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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
And young adults, while seemingly at lower risk for medicine interactions with alcohol, may still be of concern. Parents and clinicians should be alert for alcohol abuse in younger patients. This especially can be a risk when alcohol and ADHD medications such as the stimulants (for example: methylphenidate, Ritalin, Adderall) are combined.Caffeine-fueled energy drinks can be a popular mix among college students. Energy drinks mixed with alcohol can lower the feeling of intoxication, which can lead to excessive drinking and alcohol-related injuries.How Is alcohol metabolized?In your body, alcohol is primarily metabolized (broken down in the body for excretion) by two enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). ADH breaks down alcohol to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic and cancer causing agent, and then to the less active by-product called acetate, which is excreted as water and carbon dioxide.Types of Drug Interactions With AlcoholThere are basically two types of drug interactions with alcohol.Pharmacodynamic InteractionsWhen a medication side effect like drowsiness is magnified by the use of alcohol it is called an “additive” effect. These types of interactions are called pharmacodynamic interactions.They occur frequently when alcohol and pills that cause drowsiness are combined. For example, when alcohol is combined with some antihistamines, like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) that normally causes drowsiness as a side effect, the drowsiness may be magnified.This added drowsiness can interfere with the ability to concentrate, make reasonable judgements and can make driving or operating machinery hazardous.Pharmacokinetic InteractionsThese interactions occur when processes such as drug absorption, metabolism or excretion are changed.Alcohol is primarily broken down (metabolized) in the liver for excretion by various enzymes. Many medications are broken down by enzymes, too, so there can be competition in the body for these liver enzymes.These alcohol interactions can cause some medications to be less effective (by enzyme induction), or to build up causing toxic effects (by enzyme inhibition).Alcohol and CYP EnzymesCytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are a group of enzymes found throughout the body, primarily in the liver. They help to break down drugs so they can be excreted from the body. There are many different types of enzymes with different names, indicated by letters and numbers.Alcohol is metabolized by the CYP2E1 enzyme. One concern is that medications that are metabolized by the CYP2E1 can be affected.For example, the common pain and fever reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol) is also metabolized by CYP2E1. When alcohol and acetaminophen are combined in alcohol users that drink frequently each day, liver toxicity, and even liver failure, can occur, due to formation of dangerous acetaminophen by-products.Ask a healthcare provider if this medicine is safe to use if you drink alcohol daily or you've ever had cirrhosis of the liver.Alcohol is also known to strongly inhibit (or block) an enzyme
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