For the Tomahawk Leader

WISCONSIN – Aspirus Health recently provided information on the risks and effects of combining alcohol and medications.

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 70% of adults in the U.S. said they drank alcohol in 2019. That same year, over 45% of the population reported taking a prescription medication within the previous 30 days.

Aspirus said in a release that combining medications, both prescribed or not prescribed, with alcohol can have “unpredictable and unwanted consequences.”

“Aspirus aims to help community members better understand the dangers of mixing these substances and how to prevent harm this holiday season,” the release stated.

“Drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medicine has the potential to be extremely dangerous, messing with the effectiveness of the medicine and leading to significant interaction effects,” said Allyson Balthazor, a clinical pharmacist who is completing her first year of pharmacy residency at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. “It’s best to avoid drinking altogether while taking any kind of medicine, but if you’re considering it, it’s important to know the risks.”

Risks

Aspirus provided the dangers of mixing alcohol and medication, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and American Addiction Centers (AAC):

1. Drinking alcohol might make the medication you’re taking less effective. “For example, alcohol is a depressant, so drinking while taking an antidepressant may hurt the goal of improving your mood,” Balthazor stated.
2. The interaction of alcohol and some medications may increase negative side effects. Taking a medication that causes drowsiness while drinking can worsen the effect.
3. The interaction may increase risk of organ damage. “Taking too much acetaminophen, or Tylenol, while drinking can significantly damage your liver,” Balthazor said.
4. The interaction can sometimes have life-threatening effects, such as major bleeding, extreme drowsiness and trouble breathing.

Effects

Aspirus said the effect alcohol has on drugs will vary depending on the type or class of drugs taken while drinking alcohol.

• Depressants combined with alcohol can worsen side effects, with potential for dangerous and even lethal consequences, such as rapid onset of dizziness, stumbling, memory loss and potential death.
• Stimulants combined with alcohol conceal alcohol’s effects, so people cannot gauge their level of intoxication, which can result in over-consumption, significant impairment of coordination and judgment, blacking out and potential death.
• Prescription opiates combined with alcohol can result in slowed or arrested breathing, lowered pulse and blood pressure, loss of consciousness, coma and potential death.
• OTC pain medications combined with alcohol can increase the risk of serious side effects, such as stomach ulcers and bleeding. It can even cause liver damage.

“Be honest with your provider about how much you drink and how often,” Balthazor stated. “They can determine how much may be safe for you to consume, as well as help you understand the risks of drinking alcohol while on your medications.”

To learn more about the harms of mixing alcohol and medicine, visit the NIAAA website (www.bit.ly/2NmuOLM).

To find an Aspirus provider near you, visit www.aspirus.org/find-a-provider.