Can I drink alcohol while taking chemotherapy or anti-seizure medication?
There are some drugs used in brain tumor therapy that have known toxic reactions with alcohol; these include procarbazine, methotrexate, and thalidomide. Alcohol can interact with many other medications, including anticonvulsants, antidepressants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and pain medications. These drugs enhance the effect of alcohol, and therefore driving, even after very small amounts of alcohol, should be strictly forbidden. Patients taking anticonvulsants who also drink may experience wide fluctuations in drug levels, creating a risk of seizures or toxicity. Many patients can drink a glass of champagne at a wedding or sip a pina colada on the beach, but regular use of alcohol should be avoided when taking the medications listed above. M.L.’s comment: Personally, I would recommend that you NOT drink alcohol while taking chemotherapy. First of all, depending on the type of chemotherapy that you’re taking, you’ll probably experience fatigue as a side effect. Coupling alcohol wi
