Nearly half of all U.S. adults live with high blood pressure, also called hypertension.6 Medications used to treat hypertension can react badly with alcohol, causing dizziness and fainting, extreme sleepiness, and arrhythmias or other heart problems.2
Talk with a doctor before drinking alcohol if you take any of the following medications:
- Prinivil, Zestril (lisinopril)
- Norvasc (amlodipine besylate)
- Lopressor (hydrochlorothiazide)
- Catapres (clonidine)
- Any others
5. Sleep Aids
Close to 10% of the U.S. population regularly uses medications or supplements to try to fall asleep or stay asleep.7
Never use these medications when you have alcohol in your system. Sleep aids and alcohol both have sedating effects and can amplify each other.
Side effects of mixing alcohol with sleep aids may include difficulty breathing, memory problems, strange behavior, dizziness, and impaired motor control.2
Do not mix alcohol with any sleep aid, including the following:
- Ambien (zolpidem)
- Lunesta (eszopiclone)
- Restoril (temazepam)
- Unisom (doxylamine)
- Prosom (estazolam)
- Sominex (diphenhydramine)
- Herbal supplements like chamomile, lavender, or valerian
6. Pain Medications
Whether the pain medication is OTC or a prescription drug, talk with a doctor before drinking alcohol. Combining alcohol with any type of pain medication can cause dangerous side effects.2
Mixing alcohol with medications for muscle pain, like Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and Soma (carisoprodol), can increase your risk for seizures, overdose, and cause difficulty breathing.
Medications for minor pain, like Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin and Advil (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), and Excedrin (acetaminophen and aspirin) can result in stomach pain, bleeding, stomach ulcers, and possible heart or liver damage.2
Combining alcohol with strong pain medications for severe pain, like opioids, can cause drowsiness and dizziness, difficulty breathing, memory problems, and put you at an increased risk for an overdose.
Do not drink alcohol if you are taking any strong pain medications, such as the following:2
- Percocet (oxycodone)
- Vicodin (hydrocodone)
- Demerol (meperidine)
- Darvocet (propoxyphene)
- Fiorinal (butalbital with codeine)
7. Heartburn and Nausea Medications
Any medication that can help calm your stomach from heartburn and nausea, including motion sickness, can interact negatively with alcohol.
Mixing these with alcohol can cause a rapid heartbeat and a sudden change in blood pressure. It also puts you at an increased risk of overdose and can make the alcohol effects stronger.
Avoid drinking if you take any of the following stomach-related medications:2
- Dramamine (dimenhydrinate)
- Antivert (meclizine)
- Tagamet (cimetidine)
- Reglan (metoclopramide)
- Axid (nizatidine)
