There is always the same discussion, always the same conversations, always the same arguments, but when you are in that situation again, with a cold and a celebration looming, you no longer remember what was true or what was a lie.
The first advice we can give you is that, in health matters, prevention is better than cure, and if you are not sure about the expiration of a drug or whether it can interact with any substance, it is always better to stop taking it than to expose yourself to suffer some consequence that can be serious.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are one of the most common cases; Can I drink alcohol with anti-inflammatories? Well, if you want to know the answer, keep reading this FastlyHealarticle and we will explain everything to you.
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Mix alcohol and anti-inflammatories
If you have decided to abstain – either from the drink or the drug – you have made the right decision, because it is not advisable to mix alcohol and anti-inflammatory drugs . The reason for this is that all anti-inflammatories, whether they are steroidal, such as prednisone, or non-steroidal, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, have gastrolesive consequences, that is, they damage the gastric mucosa and cause stomach pain, heartburn and digestive problems in general, which in chronic cases can lead to stomach or duodenal ulcers.
If to this gastrolesive effect of anti-inflammatories we add that alcohol is another agent that damages our stomach lining and that attacks our digestive stability, the union of both is a combo that is difficult for our body to bear without suffering avoidable consequences.
But there are more contraindications depending on the exact composition of each medication, which is why below we will explain how alcohol interacts with some of the most popular anti-inflammatories.
Mixing alcohol with Ibuprofen
There are many people who after a night of partying take an ibuprofen in order to try to stop the symptoms of a hangover, what they do not know is that what they are actually getting is the opposite effect of what they are looking for. Do you want to know what happens if you drink alcohol and Ibuprofen ?
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a group known as NSAIDs, and it is used mainly to reduce pain, inflammation and fever, although it also has other uses against arthitis or rhema. When alcohol and ibuprofen interact in the stomach, especially if it is habitual or if they are high amounts, it can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach perforations that endanger your life.
Mixing alcohol with aspirin
The combination of aspirin and alcohol causes adverse effects very similar to those of ibuprofen, so you should not drink alcohol if you take aspirin . Especially this should be taken into account among people who drink alcohol on a regular basis, since both substances damage the stomach lining, their joint action can be very dangerous.
Various studies have also shown that aspirin causes a reduction in our body’s ability to break down alcohol, which means that alcohol levels are 30% higher than if aspirin is not taken, enhancing the adverse effects of alcohol.
Mixing alcohol with paracetamol
Taking acetaminophen and alcohol, even if taken in small amounts, increases the chances of kidney dysfunction . Considering that either of the two substances can cause it, it is not surprising that both combined increase that possibility by up to 123%.
But it’s not just the kidneys that are affected by this life-threatening mix, it’s the liver where it works first before moving to the kidney. In order for the liver to detoxify the drug, it needs to use enzymes that are found in our body in small amounts, that is why if they are busy detoxifying the liver from alcohol they cannot do their job with the anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Once these substances pass to the kidneys, something similar happens, because these organs have a double job to eliminate the toxins from alcohol and the drug, which can cause cell death and irreparable damage to the kidney .
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can I drink alcohol with anti-inflammatories? , we recommend that you enter our category of Medication and medical tests .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.