Medication Labels: Have You Read Them Lately?
You may have seen the following warnings on medications you've taken in the past: "may cause drowsiness"; "alcohol may intensify this effect"; "use care when operating a car or heavy machinery". The dangers described are very real. Mixing alcohol with some medications can cause a variety of troublesome symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, loss of coordination and it also increases the risk for internal bleeding, heart problems and breathing difficulties. In addition, use of alcohol can decrease the effectiveness of some medications or in some instances, render the medication totally ineffective.
Many medications that interact harmfully with alcohol can be purchased over-the-counter. Following are just a few of the more common medications, prescription and over-the-counter, symptoms they treat and possible reactions from alcohol use:
| Medication | Symptoms Treated | Reaction with Alcohol |
| Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan | Anxiety | Drowsiness, dizziness, increased risk for overdose |
| Benedryl, Tylenol Cold and Flu, Robitussin A-C | Colds, coughs, flu, allergies | Drowsiness, dizziness, increased risk for overdose |
| Tagamet, Axid, Zantac, Reglan | Heartburn, indigestion, sour stomach | Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure, increased alcohol effect |
| Aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, Excedrin, Vioxx, Celebrex, Naprosyn | Pain such as that from headache, fever, muscle ache, arthritis, inflammation | Stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers, liver damage, rapid heartbeat |
| Restoril, Prosom, Sominex | Sleep problems | Drowsiness, dizziness |
The above list does not include all medications that may react with alcohol. Medications can be safe and effective when used appropriately. You can protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and don't know the effect. Your pharmacist or doctor can help you determine which medicines interact harmfully with alcohol.