Can I drink alcohol when taking common painkillers?

Before I answer this question I would like to say that the pharmaceutical industry and alcohol industry have highly influential lobbies. This can be seen if you go through the literature and even many medical scientists say that a particular amount of alcohol is not a problem. But, we should not forget alcohol is always a problem and excess intake of painkillers is also a big problem. You can give many reasons to say it is harmless; but, it is a bad combination is the truth. Alcohol can increase the side effects of the painkillers or it can increase the drowsiness which can lead to accidents on the road or in the factory.

Overdose of painkillers are possible if you drink alcohol. With the negative influence of the alcohol many tend to take overdose and this can be fatal.

There are two different groups of painkillers; the over the counter painkillers from the pharmacies and the prescription painkillers. Prescription painkillers are very strong painkillers. We can see here the effect of alcohol on some of the mostly used painkillers in our world. These include:

• Aspirin and ibuprofen – these are over the counter painkillers. The common side effects of aspirin include heartburn, nausea, upset stomach, bloody stools, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, severe or persistent stomach pain and vomiting. In the case of ibuprofen the side effects include dizziness, headache, nausea, gas, stomach pain or upset, bloody stools, chest pain, confusion, depression, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, seizures, shortness of breath, yellowing of the skin or eyes and vomiting. With these side effects alcohol has no place with aspirin and ibuprofen. The recommendation of 3 to 4 drinks for men and 2 to 3 drinks for women is only industry friendly and can do much harm to the patient who really needs a painkiller. Alcohol may increase the side effects, such as bleeding in the stomach or intestine by irritating the stomach. Stomach inflammation or ulceration can be made worse with alcohol.
• Paracetamol or Acetaminophen – this is also an over the counter painkiller. It is relatively safe in therapeutic doses. The overdose can cause side effects and these include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, extreme tiredness, unusual bleeding or bruising, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, yellowing of the skin or eyes and flu-like symptoms. Excess paracetamol can damage liver and here also the alcohol can only increase the side effects. Therefore, painkillers and alcohol cannot go together.

The side effects can be experienced only up to 10% of the persons taking the painkillers are not an argument to drink alcohol. If you take over the counter or prescription drugs you must avoid alcohol completely.

Strong pain killers like codeine, dihydrocodeine, tramadol, morphine, meperidine or others need prescription from the doctors. Considering the side effects of the above strong painkillers, particularly drowsiness, your doctor advises you normally not to take alcohol.

Can you tell me about the tension headache?

There are more than 300 types of headaches and the most common one is tension headache. If you are under stress this headache comes again and again. This is not very serious, but it can be very painful.

The causes of tension headache are not known. Now it is thought that a change in brain chemicals may be a cause. Otherwise tension or spasms in the muscles of your neck face and head may be the usual causes.

The tension headache symptoms include:

• There is constant pain, but not throbbing. The pain or pressure is felt on both sides of your head
• Pressure which makes you feel like your head in a vise
• Pain at the back of your head, neck or temples

Tension headache comes back if you have stress. They can last 30 minutes to several days. Normally the pain is not severe and does not affect your day-to-day life. If the pain is severe and lasts long go to your doctor.

To prevent tension headache you must learn how to handle your stress. Sleep enough and regular physical activity is important. Eat healthy food on a regular schedule. Whatever you do, try to avoid straining of your eyes. So to say a healthy lifestyle is important.

Tension headache is treated with painkillers like paracetamol or aspirin and these are mostly prescription-free. If you take often painkillers there may be the possibility of getting rebound headaches which are different from tension headache. This type of headache starts when the effect of the painkiller is gone. It is possible that you get headache whenever you stop taking the medicine. For the chronic tension headache you must take stronger painkillers and consult your doctor for that.

Even with medicines you may have headache, but may have it less often. Here every individual is different.

Write a diary about the time, date and the happenings on that day so that later it is useful for your doctor to treat you.

Paracetamol, the painkiller

Paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller in the world. Persons who are allergic or sensitive to aspirin could use paracetamol without any problem. Compared to aspirin or ibuprofen it is not effective against inflammation. It is primarily used to reduce fever and to relieve aches and pain associated with cold, flu, menstrual cramps, arthritis, body aches, toothaches and other pains. In right dose it is also tolerated by children.

The side effects of paracetamol include:

• Hives, skin rash and short breath. Stop taking the medicine and go to your doctor
• Nausea
• Prolonged and habitual use can lead to liver damage or failure

Persons with known liver diseases should not take paracetamol.

The combination of paracetamol and alcohol is deadly. It is caused by taking more than prescribed doses or by habitual or long term use of paracetamol. Every year more than 800,000 persons die because of this combination in USA.

If you take paracetamol the fever must go within three days and the pain within 10 days. If not, go to your doctor immediately.

If you are pregnant or breast feeding consult with your doctor before taking paracetamol.

Usage for a long period can damage kidneys

Painkillers can be taken if you have pain and stop it immediately if the pain is reduced. For each small pain do not take them and it is not good for our health in the long run. Sometimes fresh air is better than painkillers.

If you are taking any tablets drink enough water.

To know more about paracetamol and its combinations read Dr. K. Padmanaban's "Side Effects of Medicines". For further details visit www.aaronverlag.com