Can you drink alcohol occasionally while on Plavix?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Can you drink alcohol occasionally while on Plavix?
Yes, you can drink occasionally while you’re being treated with Plavix. Alcohol does not seem to interact with blood thinners, but excessive use can cause inevitable damage. According to experts, you can drink moderately on Plavix. They suggest:
- One drink per day for men and women who are 65 years of age or older
- Two drinks are fine for people who are less than 60-65 years of age
- None for people with severe liver damage or bleeding disorder
Plavix (Clopidogrel) is a medication that belongs to a class of drugs called antiplatelets. It is commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the blood vessels (1,2). Such medications should not be paired with excessive alcohol intake.
What are the side effects associated with the concomitant use of Plavix and alcohol excessively?
Although occasional use of alcohol with Plavix is not considered a health hazard, excessive consumption can lead to disturbing consequences. These include:
Increased risk of bleeding
Both Plavix and alcohol can thin the blood, so combining them may increase the risk of bleeding. This can manifest as prolonged bleeding from cuts or injuries, easy bruising, or nosebleeds. (3)
Stomach irritation
Alcohol can irritate the lining of the stomach, and when combined with Plavix, it may further increase the risk of stomach-related issues such as stomach ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding.
Worsening liver function
Alcohol consumption can strain the liver, and Plavix may also affect liver enzymes. Combining the two substances may potentially worsen liver function or lead to liver damage.
Plavix and alcohol can significantly damage your health if you frequently combine these two together or take them excessively. Make sure you take only the specified amount and not more than that. It is also important to monitor your side effects properly.
If you are experiencing rare side effects while taking Plavix, like an allergic reaction, breathing difficulties, unexplained weight loss, etc – it is important to discuss this with your doctor.
What to do if you get affected by the concomitant use of Plavix and alcohol?
If you have been drinking alcohol excessively with Plavix and you feel shooting pain in your stomach, immediately reach out to your healthcare provider. Upper abdominal pain can indicate liver or pancreatic damage.
Your doctor will most likely run some tests to check the levels of liver and pancreatic enzymes. Your doctor may suggest an endoscopy if the pain persists.
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References
1.-
Comin J, Kallmes D. Clopidogrel (plavix). AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2011 Dec;32(11):2002-4. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A2913. Epub 2011 Dec 1. PMID: 22135129; PMCID: PMC7964406. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7964406/
2.-
Beavers CJ, Naqvi IA. Clopidogrel. 2022 Jul 11. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29261873. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470539
3.-
Ge PX, Jiang LP, Tai T, Zhu T, Ji JZ, Li YF, Mi QY, Xie HG. Short-term standard alcohol consumption enhances platelet response to clopidogrel through inhibition of Nrf2/Ces1 pathway and induction of Cyp2c in mice. Life Sci. 2021 Aug 15;279:119268. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119268. Epub 2021 Feb 21. PMID: 33626394. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33626394/
