The effect of ethanol administration on the disposition and elimination of chlormethiazole.

Acutely administered ethanol has been shown to inhibit the hepatic metabolism of a number of drugs. Ethanol might be expected to decrease the first-pass extraction of chlormethiazole leading to higher blood levels of this high clearance sedative frequently used in the management of alcoholic patients. Chlormethiazole has a narrow therapeutic index and the unexpected deaths reported in alcoholics taking this drug may have been due to an effect of ethanol on the metabolism of chlormethiazole. However in this study, acutely administered ethanol maintained at levels around 22 mmol/l had no significant effect on the disposition or elimination of either daily or intravenously administered chlormethiazole.