Why You Shouldn’t Mix These Medications With Alcohol
Important health education from a former nurse and recovering alcoholic
I’m a former nurse and recovering alcoholic, and I’ve been concerned by the lack of health education given to the general public about the dangers of mixing alcohol with certain medications. The common practice is to place warnings on medications that they should not be combined with alcohol. Although some doctors will provide warnings and some education, they often don’t because education takes up a lot of time in a busy healthcare environment. Plus, many doctors underestimate the ability of patients to retain education. Lastly, discussing this may prompt people to stop taking their vital medications so it becomes a risk/benefit issue.
This is especially problematic with mental health and pain relief medications. My father died eight years ago from liver failure due to alcoholism. He also struggled with a horrible depression that went on for most of his life. My father didn’t get a little down; he lost all ability to function when he was depressed. And, of course, the more depressed he got, the more he drank. He also took several medications for his depression. He mixed them with alcohol and pain relief medications which sped up his liver failure. Also, he took medications for metabolic health issues that also…
