College kids – we take everything and anything to suppress any minor sickness that may cause us from missing out on activities. From popping an Aleve before we go to bed to prevent a hangover, to washing down Dayquil with a beer at Super Saturday to rid the sniffles. All the way from taking a roommates’ Adderall to complete that research paper before a big night out, to simply forgetting about pre-consumed prescribed medication when binge drinking the night away. College kids – we take anything to prevent the deadly disease F.O.M.O. But many medicines, including those that can be purchased “over-the-counter,” can have detrimental effects when combined with alcohol. These harmful and dangerous consequences may take you by surprise.
What we know: Alcohol’s soporific; it can make you sleepy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Consuming alcohol while on medication can intensify these effects, to a level beyond enjoyment. The effects can escalate to dangerous concentration troubles, inhibited mechanical skills, and unrecognized liver damage. Even the smallest amount of alcohol combined with certain medicines can lead to dizziness, confusion, falls, and other mishaps for serious injuries.
BlahBlahBlah, but what does that mean to college kids? Nothing because we’re all invincible, right! Dr. Aaron White, researcher at National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, brings necessary attention to college students by proclaiming, “The more often you drink alcohol, the more often you are to have an interaction with a medication.” Depending on general health, liver function (which we all can agree is not the strongest at this point in our lives), and other fluctuating health factors, these side effects could impact any of us.
Below is a guide to eight common medications, what they entail, and why their mixture with alcohol can be dangerous. Before you proceed with your self-medicating and succeeding alcohol ingestion, make sure you are completely aware of possible reaction risks. If you have any further inquires, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider to help you determine which medications interact dangerously with alcohol.
1. Over the Counter Pain and Fever Meds.
What: Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, Excedrin, Motrin
Why: When paired with alcohol, these acetaminophen and ibuprofen medications can induce severe, yet obscure, internal damage. Risks include an upset stomach, bleeding and ulcers, liver damage, and a rapid heartbeat.
2. Prescription Pain Medication
What: Percocet, Vicodin, Demerol
Why: Let a skull-and-crossbones pop into your head for a minute… These severe pain medications combined with alcohol cause drowsiness and dizziness, along with an increased risk for overdose. Additionally, this reaction can slow or stop breathing, impair motor control, promote unusual behavior, and impair memory.
3. Allergy Cold & Flu Meds.
What: Benadryl, Claritin, Dimetapp, Zyrtec, Sudafed Sinus and Allergy, Tylenol Allergy Sinus, Tylenol Cold and Flu
Why: Ingesting alcohol while taking any of these cold-suppressors can amplify “drunken” drowsiness, dizziness, and can also increase risk for overdose.
4. Cough Medication
What: Robitussin Cough, Delsym, Robitussin A-C
Why: With this combination, one can experience the “drowsys” and “dizzys” to a life-threatening extent.
5. Antibiotics
What: Zithromax (Z-Packs), Flagyl, Tindamax, others
Why: Drinking on antibiotics is commonly taken lightly by college students. In some cases, it can be. Many antibiotics do not harmfully interact with alcohol. On the other hand, many antibiotics do. In these cases, the combination can cause increased heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure, stomach pain, an upset stomach, vomiting, headache, or liver damage. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider about your prescription’s alcohol risks before consuming.
6. Anxiety Medications
What: Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, Paxil
Why: Similar to pain medications, mixing anxiety medications and alcohol can cause one to experience drowsiness, dizziness, and increase one’s risk for overdose. Anxiety medications may slow breathing, incapacitate motor control, and cause unusual behavior and memory deficits.
7. Anti-Depressants
What: Lexapro, Prozac, Celexa, Abilify, Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft, Zyprexa, and more
Why: Sedated, unsteady, and high risk for overdose is only the minimum in this severe case. Drinking on anti-depressants heighten feelings of depression or hopelessness. This can become extremely dangerous for not only the individual, but also for those around him or her. With anti-depressants, motor control often can be completely impaired, as alcohol effect is increased and liver damage is at a high. Some specific anti-depressants also have serious heart-related side effects and risk for dangerously high blood pressure.
8. Attention/Concentration Medications
What: Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Dexedrine, Strattera
Why: While wobbly and lightheaded, one will also experience impaired concentration, a high risk of heart rate trouble, and possible liver damage.