Mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk for dangerous reactions. Protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and don't know its effect. To learn more about a medicine and whether it will interact with alcohol, talk to your pharmacist or other health care provider.
Symptom/Disorders | Medication | Possible reactions |
Allergies/Colds/Flu | Alavert (loratadine) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose |
Allegra, Allegra-D (fexofenadin) | ||
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) | ||
Clarinex (desloratadine) | ||
Claritin, Claritin-D (loratadine) | ||
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy (brompheniramine) | ||
Sudafed Sinus & Allergy (chlorpheniramine) | ||
Triaminic® Cold & Allergy (chlorpheniramine) | ||
Tylenol Allergy Sinus (chlorpheniramine) | ||
Zyrtec (cetirizine) | ||
Angina (chest pain), coronary heart disease | Isordil (isosorbide) | Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure, dizziness, fainting |
Nitroglycerin | ||
Anxiety and epilepsy | Ativan (lorazepam) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose; slowed or difficulty breathing; impaired motor control; unusual behavior; and memory problems |
Klonopin (clonazepam) | ||
Librium (chlordiazepoxide) | ||
Paxil (paroxetine) | ||
Valium (diazepam) | ||
Xanax (alprazolam) | ||
Arthritis | Celebrex (celecoxib) | Ulcers, stomach bleeding, liver problems |
Naprosyn (naproxen) | ||
Voltaren (diclofenac) | ||
Blood clots | Coumadin (warfarin) | Occasional drinking may lead to internal bleeding; heavier drinking also may cause bleeding or may have the opposite effect, resulting in possible blood clots, strokes, or heart attacks |
Cough | Delsym, Robitussin Cough (dextromethorpan) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose |
Depression | Anafranil (clomipramine) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose; increased feelings of depression or hopelessness in adolescents (suicide) |
Celexa (citalopram) | ||
Desyrel (trazodone) | ||
Effexor (venlafaxine) | ||
Elavil (amitriptyline) | ||
Lexapro (escitalopram) | ||
Luvox (fluvoxamine) | ||
Norpramin (desipramine) | ||
Paxil (paroxetine) | ||
Prozac (fluoxetine) | ||
Serzone (nefazodone) | ||
Wellbutrin (bupropion) | ||
Zoloft (sertraline) | ||
St. John's Wort | ||
Diabetes | Glucophage (metformin) | Abnormally low blood sugar levels, flushing reaction (nausea, vomiting, headache, rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure) |
Micronase (glyburide) | ||
Orinase (tolbutamide) | ||
Enlarged prostate | Cardura (doxazosin) | Dizziness, light headedness, fainting |
Flomax (tamsulosin) | ||
Hytrin (terazosin) | ||
Minipress (prazosin) | ||
Heartburn, indigestion, sour stomach | Axid (nizatidine) | Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure (metoclopramide); increased alcohol effect |
Reglan (metoclopramide) | ||
Tagamet (cimetidine) | ||
Zantac (ranitidine) | ||
High blood pressure | Accupril (quinapril) | Dizziness, fainting, drowsiness; heart problems such as changes in the heart's regular heartbeat (arrhythmia) |
Capozide (hydrochlorothiazide) | ||
Cardura (doxasozin) | ||
Catapres (clonidine) | ||
Cozaar (losartan) | ||
Hytrin (terazosin) | ||
Lopressor HCT (hydrochlorothiazide) | ||
Lotensin (benzapril) | ||
Minipress (prazosin) | ||
Vaseretic (enalapril) | ||
High cholesterol | Advicor (lovastatin/niacin) | Liver damage (all medications); increased flushing and itching (niacin), increased stomach bleeding (pravastatin + aspirin) |
Altocor (lovastatin) | ||
Crestor (rosuvastatin) | ||
Lipitor (atorvastatin) | ||
Mevacor (lovastatin) | ||
Niaspan (niacin) | ||
Pravachol (pravastatin) | ||
Pravigard (pravatatin/aspirin) | ||
Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) | ||
Zocor (simvastatin) | ||
Infections | Acrodantin (nitrofurantoin) | Fast heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure; stomach pain, upset stomach, vomiting, headache, or flushing or redness of the face; liver damage (isoniazid, ketokonazole) |
Flagyl (metronidazole) | ||
Grisactin (griseofulvin) | ||
Nizoral (ketokonazole) | ||
Nydrazid (isoniazid) | ||
Seromycin (cycloserine) | ||
Tindamax (tinidazole) | ||
Muscle pain | Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk of seizures; increased risk for overdose; slowed or difficulty breathing; impaired motor control; unusual behavior; memory problems |
Soma (carisoprodol) | ||
Nausea, motion sickness | Antivert (meclizine) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose |
Atarax (hydroxyzine) | ||
Dramamine (dimenhyrinate) | ||
Phenergan (promenthazine) | ||
Pain (such as headache, muscle ache, minor arthritis pain), fever, inflammation | Advil (ibruoprofen) | Stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers; liver damage (acetaminophen); rapid heartbeat |
Aleve (naproxen) | ||
Excedrin (aspirin/acetaminophen) | ||
Motrin (ibuprofen) | ||
Tylenol (acetaminophen) | ||
Seizures | Dilantin (phenytoin) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk of seizures |
Klonopin (clonazepam/phenobarbital) | ||
Severe pain from injury, postsurgical care, oral surgery, migraines | Darvocet–N (propoxyphene) | Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose; slowed or difficulty breathing; impaired motor control; unusual behavior; memory problems |
Demerol (merepidine) | ||
Fiorinal with codeine (butalbital/codeine) | ||
Percocet (oxycodone) | ||
Vicodin (hydrocodone) | ||
Sleep problems | Ambien (zolpidem) | Drowsiness, sleepiness, dizziness; slowed or difficulty breathing; impaired motor control; unusual behavior; memory problems |
Lunesta (eszopiclone) | ||
Prosom (estazolam) | ||
Restoril (temazepam) | ||
Sominex (diphenhydramine) | ||
Unisom (doxylamine) |

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References
SOURCES:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
of the National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
of the National Institutes of Health