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Medicine Shoppe Pharmacies is getting the word out this holiday season about
the dangers of mixing prescription medications and alcohol.
According to a
recent survey, 28 percent of respondents ignored the "no alcohol" instructions
while taking certain medications. Of those, 42 percent have experienced a negative
physical result.
"Consuming alcohol while taking medications can
result in serious health complications," said Bill Bailey, director of specialist
centers for Medicine Shoppe International, Inc. "Pharmacists are medication
experts and great resources for discussing how alcohol may interact with your
medications."
Even small amounts of alcohol intake can influence
the effectiveness of medication in several ways. Alcohol can cause harmful reactions
by prolonging a medication's time in one's system. Alcohol may diminish a drug's
ability to be broken down in the blood stream by competing for the same set of
metabolizing enzymes, thus prolonging the drug's time in one's system and increasing
the risk of harmful reactions.
Alcohol can also magnify the effects
of sedative and narcotic drugs on the brain, making daily tasks challenging and
dangerous. Because some drugs slow the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, people
can be more at risk of intoxication.
The effects of mixing alcohol and
medications can be serious. For example, the interaction of alcohol with allergy
medicines and pain killers can impair central nervous system functions, which
results in fatigue and poor judgment. Interactions involving antidepressants,
sleep aids and blood pressure medicines can create blood pressure problems. For
those on arthritis medicine, alcohol increases the likelihood of liver damage,
a condition often associated with alcohol consumption.
"The best
thing to do is read your medicine's instructions, ask questions if they seem unclear
and always follow the advice of your doctor and pharmacist," said Bailey.
For
more information on alcohol and drug interactions, visit www.medicineshoppe.com Click
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