Medication and cooking with wine

[DaveSoMD]

I've searched DC and cannot find anything on this subject and gotten mixed information from other sites.

Can you cook with wine if you are on medications that say not to drink alcohol while taking the medication? I was always told that the alcohol burned off during cooking but I don't want to take a chance. SO is currently on medication that has the alcohol warning.

Has anyone else dealt with this? What are good substitutions if I cannot use wine?

[Uncle Bob]

All alcohol is not burned off during cooking...Consult with your So's physician to be safe.


Alcohol Cooking Substitutions

[GB]

This chart will show you how much alcohol cooks off. If you are on meds that you are not supposed to drink on then as a general rule of thumb you should stay away from foods cooked with alcohol.

[kitchenelf]

My friend was on an antibiotic with an alcohol warning. The first thing is to check with the doctor, that's what she did for this very reason. I'd rather not tell you what her doctor said - I'd rather your SO check with their doctor.

[DaveSoMD]

Thanks all! Those are two great references. We'll check with the Dr on the next visit and see what he has to say. But based on the burn-off chart I think I'll be trying some of those subsitutions no matter what.

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by GB

This chart will show you how much alcohol cooks off. If you are on meds that you are not supposed to drink on then as a general rule of thumb you should stay away from foods cooked with alcohol.

Ooopppss! I have half a dozen meds that say no alcohol, never thought to question cooking with it though. I will make a point of asking my Dr. next time I see her about that!

[kitchenelf]

Mav - some say no alcohol because the alcohol will intensify the effect, others say no alcohol because it will do the opposite. My friend couldn't have alcohol with her antibiotic because it would make her hurl

[auntdot]

Dave, there are drugs that have an Antabuse effect. Antabuse is a drug sometimes given to alcoholics. It has the effect of making the person taking the drug very sick - they puke their guts out if they take even the smallest amount of alcohol. They have to be very careful what they eat, there is enough alcohol in many things to set that reaction off. If you are interested, Google.

Antabuse is only given to alcoholics who are very aware of the effects when combined with alcohol and agree to take the medication.

There are other drugs, such as Flagyl (metronidazole), that are purported to have a similar effect on folks. But those drugs are prescribed for far different reasons than Antabuse. It is just an unfortunate side effect they have.

Did some Googling (jeepers is that becoming a verb?) and found a lot of information, much of which seems to be unfounded opinion. Would check with the doc.

But to the second question, the previous posters are absolutely correct. You cannot boil off all alcohol. One would think that alchohol, which has a lower boiling point than water, would just burn off first leaving a water based mixture.

Sorry. It seems that alcohol and water boil off together as a mixture. The bottom line is that unless you cook something to essential dryness there will be some alcohol in the mix.

Bottom line, question one, does the drug have an Antabuse effect? Check with the parmacist. Those guys are really good.

Question two, no, you can't boil off the booze. SO could become very unhappy if you add wine to the stew. And no one, I know well, is happy with an unhappy SO.

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by kitchenelf

Mav - some say no alcohol because the alcohol will intensify the effect, others say no alcohol because it will do the opposite. My friend couldn't have alcohol with her antibiotic because it would make her hurl

The stew I made last night had 1/2 cup red wine added to it, so far no side effects as far as I can tell (lemme check, yup still as nuts as before!).

But since I am on a lot of new meds I am not familiar with, especially these heart meds, I think I will be safer than sorry and check with the doc first!

Although, wouldn't that be great if it intensified the anti-depressants and made you laugh at everything?!

[kitchenelf]

LOL Mav - it would be great!!!!!