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Alcohol Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of alcohol include toxicity to various agents, drug abuse, and completed suicide, based on 28,157 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025.

Alcohol side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for alcohol.

1
Toxicity To Various Agents20.0%5,636
2
Drug Abuse18.1%5,093
3
Completed Suicide17.9%5,045
4
Overdose5.4%1,518
5
Death5.3%1,506
6
Cardio-respiratory Arrest4.5%1,265
7
Intentional Overdose4.4%1,230
8
Suicide Attempt3.1%864
9
Intentional Product Misuse3.1%863
10
Drug Dependence3.0%838
11
Somnolence2.6%720
12
Coma2.5%709
13
Substance Abuse2.5%708
14
Drug Interaction2.5%692
15
Cardiac Arrest2.4%672

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that alcohol caused these reactions.

Report severity

94.1%Serious26,507 reports
32.8%Hospitalizations9,227 reports
53.1%Fatal14,943 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Alcohol drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside alcohol. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Acetaminophen15.0%4,223
2
Cocaine-hydrochloride9.7%2,723
3
Fentanyl9.5%2,665
4
Oxycodone9.2%2,589
5
Diazepam7.3%2,042
6
Alprazolam6.8%1,928
7
Quetiapine-fumarate5.5%1,542
8
Bupropion4.8%1,362
9
Buprenorphine4.8%1,338
10
Gabapentin4.5%1,257
11
Ibuprofen4.4%1,229
12
Tramadol-hydrochloride4.2%1,176
13
Amphetamine4.2%1,176
14
Citalopram-hydrobromide4.0%1,117
15
Venlafaxine3.8%1,074

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen3.3%920
2
Ergocalciferol2.0%554
3
Aspirin1.9%521
4
Albuterol1.8%512
5
Omeprazole1.6%458
6
Ibuprofen1.5%434
7
Amlodipine1.4%381
8
Levothyroxine-sodium1.3%362
9
Gabapentin1.3%360
10
Atorvastatin-calcium1.2%349
11
Fluticasone1.2%329
12
Lisinopril1.1%301
13
Metoprolol1.1%298
14
Diazepam1.1%298
15
Pantoprazole-sodium1.0%290

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports alcohol side effects

41.2% of alcohol adverse event reports involve female patients and 50.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 87%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.2%
Male50.9%
Unknown7.9%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–110.4%
12–172.6%
18–6486.7%
65+9.8%

What is alcohol used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking alcohol when the adverse event was reported.

Accidental Exposure To ProductAccidental OverdoseAdverse EventAgitationAlcohol AbuseAlcohol PoisoningAlcohol UseAlcoholicAlcoholismAlternating Hemiplegia Of ChildhoodAnalgesic Drug LevelAnalgesic TherapyAnti-infective TherapyAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic Therapy

Showing 15 of 342 indications

Alcohol brand names and reporting trend

Alcohol is sold under the brand name Avagard.

Brand names

Avagard29,488

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking alcohol with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.