Guidelines suggest that patients should not drink alcoholic drinks,1,2 especially two hours before and two hours after taking carvedilol extended-release capsules (Coreg CR).1 Alertness can be impaired when carvedilol is taken with alcohol.3
Excessive alcohol consumption causes about 16% of hypertension cases worldwide,4,5 and drinking more than two alcoholic drinks per day raises the risk of high blood pressure.6,7 Excessive alcohol consumption is also associated with risk of myocardial infarction, hypertension, and heart failure.8
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 states that if alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderation—up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men—and only by adults of legal drinking age.9 For those who choose to drink, moderate alcohol consumption is recommended.
References
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. Carvedilol. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a697042.html. Accessed August 21, 2018.
- AURO-CARVEDILOL [package insert]. Ontario, CA: Aurobindo Pharma Inc.; 2013.
- APO-CARVEDILOL [package insert]. Toronto, Canada: Apotex Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc.; 2015.
- Puddey IB, Beilin LJ. Alcohol is bad for blood pressure. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006;33(9):847-852.
- Husain K, Ansari RA, Ferder L. Alcohol-induced hypertension: Mechanism and prevention. World J Cardiol. 2014;6(5):245-252.
- Taylor B, Irving HM, Baliunas D, et al. Alcohol and hypertension: gender differences in dose-response relationships determined through systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction. 2009;104(12):1981-1990.
- Fuchs FD, Chambless LE, Whelton PK, Nieto FJ, Heiss G. Alcohol consumption and the incidence of hypertension: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Hypertension. 2001;37(5):1242-1250.
- Djoussé L, Gaziano JM. Alcohol consumption and heart failure: A systematic review. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2008;10(2):117-120.
- 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8 ed: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture; 2015.
