Mixing Benadryl with alcohol may be particularly hazardous for females, as consuming smaller amounts of alcohol could trigger adverse interaction effects. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use diphenhydramine only for the indication prescribed. The risk of respiratory depression (e.g. shallow breathing) is of serious concern when it comes to the use of central nervous system alcohol poisoning depressants like alcohol. In general, it is recommended to avoid consumption of alcohol if you are going to be taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine). But both drugs work on your central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of your brain and spinal cord. For motion sickness, take diphenhydramine 30 minutes before you will be in a situation that causes you motion sickness (such as a long car ride, airplane or boat travel, amusement park rides, etc).
- Some medications—including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies—contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol.
- Taking Benadryl with alcohol, on the other hand, may increase the intensity of side effects, sometimes provoking serious adverse outcomes.
- Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medicine.
- Patients with diphenhydramine toxicity present with an extension of adverse effects and generally include CNS depression and anticholinergic symptoms.
Continue taking diphenhydramine with meals and at bedtime for the rest of the time you will be in a motion-sickness situation. Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one. Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medicine. It is not known whether diphenhydramine will harm an unborn baby.
Is Zyrtec pregnancy safe?
This can help a cough or runny nose but can also cause side effects such as a dry mouth and dry nose. Diphenhydramine passes into breast milk in very small amounts. Although it’s unlikely to cause any side effects in your baby, it is a drowsy antihistamine, so could make your baby sleepy. If you have a cough or cold, you can help to ease your symptoms by resting, drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol. Do not use diphenhydramine cream at the same time as other products containing diphenhydramine. If you arrived here today wondering, “Can I take Benadryl with alcohol”, it should now be clear that drinking with Benadryl is potentially dangerous.
Adverse Effects
In fact, Benadryl is often available in combination products that contain Tylenol or Advil. These products are used to treat symptoms of allergies and colds. Examples of these symptoms include body aches, sneezing, and a runny nose. To learn more about taking Benadryl and blood pressure medication, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. If you’re taking melatonin, L-theanine, or trazodone, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking Benadryl.
Drinking alcohol and taking Benadryl makes it harder to control body movement well for people of all ages. You may have heard that you shouldn’t drive or use machinery if you take Benadryl (alone or with alcohol). This warning is because of the risks of CNS depression from the drug. Benadryl is the brand-name version of an antihistamine called diphenhydramine. An antihistamine is a drug that interferes with the action of the compound histamine in your body. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and alcohol are both central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
If you’d like to take Benadryl with Flonase, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can instruct you on how to take these medications together safely. However, if you take blood pressure medication, you’re encouraged to talk with your doctor before taking Benadryl.
Diphenhydramine and pregnancy
While it does not impact on the liver, Benadryl is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, the same as alcohol. When it is taken with alcohol, the combined impact on the CNS can produce heightened alcoholic pancreatitis symptoms and diagnosis next steps side effects. In some situations, this interaction can produce very dangerous results. These include Alavert and Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), and Allegra (fexofenadine).
Waiting that amount of time before alcohol consumption would be prudent. Alcohol is a well-known CNS (central nervous system) depressant, and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a sedating first-generation antihistamine. Their effects on the body can be additive, and should generally be avoided unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Impaired motor ability, combined with the dizziness and sedation from Benadryl, can cause particular problems for older adults. For instance, the combination may increase the risk of falls in seniors.
It’s always best to consult with a medical professional before combining any medications or substances, including Benadryl and wine. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, cough, allergy, or sleep medicine. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of this type of medicine. Check the label to see if a medicine contains an antihistamine.
Alcohol can produce withdrawal symptoms after someone stops drinking. Like those produced by benzodiazepine withdrawal, these can be life-threatening. Though diphenhydramine is most readily available in OTC medicines, it is still capable of producing effects. Users take it recreationally because it reportedly induces calm, mild euphoria, and hallucinations.
Other side effects
To learn more about possible side effects of Benadryl, see this article. If you’d like to find out how Benadryl compares with Claritin and Zyrtec, see this article. Cannabis (marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have not been specifically reported to interact with Benadryl. However, as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before taking cannabis in combination with Benadryl. The impact of cannabis may affect how well you stick to your Benadryl treatment plan. Keep in mind that you should still talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any vitamins during your Benadryl treatment.
The drug helps to reduce allergy symptoms, including rashes and coughs and irritated eyes, throat, and nose. Benadryl is an antihistamine some people take to manage allergy symptoms. Medicines that interact with diphenhydramine may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with diphenhydramine.
Ask your doctor before using diphenhydrAMINE together with ethanol. Alcohol may increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking diphenhydrAMINE. You should be warned not to exceed recommended dosages and to avoid activities requiring mental alertness. If your doctor prescribes these medications together, you may need a dose adjustment to safely take this combination.
Ask your doctor before taking diphenhydramine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures. Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, constipation, or trouble urinating. Drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion can increase the risk of falling. The dosage is based on your age, medical condition, and response to treatment. Read the dosing instructions carefully for each product because the amount of diphenhydramine may be different between products.
Who can and cannot take diphenhydramine
An antihistamine works by blocking your body’s response to these allergens. It also possesses local anesthetic properties for patients with allergies to other, more commonly used local anesthetics; high-functioning alcoholics and relationships tips for taking care of yourself however, this is an off-label use of the medication. Additional off-label use is for the treatment of oral mucositis. There are many specific risks that come from combining Benadryl® and alcohol.
