Can You Mix Alcohol with Stomach Medicines?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on July 1, 2024.

Alcohol can interact with medicines used for stomach problems like heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or motion sickness. Alcohol may worsen side effects like sleepiness, dizziness or confusion. In addition, if you have digestive tract disease, you may need to avoid alcohol to prevent worsening of your disease or bleeding.

Talk with your healthcare provider before consuming alcohol with a stomach medicine.

Introduction

We all have an upset stomach every now and then or need to prevent motion sickness. But many medicines used for stomach issues, like heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea or nausea and vomiting, can have drug interactions with alcohol (ethanol). What do you need to know?

Reviewing for drug interactions with alcohol is especially important with over-the-counter (OTC) products where your medication use may not be reviewed by your doctor or pharmacist.
Review all label on prescription bottle or OTC Drug Facts label. OTC medicines like cough syrups may also contain alcohol as an ingredient.
Be sure to screen all medications you take with your health care provider to look for drug interactions with prescription medications, OTC products, vitamins and herbal or dietary supplements.

Related: Drugs.com Interaction Checker

Stomach drugs that can interact with alcohol

Heartburn / GERD

Cimetidine (Tagamet HB) is an over-the-counter acid blocker used to treat heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Using cimetidine and alcohol together may increase the effects of alcohol, leading to increased drowsiness and dizziness, but the overall clinical effects are not known.

How does alcohol interact with cimetidine? Cimetidine may inhibit an enzyme needed to break down alcohol (called alcohol dehydrogenase), but the clinical significance of this interaction is limited.
Another over-the-counter (OTC) H2 blocker known as famotidine (Pepcid, Zantac 360) has minimal interactions with alcohol.

More importantly, if you have digestive tract disease, you may need to avoid alcohol to prevent worsening of your disease or to help prevent bleeding. Talk with your healthcare provider before consuming alcohol.

Metoclopramide (Reglan) is a medicine used for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diabetic gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying), and nausea and vomiting linked with cancer treatment, or after surgery, among other uses. It works by increasing the motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract and may block dopamine receptors found in the central nervous system and brain.

Do not use more than the recommended dose of metoclopramide. You should avoid or limit alcohol when taking metoclopramide.

When metoclopramide is mixed with alcohol you may become more drowsy, dizzy, confused or have trouble concentrating.
You may have trouble performing activities that require mental alertness, such as driving, operating machinery or engaging in potentially hazardous activities requiring mental alertness and motor coordination.
Check with your doctor if you have questions or concerns.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Dicyclomine (Bentyl) is an anticholinergic and antispasmodic agent used to help with stomach spasms and intestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Check with your doctor before combining alcohol and dicyclomine.

Alcohol may lead to additive drowsiness or dizziness when combined with dicyclomine.
Avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving, operating machinery or other hazardous activities while using dicyclomine.

Eluxadoline (Viberzi) is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when the main symptom is diarrhea. It helps to alleviate symptoms such as pain and diarrhea in patients without constipation.

You should avoid excessive alcohol use during treatment with Viberzi.

Drinking more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day while taking eluxadoline may increase the risk of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
Contact your doctor right away if you have symptoms of pancreatitis such as persistent nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain or tenderness, especially if your symptoms get worse after eating or the pain radiates to the back or shoulders.

Diarrhea

Loperamide (Imodium A-D) is an oral medication usually bought over-the-counter (OTC) to treat mild and short-term diarrhea. Loperamide works by slowing digestion so that your small intestines have more time to absorb fluid and nutrients from the food you eat.

In general, it is best to avoid the use of alcohol while being treated with loperamide.
Combining alcohol with loperamide can increase the nervous system side effects such as confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, and trouble concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in judgment and with motor coordination.
Because of its effects in the nervous system, avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving, operating machinery or engaging in hazardous activities until you know how the medication affects you.

If you have diarrhea, it may be best to avoid alcohol as it can further irritate your stomach and intestines. Talk to your health care provider for further advice, if needed.

Motion Sickness, Nausea, Vomiting

Drugs such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), meclizine (Antivert, Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy), and scopolamine transdermal (Transderm Scop) are medications used for motion sickness. Ask your doctor before using these medicines together with alcohol, as you may need to avoid or limit the combination.

Dimenhydrinate or meclizine are medicines frequently bought over-the-counter (OTC). Scopolamine is a prescription patch worn behind the ear. They are used to help prevent nausea and vomiting from travel, such as in a car, boat or plane. They can cause drowsiness, sedation, dizziness or blurred vision.
When taking these medicines, use caution when performing activities that require mental alertness, such as driving or operating machinery.
Because these medications are commonly used while on a vacation or holiday, the risk for drug interactions with alcohol may be a common concern or risk.

Promethazine or trimethobenzamide (Tigan) are prescription treatments that may be used to help control nausea and vomiting linked with surgery or with certain illnesses.

In general, you should avoid the use of alcohol while being treated with trimethobenzamide or phenergan.

These medications work in the brain and can interact with alcohol. For example, mixing alcohol with these types of drugs can increase the risk of drowsiness, dizziness, impaired motor coordination and affect your mental alertness.
With promethazine, a phenothiazine drug, uncontrollable movements, agitation, seizures, severe dizziness or fainting, coma, deep sedation, irregular heartbeats, and changes in body temperature can occur. Do not drink alcohol if you are taking promethazine.
Do not exceed the medication dose prescribed by your doctor.

Driving or other activities can become hazardous. Do not drink and drive.

*Note: These lists do not include all the medicines that may interact harmfully with alcohol. To view more interactions, visit the Drugs.com Interaction Checker and speak with your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider.

Types of Drug Interactions With Alcohol

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Sources

Alcohol Facts & Statistics. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). National Institutes of Health (NIH). Accessed July 1, 2024 at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
Alcohol Facts & Statistics. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). National Institutes of Health (NIH). Harmful Interactions. Accessed July 1, 2024 at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/harmful-interactions-mixing-alcohol-with-medicines
Hansten PD Effects of H2-receptor antagonists on blood alcohol levels. JAMA 267 (1992): 2469.
Feely J, Wood AJ Effects of cimetidine on the elimination and actions of ethanol. JAMA 247 (1982): 2819-21.

Further information

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