Alcohol is commonly referred to as a "depressant" and it would seem that depressed people should abstain from alcohol if they are feeling down. But, as life and pop culture often show us, many people turn to alcohol too often when trying to cope with pain, lack of feelings, anxiety, or other symptoms of depression. TONIC talked to scientists about whether people with depression can drink alcohol.
Why do depressed people drink?
According to the director of the American National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse George Cube, this form of self-treatment of depression is common, and perhaps even more than is commonly believed. This is not strange or paradoxical behavior. As experts point out, alcohol is a complex and multifaceted substance, and simply calling it a depressant may not be right. Its short-term effects seem to alleviate episodes of depression. However, alcohol also has many short-term and long-term negative effects that can exacerbate depression, which largely outweigh the short-term subjective benefits.
“It's hard to figure out exactly how alcohol interacts with depression because there are so many forms of depression,” says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Rocco Iannucci. - The question of how exactly different types of depression differ, and where the boundaries between them lie, remains vague and controversial. Depression pushes some people down - they have no energy, they lie in bed all the time, they don’t eat anything. Other people have more agitated depression.
Each person may seek their own unique solace, or respond in their own way to any form of self-healing. However, alcohol has a wide range of effects on the mind and body. It does not appeal to everyone suffering from depression. But someone who is looking for relief from a variety of symptoms of depression can theoretically find something attractive in a couple of drinks.
Why does alcohol help you feel better during depression?
The main reason alcohol is so appealing to many people, Cube notes, is that alcohol triggers the release of feel-good neurotransmitters and blunts, at least temporarily, the feel-good neurotransmitters. It also suppresses activity in the part of the brain responsible for deep thinking and planning. For some people, it helps to disconnect from negative feelings that usually scrape somewhere on the fringes of consciousness, adds Susan Ramsey, professor of psychiatry and human behavior expert at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine. Negative memories and emotions may fade. As a result, many people feel relief from pain and complexes, a carefree euphoria - at least for a short time.
A bit of alcohol can also take the edge off, helping people with social anxiety move past the barriers that bother them, notes Joseph Boden, an alcohol use expert at the University of Otago in New Zealand. In anxious forms of depression, all experts interviewed point out that alcohol often relaxes the body and leads to early sleep. The quality of such sleep is poor, but for people suffering from depressive insomnia, this is usually not important.
There are general effects of the initial stages of alcohol consumption. But people experience them differently. “We don’t know why one person can get a greater burst of euphoria from drinking the same amount of alcohol than another with the same body type or metabolism,” Kube admits. (Although some research suggests that people who get high are also more likely to abuse alcohol.) All that scientists know is that the "antidepressive" qualities of alcohol are more attractive and "effective" for some depressed people than for others.
But that doesn't fully explain why so many depressed people turn to alcohol. People with anxiety depression may just want relaxation rather than the euphoria of a drink, while those who feel lethargic and lack of feeling may want the opposite. But each person may need a little bit of both. Sedatives like alprazolam may be better for the former, and drugs like cocaine for the latter, with more targeted physiological effects.
All interviewed experts note that, indeed, many people use other substances to cope with depression. But the peculiarity of alcohol is that it is legal in most countries of the world. You don't need a prescription for it, you don't need to look for a drug dealer. Plus, notes Boden, most people in drinking countries familiar with the effects of alcohol from adolescence more intimately than they may be familiar with the effects of controlled substances and consider it safe and acceptable.
Cube, however, suspects that many people trying to cope with depression enjoy the fact that alcohol is a multifunctional agent that acts on many aspects, and at the same time works faster than other substances. This, in part, explains why alcohol consumption is common even in cultures where it is considered illegal - people are especially attracted to this particular substance.
Can alcohol make depression worse?
Unfortunately, for those who turn to alcohol to cope with depression, its varied effects are a double-edged sword. Even at its peak, Boden points out, alcohol slows down mental processes, metabolism, breathing, and other functions. For some people, the symptoms of depression are exactly that, so they may feel that their condition is getting worse. These effects, the scientists suggest, may intensify after the initial peak of euphoria.
In addition, when the blood alcohol level begins to drop (which, as Cube points out, can happen fairly quickly after a person stops drinking), the body begins to experience a mini-withdrawal syndrome. It doesn't necessarily mean a bad hangover, Boden points out. Even after a small amount of alcohol, a person may experience - at least to some extent - mental and physiological symptoms that resemble a hangover.
