Many individuals after a hard day grab a painkiller to relieve a headache, sore muscles or joint pains. Other people may have a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail to relax. However, when both are taken around the same time, the body faces more than it can handle. What may seem a mere relief may soon cause dizziness, stomach ache or even a much more serious problem, such as organ damage, bleeding or trouble breathing.
Combining alcohol with painkilling drugs is more common than most people can imagine and more harmful than many people care to believe. Each year, millions of people consume prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin. At the same time, alcohol is consumed by a significant number of people all over the world. Although both of them have side effects by themselves, combining them may increase risks, transforming what may look like harmless drowsiness into a potentially fatal scenario such as liver damage, internal bleeding, or even respiratory failure.
Alcohol and painkillers are a deadly combination. The majority of the population does not know that it is a harmful thing until the symptoms set in. This is why it is crucial to know how alcohol interacts with different types of painkillers to remain safe.
Why Alcohol and Painkillers Don’t Mix
People use pain medication in all kinds of everyday situations: reaching into the medicine cabinet and taking acetaminophen after a stressful day, taking ibuprofen after a workout, or taking aspirin as a low dose heart protection pill. Meanwhile, others drink to unwind, or to party. These rituals are innocent. But timing matters. A pill that is taken in the evening might still be in action when one pours out a drink. There are prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs that remain in the body hours. Combining them with alcohol during such regular hours will modify the effects of drugs and increase the risk of injuries. Knowing when to get to the doctor can help a mere night turn into a medical emergency.
Alcohol decelerates the brain and the body. It impairs balance, memory and breathing. Depending on the kind of painkiller prescribed, any of the liver, kidneys, stomach, or nervous system can be strained. When the two are mixed together, the effect they have is not merely adding, it multiplies.
Some of the dangers include:
- Severe drowsiness and inco-ordination.
- Slowed or stopped breathing.
- Bleeding inside the stomach.
- Damage to the liver or kidney.
Who Is Most at Risk?
There are individuals who are at greater risk at the level of combining alcohol and pain drugs. This covers: the elderly, since their liver and kidney clearages are slower; those who have liver/kidney disease; those who are significantly intoxicated/binge drinkers; those taking multiple medications at a time.
Others at risk include individuals who have a history of ulcers or bleeding disorders, and individuals who take high doses or chronic painkillers. Pregnant women have additional issues both to them and the unborn. In case you fall into one of these groups, do not take alcohol when taking pain medicines, consult a healthcare professional.
Opioids and Alcohol: The Most Dangerous Mix
How Opioids Work
Opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine are used to treat severe pain, usually that induced by surgery or injury. They act by suppressing pain messages in the brain causing relaxation.
Why Mixing Is Deadly
Alcohol and opioids both inhibit the central nervous system. Together, they can:
- Result in extreme drowsiness and disorientation.
- Breathing becomes slow (respiratory depression) until it ceases.
- Turn an ordinary dose of opioids into an overdose.
The combination of alcohol and opioids, even in small doses, may be lethal. It has been shown that alcohol is a factor in numerous opioid-related fatalities.
Acetaminophen and Alcohol: Unnoticed Liver Destruction
How Acetaminophen Works
Acetaminophen is sold under a variety of names such as Tylenol or Panadol and is used to treat pain and fever. It is not used to treat swelling or inflammation.
Why Mixing Is Risky
Acetaminophen along with alcohol is broken down at the liver. When combined:
- Toxic wastes are synthesized in the liver and harm the liver cells.
- Even regular doses are more likely to cause liver failure in long term drinkers.
- Damage to the liver can accumulate without much notice and presents itself at the late stage.
This is what makes the combination particularly dangerous as the damage is not necessarily instant.
Ibuprofen and Alcohol: Stomach and Kidney Strain
How Ibuprofen Works
Ibuprofen is an NSAID that is used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation and is available as Advil and Motrin.
Why Mixing Is Risky
Alcohol and ibuprofen both irritate the stomach and influence the work of the kidneys. Together, they can:
- Promotes the probability of stomach ulcers and internal bleeding.
