents
- acute alchohol consumption prolongs & chronic alcohol diminishes elimination of tolbutamide (Orinase)
- chlorpropamide & tolbutamide in combination with alcohol may result in a disulfiram-like reaction
- antihistamines
- alcohol may intensify the sedative effects of antihistamines, i.e. diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- antipsychotic medications
- acute alcohol consumption increases the sedative effects of phenothiazines (thorazine)
- anticonvulsants
- antiulcer agents
- cimetidine & ranitidine increase availability of low dose alcohol
- antihypertensives
- acute alcohol consumption interacts with hydralazine, nitroglycerin, reserpine, methyldopa & guanethidine to cause orthostatic hypotension
- chronic alcohol consumption decreases the availability of propranolol
- narcotic analgesics
- combination of opiates (morphine, codeine, propoxyphene (Darvon), meperidine ...) & alcohol enhances the sedative effect of both drugs, increasing the risk of death from overdose
- analgesics (non-narcotic)
- alcohol can increase risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with NSAID use
- aspirin may increase the availability of alcohol (men)[2]
- chronic alcoholism increases the risk of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity (doses > 2.6 g/day)
- sedative & hypnotics
- low doses of flurazepam (Dalmane) interact with low doses of alcohol to impair driving
- lorazepam (Ativan) when given to an alcohol-intoxicated person may result in cardiopulmonary suppression
- acute alcohol consumption increases the availability of barbiturates & prolongs their sedative effect
- chronic alcohol consumption decreases barbiturate availability
- acute or chronic alcohol consumption enhances the sedative effects of barbiturates
* alcoholism & depression are frequently associated