[Acute alcoholic intoxication and drugs]

Acute alcohol ingestion can induce drug interactions, either pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic. Metabolically, they especially result from interference in the enzymatic systems which catalyse ethanol oxidation, the blocking of alcohol dehydrogenase, blocking of the microsomal oxidation system of ethanol with accumulation of the xenobiotic and risk of overdose, and blocking of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase with an antabuse effect. Pharmacodynamically, the main interactions result from the action of drugs having a sedative effect, such as tranquilizers but also antidepressants, neuroleptics, analgesics, H1 antihistamines, central antihypertensive drugs (CNS depressant?), etc. This sedative effect is increased by ethanol, which can be dangerous in at-risk situations.