I am 80 years young and have a family history of alzheimers. My doctor has recently prescribed aricept for me. I usually have one or two glasses of wine with dinner. I am wondering if this is a problem or if this could interfere with the effects of the aricept.
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Q: Does alcohol consumption interfere w/aricept
Answers (2)
4/18/09 9:08am
Hi Jo,
Alcohol consumption is rarely good with any medication. It certainly doesn't help dementia. Of course, years of alcohol abuse can cause dementia because of the brain damage.
If you are talking about allowing one drink for the psychological "normalcy" of someone who is used to that, I would think that is okay, but you'd have to check with a doctor. I'm sure they would rather none was consumed, but there's something to be said about some type of normalcy. If it's several drinks, my guess is that it's negative.
But, as with any medication, it's best to check with the doctor and I'd also check with the pharmacist, as their knowledge of drugs is often better than the doctor's.
Take care,
Carol
4/25/09 9:08am
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By jo watson— Last Modified: 03/18/13, First Published: 04/17/09
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A small amount of Alcohol may be fine if it is not prohibited by the medications being taken. However, if someone is already confused and has trouble with reality, very much alcohol is likely to add to that confusion. The thing to do is check with this person's doctor.
Take care,
Carol