The body begins to cope with the overstrain of the pleasure system. Moreover, neurotransmitters associated with stress begin to be released. The neurotransmitter dynorphin is also released, which makes a person feel disgusting. The intensity of this sudden reduction in pleasure and increase in stress, like other effects of alcohol, varies from person to person. But in someone who is experiencing an active phase of depression, they are likely to be increased. It's almost impossible to tell how long this "low" phase will last after drinking alcohol.
When a person goes from the initial withdrawal to an actual hangover, they experience the physical symptoms of dehydration and indigestion, Iannucci says. This, in most people, only adds to all the neurochemical problems, because, the scientist notes, if you do not feel good physically, it is unlikely that your mood will be better. This physical feeling of being unwell can make it difficult to control your depression on the day after alcohol - eat well, don't smoke, exercise.
The next morning after, a person will have to deal with what he usually regrets. When a person is depressed, he is vulnerable enough, notes Iannucci, that what was a small social failure yesterday can be hyperbolized in the mind. A person may think about this for a long time when the higher nervous functions become active again.
How does alcohol interact with antidepressants?
If a person is taking antidepressants, there is strong evidence that an evening of alcohol will temporarily reduce their effectiveness. Combining alcohol with antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors can cause negative side effects- for example, an increase in blood pressure, which can only increase the overall feeling of stress and anxiety in the day after excessive drinking.
As already mentioned, alcohol is quite attractive to people who are depressed and looking for a quick relaxation. After a glass or two, many people feel better - for a couple of hours. But the long-term effects only increase the symptoms of many forms of depression, affect the pleasure centers, increase stress levels, and worsen the next day's physical condition. It doesn't help depression, Iannucci says, and it probably even makes it worse.
Unfortunately, for some people with depression, a vicious cycle is created. Alcohol makes them feel worse and even more desperate for relief. So they drink alcohol again, hoping for its short-term antidepressant effect. And they are in trouble again. Not everyone with depression goes through this spiral, Cube says, but for some, the cycle will eventually develop into alcoholism. The person will become addicted to alcohol, which provides temporary relief, with increasingly severe withdrawal and more severe depressive episodes in the process.
Can I drink alcohol if I'm depressed?
Addiction, Ramsey points out, can further alienate a person from their supportive environment and impair coping mechanisms, which can further worsen depression. Addiction is also associated with an increased risk of suicide, and alcohol only spurs impulsivity and limited thought patterns.
With this in mind, Boden recommends that anyone suffering from depression simply abstain from alcohol. “I don’t think that any amount of it can be called safe,” he says. However, the scientist acknowledges how difficult it will be for many people, especially in places where alcohol is an important element of social bonding, to completely give up alcohol, even if they do not have addiction problems. For those who do not want to completely stop drinking, Iannucci recommends taking a break for a while and see if depressive symptoms ease up or not. At a minimum, especially for those taking antidepressants, it is good to cut down to minimum quantity alcohol.
In short: At what diseases alcohol is contraindicated, what medicines are not combined with alcohol? Can pregnant women, athletes, blood donors drink alcohol? Is it possible to drink in the heat or be treated with alcohol for viruses? In this article, you will find answers from a toxicologist to the most frequently asked questions about when you can drink alcohol, and when it is undesirable and even dangerous to drink it.
Can I drink alcohol while planning a pregnancy?
When planning a pregnancy, you should not drink alcohol. Alcohol leads to an increase in the permeability of biological barriers, and if other harmful substances appear in the blood, they will have a stronger damaging effect on spermatozoa. Also, under the influence of alcohol, all spermatozoa begin to move at the same speed, as a result, the likelihood that the defective spermatozoon reaches the target first, which in a sober parent would lag behind their higher-quality counterparts, increases.
For regularly drinking man Before conceiving a child, you must first refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 70 days. And for a non-drinker, three days is enough.
A woman should abstain from alcohol for at least 3.5 individual menstrual cycles before conception. Excessive drinking is especially harmful during this period. A woman planning a pregnancy should not drink more than 95 ml of vodka once a week. Also read the article "Women and Alcohol" to learn more about how alcohol affects female body, what is the peculiarity of female alcoholism and what alcoholic drinks are more suitable for women.
Can you drink alcohol during pregnancy?
It is contraindicated for a pregnant woman to take any doses of alcohol during the period of differentiation of the embryo and the laying of organs in the fetus - the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
Can breastfeeding mothers drink alcohol?
