Protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and donвЂ™t know its effect. Mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk for dangerous reactions. Timing is importantДЄlcohol and medicines can interact harmfully even if they are not taken at the same time. 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. Aging slows the bodyвЂ™s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a personвЂ™s system longer. Older people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcoholвЂ“medication interactions. As a result, women are more susceptible to alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol is more concentrated in a womanвЂ™s body than in a manвЂ™s. This is because womenвЂ™s bodies generally have less water than menвЂ™s bodies. When a woman drinks, the alcohol in her bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a manвЂ™s even if both are drinking the same amount. Women, in general, have a higher risk for problems than men. Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations. Some medicines contain alcoholД¬ertain medicines contain up to 10 percent alcohol. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about how alcohol might interact with a drug you are taking. Read the label on the medication bottle to find out exactly what ingredients a medicine contains. Some medications-including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies-contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol. Combining alcohol with some medicines can lead to falls and serious injuries, especially among older people.

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. You may have trouble concentrating or performing mechanical skills. Drinking alcohol while taking medicines can intensify these effects. Alcohol, like some medicines, can make you sleepy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Mixing alcohol and medicines can be harmful. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you determine which medications interact harmfully with alcohol. Medications typically are safe and effective when used appropriately. Most important, the list does not include all the ingredients in every medication. The list presented here does not include all the medicines that may interact harmfully with alcohol. The list gives the brand name by which each medicine is commonly known (for example, BenadrylВ®) and its generic name or active ingredient (in BenadrylВ®, this is diphenhydramine). This pamphlet lists medications that can cause harm when taken with alcohol and describes the effects that can result. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol. Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased вЂњover-the-counterвЂќ-that is, without a prescription. 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. It also can put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination. YouвЂ™ve probably seen this warning on medicines youвЂ™ve taken. Centers and Training Working Group Roster.Alcohol Screening & Brief Intervention for Youth.Resources from the NIAAA College Task Force.вЂ‹вЂ‹вЂ‹вЂ‹вЂ‹вЂ‹вЂ‹Alcohol Interventions for Young Adults.

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