Drug Interaction Report

GENERALLY AVOID: Alcohol may potentiate some of the pharmacologic effects of CNS-active agents. Use in combination may result in additive central nervous system depression and/or impairment of judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills.

MANAGEMENT: Patients receiving CNS-active agents should be warned of this interaction and advised to avoid or limit consumption of alcohol. Ambulatory patients should be counseled to avoid hazardous activities requiring complete mental alertness and motor coordination until they know how these agents affect them, and to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

MONITOR: Alcohol may decrease the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin. Clinical studies found that plasma vasopressin levels often decrease during alcohol consumption and increase upon cessation of consumption. In addition, alcoholics were found to have a more pronounced decrease in plasma vasopressin levels when drinking and suppressed vasopressin levels even during alcohol withdrawal as compared to non-alcoholic individuals. The mechanism of this interaction is not fully understood.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should be advised to abstain from alcohol during vasopressin treatment. Hemodynamic monitoring is suggested for patients known to drink alcohol while receiving vasopressin.