Alcohol—What it Is and What it Does - Interaction With Other Drugs

Because alcohol is easily available and such an accepted part of American social life, people often forget that it is a drug. When someone takes a medication while drinking alcohol, he or she is taking two drugs. Alcohol taken in combination with other drugs, such as an illegal drug like cocaine, an over-the-counter drug like cough medicine, or a prescription drug like an antibiotic, may find the combination to be harmful or even deadly, or may counteract the effectiveness of a prescribed medication.

To promote the desired chemical or physical effects, a medication must be absorbed into the body and must reach its site of action. Alcohol may prevent an appropriate amount of the medication from reaching its site of action. In other cases, alcohol can alter the drug's effects once it reaches the site. Alcohol interacts negatively with more than 150 medications. Table 3.16 shows some possible effects of combining alcohol and other types of drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that anyone who regularly has three alcoholic drinks a day should check with a physician before taking aspirin, Tylenol, or any other over-the-counter painkiller. Combining alcohol with aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin brands), or related pain relievers may promote stomach bleeding. Combining alcohol with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) may promote liver damage.