During breastfeeding you can't drink alcohol. A certain amount of alcohol will fall into the baby, and they are very sensitive to any amount - as a result, early dependence will develop.
Can children and teenagers drink alcohol?
It is highly undesirable to drink before the growth of organs and tissues stops, because alcohol can adversely affect the physical development of the growing organism. At the same time, the age here is not a clear indicator, since the rate of growth and development is individual for each: someone can grow up to 25 years, and someone stops at 16. This can be determined from x-rays of articular cartilage.
Is it possible to drink alcohol along with fatty and heavy foods?
Undesirable. A heavy snack delays the elimination of alcohol from the body, creates an additional load on the liver, significantly aggravates a hangover and increases harmful effect booze. As a result, alcohol does not have time to be digested and continues to accumulate in the stomach and intestines, which allows a person to drink more than he is able to absorb. Most fatal episodes of alcohol poisoning are accompanied by a large snack. It would be best to refrain from heavy and indigestible food (meat, sausage, mushrooms, legumes) during the day before drinking alcohol.
Is it possible to drink alcohol along with marinades and pickles?
Undesirable. Marinades tend to contain vinegar and sometimes spices. Vinegar itself is one of the metabolites of ethanol, so its intake from the outside leads to a later oxidation of ethanol. Spicy food containing garlic, horseradish, onion, mustard, pepper - slows down the oxidation of alcohol.
The only exception is sauerkraut: it contains succinic acid and therefore improves the condition of the drinker. It was cabbage, and not cucumber pickle, that was the traditional folk anti-hangover remedy in the past.
coca-cola?
If you drink the minimum dose of alcohol, then the cola mixture will reduce the hangover (provided that there is one at all). When consumed with the intent to get drunk, mixing alcohol with cola will exacerbate the central component of a hangover due to the caffeine found in Coca-Cola, as, in general, any mixture of depressants and stimulants of the central nervous system.
Can you combine alcohol with coffee?
If you drink coffee once exactly 20 minutes before alcohol, then it will even be beneficial: caffeine will stimulate the production of microsomal enzymes in the liver, and this will facilitate the processing of alcohol. This effect begins 20-40 minutes after drinking coffee and lasts an hour and a half.
Drinking coffee and alcohol at the same time (for example, as part of an alcohol-caffeine energy drink) or repeatedly alternating coffee and alcohol intake is not recommended: caffeine excites the nervous system, and alcohol suppresses arousal.
But these substances do not neutralize each other, their action is superimposed on one another and depletes the body much more than alcohol and caffeine separately. As a result, there is a load on the whole body, and especially on the heart. Use alcohol energy more often than once every three months, increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Can you drink alcohol in the heat?
Drinking alcohol in the heat is undesirable, except for beer. When alcohol is taken, heat production increases, and heat transfer too. Heat will be tolerated worse, and not only the feeling of heat will increase - it is much more important that under the influence of alcohol, vegetative changes characteristic of overheating (vascular tone, changes in breathing, blood pH) will occur earlier. Namely, these vegetative shifts lead to the exacerbation of existing chronic diseases in the heat Therefore, in the heat, the dose strong alcohol should be halved.
Can I drink alcohol with my gallbladder removed?
With a removed gallbladder, you can drink weak alcoholic beverages in moderation and without snacks.
Is it possible to drink alcohol with biliary dyskinesia?
With hyperkinesia, you should drink weak alcohol without snacks at all.
Can I drink alcohol with psoriasis?
With psoriasis, drinking alcohol is not recommended. In some patients, alcohol in hangover doses leads to an exacerbation of psoriasis. There are also patients who develop an exacerbation from sub-hangover doses, but this is most likely due to concomitant problems of the gastrointestinal tract.
Can you drink alcohol as a cure for viruses?
No, in a living organism it is impossible to achieve such a high concentration of alcohol that it destroys the virus.
Can I drink alcohol at the same time as Viagra?
Undesirable. It is believed that PDE-5 inhibitors, which include Viagra, are compatible with alcohol intake. However, alcohol can increase the side effects of Viagra on cardiovascular system and eyes.
antibiotics?
You should not drink alcohol if you are taking antibiotics from the fluoroquinolone group (this combination can lead to severe depression of the central nervous system, up to coma) or antibiotics from the aminoglycoside group (alcohol increases the likelihood of unwanted side effects). With antibiotics of other groups, you can take alcohol once, if you separate their intake relative to each other for at least a day. It is not recommended to drink alcohol more than once, because it negates the efforts of the antibiotic.
