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The ideal time to take another DayQuil amount is three hours later. Taking NyQuil and mixing it with alcohol alone will not kill you. However, it can result in harmful side effects, cause severe liver damage, and make you feel lazy and stressed out. Professionals do not recommend the combination of alcohol and Nyquil. You run a significant chance of suffering drug interactions if you combine the two since Nyquil includes several different substances that can negatively interact with alcohol.
When it’s taken as directed, DXM is usually safe and rarely causes side effects. But combining DXM with alcohol is extremely dangerous and can even kill you. Side effects can range from dizziness and lightheadedness to drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. The danger stems from the way the body breaks down acetaminophen.
- Alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms of a cold or the flu.
- Some people assume mixing NyQuil and alcohol is dangerous due to the overconsumption of alcohol.
- However, many NyQuil products contain alcohol and active ingredients that can cause significant drowsiness.
- All unique content created by the Addiction Group team is sourced from current scientific research and fact-checked by an addiction counseling expert before publication.
These include many OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , other pain medications, certain medications for mood disorders, and many more. If you’re still unsure about whether a medication contains acetaminophen, ask your healthcare professional or a pharmacist. Combining NyQuil with alcohol can make side effects like dizziness or drowsiness worse. DISCOUNT ONLY – NOT INSURANCE. Discounts are available exclusively through participating pharmacies. The range of the discounts will vary depending on the type of prescription and the pharmacy chosen.
If you are unsure if the medication that you are using contains acetaminophen, it may be best to speak to your doctor or medical provider. Taking a recommended dose of acetaminophen and having a few drinks once in a while won’t typically lead to liver problems. However, heavy alcohol use and repeated acetaminophen use can lead to liver damage. Simply put, alcohol can enhance the effects of the active ingredients in NyQuil, leading to potentially harmful consequences. Cough suppressants, or antitussives, work by suppressing the urge to cough.
What Is The Concern With Drinking Alcohol With NyQuil?
It’s better to save the alcohol for when you are feeling better. If you have the flu—or even just a severe cold—the last thing you probably feel like doing is going out for a night on the town. And while abstaining from alcohol is a good thing (and what your body needs when it is in virus-fighting mode), you may be tempted to try a hot toddy to soothe your sickness. Additionally, we have another drug of concern here, acetaminophen, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol. In our latest question and answer, our pharmacist discusses the safety of taking NyQuil after having some alcoholic beverages.
With acetaminophen, both it and alcohol are broken down and metabolized in the liver. Therefore, drinking when you’re sick could prolong your sickness. This is because your immune system is less effective at warding off infections. Medical professionals recommended refraining from consuming alcohol while ill. If someone is feeling these symptoms, it is advised to drink responsibly and call for emergency assistance.
When used as directed, DXM is effective and safe and poses very few health risks. However, when taken in higher doses, DXM triggers side effects similar to consuming too much alcohol. The flu and cold medication and its store-brand versions contain several ingredients that can interact with alcohol and cause drowsiness, dizziness and liver damage. When you take a dose of NyQuil as directed, this cold medicine is pretty harmless. However, when you drink alcohol while taking this over-the-counter medication, you may experience increased side effects like extreme drowsiness and rapid heart rate. A combination OTC drug called NyQuil is commonly used to treat runny nose, sore throat, chronic cough, aches, and flu symptoms.
Alcohol on its own is a depressant, which gives off sedative effects to the person. Doxylamine also gives off sedative effects, so combining the two can be very dangerous in some instances. This can be especially problematic if a person consumed large amounts of alcohol at a time. Repeatedly mixing the two can eventually lead to liver damage. This is due to the acetaminophen that’s present in NyQuil. Together, alcohol and acetaminophen can place extra stress on your liver.
Ingredients in NyQuil
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. However, many NyQuil products contain alcohol and active ingredients that can cause significant drowsiness. However, it is important to remember that even alcohol-free NyQuil products may contain ingredients that could be dangerous when someone is drinking alcohol. Therefore, the main reason to avoid drinking alcohol while taking NyQuil is to help prevent accidents due to increased drowsiness and impaired vigilance. However, those taking NyQuil should probably avoid certain activities, even without drinking alcohol. NyQuil medications contain several different ingredients.
