You've probably noticed the warning on many of the medications that you've taken. The danger is no joke. When you mix alcohol with certain medications, it can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination.

More than that, in some cases mixing alcohol with medication increases the risk of internal bleeding, difficulty breathing, and heart problems. In addition to these dangers, alcohol can make it so your medication is less effective, or even useless. Or, the alcohol can make it so the medication is harmful to your body and actually toxic.

Were you aware that…

• Mixing alcohol with some medicines increases the risk of a DUI.
• Like some medicines, alcohol can make you drowsy or lightheaded.
• Drinking alcohol while taking certain medications can intensify fatigue, drowsiness, loss of coordination, and dizziness.
• Certain medications contain up to 10% alcohol, these include some cough syrups and laxatives.
• Women and older people are at a higher risk for alcohol-medication interactions.

If you are female or older, you need to be extra cautious. Since alcohol affects women more than men, any given amount of alcohol in a women is more concentrated than in a man's. In effect, women are more at risk of alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver.

Older People are at Higher Risk

Older people in particular are in a high risk category, this is because aging slows down the body's ability to break down alcohol, thus, alcohol stays in an older person's system for longer periods. Also, older people are more likely to be taking a medication that interacts with alcohol. Often, they're on more than one of these kinds of medications.

Did you get a DUI while driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription medications? If so, you need a good DUI defense lawyer now more than ever. Scroll through our directory to find an attorney in your neighborhood!