People who Drink Tend to Take Prescription Pills, Study Finds

People who take prescription medications tend to mix their drugs with alcohol, a new federal study reported. Mixing the two substances can lead to dangerous health complications.

In this study, the researchers examined survey answers from nearly 27,000 American adults who participated in a government health survey. Roughly 75 percent of the men and 66 percent of the women were considered current drinkers. Out of this group of people, 42 percent reported drinking within the past month despite being on prescription medications that could interact with alcohol. In participants who were older than 65, the mixing rate increased to 78 percent.

"Older adults often have multiple health conditions, and are taking multiple medications," said Rosalind Breslow, researcher at the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) who worked on the study. "And as you age, your body doesn't metabolize alcohol as well."

Depending on the medication, mixing prescription pills with alcohol can lead to symptoms such as depression, dehydration, low heart rate and drowsiness. The researchers stressed the importance of asking doctors and pharmacists for information regarding alcohol use while on different medications.

"When it comes to alcohol use, many of us aren't completely honest about it," Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer, chief pharmacy and medication safety officer at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Lake Success, N.Y, commented according to WebMD. "But no one is going to judge you. It's important to have these discussions."

The researchers noted that the study could not determine if the participants drank and took medications on the same day or even at around the same time.

The study was published in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.