Can you drink alcohol while taking antidepressants?
The vast majority of antidepressants are categorically incompatible with alcohol. It is allowed to take alcohol once a week in hangover-free doses (1 glass of vodka or cognac), only if you are taking antidepressants based on ademetionine or St. John's wort.
Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time as Corvalol?
Alcohol is incompatible with corvalol, valocordin and valocerdin. These drugs contain phenobarbital, which is not safe on its own (it can cause delirium worse than alcohol), and when combined with alcohol becomes even more toxic.
Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time as phenazepam?
Alcohol should not be drunk at the same time as phenazepam. This is indicated in the instructions for use of the drug: the list of contraindications includes acute alcohol poisoning. Also in the section "Special Instructions" it is written: "In the process of treatment, patients are strictly prohibited from using ethanol." The fact is that if there is alcohol in the blood, phenazepam will enhance its effect on the central nervous system. Phenazepam sleep at alcohol intoxication greatly increases the likelihood of complications of drunken sleep: respiratory depression, cardiac arrest, vomiting in the supine position (this causes suffocation to death), crash syndrome, retrograde amnesia, involuntary urination and defecation.
Alcohol significantly enhances the side effects of phenazepam listed in the instructions for use, and also increases the likelihood of their occurrence: depression, confusion, outbursts of aggression, fear, suicidal tendencies, hallucinations, disorientation, memory loss and much more. In addition, phenazepam is addictive, and more severe than alcohol.
Is it possible to drink alcohol together with Ketorol injections?
You can drink alcohol together with Ketorol injections, if you do not drink in quantities intended to get drunk.
Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time as taking thiosulfate?
At the same time as taking thiosulfate, alcohol can be drunk only in small doses. This is not more than 1.5 ml per 1 kg of body weight. And if there is no individual reaction to such a combination.
Can I drink alcohol at the same time as no-shpa?
You can drink alcohol at the same time as no-shpa if a person has no contraindications to the use of drotaverine. No-shpa (drotaverine) reduces the absorption of alcohol, but together with the alcohol already in the blood, it enhances the relaxing effect on smooth muscles. And since it is precisely for the sake of a relaxing effect on smooth muscles that drotaverine is taken, in this sense, strengthening the main effect of the drug is good. However, if there are contraindications to the use of drotaverine, then strengthening the main action is bad.
Can I drink alcohol at the same time as Teraligen?
Alcohol should not be drunk simultaneously with teraligen, the drug is incompatible with alcohol. It also shouldn't be used as a cure for a hangover. It can be used only for its intended purpose: as a neuroleptic.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Esperal?
It is impossible to self-treat with Esperal, it is an unsafe potent drug, the use of which requires constant medical supervision. Moreover, it should not be taken simultaneously with alcohol: for the sake of which, in fact, Esperal is sewn in. The more alcohol is drunk together with esperal, the higher the likelihood of death. The most common cause of death is cerebral edema and cerebral hemorrhage. It usually takes 3 weeks of complete abstinence from alcohol before starting treatment with this drug.
Can you drink alcohol while taking colme drops?
Drinking alcohol at the same time as colme drops is not recommended, as this will cause a much more severe hangover than usual.
Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time as taking phenotropil (or other drugs based on piracetam)?
You can not drink alcohol at the same time as taking Phenotropil. Phenotropil is a nootropic based on piracetam. As a sobering agent, trying to use it is useless: its action will unfold longer than the intoxication lasts. The systematic use of alcohol against the background of piracetam is potentially dangerous, since after the drug is discontinued, apoptosis (programmed neuron death) increases, and in combination with alcohol, apoptosis will be much stronger.
In addition, phenotropil has a frequent side effect: with an initial altered background of CNS tone (for example, when taking alcohol), it has a depressing effect rather than a stimulating one. To avoid this, about two months should elapse between taking alcohol and phenotropil (piracetam).
Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time as furosemide?
Do not drink alcohol at the same time as furosemide. Furosemide (synonymous with lasix) is a diuretic (diuretic) drug. Urine excretion also contributes to the elimination of toxic substances from the body, therefore toxicologists sometimes prescribe furosemide for the treatment of alcohol poisoning, with a hangover syndrome and when withdrawing from hard drinking.
