Possible Interaction: Ethanol and Dextropropoxyphene

“ Ethanol was shown to enhance the bioavailability of propoxyphene by 25% probably by reducing its first-pass metabolism.”

“An additive effect of the toxicities of dextropropoxyphene and alcohol and of barbiturates is demonstrated.”

“Suicide accounted for 81.3% of cases while the other deaths were caused accidentally and involved drug addicts, alcoholics and those who had taken their dextropropoxyphene-containing prescriptions following consumption of alcohol.”

“The median postmortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 3.3 (w/w) in the 615 alcohol poisonings, but significantly lower, ranging from 1.3 to 1.7, when promazine, doxepin, amitriptyline or propoxyphene were found together with alcohol.”

“BACKGROUND Dextropropoxyphene DXP ) toxicity is highly potentiated by alcohol and the aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of non-suicidal deceased with simultaneous occurrence of alcohol and DXP in the blood.”

“We propose strict regulations in prescription, or even a ban on prescription of DXP, and that physicians in the meantime pay extra attention … this risk category of patients and make sure that the patient is well informed of the life-threatening risks of simultaneous use of DXP and alcohol.”

“Nevertheless, because of the high toxicity of DXP , especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs, the increase in the DXP prevalence gives reason for concern, since the studied population represents a group of individuals who use large doses of therapeutic or illegal drugs.”

“The goals included a reduction in propoxyphene use with alcohol or other CNS depressants, reduced prescribing of refills, and cessation of prescribing for patients at risk of abuse and misuse (suicide).”

“Other intoxicants, most frequently alcohol , have in more than one half of the cases been consumed together with dextropropoxyphene.”

“A suggestion is made that a closer examination be undertaken of the involvement in road crashes of the more widely available narcotic drugs codeine and propoxyphene when they are taken together with alcohol.”

“It has been shown, for example, that in fatal poisonings involving dextropropoxyphene , amitriptyline, pentobarbitone or chlormethiazole, the presence of ethanol causes a decrease in the concentration of the drug at which a given proportion of fatalities”