A profile of concurrent alcohol and alcohol-interactive prescription drug use in the US population.
BACKGROUND
The risk of adverse events among alcohol-interactive medication users can occur with one standard alcoholic drink. Research on the extent to which this occurs is scant.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence and correlates of concurrent alcohol and alcohol-interactive (AI) medication use across different levels of risk for an alcohol-related adverse event in a nationally representative sample of American adults.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of past year, self-reported drinking history as well as past month, self-reported and visually inspected prescription drug use data from the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 NHANES questionnaire section (n = 8,246). Medications were considered AI if concurrent use of alcohol and the prescription drug could intensify the effects of alcohol, resulting in increased sedation, drowsiness, or dizziness. Weighted prevalence estimates and polytomous logistic regression accounted for the complex survey design.


RESULTS
Overall, 13.5% took prescription AI medications, of which 5.6% reported alcohol consumption of three or more drinks on each drinking occasion. Correlates of such use were being a man [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.37; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.84-10.35], between the ages of 20 and 54 (AOR=12.28; 95% CI: 3.12-48.25), and currently smoking (AOR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.28-5.29), with alcohol-abstaining AI users as the referent group.


CONCLUSIONS
Combining alcohol and AI medications is a common phenomenon, and the risk of alcohol-related adverse drug events may be nontrivial. Screening for alcohol use before prescribing AI medications would be prudent. Better communication regarding the dangers of mixing alcohol with AI medications is warranted.
Department of Community Health-Epidemiology, Brown University Medical School, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Jessica_Jalbert@brown.edu
Jessica J
JJ
Jalbert
Brian J
BJ
Quilliam
Kate L
KL
Lapane
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012646:Self Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D055553:Prescription Drugs