Drug Interaction with a Alcohol.

Drug Interaction with a Alcohol.

Dangers of the Alcohol-Drug Interactions?

Alcohol often has a detrimental interactions with a prescription in a medicines, Over in the Counter (OTC) products and even a herbal products, which could be a dangerous and life threatening. These are  interactions can affect in the availability of  the drug at site of the action, by a altering in the drug metabolism, which could result in a serious effects. The extent of the interaction(s) vary with in the quantity of  the alcohol consumed and in the time gap between alcohol and medication consumption.

The risks or a danger associated with in these alcohol-drug interactions are include internal bleeding, heart problems and the  difficulties in a breathing.

Women and older people are at the higher risk of the harmful alcohol-drug interactions.

Effects of the Alcohol on a Drug(s)

Alcohol and Alcoholic Drinks:

Alcohol is a essentially to a depressant drug that can be reduce a person’s ability to think rationally. Alcoholic drink or a alcoholic beverages usually refers to the drinks such as beer, wine or a spirits that contain ethyl alcohol (such as a whiskey, vodka, rum or gin - commonly referred to as a alcohol).

Short and long term side effects of the alcohol are include:

Depressing in the central nervous in a system, thus dampening in the brain activity

Chronic diseases such as a liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, cancer, psychological disorders

Damage to the fetus in a pregnant woman that can be cause fetal alcohol syndrome, premature births and the fetal anomalies.

Absorption, Distribution and Metabolism of the  Alcohol in a body:

Absorption in a blood stream

When alcohol is a ingested, it is a absorbed into the blood stream, and then rapidly distributed to all parts of the body, including brain, within to a few minutes. The rate of the absorption depends on a number of the factors, including:

Sex

Body size

Age

Genetics

Individual metabolism

Distribution in the body

Alcohol that has not been a eliminated by a first-pass metabolism enters in the systemic circulation and is a distributed throughout in the body.

Metabolism in the liver

Metabolism of the alcohol take place primarily in the liver, where it is converted to a non-toxic substance. The liver can only metabolize to a certain amount at a time, leaving the excess circulating throughout in the body. Thus, intensity of the alcohol effect on the body is a directly related to the amount consumed.

What are the Common Drug Interactions with a Alcohol?

People who is a consume alcohol, in a small or a large quantities, are likely to take a medications, at the some point. A large number of  the medications have the potential to interact with a alcohol. Hence, it is a important to be aware of the alcohol-drug interactions.

Typical alcohol-drug interactions are include in the following:

Alcohol, like some drugs, can make a one feel sleepy or a lightheaded. Drinking alcohol while a taking medication can intensify these effects. The person may have a trouble concentrating or a performing mechanical in a skills.

An a acute dose of the alcohol (a single drink or a several drinks over to a short time) may inhibit to a drug's metabolism by a competing within  the drug for same set of the metabolizing enzymes. This interaction prolongs and enhances in the drug's availability, potentially increasing in the risk of the experiencing harmful side effects from in the drug

In a contrast, chronic (long-term) alcohol ingestion may be activate drug-metabolizing enzymes, thus decreasing in the drug's availability and it is a desired effects.

What are the Effects of the Alcohol on a Each Drug Class?

The effect of the alcohol on some drug classes are given below:

Sta-tins and Alcohol:

Sta-tins are cholesterol reducing drugs, e.g. Rosuvastatin.

Sta-tins and alcohol, each of these, are associated with a liver damage. Drinking a alcohol can also a raise cholesterol in a levels. Thus, consuming alcohol with a stations not a only increases in the risk of the liver damage, but also a reduces in the efficacy of the stations, in a reducing cholesterol in a level.

Antibiotics and Alcohol

Effects of the alcohol on a antibiotics vary with in the type of the antibiotic; for a example, in the antibiotic

Erythromycin may be increase alcohol absorption

Anti-tuberculosis drug Wilsonian can cause liver damage

Metropolitan or Trinidadian may be a cause nausea, vomiting, flushing, headache and irregular heartbeat

Co-trimoxazole (also called Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole) - Drinking large amounts of the alcohol with a co-trimoxazole can cause-to  a reaction similar to that seen with a Metronidazole or Trinidadian

Anti-depressants and Alcohol: Anti-depressants and alcohol exhibit different types of the interactions, depending on the type of  the anti-depressant being consumed.