However, this drug has many contraindications, serious side effects, and in addition, it can cause a more severe hangover. Therefore, it is not recommended for self-medication, and the diuretic effect can be obtained in more harmless ways (drink a large number of liquids, minerals, green tea etc.).
Can I drink alcohol at the same time as carbamazepine?
Do not drink alcohol with carbamazepine. Carbamazepine is used in the complex treatment of alcohol dependence. Treating a hangover on your own is dangerous. According to the mechanism of action, this drug belongs to sodium channel blockers, and alcohol greatly increases sensitivity to substances that block sodium channels of cell membranes. In addition, like other tranquilizers, carbamazepine, while taking alcohol, becomes more toxic, especially in relation to the central nervous system.
For more information about which drugs alcohol is combined with and which not, read in a separate article.
The article has been updated in last time: 2018-11-04
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The question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol has long become rhetorical, because everyone is familiar with the concept of the notorious “drinking culture” that has been introduced into the minds of Russian people since the 1960s in order to support the production of wine and vodka products. In fact, the harmlessness of 150 ml of a drink with a strength of 40%, drunk no more than once a week, has been established, but in practice a person is not able to resist ethanol addiction.
The theory of "drinking culture" involves the systematic use of alcoholic beverages in reasonable doses, but it is at regular use ethanol is addictive, physical, psychological dependence in humans. The positive emotions that arise after drinking are imprinted in the human subconscious and subsequently the individual seeks to repeat the experience he likes.
In fact, alcohol is considered a narcotic toxic substance that negatively affects the nervous system. A drink containing ethanol is absorbed into the circulatory system, starting from the oral cavity. About 40% seeps through the stomach after 20 minutes with a closed sphincter. If the liquid enters the small intestine, the process will speed up by 2 times. Once in the circulatory system, alcohol instantly reaches the brain, having a negative impact on the human condition, expressed in the following:
- depression of the nervous system - the impulses transmitted from the brain to the organs are disturbed and the degree of control of one's own body decreases;
- alcohol detoxification is carried out in the liver - the organ takes the main load and, with regular libations, is subjected to a strong negative effect with the development of cirrhosis;
- purification of blood from ethyl alcohol occurs in the kidneys, which carry out the filtration process and are negatively affected.
When thinking about whether it is possible to drink alcohol, people should be aware of the effect that toxic substances have on the organs. The resulting addiction leads to systematic pressure on vital systems, which are intensively worn out.
A huge influence on citizens is exerted by the surrounding society, which encourages the use of alcoholic beverages. Parents make the main mistake by drinking "hot" in the presence of children for every convenient occasion. Well-intentioned adults warn their offspring about the undesirability of drinking, but only until the age of majority. Children treat their parents as an indisputable authority and, striving to be like them in everything, at the first opportunity in adolescence, they begin to use light, and then heavy alcoholic beverages.
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol with children is unequivocal - no! The negative influence exerted by alcohol has a prolonged effect. Toxic substances contained in drinks are excreted within 24-48 hours, adversely affecting the organs during this time.
The first step towards alcoholism
People who began to systematically drink wine and vodka products at the age of 25 by the age of 45 are at risk of becoming alcoholics. In fact, addiction occurs earlier, due to harmful environmental factors that weaken the body:
- stress;
- bad ecology;
- increased physical and emotional stress;
- combining alcohol with tobacco.
Availability hangover syndrome, clearly characterizes the belonging of alcoholic beverages to narcotic drugs. The occurrence of withdrawal, caused by the absence of ethyl alcohol in the body, prompts you to apply to the bottle again and again, destroying your body.
Yuri Tatarchuk
Often, feeling the approach of the disease, a person turns to folk remedies treatment. According to many, one of these means is alcohol, because it gives a warming effect, has disinfectant properties, and some of the drinks even contain useful components. But before answering the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol at a temperature, you should pay attention to some nuances.
Effect of alcohol on temperature
The use of alcoholic beverages leads to an increase in temperature. This is facilitated by vasodilation and the active blood flow to the skin caused by it. A person feels that he is warm and even hot, but only the skin is warmed. Due to such a false sensation of heat, the blood begins to quickly give it away, which causes a sharp decrease in body temperature. This is stressful even for a healthy body, and a weakened immune system suffers doubly.
When a sick person consumes alcohol, with an increase in temperature, the following negative consequences occur:
- the body suffers more from microbes and toxins, it is more difficult to cope with their elimination;
- sweating increases, which, if the drinking regime is not followed, leads to dehydration of the body;
- an additional load on the cardiovascular system is created, which is manifested in a rapid heartbeat and increased pressure.
