Heart disorders and even death: what medications can not be combined with alcohol

Probably, everyone knows that it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages while taking antibiotics, since the effect of the drug will simply be reduced to zero. But it turns out that antibiotics are not the only kind of drugs that do not go well with alcohol. From the" mix " of some pills and drinks with a degree, side effects increase, which leads to undesirable consequences, and sometimes even death.

Olga Sahakyan, a therapist of the highest category, head of the therapeutic department of the medical and diagnostic center "Medincenter" (a branch of the GlavUpDK under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia), told about which medications can and cannot be combined with alcohol.

All alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol, which affects the central nervous system. Depending on the concentration, ethanol can cause lethargy, decreased pain sensitivity, loss of coordination or arousal.

Both drugs and alcohol are broken down in the liver, but the use of strong drinks leads to an acceleration of the breakdown of substances and, accordingly, a decrease in the duration of the action of drugs. In addition, alcohol-containing beverages can increase the side effects of some medications, so when combining any drugs with alcohol, you need to be extremely careful.

Below you will see a list of medications that can be taken with alcohol without health consequences, and recommendations for taking them.

Sorbent preparations may well be combined with alcohol. Moreover, the effect of these drugs reduces the toxic effect of alcohol on the body. Contraindications are available only for people suffering from gastric and duodenal ulcers, acute infectious diseases or disorders of the cardiovascular system.

Enzyme preparations can also be taken together with alcohol. It is advisable to drink the enzyme immediately after the feast. This will help the body to cope with the breakdown of alcohol faster.

The combination of alcoholic beverages with clonidine (clonidine) is extremely dangerous. In such cases, there is an accelerated penetration of alcohol into the bloodstream and into the brain, as a result of which a person becomes more drunk and faster. This can lead to a strong hypnotic effect, prolonged loss of consciousness and even death, says Olga Sahakyan.

You can not drink alcohol in combination with anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents (aspirin, dicumarin, phenylin and others). This " mix " contributes to the occurrence of heavy internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or brain, which is fraught with stroke or paralysis.

It is forbidden to use alcohol and antidepressants, since in this case, taking drugs becomes useless. In addition, when interacting with some of them, a person may experience an increased heartbeat and increased blood pressure. The development of a hypertensive crisis and brain hemorrhage is not excluded.

Alcohol also significantly reduces the effectiveness of contraceptives, so women taking COCs (combined oral contraceptives) should limit the use of alcoholic beverages.

In combination with antihistamines, alcohol can provoke allergic reactions, a sharp drop in blood pressure and even loss of consciousness.

The combined use of alcohol and painkillers (analgesics) can lead to increased side effects of the latter. Among them are increased drowsiness, headache, lethargy and tinnitus.

It is strictly prohibited to use alcohol together with psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and others). Alcohol increases the effect on the central nervous system ,resulting in nausea, convulsions, hallucinations, damage to the respiratory center up to respiratory arrest.

It is important to know that alcohol increases the toxic effect of paracetamol on the liver, and in combination with sleeping pills and tranquilizers can lead to intoxication and even coma.

Everyone probably knows that alcohol cannot be combined with antibiotics, but we must remind you. This combination leads to a complete neutralization of the therapeutic effect of antibiotics and an increase in their toxic properties. Among the side effects are headache and nausea.

Dr. Olga Sahakyan also emphasizes that the use of strong drinks can negatively affect the health of people suffering from diabetes. The reason for this is sharp spikes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to the accumulation of toxic acetaldehyde and loss of consciousness.