In fact, acetaminophen overdoses account for over 50% of acute liver failure cases in the United States! While low doses of acetaminophen once in a while are safe, too much is dangerous and the combination of acetaminophen and alcohol only increases this risk. Some people assume mixing 9 things you think are environmentally friendly is dangerous due to the overconsumption of alcohol. Although partly true, the real danger is from combining alcohol with the drug’s active ingredients. Users consume about the same amount of alcohol from a regular dose of NyQuil as they would from a sip of white wine.
This program does not make payments directly to pharmacies. Members are required to pay for all prescription purchases. You may contact customer care anytime with questions or concerns, to cancel your registration, or to obtain further information. This program is administered by Medical Security Card Company, LLC, Tucson, AZ. Whether you’re taking acetaminophen or an NSAID, it’s better not to drink with these drugs.
The pricing estimates given are based on the most recent information available and may change based on when you actually fill your prescription at the pharmacy. You may find alternative ways to save with this medication. Talk to your pharmacist about the potential option noted below.
How to get rid of a chest cold
So does this mean it is okay to have a little whiskey while you fight the fever and severe aches and pains brought on by this punishing virus? Kevin Davis, Pharm.D., pharmacy supervisor at the University of Florida Health, Jacksonville, and that adds insult to injury. What’s more, alcohol can impair the immune system, which isn’t what you need when you’re trying to recover from an illness. Doxylamine is a very sedating antihistamine, similar to Benadryl.
Having a few alcoholic drinks, then taking a recommended dose of NyQuil, is unlikely to cause liver injury unless there is a pre-existing problem. At high doses, drinking alcohol with NyQuil is extremely dangerous and can lead to overdose and death. In addition to avoiding alcohol when taking NyQuil, it’s also crucial to avoid other medications that contain acetaminophen. Anything that causes you to exceed the daily recommended dose of acetaminophen is dangerous.
It may be time to contact a reputable rehab facility, like if you or a loved one is battling alcoholism . Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages alcohol consumption and blood pressure include alcohol, often referred to as ethanol or ethyl alcohol. Alcohol is regarded as a depressive and a “sedative-hypnotic” substance.
Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. Abusers of DXM often combine it with other drugs such as alcohol and marijuana. These include NyQuil LiquiCaps and Alcohol-Free NyQuil Cold & Flu Nighttime Relief Liquid. How long NyQuil stays in your system depends on how much you took and other physical factors, such as weight and age. A normal dose of NyQuil can help you sleep for four to eight hours. Unfortunately, alcohol impairs the immune system in several ways, making it harder for your body to recover from what’s ailing you.
Ideally, anyone taking a short-term medication to reduce a fever or alleviate flu symptoms should stay alcohol-free. A single occurrence of mixing alcoholic pancreatitis is unlikely to cause severe side effects. Frequently mixing them can cause liver damage and other serious medical issues.
Cold and flu medicine and alcohol interactions
The alcohol in NyQuil is used as a solvent to keep the top three ingredients in liquid form. Adults and children over the age of 12 should take one dose of Nyquil every 6 hours while symptoms last. Trained Emergency Physician who has practiced for 15 years and also had guided alcohol and drug addiction programs for the past 20 years. Prescription medications that contain acetaminophen are also a concern. This makes NyQuil especially risky for someone suffering from an alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence.
NyQuil and Alcohol
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol or NyQuil abuse, please call our helpline today. Doxylamine succinate also works to make you sleepy along with being an antihistamine. If taken with alcohol, it can have an even greater sedative effect. If you’ve consumed a large amount of alcohol while taking Nyquil, it is best to contact a medical professional for assistance. The definitive version of NyQuil depends on your symptoms because it comes in various products.
Some people who mix the two substances just fall asleep faster and experience deeper sleep. However, if you consume a large amount of alcohol and take NyQuil, the effects can be extremely dangerous. NyQuil is different from DayQuil, which is a non-drowsy cold and flu symptom reliever. Some DXM abusers purposely swig alcohol with cough syrup to enhance these psychoactive effects and end up overdosing. Using alcohol in combination with DXM can cause shallow breathing, stupor, coma and death.
Get cost-effective, quality addiction care that truly works. Alcohol reduces the number of white blood cells that normally patrol the bloodstream, looking for invaders and gobbling them up. Alcohol also impairs the body’s production of cytokines, which coordinate the body’s overall immune response. Vicks states that people taking this medication should exercise extra caution while driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.