Further heat transfer leads the body to hypothermia and chills. Therefore, drinking alcohol at a temperature is especially dangerous.
Effects of different types of alcohol in colds
Alcohol, depending on the strength and dosage, has a different effect on the body (including with a cold):
- strong (alcohol content 21 ... 80%) - cognac - leads to severe intoxication, rapid intoxication, nausea, vomiting;
- medium strength (alcohol content up to 20%) - mulled wine - also contributes to intoxication, but has a more gentle effect on the body due to its lower strength and the presence of vitamins and trace elements in the composition;
- low strength (alcohol content no more than 6-8%) - - is considered the most harmless alcohol-containing product, but due to the lack of a pronounced positive effect during a cold, it is not recommended.
At high temperatures, any alcoholic drink is perceived by the body as a poison. Therefore, to the question whether it is possible to drink vodka at a temperature of + 38 ° C, the answer is unequivocal - no.
Why you shouldn't drink at high temperatures
- Alcoholic drinks contain ethanol- a toxic substance that inhibits the functioning of cells, due to which the protective functions of the body, already weakened by the disease, are reduced.
- Due to its toxicity, ethyl alcohol is perceived as a poison that must be neutralized. The body experiences a strong load, while simultaneously struggling with the disease and alcohol intoxication.
- An increase in temperature is a reaction to the inflammatory process. It can be caused not only by a cold, but also by the pathology of any system. In this case, when drinking alcohol, there is a risk of failure of the affected organ.
- At a high temperature, it is necessary to start taking antipyretic drugs. But some components of alcohol bind the active substances of medicines, due to which the latter become less effective and more dangerous for the body.
Thus, drinking alcohol at temperatures above +38°C is not only undesirable, but also dangerous.
In what cases can you drink alcohol with a temperature
Reception of alcoholic beverages in small doses (not more than 50 g) is possible when the first signs of the disease appear and the body temperature does not exceed + 37 ° C, when the person has not yet started taking medication.
AT medicinal purposes it is best to use wine or. A small dosage of these drinks eliminates headaches by dilating blood vessels, accelerates the activation of the body's protective functions and promotes sound sleep.
Based on wine, you can cook hot drink mulled wine:
- Red dry wine pour into a container and, stirring, heat over low heat.
- Add a cinnamon stick, a spoonful of honey and cloves (2-3 pieces), stir.
- Then alternately put the lemon peel, ginger and cardamom.
- Cook a little more and, without bringing to a boil, remove from heat.
When heated, the wine almost completely loses its strength, but retains beneficial features, and spicy additives enhance the positive effect.
You can drink cognac at a temperature as an independent drink, but it is better to add it to tea with lemon and honey. Such a drink relieves a cold well and helps the absorption of vitamin C.
Drinking beer at a temperature is not recommended. It has a pronounced diuretic effect, which leads to frequent urination and subsequently to severe dehydration. He becomes more susceptible to pathogenic bacteria, and the disease prolongs.
Alcohol and antipyretics
Many medicines, including antipyretics, are not recommended to be taken at the same time as alcohol due to increased side effects. This leads to severe pathologies of the heart, blood vessels and slows down the process of blood supply. internal organs. The time interval between taking the medicine and drinking alcohol depends on the amount of the latter: the more you drink, the more time must pass.
In addition, most antipyretic drugs contain one of two active substances - paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Paracetamol, like alcoholic beverages, primarily puts a strain on the liver. Because of this, the combination of a drug based on it with an alcoholic drink provokes toxic hepatitis, the result of which is cirrhosis of the liver.
Ibuprofen is less aggressive, but the use of preparations based on this substance along with alcoholic beverages causes a decrease in the effectiveness of the antipyretic. There is a need for re-admission, which is risky without observing the time interval.
Collapse
Almost no party or meeting is complete without alcohol. And such a vacation does not always have good consequences. And the evening can be overshadowed by the fact that there is too much alcohol in the body. In this article we will talk about how to drink alcohol correctly, while feeling good, it is permissible to lower or increase the degree.
The main thing is not to lower the degree
Don't downgrade
How you feel in the morning depends on the degree of alcohol. But this is not the only factor influencing your condition. An important role is played by the amount of alcohol consumed, the quality and its combination with other drinks.
