What happens if you drink alcohol while taking prescription or over-the-counter medicine?

Consuming alcohol and other drugs together can increase the impairing effects of both. For example, having one drink while you are also using a cold remedy could affect you as much as several drinks would when being consumed separately from any medications.

• The medicine reduces the effect of the alcohol.
• The alcohol will help the medicine cure a cold.
• The combination could multiply the effects of the alcohol or medicine.
• There is no effect because they are different substances.