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AgePage

National Institute on Aging

Alcohol Use In 

Older People

Anyone at any age can have a drinking 

problem. Uncle George always liked his 

liquor, so his family may not see that his 

drinking is getting worse as he gets older. 

Grandma Betty was a teetotaler all her life 

until she started having a drink each night 

to help her get to sleep after her husband 

died. Now, no one realizes that she needs a 

couple of drinks to get through each day. 

These are common stories. The fact is 

that families, friends, and healthcare 

workers often overlook their concerns 

about older people drinking. Sometimes 

trouble with alcohol in older people 

is mistaken for other 

conditions related to 

aging, for example, a 

problem with balance. 

But, how the body 

handles alcohol can 

change with age. You 

may have the same drinking habits, but 

your body has changed.

Alcohol may act differently in older 

people than in younger people. Some 

older people can feel “high” without 

increasing the amount of alcohol they 

drink. This “high” can make them more 

likely to have accidents, including falls 

and fractures, and car crashes.

Drinking too much alcohol over a 

long time can:

✦ Lead to some kinds of cancer, liver 

damage, immune system disorders, 

and brain damage.

✦ Worsen some health conditions 

like osteoporosis, diabetes, high 

blood pressure, and ulcers.

✦ Make some medical problems hard 

for doctors to find and treat—for 

example, alcohol causes changes in 

the heart and blood vessels. These 

changes can dull pain that might 

be a warning sign of a heart attack. 

✦ Cause some older people to be 

forgetful and confused—these 

symptoms could be mistaken for 

signs of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Alcohol And Medicines

Many medicines—prescription, 

over-the-counter, or herbal remedies—
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can be dangerous or even deadly when 

mixed with alcohol. Many older people 

take medications every day, making this a 

special worry. Before taking any medicine, 

ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can 

safely drink alcohol. Here are some 

examples of problems caused by mixing 

alcohol with some medicines: 

✦ If you take aspirin and drink, your 

risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding 

is increased. 

✦ When combined with alcohol, cold 

and allergy medicines (the label 

will say antihistamines) may make 

you feel very sleepy. 

✦ Alcohol used with large doses 

of acetaminophen, a common 

painkiller, may cause liver damage. 

✦ Some medicines, such as cough syrups 

and laxatives, have high alcohol 

content. If you drink at the same 

time, your alcohol level will go up. 

✦ Alcohol used with some sleeping pills, 

pain pills, or anxiety/anti-depression 

medicine can be deadly.

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

Although everyone is different, the 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism, part of the National 

Institutes of Health, recommends that 

people over age 65 should have no 

more than seven drinks a week and no 

more than three drinks on any one day. 

Do you have a health problem? Are you 

taking certain medicines? You may need 

to drink less or not drink at all. Talk with 

your doctor. 

When Does Drinking Become 

A Problem?

Some people have been heavy 

drinkers for many years. But, just as 

with Uncle George, over time the 

same amount of alcohol packs a more 

powerful punch. Other people, like 

Grandma Betty, develop a drinking 

problem later in life. Sometimes this is 

One drink is equal to one 

of the following: 

•	 One 12-ounce can or bottle of

regular beer, ale, or wine cooler

•	 One 8- or 9-ounce can or bottle

of malt liquor

•	 One 5-ounce glass of red or

white wine

•	 One 1.5-ounce shot glass of hard

liquor (spirits) like gin, vodka, or

whiskey. The label on the bottle

will say 80 proof or less.
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a result of major life changes like death 

of dear friends or a loved one, moving 

to a new home, or failing health. These 

kinds of changes can cause loneliness, 

boredom, anxiety, or depression. In 

fact, depression in older adults often 

goes along with drinking too much.

Not everyone who drinks daily has a 

drinking problem. And, not 

all problem drinkers 

have to drink every day. 

You might want to 

get help if you, or a 

loved one, hides or 

lies about drinking, has 

more than seven drinks 

a week or more than three 

drinks in one day, or gets hurt 

or harms others when drinking.

Getting Help

Are you one of those people who 

should stop drinking due to health 

problems or medicines you need to take? 

If you want to stop drinking, there is help. 

Start by talking to your doctor. He or she 

may be able to give you advice about 

treatment. Your local health department 

or social services agencies may also be 

helpful. Here are some things you can try:

✦ Ask your doctor about medicine 

that will work for you. 

✦ Talk to a trained counselor who 

knows about alcohol problems in 

older people. 

✦ Find a support group for older 

people with alcohol problems. 

✦ Check out a 12-step program, like 

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), that 

offers support to people who want 

to stop drinking. 

✦ Locate an individual, family, or group 

therapy that works best for you.

Many older adults decide to quit 

drinking in later life. You can do it too. 

There are many things you can do to 

cut back or stop drinking. You can:

✦ Count how many ounces of alcohol 

you are getting in each drink. 

✦ Keep track of the number of drinks 

you have each day. 

✦ Decide how many days a week you 

want to drink. Plan some days that 

are free of alcohol. 

✦ Pace yourself when you drink. Don’t 

have more than one alcoholic drink 

in an hour. In place of alcohol, drink 

water, juice, or soda. 

✦ Make sure to eat when drinking. 

Alcohol will enter your system 

more slowly if you eat some food.
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✦ Ask for support from your family and 

advice from your healthcare provider. 

Get the help you need to quit.

Take time to plan ahead. Here are 

some things you can do:

✦ Develop interests that don’t involve 

alcohol. 

✦ Avoid people, places, and times of 

day that may trigger your drinking. 

✦ Plan what you will do if you have 

an urge to drink. 

✦ Learn to say “no, thanks” when 

you’re offered an alcoholic drink.

✦ Remember to stay healthy for the 

fun things in life—the birth of a 

grandchild, a long hoped for trip, 

or a holiday party.

No one wants to get hurt or to hurt 

others as the result of too much alcohol. 

Yet, it can happen if you drink more 

than you should. Be 

aware of how your 

body changes as you 

age. Be alert to these 

changes, adjust how 

much alcohol you 

can safely drink, 

and continue to 

enjoy life to the fullest. 

For More Information 

Here are some helpful resources:

Adult Children of Alcoholics

P.O. Box 3216

Torrance, CA 90510

1-562-595-7813

www.adultchildren.org 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Look up the AA number in your local 

phone book. 

AA’s main office:

A.A. World Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 459 

New York, NY 10163

1-212-870-3400

www.aa.org

Al-Anon

For families of alcoholics, look up 

Al-Anon in your local phone book or 

call 1-888-425-2666 (toll-free) to find a 

meeting near you.

Al-Anon’s main office: 

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters

1600 Corporate Landing Parkway

Virginia Beach, VA 23454 

1-757-563-1600

www.al-anon.org
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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism 

5635 Fishers Lane MSC 9304

Bethesda, MD 20892-9304

1-301-443-3860

www.niaaa.nih.gov

National Library of Medicine

Medline Plus

www.medlineplus.gov

Substance Abuse & Mental Health 

Services Administration

1 Choke Cherry Road 

Rockville, MD 20850 

1-877-726-4727 (toll-free)

1-800-487-4889 (TTY/toll-free)

www.store.samhsa.gov

For more information on health and 

aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging

Information Center

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free)

1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)

www.nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov/espanol 

To sign up for regular email alerts 

about new publications and other 

information from the NIA, go to 

www.nia.nih.gov/health. 

Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health and wellness information for 

older adults. Special features make it 

simple to use. For example, you can click

on a button to make the type larger.

National Institute on Aging

National Institutes of Health

NIH...Turning Discovery into Health 

U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services

May 2009 | Updated March 2012