It's dangerous to drink alcohol after taking an over-the-counter cold medicine!

  Cold medications and alcohol should never be taken together. The interaction between OTC cold medicines and alcohol can cause a variety of side effects, including liver damage, kidney damage, and central nervous system depression.

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Today we're going to look at what happens to your body when you take an over-the-counter cold medicine and drink alcohol.

 

1. Interactions between over-the-counter cold medications and alcohol

OTC cold medications contain a variety of ingredients. Common ingredients include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and dihydrocodeine.

These ingredients may cause the following interactions when taken with alcohol.

• Gastrointestinal Disorders

Ingredients such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and dextromethorphan can cause stomach upset when taken with alcohol. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Abdominal pain

• Liver damage

Acetaminophen is metabolized in the liver. Alcohol is also metabolized in the liver, and alcohol can interfere with the metabolism of acetaminophen and cause liver damage. In particular, people who take more than 4,000 mg of acetaminophen per day or consume a lot of alcohol are at risk for liver damage.

• Kidney damage

Ibuprofen is metabolized in the kidneys. Alcohol is also metabolized in the kidneys, and alcohol can interfere with the metabolism of ibuprofen and cause kidney damage. You're especially at risk for kidney damage if you take more than 1,200 mg of ibuprofen per day, or if you consume a lot of alcohol.

• Central Nervous System Suppression

Ingredients such as dihydrocodeine and dextromethorphan have central nervous system depressant effects. Alcohol is also a central nervous system depressant, so combining an OTC cold medicine with alcohol can increase central nervous system depression, causing symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, headache, and ataxia. In severe cases, you may even fall into a coma.

 

2. it is important to take an over-the-counter cold medicine and not drink alcohol.

The interaction between over-the-counter cold medications and alcohol can cause a variety of side effects, so it's never a good idea to take an over-the-counter cold medication and drink alcohol.

 

3. It is recommended that you do not drink alcohol for at least 3 days after taking an over-the-counter cold medicine.

It takes about three days for the body to metabolize all of the ingredients in an over-the-counter cold remedy, so it's safe to not drink alcohol for at least three days after taking an over-the-counter cold remedy.

Abdominal pain

 

In particular, you should be aware that the interaction between OTC cold medications and alcohol may be more severe in the following cases.

• If you have liver disease
• If you have kidney disease
• If you have alcoholism
• Pregnant or nursing women
• Children under 12