The effect of alcohol on the absorption and action of drugs and nutrients

As you move the drugs from the medical sphere into the social pages of newspapers and popular science magazines are increasing publication on medical topics, which often include discussion onnye, and sometimes controversial issues. One of them - society's attitude to alcohol. Events are still fresh anti-alcohol campaign, which began the fight against the excessive use of surrogate vodka and drinks, containing alcohol, and it ended indiscriminate ban on all without exception drinks, containing alcohol, including natural grape wines. Today we are witnessing the opposite: Spirits act almost as a medicine. Alcohol "relaxes", "Uplifting", "Relieve stress", "Stimulates the appetite", "It has anti-radiation effect", "Excellent hygienic means, rejuvenates ", «Useful (in small doses) for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases "and even" to relieve asthma attacks ".

Concerned about the statement "use of alcohol," the World Health Organization issued a statement: "Alcohol is dangerous for your health. The less you drink, all the better (!). These posts in the literature "about the benefits of alcohol", According to experts of the United Nations, WHO, "It is not based on rigorous scientific evidence, and inspired largely by considerations of a commercial nature ".

Without getting into a discussion about the benefits and dangers of alcohol, Given the current situation in society today, need, everyone to know, alcohol distorts the effects of drugs, and so it becomes dangerous to human life, which, taking certain drugs, He indulges in alcohol.

Drinking alcoholic beverages impairs the absorption of nutrients from food, changes or distorts the pharmacological effect of drugs, increases their toxicity.

On the effect of drugs primarily affect the diversity of the effects of alcohol and its conversion products. As a hepatotoxic agent, Alcohol disrupts the metabolism of drugs in the liver, changing the structure of the plasma membrane, receptors which are located. Because of this mechanism is disturbed normal drug interactions with cells. For this reason, it is changing the sensitivity and mode of action of drugs on cells, organs and whole organism.

Alcohol disrupts many links metabolism: proteins, fat, carbohydrates, Mineral salts. All these changes lead to the accumulation of acidic products in the organs and tissues, shifting the acid-base balance, which leads to serious metabolic disorders.

The consumption of alcohol function of protein synthesis in the liver decreases, which violates the deposition of drugs; increasing the share of their free fraction, enhances the toxicity of drugs.

Oppression of many enzymes, that comes with alcohol, It enhances the effect of drugs and leads to severe intoxication when receiving normal medical doses.

The largest group of drugs, at the same time which is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, comprise drugs, affecting the function of the central nervous system.

It hypnotics, sedatives and other psychotropic drugs, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesics. Alcohol not only increases their action, but also activates the process of getting used to the drug. As a result, the response of the organism occurs in the re-introduction of the drug - reduced sensitivity to it and, to achieve a therapeutic effect, necessary to increase the dose of. This applies mainly to barbiturates, khloralgidratu, bromine compounds, meprotan (meprobamate), diazepamu, xlordiazepoksidu, oxazepam, medazepam, Phenazepamum, meʙikaru, trioxazine and other. Although relatively easy portability organism these drugs, "Using" alcohol patient unknowingly may be close to a lethal dose. Especially dangerous drugs - benzodiazepines; anticonvulsants (clonazepam), hypnotics (nitrazepam) and others, that in the presence of alcohol may cause respiratory depression depth, up to coma, sometimes are fatal. Enhances alcohol depressive effects on the central nervous system and antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (dimedrol), kvifenadin (Phencarolum), xloropiramin (suprastin).

The big danger for health is fraught with the concurrent use of alcohol and antidepressants. And the danger persists for two weeks after drug withdrawal. Even small amounts of beer or wine in this case, can cause high blood pressure and hypertensive crisis.

In the treatment of hypertension medications used with different mechanisms of action: reserpine and preparations (Adelphanum, adelfanezidreks), klonidin (clonidine, gemiton), methyldopa (dopegid), apressin (gidralazin) and etc., that against the background of the received alcohol can lead to a sharp drop in blood pressure to the development of orthostatic collapse. If the parallel with nitroglycerin and other drugs, expands peripheral blood vessels, and antispasmodic drink alcohol, it may be an acute vascular insufficiency (collapse): against the background of depression of the central nervous system drops sharply arterial and venous pressure, reduced mass of circulating blood, hypoxia and ischemia. A person in this state need emergency medical care, otherwise excluded death.

Rumors, that using alcohol, which supposedly dilates blood vessels, someone managed to prevent myocardial infarction, They have no basis. Conversely, cardiologists is well known, that alcohol is often the cause of sudden death in people, coronary heart disease. Alcohol has a direct toxic effect on the heart muscle, activates sympathoadrenal system, which leads to the release of catecholamines, cause coronary vasospasm, violation of the heart rate.