Amitriptyline - Alcohol appears to the interfere with a first-pass metabolism of the amitriptyline in the liver, resulting in a increased Amitriptyline levels in a blood.

Non-narcotic pain medications and Alcohol: Several potential interactions exist between a alcohol and painkillers, which vary with in the type of  the pain killer; for a example,

Acetaminophen and the alcohol interaction leads to the increased risk of the acetaminophen-related toxic effects on the liver

Aspirin (Acetyl salicylic acid) and alcohol interaction leads to the stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers

Sedatives / Hypnotics and Alcohol: Medications under in the category of the Benzodiazepines, e.g. Diazepam, are generally prescribed to the treat anxiety and insomnia, also known as a sleeping pills. These medications may be cause severe drowsiness in the presence of the alcohol, thus increasing in the risk of the  household and automotive accidents.

Medications for a Cold and Alcohol: Many cold and sinus medications  are include combination of the Pseudo-ephedrine and a pain reliever such as a Aspirin or Ibuprofen, to provide relief from a headache or a body ache in that accompany allergy or a cold symptoms. Although Pseudo-ephedrine and alcohol interactions are minimal and not a considered in a dangerous, combination of  the Pseudo-ephedrine and Aspirin (or a Ibuprofen), with a alcohol, may cause gastro-intestinal bleeding or a liver problems.

Anti-hypertensives and the Alcohol: Alcohol is known to the cause an a elevation in a blood pressure. Hence, blood pressure medication and alcohol interactions must be a closely watched in a patients diagnosed with a high blood pressure.

Over-the-counter (OTC) and the Alcohol: (OTC) products are non-prescription medications and widely used. Some OTC in a products, like a mouthwashes and the cough syrups, tend to have a high alcohol content in the product, which could lead to the increase in a alcohol levels, in a drinkers.

How do you Diagnose Alcohol-Drug Interaction?

One must maintain to a record of the symptoms, when consuming medications, especially if in the person drinks in a alcohol. The following symptoms may be indicate an a alcohol or a medication related in a problem.

Loss of the co-ordination

Changes in a sleeping habits

Unexplained chronic pain

Changes in a eating habits

Difficulty in a focusing

In a addition, alcohol abuse and the alcoholism can be a diagnosed by a conducting screening in a tests, using to a type of the questionnaire, to understand if patient has a probability of the exhibiting alcohol-drug interaction.

How to the Treat Alcohol-Drug Interaction?

Counseling: The healthcare are provider must be explain to the patient or a alcohol addict, the impact of the alcohol on the medications being consumed and what could be the potential dangers. This would help a reduce or a eliminate in the drinking problem and thus minimize or a eliminate interactions.

Depending on the symptom(s) exhibited, in the patient must be consult to a relevant medical specialist to cure in the reaction.

What are the Preventive Methods to the Avoid Alcohol-Drug Interactions?

In a order to the prevent any a potential alcohol-drug interactions, in the patient must:

Inform doctor about all the medications being consumed

Ask in the doctor if the new prescribed drug can be a taken with a alcohol

Clarify if there should be a time interval between a consuming medicine and alcohol.

As a precautionary measure, people are consuming medications must read in the product warning label, for a information on a interactions.

Similarly, healthcare are providers should be a alert regarding in the potential interaction between alcohol and medicament's and guide patients accordingly.

Health Tips to the Avoid Alcohol-Drug Interactions

It is a important for in the patient to read in the prescription information, warning labels and any such instruction, accompanying in the medicine pack, to understand in the potential interactions between a alcohol and medication.

One must maintain to a record of the symptoms observed during a routine consumption of the medication, as well as when consuming before or a after alcohol.

References:

Alcohol Facts -

(http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/alcohol)

Alcohol and the Medication Interactions -

(https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh 23-1/40-54. PDF)

Alcohol-Medication Interactions -

(http://www.alcoholscreening.org/learn-more.aspx?topic ID=8&article ID=37)

Harmful Interactions Mixing Alcohol with a Medicines -

(http://www.stjoeschelsea.org/harmful interactions mixing alcohol with medicines)