The New Complete Book of Food
Food/Drug Interactions
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.). FDA recommends that people who regularly have three or
more drinks a day consult a doctor before using acetaminophen. The alcohol/acetaminophen
combination may cause liver failure.
Anti-alcohol abuse drugs (disulfiram [Antabuse]). Taken concurrently with alcohol, the anti-
alcoholism drug disulfiram can cause flushing, nausea, a drop in blood pressure, breathing
difficulty, and confusion. The severity of the symptoms, which may vary among individu-
als, generally depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and the amount of disulfiram in
the body.
Anticoagulants. Alcohol slows the body’s metabolism of anticoagulants (blood thinners),
intensifying the effect of the drugs and increasing the risk of side effects such as spontane-
ous nosebleeds.
Antidepressants. Alcohol may strengthen the sedative effects of antidepressants.
Aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Like alco-
hol, these analgesics irritate the lining of the stomach and may cause gastric bleeding. Com-
bining the two intensifies the effect.
Insulin and oral hypoglycemics. Alcohol lowers blood sugar and interferes with the metabo-
lism of oral antidiabetics; the combination may cause severe hypoglycemia.
Sedatives and other central nervous system depressants (tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antide-
pressants, sinus and cold remedies, analgesics, and medication for motion sickness). Alcohol
intensifies the sedative effects of these medications and, depending on the dose, may cause
drowsiness, sedation, respiratory depression, coma, or death.
MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are drugs used as antidepressants
or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of natural enzymes that break down tyramine,
a substance formed naturally when proteins are metabolized. Tyramine is a pressor amine,
a chemical that constricts blood vessel and raises blood pressure. If you eat a food that
contains tyramine while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, the pressor amine cannot be
eliminated from your body and the result may be a hypertensive crisis (sustained elevated
blood pressure). Brandy, a distilled spirit made from wine (which is fermented) contains
tyramine. All other distilled spirits may be excluded from your diet when you are taking an
MAO inhibitor because the spirits and the drug, which are both sedatives, may be hazard-
ous in combination.