Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jun;7(3):281.
doi: 10.4172/2155-6105.1000281. Epub 2016 Jun 11.

Alcohol Interactions with Psychostimulants: An Overview of Animal and Human Studies

Yusuf S Althobaiti  1 , Youssef Sari  1
Affiliations

Alcohol Interactions with Psychostimulants: An Overview of Animal and Human Studies

Yusuf S Althobaiti et al. J Addict Res Ther. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Alcohol consumption with psychostimulants is very common among drug addicts. There is little known about the possible pharmacological interactions between alcohol and psychostimulants. Among most commonly co-abused psychostimulants with alcohol are methamphetamine, cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetaminen, and nicotine. Co-abuse of alcohol with psychostimulants can lead to several neurophysiological dysfunctions such as decrease in brain antioxidant enzymes, disruption of learning and memory processes, cerebral hypo-perfusion, neurotransmitters depletion as well as potentiation of drug seeking behaviour. Moreover, co-abuse of alcohol and psychostimulants can lead to increase in heart rate, blood pressure, myocardial oxygen consumption and cellular stress, and the risk of developing different types of cancer. Co-abuse of alcohol with psychostimulants during pregnancy can lead to fetal brain abnormalities. Further studies are needed to investigate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and neurochemical changes on co-abuse of alcohol and psychostimulants.

Keywords: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetainen; Alcohol; Alcohol interaction; Cocaine; Ethanol; Methamphetamine; Nicotine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of alcohol on the pharmacokinetics of methamphetamine(METH), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetaminen (MDMA), cocaine, and nicotine. (↑ increase or enhancement; ↓ decrease or deterioration).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of alcohol interactions with methamphetamine (METH),3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetaminen (MDMA), cocaine and nicotine on cardiovascular system, (↑ increase or enhancement; ↓ decrease or deterioration).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of alcohol interactions with methamphetamine (METH),3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetaminen (MDMA), cocaine, and nicotine on central nervous system. (↑ increase or enhancement; ↓ decrease or deterioration).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and methamphetamine(METH),3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetaminen (MDMA), cocaine, and nicotine. (↑ increase or enhancement; ↓ decrease or deterioration).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Harper C. The neuropathology of alcohol-related brain damage. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009;44:136–140. - PubMed
    1. Heilig M, Egli M. Pharmacological treatment of alcohol dependence: Target symptoms and target mechanisms. Pharmacology and therapeutics. 2006;111:855–876. - PubMed
    1. Li X, Schwacha MG, Chaudry IH, Choudhry MA. Acute alcohol intoxication potentiates neutrophil-mediated intestinal tissue damage after burn injury. Shock. 2008;29:377. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Room R, Babor T, Rehm J. Alcohol and public health. Lancet. 2005;365:519–530. - PubMed
    1. Sullivan EV, Zahr NM. Neuroinflammation as a neurotoxic mechanism in alcoholism: Commentary on “Increased MCP-1 and microglia in various regions of human alcoholic brain”. Experimental neurology. 2008;213:10–17. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources