Elderly people over 65 years, in whom the intake of medications and susceptibility to adverse reactions are greater, are more exposed to the risks of an alcohol-medication interaction. The effect of medications reduces as they are metabolised by the action of enzymes and eliminated from the body. Similarly, alcohol is metabolised and eliminated within some time after its ingestion, mainly by the liver.
Alcohol competes with the therapeutic product to monopolise the same metabolic enzymes.
For this reason, recently abstinent chronic drinkers require greater doses than normal for the product in order to obtain a therapeutic effect. Some enzymes can transform medications into toxic substances , which provoke hepatic lesions or other organic lesions. Alcohol can amplify the inhibitory effects of sedative and hypnotic products at the level of their sites of action in the brain. AC and CC are specified if they have different effects. Summary table Type of medication Effects associated with alcohol consumption Anaesthetics Reduced effect of anaesthetic agent, risk of hepatic lesions.