Safe Medication Use and Holiday Seasons

APhA encourages consumers to “think smart” about medication use, especially during holiday seasons.  While people enjoy the season celebrating with friends and family, APhA reminds consumers that safe medication use must never take a holiday.

To ensure that consumers stay safe this holiday season, consider the following common interactions between over-the-counter medicines and alcohol:

• The combination of aspirin—or other pain relieving drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen or ketoprofen—and alcohol should be avoided.  Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of stomach bleeding when taken with these pain relievers.
• Taking more than the recommended dose of acetaminophen with large quantities of alcohol has been associated with risk of liver damage.
• The combination of antihistamines—used to treat allergies and common cold symptoms—and alcohol can increase drowsiness and slow mental and motor performance.

The effects of combining alcohol with medications can potentially cause nausea and vomiting; headaches and drowsiness; fainting and loss of coordination; and increased bleeding and cardiac and respiratory abnormalities. In addition, alcohol may alter the effectiveness of a medication or render it totally ineffective.

If you have questions, ask your pharmacist: should I avoid alcohol or any other foods or beverages when taking my medication?  Medications are safe and effective, when used appropriately, and your pharmacist can help you determine which medicines conflict with alcohol...just ask.