Q: I have an old uncle who is in his late 70s, and for the past 3 weeks he has not been feeling too well. He forgets a lot of things, sometimes has difficulty in walking and sometimes pain in the chest and stomach. I took him to the doctor a few days ago, and he was given the following tablets: Neurobin forte, rofecoxib and atenolol. Today I gave him a beer. All I want to know is, will this have any bad effect on him? He likes to have a beer at times, and I just want to know if its ok to give him one from time to time. If possible one every night. I suppose you can understand that old people like to have a little drink every night after dinner.

A:He should be checked by a neurologist to exclude dementia. One alcoholic drink of 30 ml is not harmful provided he does not have liver dysfunction.