Is it possible to lower the degree of alcohol and why, we have to figure it out. When alcohol enters the body, it decomposes into 2 components - ethyl alcohol and acetaldehyde. The second component is a toxic substance. When it enters the body in excess, it poisons it. Subsequently, you may encounter:
- Headache.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pressure surges.
- Pain in the region of the heart.
- Breathing problems.
Lowering the degree leads to the fact that alcohol decomposes much faster, contributing to the formation of toxic substances. They render Negative influence on the work of internal organs and systems important for the functioning of the body, are absorbed into the blood. In this regard, the body is dealt a double blow. This is the main reason why you can not lower the degree of alcohol.
Avoid carbonated drinks as well. They contain carbon dioxide. When it enters the body, the absorption of alcohol into the blood is accelerated. And this negatively affects the functioning of the liver and other organs.
How to determine the measure
Controlling how much you drink is sometimes not so easy. And if after the next alcoholic party it was possible to avoid the morning consequences, you should not assume that this will always be the case.
Some people think that it’s easy to find out your measure - if you fall, then drink enough. But this question is not to be joked with. After all, you can drink alcohol, while not harming the body, and feeling great in the morning. How to do it? It is enough to know the measure:
- For men, this is no more than 40 grams of pure alcohol. This amount is contained in 1 liter of beer, 3 glasses of wine or 100 milliliters of vodka.
- For women, this figure is somewhat lower and amounts to 30 grams of pure alcohol. It can be 0.75 liters of beer, 2 glasses of wine or 80 grams of vodka.
If there are no health problems, then this amount of alcohol will not harm health, but only if its use is not regular.
How to eat and what
Even if you drink in moderation, be sure to remember that you should not do this on an empty stomach. Before taking alcohol, you need to have a snack so that alcohol is not so quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. This will help you avoid getting drunk quickly. Great option there will be food containing a sufficient amount of carbohydrates - these are cereals, pasta, vegetables, bread.
It is necessary not only to drink alcohol correctly, but also to know what to eat. Which snack is suitable for a certain type of drink: 
- Vodka - vegetable salads, herring, pickles, dumplings, first courses.
- Wine - meat, cheese, fruits, chocolate.
- Beer - meat, cheese, seafood.
- Cognac - meat, mushrooms, seafood, cheese, chocolate, fruits.
- Whiskey - seafood, cheese, meat, fruit.
These products go well with certain types of booze, and also prevent quick intoxication and hangovers. If possible, alcohol should not be washed down, especially carbonated drinks.
The body of each person is individual, and may react differently to a particular type of alcohol. Some people feel great with a couple of cocktails, others with a few shots of pure alcohol.
It is better for the body when alcohol enters it clean and in a small amount. Therefore, shots or cocktails are not the most the best option. Naturally, nothing will happen from one drink, but if you do not plan to drink all evening. After all, this can turn into several types of cocktails in which there is not a single type of alcohol. Despite the fact that shots are inferior in volume to cocktails, they are much superior in degrees.
It is better to drink in small portions of 50-100 grams of pure alcohol. It will not cause severe intoxication, and in the morning you will feel great without any hint of a hangover.
How to understand that there is a problem with alcohol
The regular need for alcohol is an occasion to think about whether the desire to relax and relieve stress has grown into addiction. In fact, it is very scary to do so. After all, alcohol can make you a completely different person - unpleasant, dangerous to society, hopeless.
Controlling the amount of alcohol consumed in this case is not enough. Pay attention to the frequency of its use. If within 2 weeks you drink about 400 grams of vodka, you can talk about systematic drunkenness.
It is a mistake to believe that if vodka is replaced by other drinks, then this is not alcoholism. It is enough to compare them. The calculation can be carried out according to the formula:
(Alcohol strength (percent) * Volume drunk (milliliters)): 1000 = number of units of alcohol.
1 unit of alcohol = 10 milliliters of pure alcohol.
It is worth talking about alcoholism when 3 units of alcohol enter the human body every day. You should think about this diagnosis in the following cases:
- Thinking about alcohol makes a person feel better.
- He perceives it as a medicine that can relieve tension, calm.
- With absence alcoholic drink there is a state close to "breaking".
- Under the influence of alcohol, a person's behavior changes. After its weathering from the body, aggression and irritability appear.
By drinking alcohol correctly, and knowing your measure, you can prevent possible harm for good health. Otherwise, in addition to a spoiled evening, a headache in the morning and a disgusting state throughout the day, there is a great risk of becoming ill with alcoholism.
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