When you recommend or prescribe a medication that can interact with alcohol, this scenario presents a natural opening to review or inquire about a patient’s alcohol intake. The potential for a harmful interaction may provide a compelling reason for patients to cut down or quit drinking when warranted Drug rehabilitation (see Core articles on screening and brief intervention). Older people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcohol–medication interactions. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a person’s system longer. Older people also are more likely to take a medication that interacts with alcohol—in fact, they often need to take more than one of these medications. However, if you — or someone you know — are mixing these two substances regularly or can’t seem to go for long stretches of time without needing one or the other, there may be a problem.
For Treatment Providers
- You can look at medicine label ingredients to see what medicines have alcohol in them, or ask your pharmacist.
- Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, can conceal the effects of alcohol when individuals consume both drugs.
- Combination OTC sleep products can also contain pain medicines like acetaminophen (Tylenol PM) or ibuprofen (Aleve PM), which may increase your risk for excess doses of those medicines.
- If your medicine has similar side-effects as being drunk, those effects can be compounded.
With even more alcohol, you will notice you can’t coordinate your muscles as well, you might slur your speech, become dizzy, forget things that have happened, and even fall asleep. One concern is that medications that are metabolized by the CYP2E1 can be affected. Learn about other ways to lower rates of excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related injury and overdose. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Other Substances
Taking two depressants, as alcohol is also a depressant, can dangerously enhance each other’s side effects, which means that the risk for intoxication and overdose is greater. The side effects can include dizziness, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and impairment in thinking and judgment. Dual orexin 1 and 2 receptor antagonists (DORAs) are a class of sleep medications that block orexin, a brain chemical involved in wakefulness and arousal. You also must have at least 7 hours of time to sleep before you plan on waking up after taking a dose.
- Throughout the U.S., alcohol and marijuana have become the most commonly used and most socially acceptable drugs available.
- Whether you take Adderall with a prescription or use it recreationally, understanding how these two drugs interact can help you make safer decisions about your health.
- Falls are the leading cause of injury in Americans 65-plus, and can be life-changing for many.
- However, if you — or someone you know — are mixing these two substances regularly or can’t seem to go for long stretches of time without needing one or the other, there may be a problem.
- The side effects of mixing alcohol with other substances aren’t limited to coordination loss or drowsiness.
Combined Effects of Weed and Alcohol
Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations. Marijuana may also be hallucinogenic, though some of these effects may depend on the type or strain being used. THC can be consumed in many different ways, including smoking, vaping, and edibles. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Sleeping pills, for example, mixing alcohol and pills are not only risky in older people, but often unnecessary, Nosal says. “If you are taking an antidepressant in your 70s and you have a glass of wine, you get a double whammy,” Shubert says.
While work and academic pressures can feel overwhelming, these drugs ultimately aren’t a sustainable way to manage stress. The American Geriatrics Society publishes a list of “potentially inappropriate” medications for people 65 and over, known as the Beers Criteria or Beers list. Although doctors aren’t forbidden from prescribing these medications to older people, they should be aware of potentially serious side effects. In some cases, doctors may decide that using a medication from the Beers list is medically necessary.
Risk of Substance Dependence
- When people combine alcohol with other drugs, they’re more likely to partake in risky behaviors, such as driving under the influence.
- Because they are feeling the high from the THC, they aren’t as aware of the impact the alcohol is having.
- If you have a small drink at dinner, it’s wise to forego taking an edible before bed.
When you mix alcohol with medicines, whether prescription or over-the-counter, the medicines can increase the effects of the alcohol or the alcohol can increase the side-effects of the drug. People addicted to multiple substances — referred to as polysubstance use disorder — may be more likely than people addicted to a single substance to experience negative consequences. They can also conceal the effects of alcohol, making people believe they’re sober. When people combine alcohol with other drugs, they’re more likely to partake in risky behaviors, such as driving under the influence. If you mix a prescription drug with alcohol, either by accident or specifically to get high, there is a high risk of overdose or damage to the body. If you see someone experiencing a drug overdose or alcohol poisoning, it is extremely important to call 911 immediately.
- For example, the cough and cold medicine Vick’s NyQuil Liquid contains 10% alcohol and can lead to a significant interaction.
- Excessively drinking alcohol has many well-documented long-term effects, including alcoholic liver disease.
- Also, be sure to review your food and medicine labels to be sure these products do not contain alcohol or ethanol.
- A mixture of these two substances is the only combination that creates a new substance within the body.
- However, the combination of anti-anxiety medication and alcohol can have a synergistic depressant effect on the central nervous system and produce a range of side effects.
- Your doctor may refer you to addiction specialists for treatment if chronic physical harm may have been caused by underlying alcohol abuse.
- It’s also important to know that medicines work differently in our body as we get older, says Sarah Nosal, M.D., president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Local Health Services/Offices
The resources below can help alert you and your patients to important potential risks. Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased “over-the-counter”—that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol. Many people, especially college students and young adults, mix these substances in social settings. This might be because they want to feel less socially anxious while still feeling focused, party longer without feeling tired, or feel peer pressure to keep drinking. Combining these substances is socially normalized in some circles, which encourages use and downplays its risks.
Sometimes you need professional medical help to stop using substances safely. Medical support might start with supervised detoxification, where healthcare providers help you manage withdrawal symptoms and ensure your safety as your body rids itself of substances. They can prescribe medications to ease withdrawal and help with cravings, as well as treat co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. Medical oversight should continue throughout early recovery, with regular check-ins to monitor your progress and https://ecosoberhouse.com/ adjust your treatment plan as needed. Depression medicine and alcohol can result in added drowsiness, dizziness and risk for injury. It is usually best to avoid the combination of alcohol and medications for depression.