Prescribed medication taken in conjunction with alcohol can cause adverse side effects and generally, older people are advised not to drink when they are taking other drugs. Problems caused by using alcohol and other drugs concurrently may include a diminished effect of the drugs in an individual who drinks regularly and the increased sensitivity to drugs conferred by malnutrition and severe liver damage, for example cirrhosis. Alcohol in moderate amounts can depress the rate of drug metabolism so that the action of some drugs is exaggerated, such as benzodiazipines. drugs which act on the central nervous system, such as diazepam (Valium), depress the rate of alcohol breakdown.
