But does it mean there is no harm such combination pose on us?
Definitely, combination of drugs and alcohol often has harmful effects on our liver especially. Liver is the organ that ensures that we are protected from bad things we eat everyday. It clears them off our body. But taking alcohol and drugs together affects the liver so bad to the extent that it becomes unable to carry out its functions effectively. In a clearer term, alcohol-drug combination damages the liver. At this point, we begin to die. And unfortunately, when the liver is damaged, other of our body organs will be exposed to high toxins and they bow to them easily. When this happens, they begin to malfunction.
Before we enlist the drugs we should never combine with alcohol, we would like to sound a note of warning: “no drug should ever be taken together with alcohol for any reason”.
Now, the common drugs we should never attempt taking together with alcohol include:
1. Metronidazole commonly known as Flagyl
When Flagyl is taken by someone who drank alcohol or when an alcoholic drink is taken later on after taking Flagyl, it gives the person a serious and seemingly fatal reaction. The reaction presents as severe headache, dizziness, breathlessness, violent dry heaving, increased or irregular heartbeat, and warmth and redness in the face. Other effects include intense stomach pain, cramps, sudden drop in blood pressure and liver damage.
Some people, however don’t have any visible reaction after taking alcohol and Flagyl together. Of course, people differs. But definitely, people who don’t react to them are rare. The best option is to avoid alcohol-Flagyl combination unless you want to experiment with your life. Depending on your body system, experimentation of this kind can cost you your life. So, take note.
2. Paracetamol also called acetaminophen
Combination of paracetamol and alcohol is very common especially among men. I believe you know the reason? After drinking alcohol, headache often comes and most people resort to taking paracetamol to relieve it. But does paracetamol even relieve alcohol-induced headache? I don’t really know. Whether it does or not, it should not be taken together. If you often come down with headache every time you drink alcohol, then you should stop drinking. Your body is probably not at peace with it. It’s not even good to the health. If you cannot quit alcohol, for the sake of your liver, never take paracetamol after drinking.
Taking paracetamol and alcohol would not give you any sign that they are bad together. But then, the internal damage of the two combination is more dangerous and deadly than that of Flagyl and alcohol. Taking paracetamol after alcohol consumption induces the liver to produce toxic metabolites of paracetamol. This toxic metabolites keep building up because the liver, which should ordinarily clear them off, is being damaged by the metabolites. The end point can only be a painful death.
3. Sleeping pills
When the pharmacist says, while trying to dispense your drug: “take only at bed time or at night”, suspect sleeping pill. And whenever such a warning is given, never drink alcohol that day.
Have you ever wondered how sleeping pills work? They slow down central nervous system. This system is what controls the muscles we don’t have control over. For instance, we can’t control breathing, blinking of the eyes, brain functions etc, although we can hold some of them for some period of time. Sleeping pills depress central nervous system and when this happens, we become dull, and from there sleep takes over. Sleep pills don’t only make us sleep, they also depress our respiratory system. When taken with alcohol, the respiratory system can shutdown entirely. From this, the person will definitely pass away from sleep unless emergency medical attention is offered to the person. Taking sleeping pills and alcohol can be likened to bringing upon oneself death sentence. Avoid them therefore.
4. Opioid pain killers (opioid analgesics)
Combination of this with alcohol has similar effect as of sleeping pills-alcohol combination. If you are placed on this medication, it will be unusual not to be told by your pharmacist to avoid alcohol, albeit, the reason you are to avoid it may not be disclosed to you. Some people feel, most times, that it’s routine advice for them to be told not to take their drugs with alcohol, so they tend to neglect it. If you are among these category of people, then I can only say that I’m sorry for your life. Alcohol-opioid combination kills! Take note.
5. Some cough, cold and catarrh drugs
Combining these drugs with alcohol can make your day very useless as you would be extremely drowsy. Attempting to drive after such a combination can only end in a singular story — died or badly injured in a road traffic accident. If not for this, I would have said that this combination is relatively not fatal but then…
6. Skeletal muscle relaxants
This group of drugs with alcohol can lead to death through respiratory system shut-down. Their combination can take away breathe from us and no reasonable person would like to entertain anything like that.
7. CNS stimulants
This group of drugs are not fatal when combined with alcohol but their effects are rubbished by it. If they are therefore needed by someone, taking alcohol while on them wouldn’t make any sense.
8. CNS depressants
Taking alcohol while on this drug is a death sentence. Enlisting of the drugs in this class is not necessary since they are prescription drugs and people who take them are not always in good shape to drink alcohol.
Other drugs one should avoid alcohol while on them include:
- Sulfonyureas – used in diabetes management
- Certain cephalosporins like cetamandole, cefoperazone, moxalactam, and cefotetan
- Septrin (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim)
- Isoniazid used in tuberculosis treatment
- Anticoagulants
- Some antihypertensives
- NSAIDs
Now that you know some drugs you are not to take with alcohol, how do you even remember them? Actually, trying to remember them is not all that important. The best thing is to always separate alcohol and your drugs. If you are on drugs, close the bottles of your alcoholic drinks until you are done with your drugs. If you can even stop drinking alcohol entirely, it will be better as the risk of alcohol consumption out weighs the benefits.
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