Q. My elderly father when he takes his medicine without food becomes mixed up and kind of inebriated and then falls usually asleep. Since he can’t consume any alcoholic drinks, can he avoid for a short while the food so he will comply with the mitzva of “Lebesumei” during Purim?

A. On a similar question 146 we wrote:
“Q. During Purim, can a patient on prescription drugs become inebriated by them and fulfill the mitzvah of drinking on Purim, since he cannot drink wine or any alcohol at all?
A. Many Poskim (Rashi Megila 7a – Rambam Megila 2,15 et al.) insist that wine should be the beverage used, as the miracles of Purim occurred by reason of a wine banquet. However, many others totally omit the mention of wine and permit any alcoholic beverage (see Hisorerus Teshuvo 3,491 – Mishne Halochos 5,83 – Piskei Teshuvos 695,3).

For someone who finds drinking wine difficult, Poskim recommend drinking some wine and then following with other alcoholic beverages.

It stands to reason that a prescription drug if it has a similar effect of creating joy, (that is in reality indeed uncommon), is comparable to all other alcoholic beverages. In this particular case, it could be advisable for the patient, with his doctor’s approval to take his prescription drugs and fall asleep afterwards, as recommended by the Remoh (O.H. 695: 2).

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a.