Drug-Alcohol Interactions

The use of alcohol can be traced back in time over thousands of years and remains prevalent in modern society. Alcohol consumption has shown to both improve health and cause health problems. One such health problem is the potential interaction that can occur when alcohol is consumed while taking certain medications. The drug-alcohol interaction can be due to alternations in the drugs absorption, distribution, metabolism, and/or elimination. It can also occur as a result of the additive effect that alcohol can have on an already existing effect of the medication (eg, enhanced sedation). Covered in this article are some of the common drug-alcohol interactions and a brief description about the interaction. The medication classes reviewed include pain relievers, antidepressants, antidiabetic medications, first-generation antihistamines, antipsychotics, sedatives and hypnotics, antibiotics, and warfarin.