Drinking and Medication
Drinking and Medication
Ancient people understood using alcohol to soak herbs for medicinal purposes, and traditional Chinese medicine also uses yellow wine as a "medicine guide." Some drugs become more effective after being soaked in alcohol; others reduce toxicity and side effects after alcohol processing.
However, not all medications can be processed with alcohol or used with alcohol as a guide—especially Western medicines. Otherwise, side effects or toxic reactions may occur, potentially endangering life.
Using metronidazole while drinking alcohol can trigger acetaldehyde poisoning, causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, motor incoordination, and even respiratory distress.
If diabetic patients drink alcohol and then take medication, insulin or hypoglycemic drugs' effects intensify, leading to severe hypoglycemia—causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and rapid heartbeat.
If dysentery or enteritis patients drink alcohol while taking furazolidone, alcohol metabolism is inhibited, causing thirst, dizziness, conjunctival congestion, flushed skin, and even severe palpitations.
If tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or antihistamines with sedative effects (like diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, promethazine) or cold medicines containing these ingredients (e.g., Su Xiao Shuang Feng Capsules, Ke Gan Min) are taken after drinking, they may cause decreased blood pressure and weakened heart rate.