Drinking while taking certain medications can lead to toxicity in the body, decreased drug effectiveness, worsened side effects and a tendency to become inebriated very quickly, according to Sophie Vergnaud, MD.
Data from Consumer Reports reveals that 55 percent of Americans take prescription medications regularly, and data from the National Institutes of Health shows that 33 percent of Americans have at least one alcoholic drink per day. However, physicians and pharmacists do not always let patients know about the potential adverse reactions they could experience if they drink while taking certain medications.
In a Oct. 20 blog post she wrote for telemedicine company GoodRx, Dr. Vergnaud listed 10 medications thats should not interact with alcohol:
- Painkillers
- Antibiotics
- Anti-anxiety and sleeping medications
- Antidepressants and mood stabilizers
- ADHD medications
- Diabetes medications
- Nitrates and other blood pressure medications
- Coumadin
- OTC cold and flu medications
- Erectile dysfunction medications