Dr. Rosalind Breslow, Ph.D., an
epidemiologist in NIAAA's Division of Epidemiology and Prevention
Research led a study that appears in the February 2015 issue of
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Dr. Breslow said the
results of the study does not report actual, but potential rate of
drinking and medication use that overlap.
About 42 percent of U.S. Adults who
drink also report using medications that are known to interact with
alcohol. This is based on a study from the National Institutes of
Health. In those over 65 years of age who drink alcohol, nearly 78
percent report using alcohol-interactive medications. These findings
show that a substantial percentage of people, who drink regularly,
particularly older adults, could be at risk of harmful alcohol and
medication interactions. Dr. Breslow suggests that people talk to
their doctor or pharmacist about whether they should avoid alcohol
while taking their prescribed medications.
This research is among the first to
estimate the proportion of adult drinkers in the United States who
may be mixing alcohol-interactive medications with alcohol. Dr.
Breslow emphasizes the resulting health effects can range from mild
(nausea, headaches, loss of coordination) to severe (internal
bleeding, heart problems, difficulty breathing).
“Combining alcohol with
medications often carries the potential for serious health risks,”
said Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of NIH. “Based on this study,
many individuals may be mixing alcohol with interactive medications
and they should be aware of the possible harms.”
Some of the alcohol-interactive medications reported in the survey were blood pressure medications,
sleeping pills, pain medications, muscle relaxers, diabetes and
cholesterol medications, antidepressants and antipsychotics. Based
on recent estimates, about 71 percent of U.S. adults drink alcohol.
You have probably seen warnings on
medicines you have taken. The danger is real and the warnings should
be heeded. In addition to these dangers, alcohol can make a
medication less effective or even useless, or it may make the
medication harmful or toxic to your body. 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. Surprise, even some herbal remedies can have harmful
effects when combined with alcohol. Small amounts of alcohol can
make it dangerous to drive, and when you mix alcohol with certain
medicines, you put yourself at even greater risk. Combining alcohol
with some medicines can lead to falls and serious injuries,
especially among older people.
Women, in general, have a higher risk
for problems than men. When a woman drinks, the alcohol in her
bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a man’s even if
both are drinking the same amount. As a result, women are more
susceptible to alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver.
And remember, 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. And in
fact, they often need to take more than one of these medications.
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