For the treatment of hypertension often use diuretics, which actively excrete potassium ions. The same effect has and alcohol. Because of the sharp loss of potassium, even a single dose of alcohol in the treatment of diuretics can cause severe complications: vomiting, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, acute heart failure.

Alcohol has polinapravlennoe impact on the absorption and the exchange of hormones. In particular, enhances glucose-lowering effect of insulin and synthetic agents for the treatment of diabetes. As a consequence, can develop a coma with loss of consciousness and convulsions.

Drinking alcohol significantly reduces the effectiveness of vitamin therapy. In particular, because of the shock syndrome vitamins, ingested, poorly absorbed and assimilated, violated their conversion to the active form. It, primarily, As for vitamin B₁, B₆, PP, B₁₂, C, A and folic acid.

Many still believe, that the spirits will help to overcome SARS, flu. Often, washed down with a glass of vodka tablet of aspirin (Aspirin). Along with a large therapeutic activity of aspirin irritates the stomach lining, damage renal parenchyma. Simultaneous treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and alcohol leads to ulceration of the mucous membrane of the stomach and bleeding.

Those, who take non-narcotic analgesics and NSAIDs (metamizol, paracetamol, Indomethacin, Ibuprofen) and allows himself to drink alcohol, develops tachycardia, appear lethargy, noise in ears. A paracetamol becomes so toxic, that even in small doses can cause extremely grave damage hepatic parenchyma. By the way, Alcohol enhances the allergenic effects of any drugs.

When thrombophlebitis, thrombosis of the brain and lungs, doctors prescribe anticoagulants (dikumarin, ethyl bïskwmacetat, acenocoumarol and other). Alcohol is so strengthens their action, there may be a lot of bleeding and hemorrhage in the internal organs, including the brain and subsequent paralysis, parezami, loss of speech.

Against the background of alcohol alter its effect, many cephalosporin antibiotics; griseofulvin - depresses the central nervous system; doxycycline - reduces its activity; rifampicin - strengthens hepatotoxic effects; Chloramphenicol - is feeling the heat, chills, heartbeat, noise in my head. Change its effect by alcohol metronidazole, furazolidon. Therefore, during treatment with these drugs is prohibited to use alcoholic beverages.

A number of drugs increases the effects of alcohol on the body: chlorpromazine, ketotifen, metoclopramide, cimetidine, bromocriptine, valproic acid and its sodium salt, codeine. Caffeine inhibits CNS weaker, but it does not affect the coordination of movements. Some medications can reduce the body's sensitivity to alcohol. This is primarily preparations, containing androgens and glucocorticoids.

Alcohol causes disruption of the endocrine organs, especially the gonads and adrenal glands, producing such hormones, as cortisone, aldosterone, adrenaline, noradrenaline. Each alcohol intake dramatically activates the flow of hormones into the blood. And if a person, who drink alcohol, hormones administered in usual therapeutic doses, it can cause many adverse events.

The negative effects of alcohol and diverse a joint application with drugs appears to varying degrees, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient, Sensitivity, disease severity, but in all cases, the effectiveness of drug therapy is reduced or negated.

Effect of age of the patient, ethnic and other signs on the assimilation and interaction of drugs and nutrients requires separate consideration. It concerns, primarily, children, people elderly, in which the processes of absorption and elimination in the body differ sharply.

The statements are socially oriented: their use in practice, enhances the effectiveness of drug therapy without any additional economic costs.

Based on the above, the following conclusions.

• Food, adopted simultaneously with drugs, substantially affects the efficiency of Pharmacotherapy. Medicines, in turn, may modify nutrient absorption. This requires taking into account the effectiveness of pharmacological- and diet therapy in conjunction.
• About the advisability of administering oral medication and compatibility, the time of their admission to judge a doctor and a pharmacist with the svoystr, Mechanism of action, Portability, eating regime and features recommended diet, as well as the patient's condition (in particular organs and systems of digestion and blood circulation), the main character or the concomitant diseases.
• Where, when necessary to achieve a rapid therapeutic effect of the drug, non-irritating to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, recommended him for 30-60 m. before meals or later, 2 hours after meals. To achieve prolonged effect of drugs, rapidly absorbed and rapidly eliminated from the body, they should be taken after meals.
• The patient should follow the instructions of your doctor exactly the time and conditions ingestion, as it is obliged to warn the pharmacist when dispensing from the pharmacy.
• Observe recommendations for medication based on the reception time, and if necessary, food composition. The information should reflect the most recent data about the possible mutual influence pharmaco- and dietetics.
• It is important to consider the influence of alcohol and alcohol-containing products on a perversion of action of drugs and especially those groups, which when combined with alcohol can cause severe complications, and sometimes death.