- Causes a decrease in kidney functionality, particularly in elderly people or individuals with pre-existing kidney issues.
- Reduce the recovery of the stomach irritation in the body.
Aspirin and Alcohol: Bleeding Risk Multiply
How Aspirin Works
Aspirin is useful in pain and inflammation. It is commonly used in low doses to decrease the risk of stroke or heart attacks since it thin the blood.
Why Mixing Is Risky
The use of aspirin with alcohol increases:
- The possibility of stomach bleeding and ulcers.
- Impaired clotting and easy bruising due to minor injuries.
- The danger of bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) of the brain.
The risk increases among those who are more elderly or already taking drugs to thin the blood.
Interactions with Other Medicines
Other drugs that you may be taking can also interact with alcohol and painkillers. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, certain allergy drugs and sleep-aid drugs can contribute to drowsiness and breathing difficulties. Anticoagulant medications and aspirin and alcohol may increase the risk of bleeding significantly. Some antimicrobials and anti-epileptic drugs alter the way the liver metabolizes acetaminophen or opioids.
Never forget to add all medications (including herbal supplements) to your doctor or pharmacist. Even OTC cold or sleep products are enough to cause worse interactions. In uncertainty, ask: Can I safely take alcohol with this?
Learning to Identify Overdose and When to Seek Help
Being aware of the warning signs is a life-saving factor. In the case of opioid-related overdose, observe very slow or no breathing, small or no pupils (black dots in the middle of the eyes), extreme unresponsiveness or pale, clammy skin.
In case of acetaminophen and liver damage, the symptoms may be subtle at first, such as a feeling of nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, or pain in the stomach.
In the case of NSAID-related bleeding (ibuprofen, aspirin), watch bloody or black stool, coughing with blood or feeling faint all of a sudden.
Do not expect all the symptoms to manifest themselves, call an ambulance immediately.
What to Do in an Emergency
Emergency services should be called in case of an overdose or an overdose, or life-threatening reaction. In case the individual is breathing poorly or unresponsive, the individual should lie on his side in a recovery position and examine his airway.
In case the issue is excessive bleeding, press firmly on the wound and take assistance. In the suspected liver failure (following massive acetaminophen intake), emergency treatment is important despite the mild initially manifesting symptoms.
Safe Alternatives for Pain Relief
Safer methods of pain management can help to limit the requirement to combine medicines and alcohol.
- Simple non-drug treatments should come first when it is suitable: rest, ice or heat packs, gentle stretching or physical therapy.
- Creams or gels can be used over the counter and will help to relieve localized pain with no significant systemic consequences.
- Low doses of acetaminophen (as directed by the label) or NSAID in short term may suffice to treat mild pain, however, it should not be used in conjunction with alcohol
How to Stay Safe
- Do not take alcohol with opioids or excessive use of painkillers.
- Check the labels of drugs, most of them caution about taking them with alcohol.You must not take alcohol together with any drug unless you consult a doctor or pharmacist.
- Symptoms which may be a cause of concern include abdominal pain, black stools, yellow skin, and difficulty breathing.
Quick Checklist: Dos and Don’ts
- DO check all drug labels to get a warning on alcohol.
- DO inform your doctor and pharmacist of any drinks and medicines you take.
- DO NOT take opioids when you drink alcohol.
- DO NOT combine high doses of acetaminophen with alcohol.
- DO look out: difficulty breathing, black stools, yellow skin.
- DO request emergency assistance in case of loss of consciousness or criminal hemorrhage.
- DO use non-drug pain treatment, where appropriate.
- DO NOT make the mistake that because it is an over-the-counter drug, it is safe to mix it with alcohol.
Final Thoughts
Pain pills and alcohol might seem harmless in our daily living but the dangers are real and even fatal. The drugs themselves have their own secrets of harm: opioids may close the breathing and acetaminophen may ruin the liver, ibuprofen may tear stomach lining and aspirin may make the blood too thin.
For simple and safe solutions: do not combine alcohol and painkillers. This may avert accidents, medical emergencies and save lives.
