Alcohol and drugs may seem harmless to take together, but they can have harmful effects on your body. Here are the reasons why you should never mix them.
When you’ve been drinking alcohol , your liver must first metabolize the alcohol to break it down before the drugs can be metabolized. This can slow down or stop the way your body absorbs and uses the drugs, leading to serious side effects . Also, some drugs are metabolized more slowly when mixed with alcohol. At the same time, taking them can also increase the amount of a particular drug in your bloodstream, leading to a potentially fatal overdose. Therefore, it is vital that you consult your doctor before taking any medications together with alcohol.
Mixing the two substances can have serious side effects and can sometimes cause permanent damage to the body. One possible complication is drug interaction, where the active ingredients of a medicine react with alcohol which can sometimes suppress or potentiate one of the components of the medicine. This could lead to side effects such as nausea , headaches, abdominal pain and dizziness. Also, mixing alcohol and drugs can cause extreme tiredness and physical exhaustion. This situation makes safe driving more difficult and increases the risk of road accidents.
Chronic alcohol and drug abuse can also cause high blood pressure, liver problems and viral hepatitis. Therefore, mixing alcohol and drugs is dangerous to your health and should be avoided in all cases. Also, some medications shouldn’t be taken with alcohol, and it’s always important to read labels or talk to your doctor before taking any medicine. Among the drugs to avoid if they are associated with alcohol there are antidepressants , antibiotics , anti- inflammatories non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs), sedatives and antihistamines. It is also important to note that drinking alcohol and food at the same time can slow down the time it takes for a drug to become effective. Therefore, it is advisable to refrain from it until you have a clear understanding of the directive indications of the prescription.
