If you’re living with Parkinson’s disease, you may wonder whether it’s safe to have a beer, a glass of wine, or another alcoholic drink. But there isn’t one answer that works for everyone.

Depending on your symptoms and medications, a drink that causes few problems for one person with Parkinson’s could be risky for someone else.

If you already drink, your neurologist or other healthcare provider can help you decide whether alcohol can safely fit into your life.

How Alcohol May Affect Parkinson’s Symptoms

Parkinson’s symptoms are different for everyone. Some people mainly have motor symptoms like tremor or stiffness. Others may have problems with walking or balance, as well as nonmotor symptoms such as sleep, blood pressure, or thinking changes.

Balance, Walking, and Coordination

Parkinson’s can make it harder to walk steadily and stay balanced. Some people develop a shuffling walk or freezing of gait, which is when their feet briefly seem stuck to the floor. Falls also become more common as the disease progresses.

Alcohol can affect balance, reaction time, judgment, and coordination. Combining those effects with Parkinson’s movement problems could make a fall more likely.

The risk may be higher if you already use a cane or walker, have fallen before, or notice that your Parkinson’s medications sometimes make you dizzy or sleepy.

Even a fall that seems minor can have serious effects, especially in an older adult. If drinking makes you feel less steady than usual, that’s a good reason to stop and talk with your healthcare provider about alcohol.

🗳️ Have your drinking habits changed since you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s?

Yes

No

I didn’t drink before my diagnosis

Something else/other

Thanks! You've successfully submitted your vote.

Sign up to view the results!

Continue with Facebook

Continue with Google

Continue with Email

By joining, you accept our Terms of Use, and acknowledge our collection, sharing, and use of your data in accordance with our Health Data and Privacy policies.

Already a member? Log In

Dizziness and Low Blood Pressure

Parkinson’s can affect the body’s automatic control of blood pressure. Some people develop orthostatic hypotension, which means their blood pressure falls when they stand up. It can cause dizziness, weakness, blurry vision, or fainting.

Parkinson’s medications can sometimes make low blood pressure worse. Alcohol can also contribute to dizziness and changes in blood pressure. Together, these effects may increase dizziness and the risk of falling.

If you often get lightheaded when you stand, have fainted, or have been diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension, ask your doctor about alcohol before drinking.

Sleep

Sleep problems are very common in Parkinson’s. You may have trouble falling asleep, wake often during the night, or feel very sleepy during the day.

Alcohol can make you feel sleepy at first, but that doesn’t mean it improves sleep. Drinking can disrupt sleep later in the night and may contribute to poor-quality sleep.

Poor sleep can be especially troublesome if Parkinson’s already leaves you tired or fatigued during the day. Alcohol can add to sleepiness caused by some medications.

Thinking and Memory

Parkinson’s can sometimes cause changes in attention, memory, decision-making, and other thinking skills. Some people eventually develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Alcohol affects judgment, memory, reaction time, and decision-making. These effects may be especially troublesome for someone who already has cognitive changes.

If you or your family have noticed confusion, memory problems, hallucinations, or changes in judgment, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider about alcohol.

Alcohol and Parkinson’s Medications

Parkinson’s treatment often involves several medications. Alcohol can affect the brain and nervous system too, so combining it with medications may worsen certain side effects.

The exact risk depends on what you take, your dose, your other medical conditions, and how much you drink.

Levodopa and Carbidopa

Carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet, Rytary) is the most effective medication for Parkinson’s movement symptoms. Levodopa is changed into dopamine in the brain, while carbidopa helps more levodopa reach the brain and reduces some side effects.

Levodopa treatment can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and low blood pressure in some people. Alcohol can worsen some side effects of carbidopa/levodopa, including dizziness and drowsiness. Drinking while taking this medication may make you feel more dizzy, drowsy, or unsteady.

This doesn’t mean everyone taking carbidopa/levodopa must avoid alcohol. It does mean you should ask your neurologist or pharmacist how drinking could affect you.

Dopamine Agonists

Medications such as pramipexole, ropinirole, and rotigotine (Neupro) act on dopamine systems in the brain. They can cause sleepiness and dizziness. Some people can even fall asleep suddenly during everyday activities.

Because alcohol can also cause drowsiness and affect coordination, combining the two may increase these effects.

Dopamine agonists can also cause impulse control problems in some people. These are strong urges that become difficult to control, such as compulsive gambling, shopping, eating, or sexual behavior.

If you’re having trouble controlling alcohol use or other urges, tell your healthcare provider.

MAO-B Inhibitors and Other Parkinson’s Drugs

Other Parkinson’s medications include MAO-B inhibitors such as rasagiline (Azilect) and selegiline (Zelapar), COMT inhibitors such as entacapone (Comtan) and opicapone (Ongentys), and amantadine (Gocovri).

These medications have different side effects and interactions. Depending on the drug, dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, hallucinations, or changes in blood pressure may occur. Alcohol could make some of these problems harder to manage.

Treatments for Other Health Conditions

Some medications for other health conditions shouldn’t be combined with alcohol. These can include certain sleeping medications, anxiety medications, pain medications, and other drugs that cause drowsiness.

Rather than guessing, give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of everything you take, including over-the-counter medications and supplements, and ask specifically about alcohol.

Who Should Avoid or Limit Alcohol?

Whether you should drink depends on more than your Parkinson’s diagnosis. Alcohol may be especially risky if you:

• Have frequent falls or significant balance problems
• Get dizzy or faint when standing
• Have very low blood pressure
• Have memory loss, confusion, dementia, or hallucinations
• Take medications that cause significant sleepiness or dizziness
• Have trouble controlling your drinking
• Have liver disease or another condition affected by alcohol
• Need to drive or do something that requires good balance and quick reactions

Making Safe, Informed Decisions

There isn’t one rule about alcoholic beverages that applies to everyone with Parkinson’s. Your symptoms, medications, fall risk, blood pressure, and thinking and memory can all affect whether drinking is safe for you.

If you choose to drink, pay attention to how alcohol affects you. Feeling more dizzy, sleepy, confused, or unsteady than usual may be a sign that alcohol isn’t a good choice for you.

Alcohol can also add to side effects from some Parkinson’s medications, so ask your neurologist or your pharmacist about possible interactions.

If you would like to reduce or stop drinking but are having trouble doing so, talk to your doctor. You can also reach out to the SAMHSA 24/7 National Helpline for support.